bbc--2019-03-20--San Francisco moves to ban e-cigarettes until health effects known

Officials in San Francisco have proposed a new law to ban e-cigarette sales until their health effects are evaluated by the US government.  The law appears to be the first of its kind in the US and seeks to curb a rising usage by young people.  Critics, however, say it will make it harder for people to kick addiction.  A second city law would bar making, selling or distributing tobacco on city property and is aimed at an e-cigarette firm renting on Pier 70.  Last week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) - the national regulator - released its proposed guidelines, giving companies until 2021 to apply to have their e-cigarette products evaluated.  A deadline had initially been set for August 2018, but the agency later said more preparation time was needed.  San Francisco city attorney Dennis Herrera, one of the co-authors of the bill, which is yet to be approved, said reviews should have been done before they were sold.  "These companies may hide behind the veneer of harm reduction, but let's be clear, their product is addiction," said Mr Herrera.  He added that San Francisco, Chicago and New York had sent a joint letter to the FDA calling on it to investigate the effects of e-cigarettes on public health.  Anti-vaping activists say companies are deliberately targeting young people by offering flavoured products.  According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of US teenagers who admitted using tobacco products "within the last 30 days" rose 36% between 2017 and 2018 - from 3.6m to 4.9m. It attributes this to a growth in e-cigarette use.  Last year San Francisco became the first US city to ban flavoured tobacco and vaping liquids, and already prevents smokeless tobacco from being used on playing fields.  Juul, one of the the most popular US e-cigarette firms, rents space on Pier 70.  In a statement, the firm said it supported cutting vaping among young people but only in a way that eliminated access to regular cigarettes.  It asked: "This proposed legislation begs the question - why would the city be comfortable with combustible cigarettes being on shelves when we know they kill more than 480,000 Americans per year?"


bbc--2019-03-29--George Clooney calls for hotel boycott over Brunei LGBT laws

Hollywood actor George Clooney is calling for a boycott of nine luxury hotels with links to Brunei, after the country said gay sex and adultery would soon be punishable by death.  From 3 April, homosexuals could face being whipped or stoned in the tiny South East Asian state.  In 2014, Brunei became the first East Asian country to adopt Islamic Sharia law despite widespread condemnation.  Mr Clooney said the new laws amounted to "human rights violations".  "In the onslaught of news where we see the world backsliding into authoritarianism this stands alone," the actor wrote in a column for the entertainment website Deadline.  "Brunei is a Monarchy and certainly any boycott would have little effect on changing these laws", he said. "But are we really going to help pay for these human rights violations?"  He said Dorchester Collection hotels in the US, UK, France and Italy, which are owned by the Brunei Investment Agency, should be avoided by those who oppose the measures.  Brunei, on the island of Borneo, is ruled by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and has grown rich on oil and gas exports.  The Sultan owns the Brunei Investment Agency, which counts some of the world's top hotels in its portfolio, including the Dorchester in London and the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles.  "I've stayed at many of them," Mr Clooney wrote, "because I hadn't done my homework and didn't know who owned them.  "Every single time we stay at or take meetings at or dine at any of these nine hotels we are putting money directly into the pockets of men who choose to stone and whip to death their own citizens," he added.  Other public figures have also announced they are boycotting the Dorchester Collection.  Filmmaker Dustin Lance Black wrote on Twitter: "If you continue to stay at or frequent the Beverley Hills Hotel, you are guilty of financially supporting these murderers."  BBC world affairs editor John Simpson also confirmed that he wouldn't be visiting hotels owned by the group.  In 2014, Ellen DeGeneres and Stephen Fry vowed to boycott the group over Brunei's anti-gay laws.  Brunei's ruling royals possess a huge private fortune and its largely ethnic-Malay population enjoy generous state handouts and pay no taxes.  The Sultan introduced a tough Islamic penal code nearly five years ago which it said would be introduced over a period of several years.  Under the new laws, theft will be punished by the amputation of a hand for a first offence and the amputation of a foot for a second offence.  When he announced the move, the Sultan, 72, one of the world's wealthiest men, called the code "a part of the great history of our nation".


bbc--2019-04-03--Brunei implements stoning to death under anti-LGBT laws

Brunei is introducing strict new Islamic laws that make anal sex and adultery offences punishable by stoning to death.  The new measures, that come into force on Wednesday, also cover a range of other crimes including punishment for theft by amputation.  Brunei's gay community has expressed shock and fear at the "medieval punishments".  "You wake up and realise that your neighbours, your family or even that nice old lady that sells prawn fritters by the side of the road doesn't think you're human, or is okay with stoning," one Bruneian gay man, who did not want to be identified, told the BBC.  The sultan of the small South-East Asian nation on Wednesday called for "stronger" Islamic teachings.  "I want to see Islamic teachings in this country grow stronger," Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah said in a public address, according to AFP news agency, without mentioning the strict new interpretation of Sharia, or Islamic law.  Homosexuality was already illegal in Brunei and punishable by up to 10 years in prison.  Muslims make up about two-thirds of the country's population of 420,000. Brunei has retained the death penalty but has not carried out an execution since 1957.  The law mostly applies to Muslims, including children who have reached puberty, though some aspects will apply to non-Muslims.  Under the new laws, individuals accused of certain acts will be convicted if they confess or if there were witnesses present.  Individuals who have not reached puberty but are convicted of certain offences may be instead subjected to whipping.  Sultan Hassanal heads the Brunei Investment Agency which owns the Dorchester Collection, an operator of some of the world's top hotels including the Dorchester in London and the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles.  Brunei's ruling royals possess a huge private fortune and its largely ethnic Malay residents enjoy generous state handouts and pay no taxes.  But Hollywood actor George Clooney and other celebrities have now called for a boycott of the luxury hotels. TV host Ellen DeGeneres also called for people to "rise up", saying "we need to do something now".  The hotel operator said it did "not tolerate any form of discrimination".  "Dorchester Collection's code emphasises equality, respect and integrity in all areas of our operation, and strongly values people and cultural diversity amongst our guests and employees," it said. "Inclusion and diversity remain core beliefs."  In another development, a honorary degree awarded by the UK's University of Aberdeen to Sultan Hassanal is under review.  The country first introduced Sharia law in 2014 despite widespread condemnation, giving it a dual legal system with both Sharia and Common Law. The sultan had said then that the new penal code would come into full force over several years.  The first phase, which covered crimes punishable by prison sentences and fines, was implemented in 2014. Brunei had delayed introducing the final two phases, which cover crimes punishable by amputation and stoning.  But on Saturday, the government released a statement on its website saying the Sharia penal code would be fully implemented on Wednesday.  In the days since, there has been international outrage and calls for the country to reverse course.  "These abusive provisions received widespread condemnation when plans were first discussed five years ago," said Rachel Chhoa-Howard, a Brunei researcher at Amnesty International.  "Brunei's penal code is a deeply flawed piece of legislation containing a range of provisions that violate human rights."  The United Nations echoed the statement, calling the legislation "cruel, inhuman and degrading", and saying it marked a "serious setback" for human rights protection.  According to rights group Human Rights Without Frontiers, stoning is still a punishment in countries such as Iran, Somalia and Sudan among others.  There are several theories, but Matthew Woolfe, founder of human rights group The Brunei Project, said it could be linked to Brunei's weakening economy.  "One theory is that it is a way for the government to strengthen its hold on power in the face of a declining economy that could potentially lead to some unrest in future," Mr Woolfe told the BBC.  "Connected to this is [Brunei's] interest in attracting more investment from the Muslim world, along with more Islamic tourists… this could be seen as one way of appealing to this market."  Mr Woolfe also added that the government might have hoped to get away with the latest roll-out without anyone realising.  "I think that the government did want to ensure that the international uproar that followed implementation of the first phase in 2014 had well and truly died down before further [implementation], in the hope it would just quietly [do so] without anyone realising," he said.  "It wasn't until increasing international attention that it finally came out and confirmed [this]."  The penal code changes were posted on the attorney general's website in December but only came to public attention in late March. There was no public announcement.  One 40-year-old gay Bruneian currently seeking asylum in Canada said the impact of the new penal code was already being felt in Brunei.  The ex-government employee, who left Brunei last year after being charged with sedition for a Facebook post that was critical of the government, said people were "afraid".  "The gay community in Brunei has never been open but when Grindr [a gay dating app] came that helped people meet in secret. But now, what I've heard is that hardly anyone is using Grindr anymore," Shahiran S Shahrani Md told the BBC.  "They're afraid that they might talk to a police officer pretending to be gay. It hasn't happened yet but because of the new laws, people are afraid," he said.  Another male Bruneian, who is not gay but has renounced Islam, said he felt "fearful and numb" in the face of the laws being implemented.  "We ordinary citizens are powerless to stop Sharia law from being implemented," said the 23-year-old, who did not want to be identified.  "Under Sharia, I would face the death penalty for apostasy."  One gay man was hopeful that the laws might not be enforced widely.  "Honestly, I'm not too scared as the government here often bluffs with the harsh punishments. But it can and will still happen even with it being rare."  It is very unlikely to happen at all, people inside Brunei have told Bill Hayton, associate fellow with the Asia Pacific programme at Chatham House.  "What I'm hearing from people in Brunei is that this is very, very unlikely to ever happen," he told BBC Radio Four.  For instance, the laws stipulate that there must be four Muslim witnesses to the act of anal sex or adultery for it to be prosecuted, he said.  "The way it is being explained to me is that this is a way for the sultan to look religious but make sure that none of these punishments will actually be carried out," Mr Hayton said.


