Elite soldier shot himself before Cybertruck blast in Las Vegas, officials say


An elite soldier identified as Matthew Alan Livelsberger committed suicide before the Cybertruck he was sitting in exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, authorities said on Thursday. 

The motive for his actions is still unknown.

APPARENTLY NOT AN EXPLOSIVES SPECIALIST


Issued on: 02/01/2025 -
FRANCE24
By: NEWS WIRES
Video by: Liza KAMINOV

01:44

Emergency vehicles line the road near the Trump International Hotel & Tower Las Vegas after a Tesla Cybertruck exploded in front of the entrance on January 1, 2025. © Ethan Miller, Getty Images via AFP


The decorated special forces soldier who blew up a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas shot himself in the head before the blast, authorities said Thursday, adding that his motivation was still "unknown."

Authorities said the suspect -- identified as Matthew Alan Livelsberger -- was a member of the elite Green Beret forces who appeared to have committed suicide in a Cybertruck filled with fuel containers and fireworks, which then erupted into flames.

He had a gunshot wound to the head and a gun was found at his feet, officials told reporters at a press conference in Las Vegas.

"The motivation at this point is unknown," FBI Special Agent Spencer Evans said, as investigators probed the incident as a potential act of "terror."


Video footage outside the Trump International Hotel shows the stainless steel truck parked at the building's glass entrance early Wednesday, then bursting into flames, followed by smaller explosions that appeared similar to fireworks.

Seven people were wounded in the blast.

The Trump-branded building, which opened in 2008, is part-owned by the Republican president-elect's family business.

Evans said the link to the president-elect was "not lost" on agents, nor was the fact that Tesla is owned by world's richest man -- and prominent Trump backer -- Elon Musk.

"But we don't have information at this point that definitively tells us" it was driven by any particular ideology, he said.

Officials said the body had been burned beyond recognition, but that they have a "lot of confidence" it was Livelsberger -- identified through his military ID, passport and credit cards.

Guns found

Livelsberger rented the vehicle in Colorado on December 28, from where authorities tracked him driving it alone through Arizona and New Mexico to Las Vegas, which he reached on January 1, Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill said.

McMahill said Livelsberger was a Green Beret who had spent time in Germany and had been deployed to Afghanistan in 2009.

An army spokesperson said that Livelsberger was "on approved leave at the time of his death," and that he had been awarded multiple Bronze Star Medals, including one for valor.

Investigators said it was not yet clear how the blast detonated, but that the components were mainly consumer products like fireworks and fuel.

But they also said some of the components had not exploded, and that the level of sophistication in the blast was not what they would expect from someone with Livelsberger's military background.

"I just don't think it was done as well as he was expecting it to be done," McMahill said.

Authorities also confirmed that Livelsberger had purchased two semi-automatic handguns, both of which were found in the Tesla, one at his feet.

'Isolated' incident

The blast came just hours after an electric pickup truck plowed into a crowd in New Orleans' French Quarter, killing at least 14 and injuring dozens.

Initially investigators were probing any potential link between the two incidents, but authorities in New Orleans said Thursday they believe the attacker there acted alone, while the FBI described the Vegas incident as "isolated."

McMahill said Wednesday the fact that it was a Cybertruck "really limited the damage... because it had most of the blast go up through the truck and out," noting that the glass doors of the hotel, just a few feet away, "were not even broken by that blast."

The truck had been rented in Colorado through the carsharing company Turo, police said -- the same app that was used to rent the vehicle in the New Orleans attack.

McMahill said Wednesday that was a "coincidence... SYNCHRONICITY that we have to continue to look in to."

