While Australians are investigating their troops for alleged war crimes committed in Afghanistan, the Vatican is looking into Pope Francis' like under a very bold photo. On the home front, Czech MEPs will decide on the extension of the state of emergency today.
Will the state of emergency be extended?
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Žena v masce a kloboukuSource: freepik.com/photos/people
Today, our MEPs will decide whether or not the state of emergency in place due to the coronavirus epidemic will be extended. The government would like to keep it in place for another 30 days, until December 20. According to politicians, however, at this point it rather looks like the Chamber would be more inclined to approve an extension for a shorter period, just like the last time. The current state of emergency expires tomorrow.
In addition to this issue, the MEPs will also be voting on tax changes today, including the abolition of the super-gross salary. Next to that, they want to approve the law on the registration of beneficial owners.
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Australian soldiers under investigation
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Pixabay.com/Defence-Imagery Source: Skupina vojáků
Australian Defense Chief Angus Campbell stated there was credible evidence that Australian troops had unlawfully killed at least 39 civilians in Afghanistan. 19 soldiers are being investigated for 36 war crimes, including murder and cruel treatment of civilians. These are supposed to have taken place between 2009 and 2013.
Campbell sincerely and unreservedly apologized:
"Those alleged to have been unlawfully killed were all people under control, in lay terms, prisoners, farmers and other civilians. This shameful record includes alleged instances in which new patrol members were coerced to shoot a prisoner to achieve the soldier's first kill, in an appalling practice known as´blooding´."
Protection of a rare giraffe
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Pixabay.com/Defence-Imagery Source: Skupina vojáků
The only known living white giraffe in the world received a GPS device that should protect it from poachers in northeastern Kenya. The device is attached to one of her horns. It stores the location of the animal every hour so that defenders can monitor its movement.
The male giraffe, more than four meters tall, remained the only one of his kind after his other two companions - a female and her young - had been killed by poachers earlier this year. Precisely because of its uniqueness in the form of a lack of pigment, the animal is constantly in danger.
The first Christmas carol for pets
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Pes ve vánoční čepiciSource: freepik.com/photos/christmas
Do you go around humming Christmas carols the whole holidays, feeling sorry that your four-legged darling can only stare at you in confusion? Well, that's over now! With December behind the corner, the dog food manufacturer Tails.com released a song that claims to be "the first Christmas carol created for dogs". The song is called "Raise the Woof!" and is based on the sounds that dogs enjoy - like toy whistling and basic commands.
The company's chief veterinarian and canine behaviorist helped with the composition. The team used more than 500 sounds to create it, which they tested on a group of 25 dogs and analyzed their reactions. The song itself was then recorded in very the same studio that had been made famous by the Beatles.
"Signs that show that dogs enjoy the song include alertness, trying to figure out where the sound is coming from, erecting their head and moving their ears, as well as wagging their tails,"
the company explained.
Boeing 737 Max returns to the sky
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Lidé v letadleSource: Pixabay.com/Orna WachmanLidé v letadle
The US Federal Aviation Administration has decided that the Boeing 737 Max will be able to fly in the United States again. Although the current aircrafts will have to undergo further modifications and their return to the sky won't be immediate, it is still a milestone for Boeing: after the plane had been grounded in March 2019 after two fatal accidents, the blame fell on Boeing. The company was further damaged by the current situation regarding the coronavirus epidemic and travel bans.
The Pope's like is under investigation
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Papež FrantišekSource: Profimedia
When Brazilian model Natalie Garibotto published a bold photo in suspenders and a school girl uniform, the picture supposedly got a like from the most unlikely follower of all: Pope Francis. The photo immediately flew around the internet, gaining the attention of the Vatican, which is allegedly investigating the whole matter.
The photo doesn't have any such "like" now, but several sources claim to have seen it. However, the Catholic news agency argues that the Pope's accounts are managed by his team, not by the Pope himself. The model joked about the whole case:
"My mum may hate my ass pics but the Pope be double-tapping. At least I'll go to heaven."
And that's all from us for today! We wish you a pleasant day. After all, the end of the work week is just around the corner, so don't let anything spoil your Friday. As the Buddha said:
"If you try to understand the whole universe, you will not understand anything at all. If you try to understand yourself, you will understand the whole universe."