bbc--2019-04-03--Twitter blocks French government with its own fake news law

A social media campaign from the French government has been blocked by Twitter - because of the government's own anti-fake-news law.  Since December, France requires online political campaigns to declare who paid for them, and how much was spent.  But now Twitter has rejected a government voter registration campaign.  The company could not find a solution to obey the letter of the new law, officials said – and opted to avoid the potential problem altogether.  The #OuiJeVote (Yes, I Vote) campaign encouraged voters to register for the European elections ahead of the deadline.  It was operated by the French government information service, which had planned to pay for sponsored tweets, according to news agency AFP.  Twitter's refusal to take money from the state to promote the message baffled many in France. One MP, Naïma Moutchou, tweeted: "I thought it was an April Fools!"  Interior Minister Christophe Castanter also took to the platform to express frustration with the decision.  "Twitter's priority should be to fight content that glorifies terrorism. Not campaigns to register on the electoral lists of a democratic republic."  The new French law, which took effect in December, is designed to combat anonymous political messages and make clear who is paying for advertisements.  It requires online platforms to provide "fair, clear and transparent" information about the person or company, and the amount paid, in an open and accessible database format.  The government information service told AFP news agency: "Twitter does not know how to do that today, and so decided to have a completely hard-line policy, which is to cut any so-called political campaign."  But it argued that the public information message, simply asking people to register to vote, should not count as a "political campaign".  "It's not that the law has backfired against us, it's a platform which does not comply," it said.  "In our opinion, this is a last stand on their part to put the discussion back on the table, with the aim of adjusting the measures."


bbc--2019-04-03--Which countries have the death penalty for gay sex

Which countries have the death penalty for gay sex?

Brunei is introducing new laws that make sex between men an offence punishable by stoning to death.  It joins Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Sudan, Mauritania and parts of Nigeria and Somalia, which also impose the death penalty for same-sex relationships, according to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA).  Identifying which countries have actually carried out these punishments, though, is difficult.  Amnesty International says it has had no reports of executions under anti-homosexuality laws in the past few years.  However, there have previously been reports of executions in Iran and Saudi Arabia.  Nigeria has the punishment of stoning in its Muslim-majority northern states - but it has never been carried out.  Homosexuality was already illegal in Brunei and carried a punishment of up to 10 years in prison.  The new measures introduced in Brunei also criminalise sex between women, carrying a penalty of 40 strokes of the cane and/or up to 10 years in jail.  There are currently 70 countries that criminalise same-sex relations, according to the ILGA.  Other countries have some form of legal restriction.  Russia is included - even though same-sex relationships were formally legalised in 1993. This is because "a variety of repressive legal provisions" have come into force over the past decade, according to the ILGA.  In many places, breaking these laws is punishable by long prison sentences, fines or even corporal punishment.  Many of the states criminalising homosexual relations are Commonwealth countries (35 in total) with legal statutes originating from British colonial times.  The Commonwealth Secretary General, Patricia Scotland, has urged the government of Brunei to reconsider the new punishments, which, she says, "will potentially bring into effect cruel and inhuman punishments which contravene international human rights law and standards".  A ruling by the Indian Supreme Court in 2018 removed India from the list of states that explicitly outlaw gay sex.  India's membership of the Commonwealth had made its ruling, striking down a colonial-era law, particularly significant, said Tea Braun of the Human Dignity Trust, a UK-based charity that supports those challenging anti-gay laws.  "Its dismantling by the Indian Supreme Court, after over a century and a half of oppression against LGBT people, signals a change in tide for the world," she told BBC News.  In a number countries, legal challenges could bring about change:  Gay marriage is now legal in 26 countries worldwide, the ILGA says.  Definitions can sometimes be tricky though - the UK is included despite gay marriage remaining illegal in Northern Ireland.  Brazil and Mexico are also on the ILGA's list because "through one legal route or another, it appears to be possible to marry in most jurisdictions".  Countries where gay marriage is now legal:  And in August 2018, Costa Rica's top court overturned a ban on same-sex marriage and gave legislators 18 months to change the law.


bbc--2019-04-17--UK to introduce porn age-checks in July

UK to introduce porn age-checks in July

An age-check scheme designed to stop under-18s viewing pornographic websites will come into force on 15 July.  From that date, affected sites will have to verify the age of UK visitors.  If they fail to comply they will face being blocked by internet service providers.  But critics say teens may find it relatively easy to bypass the restriction or could simply turn to porn-hosting platforms not covered by the law.  Twitter, Reddit and image-sharing community Imgur, for example, will not be required to administer the scheme because they fall under an exception where more than a third of a site or app's content must be pornographic to qualify.  Likewise, any platform that hosts pornography but does not do so on a commercial basis - meaning it does not charge a fee or make money from adverts or other activity - will not be affected.  Furthermore, it will remain legal to use virtual private networks (VPNs), which can make it seem like a UK-based computer is located elsewhere, to evade the age checks.  The authorities have, however, acknowledged that age-verification is "not a silver bullet" solution, but rather a means to make it less likely that children stumble across unsuitable material online.  "The introduction of mandatory age-verification is a world-first, and we've taken the time to balance privacy concerns with the need to protect children from inappropriate content," said the Minister for Digital Margot James.  "We want the UK to be the safest place in the world to be online, and these new laws will help us achieve this."  It had originally been proposed that pornographic services that refused to carry out age checks could be fined up to £250,000. However, this power will not be enforced because ministers believe the threat to block defiant sites will be sufficient and that trying to chase overseas-based entities for payment would have been difficult.  However, the government has said that other measures could follow.  "We know that pornography is available on some social media platforms and we expect those platforms to do a lot more to create a safer environment for children," a spokesman for the Department of Digital Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) told the BBC.  "If we do not see action then we do not rule out legislating in the future to force companies to take responsibility for protecting vulnerable users from the potentially harmful content that they host."  The age checks were originally proposed by the now defunct regulator Atvod in 2014 and were enacted into law as part of the the Digital Economy Act 2017. But their rollout had been repeatedly delayed.  UK-hosted pornographic video services already have to verify visitors' ages, as do online gambling platforms.  The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) - which gives movies their UK age certificates - will be responsible for regulating the effort. It will instruct internet providers which sites and apps to block for non-compliance. In addition, it can call on payment service providers to pull support, and ask search engines and advertisers to shun an offending business.  The pornographic platforms themselves will have freedom to choose how to verify UK visitors' ages.  But the BBFC has said that it will award solutions that adopt "robust" data-protection standards with a certificate, allowing them to display a green AV (age verification) symbol on their marketing materials to help consumers make an informed choice.  One digital rights campaign group questioned the sense of this scheme being voluntary.  "Having some age verification that is good and other systems that are bad is unfair and a scammer's paradise - of the government's own making," said Jim Killock from the Open Rights Group.  "Data leaks could be disastrous. And they will be the government's own fault."  Mindgeek, one of the adult industry's biggest players, has developed an online system of its own called AgeID, which it hopes will be widely adopted. It involves adults having to upload scans of their passports or driving licences, which are then verified by a third-party.  It has said that all the information will be encrypted and that the AgeID system will not keep track of how each users' accounts are used.  High street stores and newsagents will also sell separate age-verification cards to adults after carrying out face-to-face checks, according to the government.  Dubbed "porn passes" by the media, the idea is that users would type in a code imprinted on the cards into pornographic websites to gain access to their content.  The BBFC has said it will also create an online form for members of the public to flag non-compliant sites once the new regulations come into effect.  "We want to make sure that when these new rules are implemented they are as effective as possible," commented the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).  "To accomplish this, it is crucial the rules keep pace with the different ways that children are exposed to porn online."  The age checks form part of a wider effort by the UK's authorities to make the internet safer to use for young people.  Most recently, DCMS proposed the creation of a new regulator to tackle apps that contain content promoting self-harm and suicide, among other problems.  In addition, the Information Commissioner's Office has proposed services stop using tools that encourage under-18s to share more personal data about themselves than they would do otherwise.  The idea of the government keeping a database of verified porn viewers had sounded like a privacy and ethical nightmare.  Luckily it has dodged that bullet. While ministers have ordered porn sites to age-verify users, they have not told them how they must do so.  That means different sites will have different systems  Those "porn passes" that your friendly local newsagent may soon dish out are a theoretical solution, but there is no obligation for any porn site to accept them.  So, you may potentially have to verify yourself several times for several porn sites.  Despite the introduction of a new kitemark-like badge to identify cyber-security conscious systems, there's still a concern that some will suffer data breaches causing people's adult interests to be exposed.


bbc--2019-04-24--Russia offers passports to people in eastern Ukraine territories