(AFP)

Accused Cybertruck bomber penned anti-government manifesto and possibly had PTSD: report

Matthew Chapman
January 3, 2025 
RW STORY

Matthew Livelsberger, 37, an active-duty Army soldier from Colorado Springs and who police identified as the driver of the Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, poses in an undated handout photograph obtained by Reuters on January 2, 2025. Las Vegas Metro Police Department/Handout via REUTERS


The man accused of perpetrating the Cybertruck bombing at Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas wrote a manifesto critical of the government — and may have had untreated mental health issues from his time in the Special Forces, reported NBC News.
Matthew Livelsberger, who was found dead with a gunshot wound in the burned-out remains of the pickup, was a Green Beret who lived in Colorado Springs. Previous reporting indicated his family described him as a "Rambo-type" person and an avid Trump supporter.

Clark County Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren said investigators accessed "one of two phones found in the Cybertruck and viewed writing in an app that served almost as a journal, documenting some of ... Livelsberger's movements and state of mind from Dec. 21 to New Year's Eve," the report continued. "Two letters in the phone app appear to point to a motive in the blast, Koren said. In one, he tells 'fellow service members, veterans and all Americans' it's time to 'wake up' because the country's leadership is 'weak' and 'only serves to enrich themselves.'"

Livelsberger's writings indicated he had no animosity for Trump, and didn't view his actions as terrorism.

"We are the United States of America, the best country ... to ever exist, but right now, we are terminally ill and headed towards collapse," said the letter. "This was not a terrorist attack. It was a wake up call. Americans only pay attention to spectacles and violence. What better way to get my point across than a stunt with fireworks and explosives....I need to cleanse my mind of the brothers I’ve lost, and relieve myself of the burden of the lives I took."

Authorities further stated that Livelsberger likely suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, and had "family issues or personal grievances in his own life that may have been contributing factors."

Earlier in the investigation, police were investigating whether this explosion, which left seven other people injured, had any connection to the vehicle-ramming attack in New Orleans that killed 15 and appeared to have been inspired by ISIS. But authorities appear to have ruled this out; the perpetrator of this attack was stationed at the same military base as Livelsberger and the two rented their vehicles from the same service, but these appear to be coincidences.

ALL AMERIKAN HOMEGROWN TERRORIST

New Orleans truck attacker acted alone but was 'inspired by' Islamic State group, FBI says

The driver behind a deadly truck attack in New Orleans on New Year's Eve, US army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar, likely acted alone after being inspired by the Islamic State group, the FBI said Thursday, adding that so far there was no "definitive link" with a cyber truck explosion in Las Vegas the same day.


Issued on: 02/01/2025 -
FRANCE24
By: NEWS WIRES
Video by: Wassim CORNET

01:51

A police officer patrols the French Quarter in New Orleans on January 2, 2025. © Andrew Caballero-Reynolds, AFP





A US army veteran motivated by loyalty to the jihadist Islamic State group likely acted alone when he killed and injured dozens in a truck attack against a New Orleans crowd of New Year revelers, the FBI said Thursday.

Despite initial concerns that Shamsud-Din Jabbar had accomplices still on the run, preliminary investigations show he likely was alone, FBI deputy assistant director Christopher Raia said.

"We do not assess at this point that anyone else was involved," Raia said.

However, new evidence emerged detailing the extent of the US citizen's loyalty to the Islamic State group and his plans to cause mayhem in the attack, which killed 14 and injured more than 30 in the French Quarter district, ending only after he was shot by police.

"He was 100 percent inspired by ISIS," Raia said, using an alternative name for the international jihadist group.

Just before the attack, in which 42-year-old Jabbar slammed a rented Ford F-150 pickup into the crowd, he "posted several videos to an online platform proclaiming his support for ISIS," Raia said.

He also carried a black ISIS flag on the back of the vehicle.

In one video, Jabbar "explains he originally planned to harm his family and friends, but was concerned the news headlines would not focus on the 'war between the believers and the disbelievers.'"

Members of the National Guard walk through the French Quarter in New Orleans after the truck attack. © Andrew Caballero-Reynolds, AFP

Raia said that Jabbar had planted two homemade bombs in drinks coolers in French Quarter streets. The bombs were viable but were made safe in time, he said.