President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Wednesday that makes it easier for those living in eastern Ukraine's separatist territories to access a Russian passport.  The move is seen as a challenge to Volodmyr Zelensky, the former comedian elected president this weekend.  In a Facebook post, Zelensky's team has labelled Russia "an aggressor state which wages war against Ukraine".  Mr Putin said the new law is "purely a humanitarian issue".  The decree is aimed at people living in the unrecognised republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, seized by Russian-backed separatists in 2014 after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine.  Mr Putin said people living in these areas were "completely deprived of civil rights" and could not "move normally" or "realise their most elementary needs".  "We have no desire to create problems for the new Ukrainian authorities," Mr Putin added.  Conflict in the region has claimed about 13,000 lives since Moscow annexed Kiev's Crimea peninsula in 2014.  Mr Zelensky was elected as Ukraine's next president at the weekend with no previous political experience except playing the role of president in a comedy television show.  In the run up to his election, he said he wanted to "renew relations" with eastern Ukraine and start a "powerful information war to end the conflict".  In response, Russia says it wants him to show "sound judgement", "honesty" and "pragmatism" so that relations can improve.  In the Facebook post, Zelensky's team said through the decree Russia had "acknowledged its responsibility as an occupier state".  "This decree is not bringing us closer to achieving the ultimate goal: a cease-fire," it said.  The message called on the international community to provide "diplomatic pressure and the pressure of sanctions".  Ukraine's foreign minister Pavlo Klimkin labelled the decision a "continuation of aggression and interference in our internal affairs" and urged the residents of eastern Ukraine not to accept the passports.  In a Twitter post, he told them: "Russia has deprived you of the present, and now it is trespassing on your future."  There had been a school of thought that the election of Voldymyr Zelensky might bring fresh life to efforts to solve the conflict in eastern Ukraine. During the campaign he'd made vague if slightly conciliatory noises about the important of dialogue and talks.  Russia seems to have killed any prospect of that.  Firstly, Moscow held off from congratulating Mr Zelensky for his landslide win.  Then just three days after the vote, Vladimir Putin announced that he'll give Russian passports to people, who everyone bar Russia, regards as Ukrainians living on Ukrainian soil. In Kiev it's being seen another step towards eventual Russian annexation.  Mr Zelensky has been left with no choice. He's issued a statement condemning the Russian move and calling for increased pressure through diplomacy and sanctions. It's the sort of wording we've become used to seeing in the last five years from Ukraine. The fact that this time it's come from Mr Zelensky suggests that relations are unlikely to improve.  Iryna Gersaschenko, the deputy speaker of the Ukrainian parliament, noted the timing of the announcement.  Mr Putin "always uses moments of uncertainty and transition periods to plunge another knife into Ukraine's back," she said.  She labelled the decision a "gross violation" of peace agreements signed by Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany in 2015.  In a tweet, Lithuanian foreign minister Linas Linkevicius noted how Mr Putin used "passportization" in the breakaway Georgian areas of Abkhazia in 2002 and then South Ossetia in 2008, resulting in a 20% occupation of Georgian territory.  Referring to the announcement being made shortly after the election result, Ukrainian deputy foreign minister Sergiy Kyslytsya called the move a "time-based action" and said it was a challenge "not only for Kiev but Berlin, Paris, Brussels and Washington". He called for immediate action.


bbc--2019-04-30--France harassment law hands out 447 fines in first months

French courts have handed down 447 fines in the past eight months under new laws to tackle street harassment of women.  The "outrages sexistes" law was passed in August 2018, and allows for on-the-spot fines of up to €750 (£650).  The first fine was handed down a month later to a man who slapped a woman's bottom on a bus and made lewd remarks.  Equality Minister Marlène Schiappa said the number of cases since had proved such measures work.  In a progress report to the French parliament, she said the figures were nothing to be ashamed of.  "Many of you on these benches told us it would never work, that we would not be able to define offensive sexist behaviour," she said - and promised that the deterrent would "grow in power".  She did, however, point to online abuse as an area where more needed to be done - saying some platforms such as Twitter were not co-operative in identifying the individuals behind accounts and removing offending content.  The new law allows for fines between €90 and and €750 to be issued on the spot - a measure chosen because of the high number of women who do not want to engage in a lengthy and difficult formal complaint process.  It had been planned for well over a year, but came into effect just a month after a video of a man assaulting a woman sitting at a café shocked viewers in France and around the world.  At the same time, France had been grappling with sexual equality issues as its own version of the #MeToo movement – #BalanceTonPorc ("rat on your pig") – gained traction.  A study released in early 2018 by Paris-based think tank Fondation Jean Jaurès found that one in eight French women had been raped at least once in their lives, while 43% had been touched in a sexual manner without their consent.


bbc--2019-05-05--Brunei says it wont enforce death penalty for gay sex

Brunei says it won't enforce death penalty for gay sex

Brunei has backtracked on laws introduced last month that would have made sex between men and adultery punishable by stoning to death.  Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah on Sunday extended a moratorium on the death penalty to cover the new legislation.  The rethink follows global outcry over the laws, including boycotts and celebrity protests.  While still on the statue books for some crimes, no executions have been carried out in Brunei since 1957.  Last month Brunei rolled out a strict new interpretation of Islamic laws, or Sharia.  In a speech, the sultan said he was aware there had been "many questions and misperceptions" regarding the implementation of the legislation, called Syariah Penal Code Order (SPCO).  While saying that a moratorium on the death penalty would be applied to the SPCO he also defended the new rules, saying their "merit" would become clear.  The speech marks the first time the country's ruler has spoken publicly about the legislation since their introduction.  Homosexuality was already illegal in Brunei and punishable by up to 10 years in prison.  Muslims make up about two-thirds of the country's population of 420,000.  The small South-East Asian nation first introduced Sharia law in 2014, giving it a dual legal system with both Sharia and Common Law.  The first phase covered crimes punishable by prison sentences and fines.  The laws introduced on 3 April marked the next phase of the legislation, and covered crimes punishable by amputation and stoning.  The laws sparked international outrage, throwing the tiny South-East Asian nation into the global spotlight.  Ahead of their implementation, the UN warned that the laws contravened international human rights standards set out in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights - which was ratified by Brunei in 2006.  Celebrities including George Clooney and Elton John called for a boycott of luxury hotels with links to Brunei over the legislation.  Mr Clooney said the new laws amounted to "human rights violations".  Many in Brunei's gay community expressed shock and fear at the punishments.


bbc--2019-05-15--UK PM to bring Brexit bill to MPs in early June

Theresa May is giving MPs another chance to vote on Brexit in early June - whether or not the government and Labour have reached a deal by then.  A vote on the bill that would pave the way for Brexit was "imperative" if the UK was to leave the EU before MPs' summer recess, Downing Street said.  Labour sources say they will not back the bill without a cross-party deal.  If Mrs May's plan is defeated, Number 10 said the UK is set for no deal or for Article 50 to be revoked.  That is because the EU will not grant a further extension beyond 31 October, says BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith.  Attempts to find a cross-party compromise began after the PM's Brexit deal was previously rejected three times by MPs.  But government sources have told the BBC that there would not be a further attempt if the plan is rejected.  The prime minister and Mr Corbyn met on Tuesday evening to discuss the ongoing talks.  Number 10 described the discussions as "both useful and constructive".  A spokesman said Theresa May had made clear the government's "determination to bring the talks to a conclusion and deliver on the referendum result to leave the EU".  A Labour party spokesman said Mr Corbyn had "raised doubts over the credibility of government commitments, following statements by Conservative MPs and cabinet ministers seeking to replace the prime minister".  He also said the Labour leader had called for "further movement" from the government and that the prime minister's team had agreed to bring back "further proposals tomorrow".  Bringing the EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill forward would allow the prime minister to push ahead with her ambition of delivering Brexit before the summer - despite the lack of agreement so far in the cross-party talks, said BBC political correspondent Iain Watson.  He added that the proposed timetable nevertheless would allow "more space and more time" for the talks to continue.  However, Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay said: "It is now time for Parliament to make a decision, reflecting the manifestos of both the Conservative and Labour parties at the last general election and to deliver Brexit in the way that the public were promised."  In the 2017 general election, the two main parties promised in their manifestos to respect the result of the Brexit referendum.  Brexiteer and Conservative MP Steve Baker said bringing the bill forward "over the heads" of DUP MPs - on whom the government relies for a majority - would "eradicate the government's majority".  "What is the government thinking?" he asked.  It's not exactly the same thumbs up or thumbs down that another meaningful vote would be. That is a straightforward yes or no to the divorce deal that the prime minister negotiated with the EU.  This time, it will be the Withdrawal Bill which is a whole tome of new laws that will be needed to take us out of the European Union.  The draft of that bill is still being kept under wraps. Very, very few people have seen it. It's much more detailed than just a vote on the agreement would be.  Of course, that gives people more things to object to.  Although Theresa May might have pleaded in cabinet that people on all sides have to move away from absolutism, and move to a mood of compromise, there's not much sign of it.  As and when that bill actually emerges, that may well - in the words of one cabinet minister - make things worse before they can get better.  DUP Westminster leader Nigel Dodds said: "If the prime minister brings the withdrawal bill to the Commons for a vote, the question will be, 'What has changed?'.  "Unless she can demonstrate something new that addresses the problem of the backstop, then it is highly likely her deal will go down to defeat once again."  The backstop is the controversial part of the withdrawal deal that aims to ensure an open border on the island of Ireland if the UK leaves the EU without securing an all-encompassing deal.  If the bill is introduced in the first week of June it will come seven days after the European Parliament elections - which Education Secretary Damian Hinds has acknowledged could be "difficult" for the Conservatives.  A state visit by US President Donald Trump and a by-election in Peterborough will also take place that same week.  The UK needs to pass a law to implement the withdrawal agreement - the part of the PM's Brexit deal which will take the country out of the EU - in UK law.  This is a requirement under the terms of previous Brexit legislation passed last year.  The legislation would make the citizens' rights part of the agreement directly enforceable in UK courts, and set their relationship with the EU's Court of Justice.  It will also allow ministers to make "divorce payments" to the EU foreseen under the current deal, and give effect to the so-called backstop plan for the Irish border.  MPs will be able to vote on amendments to the bill, and this could allow ministers to make good on any compromise they reach with Labour in the cross-party talks.  The cross-party meetings have been going on for weeks with little sign of progress, and last week Mr Corbyn said talks were "difficult" because the government was "disintegrating".  Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said a compromise was not impossible but talks could not continue "indefinitely".  This latest announcement came as Conservative MPs wrote to Mrs May urging her not to agree a deal with Labour that included a customs union.  The letter has been signed by 13 former Tory cabinet ministers and Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee.  Labour have called for a permanent and comprehensive customs union with the EU after Brexit, meaning there would be no internal tariffs (taxes) on goods sold between the UK and the rest of the bloc.  But it would mean the UK could not negotiate its own trade deals on goods with other countries around the world, something many Brexit-supporting Tory MPs support.


bbc--2019-05-30--Disney could pull productions from Georgia over abortion law

Bob Iger, the CEO of Disney says Georgia's controversial new anti-abortion law would make it "difficult" for the company to keep filming there.  Blockbusters like Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame, were recently shot in the state, due to its generous tax breaks for film productions.  However, Iger said "many people who work for us will not want to work there" should the law go into effect.  "We will have to heed their wishes," he told Reuters.  Earlier this month, Georgia's Republican Governor Brian Kemp signed the so-called "heartbeat bill," which would ban abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy.  It is scheduled to come into effect on 1 January, but is expected to face challenges in the courts.  The legislation has caused a furious backlash in Hollywood and led to calls for a boycott.  Earlier this week, Netflix said it would "rethink" its operations there with chief content officer Ted Sarandos explaining: "We have many women working on productions in Georgia, whose rights, along with millions of others, will be severely restricted by this law,"  He said the streaming giant would "work with the ACLU [American Civil Liberties Union] and others to fight it in court."  Meanwhile, stars including Amy Schumer, Ben Stiller, Christina Applegate, Laverne Cox and Alec Baldwin wrote to the governor saying they would "do everything in our power to move our industry to a safer state for women".  Comedy actress and writer Kristen Wiig also confirmed to CNN that her new comedy had pulled out of filming in the state while the executive producers of a new Amazon show The Power said it was no longer scouting for filming locations in Georgia because of the controversial bill.  Actor Jason Bateman, who stars in the Netflix show Ozark and in HBO's The Outsider, which are both currently filming in Georgia, told The Hollywood Reporter: "I will not work in Georgia, or any other state, that is so disgracefully at odds with women's rights".  "Right now we are watching it very carefully," said Disney's Bob Iger, adding he didn't "see how it's practical for us to continue to shoot there."  Disney's prospective withdrawal would be a huge blow to the state. Recently, Disney's Marvel Studios filmed portions of both Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame in Georgia.  Georgia - which offers up to 30% tax breaks - has become a magnet for film and TV productions, employing more than 90,000 people.  Website Film LA analysed a sample of the 100 top-grossing feature films released at the US box office in 2017 and found Georgia was tied for second place, behind California, as a location with the UK, each with 15 films in the top 100 in 2017.  British location manager Steve Mortimore has worked with both Disney and Netflix and scouted for films including World War Z, the forthcoming Wonder Woman sequel and Ridley Scott's All The Money in the World.  He told the BBC the clash over Georgia's abortion law could have "massive ramifications".  Aside from Georgia's generous tax breaks for filmmakers, he said, "they have trained so many people to work in the industry, and so many experts have moved there who will have to move away again".  Speaking about Disney and Netflix's threats to pull out of Georgia entirely, he told the BBC: "I'd be surprised if they went ahead and pulled out unless they had a plan B or C.  "Those big Marvel films, they need huge spaces, 100,000 to 150,000 sq ft sound stages with all the facilities and they are limited. I know that Europe is absolutely fully booked up, there isn't anywhere else".  In 2014, the British-based Pinewood studios opened Pinewood Atlanta, spanning 700 acres and providing 18 sound stages. It has declined to comment on the news reports, but Mortimore said it could be be "very painful for them".  He claimed that London has now displaced Hollywood as the film industry's new capital, adding "the space just isn't available, people are queuing to film [in the UK] for the next three or four years".  "It's an opportunity for somewhere else," he said. "Maybe LA can step in. They have huge TV productions but its a chance to stick their flag in the sand and say they are a major hub for movies again, which they lost to London."  Recent productions based in Georgia include: Godzilla: King of Monsters, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, Black Panther, Pitch Perfect 3, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Stranger Things, Ozark and The Walking Dead.  It is one of several US states to pass new, stricter laws on abortion, the latest being Louisiana.  The new law prevents abortions in almost all circumstances once an embryonic heartbeat can be detected.  Critics have pointed at what they see as an orchestrated challenge to a decades-old US Supreme Court ruling that protected a woman's right to choose an abortion.  Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.


bbcuk--2019-01-03--Farmers warned of Brexit no-deal turbulence

Farmers warned of Brexit no-deal 'turbulence'

Farmers and food producers face "considerable turbulence" if the UK leaves the EU with no deal, Environment Secretary Michael Gove has said.  He told the Oxford Farming Conference it was a "grim and inescapable fact" there would be tariffs on exports and new sanitary and other border checks.  While "not perfect", he said Theresa May's Brexit deal would protect market access and provide economic certainty.  The National Farmers Union called for a new law to protect food standards.  And environmental campaigners said Mr Gove should set up an independent regulator to ensure that minimum standards to protect water, soil, wildlife and animal welfare are maintained.  The UK is scheduled to leave the EU on 29 March, with MPs due to vote in the Commons in mid-January on the prime minister's withdrawal bill.  Urging MPs to support the PM's deal, Mr Gove said it would ensure the UK left the Common Agricultural Policy but, at the same time, provide a smooth transition period for agriculture and guarantee continuous tariff-free and quota-free access to EU markets.  From 2021, he said, the UK would be able to "largely diverge from EU regulation", enabling it to pursue its land management priorities and invest in technology which the EU has "turned its back on".  "All of these are real gains that our departure from the EU can bring, but these real gains risk being undermined if we leave the EU without a deal," he said.  Mr Gove, a leading figure in the 2016 Leave campaign, rejected suggestions that warnings about the economic impact of a no-deal exit were being over-stated and another example of "Project Fear".  "No-one can be blithe or blase about the real impact on food producers in this country of leaving without a deal," he said.  It was a "grim and inescapable fact", he said, that beef and lamb exports could face export tariffs of at least 40% if the UK defaulted to World Trade Organization rules, while standard tariffs of 11% could be levied on a host of agricultural products.  "The combination of significant tariffs, where none exist now, friction and checks at the border, where none exist now, and the requirements to re-route or pay more for transport when current arrangements are frictionless, will all add to costs for producers," he said.  The government has guaranteed to pay subsidies to farmers at current EU levels until 2022.  After that there will be a "transitional period" in England, with an increasing link between funds and maintaining "public goods", such as access to the countryside and planting meadows.  Mr Gove said these commitments offered farmers greater certainty than their EU competitors.  But former minister Guto Bebb, who backs another Brexit referendum, said the proposed deal would leave "all the big questions unanswered".  "There is no kind of fantasy Brexit deal that can meet all the promises made to farmers or the rural economy," he said.  Mr Gove has insisted maintaining environmental and animal welfare standards is a critical element in farming sustainability and the UK "must not barter them away in a short-term trade off".  The National Farmers Union is calling for "more than warm words" on the issue, with specific legislation to ensure the same standards are applied to imported food as home-grown produce.  "We have always said a no-deal would be catastrophic for our industry," the NFU's president Minette Batters said.  "We absolutely need an orderly departure from the EU and that's primarily because a lot of our input, 90% of our animal medicines and vaccines, chemicals and fertilisers, are produced in the EU.  "We don't make those kind of things in the UK any more."  The Nature Friendly Farming Network is warning that long-term food security will be at risk unless "ambitious" guidelines for the industry are set out in the Agriculture Bill, which outlines the policy for the industry after Brexit.  "We can only guarantee long-term food security by protecting and managing the natural assets which enable food production," said its chairman Martin Lines.  "If the government does not amend the Bill to include minimum standards - and put a stop to the environmental degradation caused by intensive farming - British farmers will be in danger of losing their livelihoods."


bbc--2019-12-16--Citizenship Amendment Act: India PM Modi appeals for calm as protests grow