Raia clarified that the total death toll of 15 from Wednesday's carnage included 14 victims and Jabbar himself, who died after wounding two police officers in an exchange of gunfire.

Vegas incident likely separate

. SYNCHRONICITY

A Tesla Cybertruck is shown after it caught fire and exploded outside the lobby of President-elect Donald Trump's hotel in Las Vegas. © Wade Vandervort, AFP

The New Orleans attack coincided with a high-profile incident in Las Vegas a few hours later where a Tesla Cybertruck blew up outside a hotel owned by US President-elect Donald Trump.

One person was killed and seven were injured in the incident. It remains unclear whether it was accidental or deliberate.

US media quoted law enforcement sources as saying the person who rented the Telsa truck was a current US Army special forces member.

In another echo of the New Orleans incident, the vehicles in both cases had been rented through the car-sharing app Turo.

Raia said: "At this point, there is no definitive link between the attack here in New Orleans and the one in Las Vegas."

Cleanup on Bourbon Street

A city worker cleans in New Orleans after the New Year's truck attack. © Andrew Caballero-Reynolds, AFP

In New Orleans' French Quarter, cleaners continued to clear the debris. Bourbon Street, at the heart of the area's famous nightlife and jazz establishments, remained closed to the public.

After a 24-hour delay due to the violence, the city was gearing up to stage the major Sugar Bowl college football game in the Superdome later Thursday. The stadium will also host the NFL's Super Bowl championship game in February.

"We believe we can absolutely provide a safe and wonderful environment today, and hold the Super Bowl and all of our activities," New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said.

Trump rant

The terrifying incident came three weeks before Trump takes over as president.

The Republican has used the mayhem to push his anti-immigrant agenda, despite the slain killer being a US-born citizen.

Overnight, Trump again took to social media to link the attack to "OPEN BORDERS."

In a lengthy rant, he berated law enforcement bodies for "attacking their political opponent, ME, rather than focusing on protecting Americans from the outside and inside violent SCUM."

Claiming "the USA is breaking down," Trump said, without giving details: "the CIA must get involved."

Radicalization

An FBI handout shows a passport photo of deceased New Orleans attack suspect Shamsud-Din Jabbar. © Handout from the FBI via AFP

Police say Jabbar drove at high speed into the crowd, intent on causing maximum casualties.

"There were bodies and blood and all the trash," bystander Zion Parsons told CNN. "People were terrified, running, screaming."

"It was just scary, I cried my eyes out, honestly," tourist Ethan Ayersman, 20, told AFP.

The Pentagon said Jabbar served in the Army as a human resources specialist and an IT specialist from 2007 to 2015, and then in the army reserve until 2020.

Map showing the location of the New Orleans truck attack. © John Saeki, AFP

He deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 until January 2010, an army spokesperson said.

Raia said the growing focus now is on how Jabbar became radicalized.

"That's the stuff in the coming days, as far as that path to radicalization, that we're really going to be digging into and making a priority of," he said.

(AFP)

US army veteran, IT specialist: What we know about the New Orleans truck attack suspect


The New Orleans truck attack suspect, identified by the FBI as 42-year-old US citizen Shamsud-Din Jabbar, was an army veteran who served as an IT specialist before earning a bachelor's degree in computer systems. He was twice-married and experienced financial difficulties, according to divorce papers.


Issued on: 02/01/2025 - 
By: FRANCE 24
Video by: Douglas HERBERT

03:57

Hours after a truck ploughed into a crowd of New Year’s Day revellers in New Orleans, killing 15 people, the FBI identified the driver as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a US citizen from Texas.

Details have begun to emerge of Jabbar’s life and are being closely examined by investigators seeking clues for a motive behind the attack. The FBI said it was working to determine if Jabbar had any potential associations with terrorist organisations.

US President Joe Biden told reporters that, hours before the attack, Jabbar shared videos online that indicated he was "inspired by ISIS", referring to the Islamic State (IS) group.

In the videos, Jabbar discussed plans to kill his family and dreams that inspired him to join the Islamic State group, according to CNN.