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed for calm as violent protests against a new law on illegal migrants entered a fifth day.  Large demonstrations are taking place in the capital Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Kolkata (formerly Calcutta).  Monday's protests came a day after clashes between police and protesters in Delhi left at least 50 injured.  Protesters are angry at a law entitling citizenship to some non-Muslim migrants from three Muslim-majority countries.  But people are divided on why they have taken to the streets. Some critics say the law is anti-Muslim, while others - especially in border regions - fear large-scale migration.  The protests - which have left six people dead - began in the north-eastern state of Assam on Thursday, before spreading to other parts of northern and eastern India.  But as students resumed their protests on Monday, Mr Modi attempted to calm tensions in a series of tweets.  "No Indian has anything to worry regarding this act. This act is only for those who have faced years of persecution outside and have no other place to go except India," the prime minister wrote.  "This is the time to maintain peace, unity and brotherhood."  Authorities have tried to curb the protests by shutting down internet services, so it is unclear how many people in affected areas have seen his tweets.  Several lawyers have asked the Supreme Court to intervene, pointing out that officers had allegedly assaulted students in bathrooms, but the chief justice said that the court would not take any action until the protests ceased.  Delhi police spokesman MS Randhawa denied the allegations, saying his officers "exercised maximum restraint".  The UK, US and Canada have issued travel warnings for people visiting India's north-east, telling their citizens to "exercise caution" if travelling to the region.  What is happening in Delhi?  Protests resumed at the city's prestigious Jamia Millia Islamia university on Monday morning, despite violent clashes on Sunday which resulted in 35 students being detained.  A march on Sunday ended with at least three buses and several motorbikes being torched, roads blocked and stones being thrown at officers, who responded with tear gas.  The university said police later entered the campus without permission and video footage showed police assaulting students and staff. Videos shot by students show police beating up students inside campus areas like bathrooms and the library.  Police have said that they did what was "necessary" to stop the protests.  The university's vice chancellor, Najma Akhtar, condemned the police action on Monday, telling reporters they would be filing a court case against the police and demanding a high-level inquiry.  She also denied rumours of student deaths.  Hundreds of people also protested in other parts of the city, including in Jawaharlal Nehru University and outside the city's police headquarters.  India's Chief Justice Sharad Bobde said that the Supreme Court will intervene only if "the atmosphere settles down", adding that student protesters could not "take the law into their own hands".  "The court can't do anything right now. Let the riots stop," he said.  Meanwhile, Delhi police spokesman MS Randhawa appealed for calm and asked students to not get provoked, even as he denied allegations of excessive force.  "Police exercised utmost restraint. There was no firing and we have used minimum force," he said at a press conference on Monday.  The police have been heavily criticised, with many on social media alleging that officers attacked students with sticks and tear gas when they were peacefully protesting.  But Mr Randhawa said students and locals threw stones at the police first, adding that 30 policemen were injured.  "We will identify outside protesters and take action against them," he said.  What has the reaction been in other Indian cities?  Live footage from the northern city of Lucknow on Monday showed students at Nadwa university throwing stones at security forces, who retaliated by throwing the stones back at them.  The students have been locked inside the campus.  In Kolkata, tens of thousands of people have joined a demonstration led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her ruling Trinamool Congress party.  The situation remains tense and more protests are expected. Students at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology in the southern city of Chennai (formerly Madras) have already announced a protest this afternoon.  Why is the law so divisive?  The law allows non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, who entered India illegally, to become citizens.  The Hindu-nationalist BJP government argues that the law aims to accommodate those who have fled religious persecution.  Critics say the law is part of the government's agenda to marginalise Muslims, and that it violates secular principles enshrined in the constitution.  Earlier this week, the United Nations Human Rights office voiced concern that the new law was fundamentally discriminatory in nature.  The government denies any religious bias and says Muslims are not covered by the new law because they are not religious minorities, and therefore do not need India's protection.  Meanwhile, people in Assam fear that they will be "overrun" by illegal non-Muslim migrants from neighbouring Bangladesh.  They argue that outsiders will take over their land and jobs - eventually dominating their culture and identity.


bearingarms--2019-11-11--New Zealand's Next Gun Law: "Firearms Prohibition Orders"

New Zealand’s compensated confiscation program isn’t going so well, with a compliance rate hovering around 20% with a little more than a month to go before the amnesty period expires. Now the government is considering a new way to confiscate firearms called a “Firearms Prohibition Order”. Ostensibly designed to prevent “high risk” individuals from being around a firearm, the proposed law could potentionally be used and abused to go after law abiding citizens as well.  FPOs would set conditions that people must follow and allow police to monitor and create penalties for breaches. Police would be given greater powers to investigate people, search properties, confiscate illegal firearms parts and ammunition and monitor people with a history of offending. “FPOs would prevent people from being around others who have firearms, using them under supervision, or being at a location that enables access to guns,” Nash said. In practice this would mean that a person subject to an FPO could not be in a place where guns are held or stored.  Supposedly, this new law would target those who’ve previously been convicted of crimes and are prohibited from owning firearms, as opposed to legal gun owners. Maybe I’m being too cynical, but I could easily imagine these FPO’s eventually being issued against individuals suspected of continuing to own the now-banned semi-automatic rifles.  Even if the law is only used against those with previous convictions, it would still be an egregious abuse of power. It would allow police to enter those homes without a warrant in search of firearms, and would make a mockery out of the idea of reasonable search and seizure laws, which even Nash acknowledges.  “We have been open that FPOs would come at a potential cost to human rights protections such as the right to be secure against unreasonable search.” Since March police had seized about 1600 firearms from gangs and other offenders. “It alarms me how often police are turning up to events where there is a firearm …. criminal organisations are becoming more sophisticated, more organised and a lot more willing to present or use guns. We need to ensure police have the resources to deal with this.” Nash said.  New Zealand’s government believes that individual rights are subservient to the needs of the State, as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made clear when discussing the proposal.  Ardern misses the point of the criticism. If this law is only going to be used against those who are prohibited by law because of a previous conviction, then we’re not talking about the “privilege of coming into contact with firearms.” We’re talking about the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures, freedom of association, and other basic human rights beyond the right of self-defense. Ardern doesn’t necessarily believe that people with convictions for violent offenses have fewer rights than those who without a conviction. Ultimately, I don’t think she believes anybody has any inherent right. They only have privileges granted by the State. The government may call them “rights”, but it certainly don’t treat them that way.  In the name of safety, New Zealanders are being asked to give up even more personal liberty. Unfortunately for them, they’ll likely end up less safe and less free if this proposal becomes law.


newyorkpost--2019-11-22--Sleepy kitten cuddles up inside dog’s fur

This kitty doesn’t need a pillow — she’s got a fluffy friend instead. Watch as 1-month-old kitten Strawberry hikes up the body of a 7-year-old husky — named Polar Bear — for a comfy nap. The cat-dog duo from Vancouver, Washington, became best friends as soon as they met, and their adorable cuddling will melt any animal lover’s heart.


sputnik--2019-02-13--Bengal Kitten Gets Greedy When it Comes to Grooming

Video recently uploaded by Rumble Viral features one feline who cannot get enough of a doll brush — she won't even share with her canine brother!  Seeing the enjoyment the pooch gets from the brushing, the Bengal cat uses its paw to persuade the human to spread the love. Unfortunately for her, the human ends up teasing her with a few brushes before going back to the patient pooch.


sputnik--2019-02-28--Golden Retriever and Kitten Adorable Best Friends

Many people see cats and dogs as enemies, given that the house pets have completely different temperaments and compete for the affections of their human companions. However, it doesn't always have to be that way.  In this video, the dog and the kitten play like best friends.


sputnik--2019-04-09--Gentle Golden Retriever Warms Up to Kitten Additions

Having a new pet in the house can sometimes make other fur babies a little jealous, but recent video from Viral Paws proves that's not always the case!  Originally posted on the Chinese social media site Kuaishou, the compilation clip shows a number of scenes in which the golden retriever is gently interacting with the four kittens.  Whether toting them in a basket, cuddling or delivering a few friendly licks, it would appear these pets are going to get along just fine!


sputnik--2019-07-01--Copy That Hilarious Cat Mom and Her Kitten Yawn Simultaneously

Copy That! Hilarious Cat Mom and Her Kitten Yawn Simultaneously

This little kitten is just like mom – the same colour, same face… and the same manners! Well, our feline friends need a lot of sleep – sometimes over 14 hours a day, so it's no wonder they yawn so wide that people on the other side of the screen begin to yawn as well.


sputnik--2019-12-17--More Precious Than Any Gadget: Kitten Takes Nap in iPhone Box

A highly amusing and cute situation has been caught on camera in which a kitten was seen sleeping soundly in a white iPhone box.  Its siblings were circling around the cutie little pie, apparently wishing to get into its improvised cradle, living up to a well-known fact about felines - there is literally no box that a cat won't try to fit into.  However, the kitty is unperturbed by such insolence, until its owner started rubbing its plump little belly and chest with a finger. Only then did the sweet thing shake off its slumber, looking around in a perplexed manner, trying to figure out who dared to disturb its peaceful sleep.


thedailyrecord--2019-04-02--Watch as adorable kitten hitches a ride with Scot cycling around the world

A Scot cycling around the world has found a new travelling companion - a tiny abandoned kitten .  Dean Nicholson, 31, began his journey in his hometown Dunbar, East Lothian, last September and plan to cycle across the globe.  Three months and nine countries in to his journey, Dean came across a kitten while cycling through Bosnia.  Realising that she was desperately hungry and had probably been dumped by her previous owner, Dean gave her some food and named her Nala.  The kitten began following Dean wherever he went and the cyclist quickly fell in love with his new friend.  Now the pair are travelling the globe together after Dean decided he couldn’t leave her behind.  Dean said: “I turned round and I had this wee monster chasing me meowing her heart out.  “She was quite scurfy looking and she was quite skinny.  “My first thought was I wasn’t going to take her. I then decided well I’ve got to take her now.  “And I decided to take her on this journey.”  After deciding to adopt Nala, Dean took her to a vet where she was chipped, wormed and had a rabies shot. She was estimated to be about seven weeks old.  Dean then cleared a space for Nala to travel with him on his bike but she wanted to be closer to him and now sits on his shoulder as he cycles.  In January Dean launched a A GoFundMe to help cover vet bills and to help bring Nala safely back to Scotland.  A total of more than £3,000 has already been raised.  Writing on his GoFundMe page Dean wrote: “I was coming up to the Bosnia-Montenegro border when I heard a little kitten, chasing me trying to get my attention.  “We were 12 miles from the nearest town and it was soon clear by her friendly nature and desperate hunger her owner had intentionally dumped her.  “After a trip to the vet, her gender was confirmed and the names for her came rolling in. Pussy Galore.. Meowtenegro.. but with her feisty and loving personality Nala was clearly the best fit.  “Through Montenegro we explored abandoned villas and hidden beaches, with Nala on my shoulder through the good and the bad.  “Across the border into Albania Christmas soon came and we made our home in the Himara hostel brewing Raki and exploring what Albania had to offer.  “Nala and I want to continue travelling the world on our bike.”  Well wishers from around the world have pledged their support to Dean and Nala.  Kelly from New Zealand wrote on Dean GoFundMe page: “I think what you are doing is amazing! All the best!”  Whilst Allyson Smith in Vietnam wrote: “I can’t get enough of you and Nala! If you two come to Vietnam, you’ve got a couch and Nala will have a friend. Wheels down friends!”