A black flag linked to the group was also found in the vehicle used in the attack, the FBI said.

US army service, struggles to acclimate to civilian life

In a video posted on YouTube four years ago, Jabbar – speaking with a southern US accent – boasted of his skills as a "fierce negotiator" as he advertised his property management services to potential clients.

The Pentagon said Jabbar had served in the army as a human resource specialist and an IT specialist from 2007 to 2015, and then in the army reserve until 2020.

He deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 until January 2010, an army spokesperson said, adding that he held the rank of Staff Sergeant at the end of his service. Earlier the FBI had said it believed he was honorably discharged.

Jabbar enrolled in Georgia State University in 2015 and received a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems in 2017, according to the New York Times.

In a 2015 article in the Georgia State student paper about the challenges of college life, Jabbar said he had struggled to acclimate to civilian life after leaving the military.

He also appears to have worked in real estate, holding a licence that expired in 2021. He had a criminal record, relating to traffic offences and theft.

Criminal records reported by US news organisations show that Jabbar had two previous charges for minor offences – one in 2002 for theft and another in 2005 for driving with an invalid license.

Divorces and financial difficulties

Jabbar was twice-married, according to US news reports, with his second marriage ending in divorce in 2022, when he detailed experiencing financial problems in an email to his wife's lawyer.

"I cannot afford the house payment," he reportedly wrote, adding that his real estate company had lost more than $28,000 in the previous year, and that he had taken on thousands in credit card debt to pay for lawyers.

In a neighbourhood in north Houston, a neighbour of Jabbar’s ex-wife told The Washington Post that FBI agents had been to her home earlier in the day. Dwayne Marsh, who is married to Jabbar’s ex-wife, said she and Jabbar had two daughters, ages 14 and 20.

Marsh told the Post that Jabbar had converted to Islam, but he did not specify when and declined to comment further.

'Dotting I's and crossing T's' in military service

In the YouTube video posted in 2020, which has since been taken down, Jabbar spoke highly about his time serving in the US military.

He introduced himself as a property manager and real estate salesman, and said he was born and raised in Beaumont, a southeastern Texas city.

“I’ve been here all my life,” he said in the video. He also provided details about military service that matched the records released by the Pentagon on Wednesday.

In the military, he said in the video, “I learned the meaning of great service and what it means to be responsive and take everything seriously, dotting I's and crossing T's to make sure that things go off without a hitch.”

Shortly after crashing into a crowd on Bourbon Street in the heart of New Orleans early Wednesday, Jabbar got into a shootout with the police, authorities said. He was pronounced dead soon after.

The FBI said that in addition to the IS group flag, they found weapons and a potential improvised explosive device in the attacker’s truck, which appeared to be a rented Ford. Other explosive devices were located elsewhere in the French Quarter, the FBI said.

“We do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible,” Alethea Duncan, FBI assistant special agent in charge in New Orleans, told reporters at a news briefing Wednesday afternoon. “We are aggressively running down every lead, including those of his known associates.”

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Man who formerly served in US Army indicted over attempts to support Hezbollah

Jack Danaher Molloy, 24, was a dual citizen of the US and Ireland and traveled to Lebanon and Syria in 2024 to attempt to join Hezbollah.

By REUTERSJANUARY 3, 2025

Jack Danaher Molloy in photographs he took as part of an application process to join Hezbollah.(photo credit: Western District of Pennsylvania US Attorney's Office)


A Pennsylvania man who previously served in the US Army was indicted by a grand jury on charges of attempting to support Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah and of making false statements to the FBI, the US Justice Department said on Thursday.

Jack Danaher Molloy, 24, was a dual citizen of the US and Ireland and traveled to Lebanon and Syria in 2024 to attempt to join Hezbollah, designated by the US as a terrorist organization, the Justice Department said in a statement.

The department said Molloy returned to the US in late 2024 and continued making attempts to join Hezbollah. He had also promoted hatred and violence against Jews, the Justice Department said, adding he was formerly enlisted as an active-duty soldier in the US Army from mid-March to late April in 2019.