thedailyrecord--2019-11-20--Glasgow kitten left blind after being neglected and sold online at just four weeks old

A Glasgow kitten has been left blinded after being neglected by it's owner and sold online at just four weeks old.  Little Cookie has been described as the poorest wee soul by the Cats Protection Glasgow Adoption Centre after he was brought into their care.  The kitten had been bought online for £150 and handed over to a buyer who was unaware of his critical eye condition.  He was rushed to a vet after his new owners saw his condition.  Vets say the sight they were confronted with when he was brought to the centre last Thursday was 'truly heartbreaking' and say they are unsure if they will be able to save his sight.  Staff said: "It’s utterly devastating to think that human neglect could mean he never sees the world around him but we will do absolutely everything we can for him and we are keeping everything crossed that his sight can be saved."  The alarming post read: "I don’t really know where to start with this post and it’s going to be a long one but the main reason for it is to highlight the sometimes heartbreaking reality of buying a kitten online.  "Last Thursday, the poorest wee soul with the worst sore eyes I’ve seen in my nearly six years at the centre was brought in to our care and at the time of writing this post, our vets don’t know whether his eyes can be saved as we need to wait until the swelling goes down."  Cookie's new owner spent two weeks going back and forth to the vet, which cost around £200.  After being told the kitten was still very poorly they contacted the charity.  Cookie was weighing in as a two to three week old kitten but vets estimate he is probably around six weeks old now.  Vets went on to say a four week old kitten is still fully dependent their mums and are generally weaned around the six week mark. They say that time period is crucial to their development.  The post continued: "Kittens should be with their mum until they are at least eight weeks old but we see time and time again that they are being sold much younger online although being advertised as 8 weeks old.  "What I can say about Cookie is that he is a wee fighter & he is acting like any other kitten.  "With help, he is eating well, finding his way to his litter tray and using it, playing with toys we give him, grooming himself and purring like a wee machine.  "We will continue to keep you all updated with his progress so please keep our wee Cookie in your thoughts and please note that we are nowhere near looking for offers of a home for him as his recovery with us will unfortunately be a long one."


theindependent--2019-07-20--Driver filmed dropping kitten out of car window on busy road

The RSPCA has appealed for witness after a six-week-old kitten was dropped out of a moving car in the middle of a busy road.  Dashcam footage shows motorists stopping to rescue the animal after spotting it lying abandoned on the dual carriageway in Pontypool, Wales.  The kitten was taken to a local vet for checks but did not suffer any injuries.  A witness told the RSPCA they saw the cat come out a car window on the roundabout between the A4043 and A472 on 30 June at around 4.23pm.  “We’re very grateful to those who managed to safely stop when this happened and help this poor kitten,” said inspector David Milborrow, who is investigating this incident.  “It was remarkable that this kitten survived this shocking incident without injury.  “We’re now appealing to any other drivers who may have seen this happen.”  Investigators believe the kitten may have come from a grey car, which was possibly a Fiat.  The footage also shows a red Mazda car that also stopped a few metres further down the road.  “We’d really like to speak to them to see what they witnessed,” said Inspector Milborrow.  The kitten is being looked after by a foster carer with charity Cats Protection in Gwent.  Contact the appeal line with information on 0300 123 8018.


thepoke--2019-07-01--This kitten really wants to scare its owner and its very funny and totally adorable

This kitten really wants to scare its owner and it’s very funny and totally adorable

If you only watch one funny cat video this week, then make it this one.  It was shared online by the owner of this 8 w/o kitten who really, really wants to scare its owner. And this is how it does it.  And some of our favourite responses.


thetorontostar--2019-07-04--Police Man throws kitten from moving vehicle on Long Island

Police: Man throws kitten from moving vehicle on Long Island

NEW YORK - Police say a man has been arrested on Long Island after throwing a kitten from a moving vehicle, killing the animal.  Hector Herrera Castillo was booked Thursday with one felony count of aggravated cruelty to animals.  Sgt. Michael Joyce of the Southampton Town Police Department said the kitten was found dead on the road near Flanders, in Suffolk County.  Joyce said the animal belonged to the 43-year-old Castillo.  Police received a call about 8 a.m. from a motorist who reported seeing the kitten thrown from the vehicle.


trueactivist--2019-07-25--Little Black Kitten Gets A Second Chance At Life And Now Nurses Other Animals Back To Health

Nobody can get enough of reading heart-warming tales, especially when it’s about pets. This is the sweetest story about Rademenes, a little black kitten. This small warrior miraculously survived an upper-respiratory infection that almost took its life.  After finding out about this serious sickness, the cat was brought to an animal shelter in Bydgoszcz, Poland to finally undergo euthanasia and put him out of his misery. Nobody thought that he would ever heal again! Luckily, he was able to beat the infection and was given a second chance at life, or a ninth chance – if you are counting in cat’s lives.  Today, Rademenes is still living at the shelter, but no longer as a sick and dying patient. Today, this amazing animal is now helping other animals in the shelter.  According to the staff members, Rademenes acts like their full-time nurse by taking care of the other injured animals. How does he care for them? He gives them tender loving care and comforts them when they are feeling down and weak.  You’ll see him roam around the shelter cuddling the other sick animals, especially those that have undergone surgeries and are recuperating from it. The ‘cat nurse’ shows his care for them by cleaning the ears of its “patients.”  Cats and dogs have this magical talent of sensing someone else’s pain or aches. Have you ever been sad, feeling sick or depressed and your pet goes near you to cuddle you and just spend time with you? Trust their animal instinct, and enjoy their cuddles and attention because they can sense these things.  What are your thoughts? Please comment below and share this news!


birminghammail--2019-04-06--Police rescue cute puppy tied to lamppost choking on his lead in Birmingham

A puppy found tied to a lamppost has been rescued by West Midlands Police.  When officers found the Rottweiler pup, he was choking on his lead. Having no collar, Stechford Police C Unit decided to pick him up. They contacted Willow Vets in Shirley, Solihull , where staff took him in.  "The police brought him in after 10pm on Friday night," said client care manager Amber Barratt at Willows Vets.  "He's fit and healthy and a really lovely dog."  She added: "The police had found him tied to a lamppost in Yardley. He looks like he should be owned. Sometimes this happens with bigger dogs.  "He's not microchipped so there's no way of tracking his owner. We'll be passing him onto Solihull dog wardens but they're not there until Monday so we'll be looking after him until then, taking him for walks and giving him a bath."  A West Midlands Police spokesman tweeted: "Rottweiler puppy found tied to a lamppost in stechford with no collar and the lead choking him. We have picked him up thanks to Willows Vets for taking him in."  Find out more about this dog at Birmingham Dogs Home from Monday April 8.  The RSPCA West Midlands says it does not have enough resources to pick up healthy strays. However, if you've found a sick or injured stray, you can report them to the RSPCA or Birmingham City Council 's dog warden service. Find out more here  If you've found a healthy looking dog, the RSPCA says:  Report the stray dog to the council.  If it's safe, check whether the dog is wearing a tag, call the number and leave a message.  Ask local vets to scan them for a microchip.  Create a found poster and place around the local area  Check listings and add details on missing pet websites. We refer the public to Pets Located, exclusively used by our inspectors, but you can find other similar websites through search engines.  If you decide to take the dog home while you wait for the warden to arrive, please be aware that lost dogs may be scared and distressed - read our dog care advice and our behaviour guide to help keep the dog and your family happy and safe.  Don't forget that a lost dog could be scared. If you're unsure about their behaviour, please don't approach and wait for the dog warden to arrive.  By law, you can't keep a stray dog. If you want to rehome the dog, leave your details with the warden. Why not read our pet care advice if you're considering pet adoption.


birminghammail--2019-12-13--Dog warning after puppy mauled in unprovoked Sutton Coldfield street attack

A dog on the loose allegedly attacked a puppy on a Sutton Coldfield street and now the victim’s owners are calling for more action.  An Akita dog, which was said to be roaming without its owner, pounced ono a six-month-old puppy on a lead in Springfield Road in Falcon Lodge, at around 11am last Thursday (December 5), it is claimed.  The puppy suffered an inch-long wound which was a quarter-of-an-inch deep – and just missed its lung.  The dog’s owner, who was out walking it, said: “I was walking our six-month-old puppy along Springfield Road by Fowler Road.  “I was walking in to the sun. I could see the dog on the corner of the road. I assumed the dog was on a lead. My little one was on a lead. I pulled him in a bit.  “Then the dog, which we now believe to be an Akita, raced across the road and was right on to our puppy taking a chunk of skin out.  “I managed to get the dog off him. A car pulled up and the driver had a Staffie on the front seat snarling and it distracted the Akita from my dog.  “My main concern when I rang the police originally was if that had been a young child, what would have happened?  “The police said it’s not a crime – dog on dog. I said that was a dangerous dog.”  The dog walker’s husband added “Our puppy has been in surgery. The Akita was out on its own, nobody was with it and no collar on in a public place. It cost us £423.  “There was a man in a car who came to the rescue and a woman also helped.  "They fought with the dog to get it off the puppy for which I am very grateful. This enabled my wife to escape with the puppy.  “Since then my wife was told about another attack in a local playing field where an Akita attacked a Labrador, which was on a lead with the owner. A lady was with the dog that time, which she grabbed and ran off. The Labrador owner has had to pay over £500.  “Our dog is a lot better but had a rough time with the wound. He yelps when it stings.”  West Midlands Police confirmed they spoke to the couple about the incident. A spokeswoman for the force said: “We are aware of an incident where it appears that a dog was attacked by another dog. From our point of view there has been no crime committed and this is a civil matter.”


eveningstandard--2019-03-20--Dogs of Instagram Famous furry influencers to follow for your daily cute puppy fix

Dogs of Instagram: Famous furry influencers to follow for your daily cute puppy fix

Some days, social media can be bleak. For those looking to lighten their Instagram feeds, we've rounded up the best pupfluencers.  What sets these doggies apart? In our search we looked not only for those with large followings (over 10k - although we did make a few exceptions) but a bit of personality and a good mix of breeds too, from tiny daschunds to golden doodles.  These pups are from all over the world, but if you want to go local, head here for New York City's best Instagram dogs.  Loulou the mini dachshund is one of the most entertaining pups on Instagram, living a life of leisure on a farm in the Netherlands. Loulou even eats better than most humans, enjoying a mostly raw diet and fresh fruit and vegetables. Hit follow for Loulou’s adventures with hedgehogs, sugar gliders and ducklings.  Norbert is only three pounds but his personality is much larger than that. He has more than 1.8 million fans who buy his merch and follow his philanthropic endeavors, including doling out high fives to friends. The registered therapy dog (and influencer) is a mix of Chihuahua, Cairn Terrier, and Lhasa Apso, making him one of a kind.  Natural habitat: Norbert regularly volunteers at the Children's Hospital in Los Angeles. He also spends time with his little brother, golden retriever Fred.  Future service dog Barclay is currently serving as the St. Louis Blues hockey team's mascot. He's even helped them out on the ice by (mostly) playing with the puck.  Margo Bean the Frenchie is one chic pup, spending time in sunglasses and flower crowns - she's basically ready for Coachella, which makes sense, as she is based in California. Follow for festival season fashion inspiration. Her motto is "Treat yourself," which truly explains her entire aesthetic.  Pickles only has 4,000 followers but certainly deserves more for being an extremely good girl.  Natural habitat: Pickles loves nature even more than guys on Tinder who won't stop posting hiking pictures.  Rufus and Scooter provide the entertainment of two pups but you only have to follow one account. The long-haired miniature dachshunds live in Canada, where they spend time in the snow and inside their tiny teepee.  Natural habitat: They're more adventurous than your favorite travel blogger, hanging out in the snow (in matching Santa Claus costumes, obviously) or running through the sand on a California beach.  Benson the Doodle is a certified #pupfluencer, providing his 19,000 Instagram followers with perfectly filtered photos for a carefully curated grid. The Australian Labradoodle lives in Seattle and isn't afraid of a little #sponcon.  Tungsten is a noted bowtie enthusiast who definitely knows how to accessorize, whether it's tiny socks or a faux fur parka hood.  Another two pups worth a single follow are Kaladin and Storm, Aussie brothers living in Colorado. When they're not frolicking in the snow, they're hanging in a hammock or posing in front of mountainous backdrops that look like screensavers.  Natural habitat: Swimming, hiking, or sitting by the fire.  Prepare for double trouble in the form of Lychee and Mochee, two corgis who like dressing up and always look like they’re making a meme.  Natural habitat: Wearing complimentary ensembles, whether it’s wedding gear or Santa hats on the beach.  This Cavalier King Charles will be the most beautiful pup on your feed by far.  Natural habitat: Staging glamorous photoshoots with Starbucks cups and tutus, just like a modern-day Carrie Bradshaw - only far cuter.


latimes--2019-12-18--The puppy was cute and expensive. And then it died

The Loy family realized pretty quickly that something was wrong with their new puppy, a red-brown bundle of fluff they christened Penny.  But they could not have imagined how much trouble they were in for when they drove into the parking lot of a Tijuana’s Tacos restaurant in Pomona to take possession of a 9-to 12-week-old miniature goldendoodle.  They’d found Penny online and fallen in love. They’d shelled out $1,200 cash in March 2018, for what they thought was a pure-bred designer dog, healthy, happy and hypoallergenic. Half the money came from then-10-year-old Manuel, who earned it sweeping floors in his father’s barbershop. It cleaned out his entire savings.  They eventually found out that the sellers belonged to a Phelan family whose matriarch had been the target of an FBI sting, pleaded guilty in 2011 to a federal fraud charge and sentenced to 41 months in prison for selling sick and abused horses over the internet.  But first the Loys had their hearts broken.  Penny, it turned out, wasn’t a girl. They renamed the puppy Bear and rolled with it. But he also wasn’t a goldendoodle — half golden retriever, half poodle. Instead, a veterinarian told the family, Bear was, maybe, a Maltipoo -- equal parts Maltese and toy poodle. His fur wasn’t red-brown either; the dye began to wash off during his first bath in the Loy’s La Habra home.  All that was bad enough, but it got worse. Bear was only about four weeks old — way too young to have been taken from his mother. And he was very, very sick.  Jessica Loy is one of nine people who filed suit against the Kenney family Monday, charging that Trina and Rick Kenney and their children Elijah and Jezriel allegedly operated what the lawsuit described as “one of the worst animal peddling operations in the country — the sale of sick and diseased puppies over the internet.”  The families ended up spending thousands of dollars — on the animals, on veterinary bills, on sanitizing their homes after the dogs were diagnosed with parvovirus or distemper, on replacing furniture fouled by ailing pets who vomited or had diarrhea.  Some paid to put their dying puppies down to end their suffering. Then, they covered the cost of cremation.  Of the seven puppies named in the suit — Bear, Winnie, Teddy, Ruffles, Charlie, Stella and Sicily — none were healthy. They weren’t vaccinated, though the Kenneys supplied records of the dogs’ alleged immunizations, according to the lawsuit. They also weren’t goldendoodles or labradoodles as the Kenneys allegedly claimed in ads on Craigslist, Recycler.com and other internet sites. Four were not the sex promised.  Ruffles was surrendered to his veterinarian by his new owner, Ramtin Mehrvijeh, because Mehrvijeh couldn’t afford to save the puppy’s life. Treatment for parvovirus would have cost $6,000, according to the lawsuit, money the West Hollywood man just didn’t have.  Three of the dogs died.  The Kenneys could not be reached for comment. The Times called 19 telephone numbers listed in various public records as belonging to family members. Most were disconnected, not accepting calls, or were not answered. No messages were responded to.  “We want them to refund the money and get out of town,” said Gary Praglin, a Santa Monica-based attorney who is representing the families. “Don’t sell any more dogs. Stop hurting people.  Yes, Bear died. But first, he suffered.  As the Loys — Jessica; husband Anthony; their daughters Mariah and Isabella; his daughter Lali; and her son Manuel Aguilar — waited in the Tijuana’s Tacos parking lot, they say they saw a man they now know is Elijah Kenney drive up in a brand new white Mercedes Benz. As he got out of the car and approached them, Loy said, he was holding two red-brown puppies in his arms, a male and a female.  “We agreed on a girl,” Loy said. “They were so little. He said he only accepted cash. He gave us what appeared to be some kind of shot record. We knew nothing about puppies. We trusted him. On the way back to the freeway, less than 15 minutes later, the dog had diarrhea. Right away we texted them, ‘Is the puppy OK?’”  The response was comforting, Loy recounted: “Puppies, when they first leave their mothers, become homesick. It’s normal. Take her home. If there are problems, let me know.”  Back home in La Habra, the puppy still known as Penny wouldn’t eat or drink and kept vomiting. The next day, she continued to throw up and have diarrhea. Loy asked Manuel and Lali if they wanted to give Penny a bath. They took the tiny animal to the kitchen sink, got some dog soap and started to scrub.  “It was a reddish-bronze color all over our hands,” Manuel said. “It was kind of weird.”  When they took Penny to the vet the first time, they found out she was a he. The vet gave the newly named Bear fluids and suggested the family contact the sellers and get a different dog.  “They told us, ‘Oh, my gosh, I’m so sorry. If you have medical bills, we’ll be happy to help’,” Loy said. “The second night was really bad. The dog wouldn’t eat, wouldn’t drink, had diarrhea, was vomiting, wasn’t playing, was falling, walking, collapsing.”  The second veterinarian visit involved tests and antibiotics and more fluids. Bear was diagnosed with parvovirus, a highly contagious disease that is often fatal if left untreated. The vet told the family they could try taking Bear to an animal hospital, but it would cost at least $3,000. Loy said the vet added: “ ‘I can’t guarantee the dog’s going to live’.”  Anthony Loy texted the sellers: “Hey, the dog has parvo.”  They texted back, Loy said: “ ‘You’re lying. Show us proof’.”  Bear could barely breathe. He couldn’t walk in a straight line. He yelped in pain when he lay on his back. The vet recommended that the family have him euthanized. They agreed. First, though, the children said goodbye.  “I didn’t really want to look at him that much,” said Manuel, who is now 11. “It made me sad. I touched his stomach. It was so hard for him to breathe. I was crying.”  When the family contacted the Kenneys, they were harassed and brushed off, according to the lawsuit and texts Loy has kept. In one exchange, a woman Loy identified as Trina Kenney texted: “find me :) I’ll defend myself You never ended up buying a dog from us.”  The Kenneys are not strangers to local officials.  In April 2018, representatives of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, the San Bernardino Valley Humane Society, Rancho Cucamonga Animal Control and San Bernardino County Animal Control inspected the Kenney’s Phelan property. They had a search warrant.  According to the complaint, “Dogs at the location were over density, however animal control took all the dogs at the time of inspection, so there was no longer a violation.” News reports said officials were investigating a breeding and sales operation and had confiscated 32 dogs, including 17 puppies, that needed veterinary care.  It is unclear whether anything came of the investigation. No charges have been filed. San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputy Randy Stanley said law enforcement agents went along and helped serve the search warrant because the Humane Society did not have sufficient manpower.  “They did have some dogs there,” Stanley said. “It was a fairly nice residence. I never got into the animal cruelty part of the investigation.”  Representatives of the San Bernardino Valley Humane Society and San Bernardino County Animal Control did not respond to requests for comment.  On Monday, when the lawsuit was filed, Loy said the family has no plans to get another puppy, that the last year or so has been too painful. She’s glad, she said, that others have come forward, that “someone is trying to help us and we’re not alone.”  Manuel, though, still has questions. If he could, he said, he’d ask the Kenneys, “Why would you do this to a person? Why would you do this to a dog? It’s pretty messed up.”  That’s what he wants to know, he said. “Just why.”


slate--2019-10-03--My Puppy Is a Terror Who Destroys Everything

Beast Mode is Slate’s pet advice column. Have a question? Send it to beastmode@slate.com. We love dogs and cats equally, and reserve treats for questions about your turtle, guinea pig, bird, snake, fish, or other beast.  My mutt is a year old, and I am at my breaking point. I at least need reassurance that it will get better. I should preface this by saying that I have had dogs my whole life, and raised my last mutt from 3 months to 12 years old. Did I just block out how terrible the puppy years were? Is this like childbirth, and is that how I managed to convince myself to do it again?  I’ve had my terror for seven months, and every day I regret it. She is good-natured, loves people, loves dogs and cats, loves children, loves me. But she needs constant attention and destroys everything. Constant attention. Everything. She still bites, although there’s no skin breakage. She whines. She only seems to sleep from midnight to 7 in the morning. She is on a steady routine with walks scheduled throughout the day.  During the times she is left alone, which is not very often, she destroys everything: furniture, shoes, curtains, you name it. I tried crate training, but no amount of treats or toys will convince her to spend any time in there. She growls if you even start to lead her into the crate on a leash. I tried blocking off a special room just for her, but she refused to go in once she realized this meant I was leaving for work in the morning. Now she won’t go near the room, even though I tried putting tons of good toys and her food dish in there.  She has tons of toys, puzzles, and chew-things, and I never leave her for more than a few hours, but whenever I am gone she destroys something of mine. I am so stressed I could cry: She lies down on walks if she senses we are heading home; she nips at my body and clothing if I am cooking or changing or brushing my hair; she rips books and sponges and pillows to shreds if she’s left alone.  I have raised well-behaved dogs in the past. I’ve read all the books. I’m issuing positive reinforcement and ignoring bad behavior. I am losing my mind. And all my stuff.  —At the End of My Leash  Dear At the End of My Leash,  I’ll admit this has been an unabashedly pro-dog column. I have described the animals as “infinitely pure and good” in here, which would sound like propaganda were it not true. Nonetheless, allow me to be clear: Dogs are exemplary beings dedicated to kindness and companionship, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be major pains in the ass too.  Raising a puppy is tough. I’d agree that it’s exactly like childbirth were it not for two factors:  1. I have no idea what childbirth is like.  2. A long line of people is currently forming outside my front door, and they all want to beat me over the head for entertaining an ability to comment on this comparison.  Different dogs present different challenges. Your current ordeal sounds miserable, but it is not an unsolvable problem. Things will get better—no postnatal hormones necessary.  Given the extent of your predicament and how it’s affecting your day-to-day life, I strongly suggest finding a trainer to work with you and your dog as she transitions out of puppyhood. It sounds as if you know many of the right tactics—positive reinforcement, sprucing up her crate, etc.—but a little professional guidance can help refine and enhance these proven techniques.  Teaching the dog is important, but trainers provide much-needed advice to us humans as well. Puppies are natural-born button pushers, and after seven months yours has clearly learned all your pressure points. No matter how many books or advice columns you’ve read, it’s hard to be patient when a dog is biting your ankles and devouring your shoes. Sometimes outside help is necessary, and there is no shame in bringing in a ringer.  I understand that one-on-one training sessions might not be an option financially, but it’s definitely worth researching and interviewing licensed trainers near you. You may be pleasantly surprised by their fees. Group classes are a great, cheaper alternative, and they will also provide reassuring evidence that other people are battling similar issues (or worse!) to yours and your pup’s. Jot this down for future reference, but people should always factor in training costs when budgeting for a new dog. It doesn’t matter who you are—there’s no substitute for expert, hands-on help.  Puppies will often grow out of their more annoying habits, but you can’t count on them to fix themselves. Heck, my own adult dog has regressed when it comes to on-leash behavior, and she now oscillates between petulant immobility and Iditarod-level lunging while on walks. She was never a Yohann Diniz by any stretch of the imagination (that’s a race-walking joke, FYI), but it’s gotten bad enough that we’re enrolling her in some training classes for a tuneup.  Despite what you may have read in this very column, no dog is perfect. Still, all dogs want to learn. You will manage to get through this, even if your shoes don’t.


sputnik--2019-08-03--Clean and Relaxed Golden Retriever Puppy Plays in Bathtub

This Golden Retriever loves the water and the bubbles. Just look at that happy face and wagging tail! The puppy swims back and forth, and now the owner has to stop it from eating the soap foam.


sputnik--2019-12-20--Cute Puppy Pretends to be Bunny

Cute Puppy Pretends to be Bunny

Today, retrievers are the true love of housewives, young children and advertising producers.  Golden retriever puppies grow up very quickly, but in their short puppyhood you should not only have time to enjoy your pet’s constantly changing games and fun, but also instil in it all the desired behavioural skills.  In this video a golden retriever puppy seems to be pretending that it is a bunny.


thedailymirror--2019-12-06--Narwhal the 'unicorn' rescue puppy has found a human and a forever home

When a puppy with a tail growing in the middle of his forehead was abandoned and taken in by a rescue centre, fans predicted 'the longest adoption line in history'.  Narwhal the 'unicorn puppy' stole the hearts of thousands of people across the globe after rescue organisation Mac’s Mission found him on a freezing cold street being looked after by an older dog.  The Missouri-based centre which 'specialises in special' took Narwhal to the vet, who found the tail was not connected to anything and wasn't causing the adorable doggo any harm - he had simply been given 'extra parts during assembly'.  The story became big news, and the exposure led to his rescuers being inundated with hundreds of applications for adoption.  Among the outpouring of love there were also some unsettling signs for the centre, which became worried that he could be exploited as prospective owners made 'giant' offers of cash to take the puppy.  Some turned up to the rescue centre unannounced and sick death threats have even been made against Narwhal, resulting in him being kept in sight of trusted volunteers at all times, as reported by Southeast Missourian .  The centre began fearing for the beagle-mix's safety, knowing it would have no control over his fate once he had been adopted, and decided the only way it could ensure he would be given the happy life he deserves was to keep him right where he is.  Narwhal the Little Magical Furry Unicorn has found his forever home with Mac's Mission founder Rochelle Steffen and will help the centre's work to care for dogs which have been abused, injured or have birth defects.  "I had no intention initially of keeping him,” said Rochelle. "I didn’t want a puppy.  "But Narwhal is absolutely, exactly what we needed.  "It’s not just a decision from me. The whole rescue cannot fathom him leaving. We all fell in love with him."  Narwhal fans also played a big part in the decision, with 17,836 messages sent to the centre asking them to keep him so they can watch him grow.  Mac's Mission was founded after the adoption of Mac the Pitbull, who's now nine years old, and there's plans for Narwhal to step into his shoes as the centre's spokedog, spreading the message that 'different is awesome'.  Rochelle explained that the long-term plan is to train him as a therapy pup, so he can sprinkle his magic and help people in places like schools and nursing homes.  The decision proved to be welcome news for fans of Narwhal and Mac's Mission, with one saying: "My prayers have been answered. I was worried he wouldn't get the best home in the world. Mac's house is the best one!"  Another replied: "This absolutely made my day. I was worried what might happen to little Narwhal if he were adopted.  "He will have a wonderful life with Mac and everyone. He is loved by so many that now we can continue to share his adventures through you and the rest of the team."  You're in the best hands, Narwhal. Click here to donate to Mac's Mission.


thedailyrecord--2019-01-03--Five-week-old puppy dies after being abandoned on Christmas Day

A five-week-old puppy who was abandoned by his heartless owners on Christmas Day has died.  The tiny merle-coloured animal was in a "terrible state" when a member of the public found him in an alley in a cardbox box in Bradford, West Yorkshire.  He was unable to use his back legs and vets thought he may have been paralysed.  Despite their best efforts, they were unable to save him and the adorable creature has now died.  The RSPCA has launched an investigation as they are seriously concerned about the puppy's mum.  Inspector Dave Holgate, who collected the dog and took him to a nearby vet, said: "Unfortunately, the little crossbreed puppy was in a terrible state.  "He was collapsed at the rear and was dragging his back legs.  "It seems as though his back end was paralysed and he was unable to use his legs.  "Goodness knows how long the poor pup had been in this state - he may have been born like this or could have deteriorated as he grew.  "I suspect he was abandoned by the breeder when they realised he would need expensive veterinary treatment or would fail to sell."  Vets decided he was unlikely to recover and he was put to sleep on welfare grounds.  Inspector Holgate said: "It's so sad that we weren't able to save this little puppy but I'm just glad he's no longer sat inside a cardboard box cold, frightened and in pain.  "At least he felt love and compassion in his final hours.  "To abandon this poor puppy - who was too young to be away from his mum and siblings - is disgraceful, but to do so on Christmas Day with him in dire need of veterinary attention is despicable.  "I'm now seriously concerned about his mother and I'm appealing for anyone who recognises this pup or may know where she's come from to get in touch by calling our inspectorate appeal line on 0300 123 8018."