Possible penalties

The Justice Department said Molloy lied to the FBI about his intentions to join Hezbollah when questioned upon his return to the United States in late 2024. It said he was arrested on Dec. 6 in Chicago

.

An illustrative image of a Hezbollah flag in the backdrop of an individual holding a weapon. (credit: SHUTTERSTOCK)

If convicted, Molloy faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for a material support charge. For false statement charges, he faces a maximum penalty of eight years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. A representative of Molloy could not immediately be contacted.

Apple to pay $95 million to settle lawsuit accusing Siri of eavesdropping

Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a lawsuit filed in California accusing the tech brand of using its virtual assistant Siri to eavesdrop on owners of its iPhones and other devices. The lawsuit alleges that recorded conversations were shared with advertisers to better target consumers despite the company's claims of championing user privacy.


Issued on: 02/01/2025 - 
FRANCE24
By: NEWS WIRES

The Apple iPhone 16 on display at the Apple Fifth Avenue store in New York on September 20, 2024. © Pamela Smith, AP

Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the privacy-minded company of deploying its virtual assistant Siri to eavesdrop on people using its iPhone and other trendy devices.

The proposed settlement filed Tuesday in an Oakland, California, federal court would resolve a 5-year-old lawsuit revolving around allegations that Apple surreptitiously activated Siri to record conversations through iPhones and other devices equipped with the virtual assistant for more than a decade.

The alleged recordings occurred even when people didn't seek to activate the virtual assistant with the trigger words, “Hey, Siri." Some of the recorded conversations were then shared with advertisers in an attempt to sell their products to consumers more likely to be interested in the goods and services, the lawsuit asserted.

The allegations about a snoopy Siri contradicted Apple's long-running commitment to protect the privacy of its customers — a crusade that CEO Tim Cook has often framed as a fight to preserve “a fundamental human right.”


Apple isn't acknowledging any wrongdoing in the settlement, which still must be approved by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White. Lawyers in the case have proposed scheduling a Feb. 14 court hearing in Oakland to review the terms.
Millions of consumers could file claims

If the settlement is approved, tens of millions of consumers who owned iPhones and other Apple devices from Sept. 17, 2014, through the end of last year could file claims. Each consumer could receive up to $20 per Siri-equipped device covered by the settlement, although the payment could be reduced or increased, depending on the volume of claims. Only 3% to 5% of eligible consumers are expected to file claims, according to estimates in court documents.

Eligible consumers will be limited to seeking compensation on a maximum of five devices.

The settlement represents a sliver of the $705 billion in profits that Apple has pocketed since September 2014. It's also a fraction of the roughly $1.5 billion that the lawyers representing consumers had estimated Apple could been required to pay if the company had been found of violating wiretapping and other privacy laws had the case gone to a trial.

The attorneys who filed the lawsuit may seek up to $29.6 million from the settlement fund to cover their fees and other expenses, according to court documents.

(AFP)

FDA issues another recall for oysters over norovirus risk

The recall comes amid a surge of outbreaks

Kelly Rissman
Friday 03 January 2025

Independent 

CDC seeing surge in norovirus cases


The Food and Drug Administration advised restaurants against serving or selling oysters due to a norovirus outbreak, marking the agency’s fourth warning about the shellfish in less than a month.

Oysters harvested from December 2 to December 17 by Ruco’s Shellfish from a portion of Hammersley Inlet growing area in Washington state were potentially contaminated, the FDA said in a Thursday advisory.

Norovirus is highly contagious and is the most common foodborne illness in the U.S.

Restaurants in Washington and Oregon purchased these oysters and they could have been distributed to other states. “The FDA is awaiting further information on distribution of these oysters and will continue to monitor the investigation and provide assistance to state authorities as needed,” the agency said.

Foods contaminated with norovirus may look, smell and taste normal, but can cause illness if eaten — and cause potentially severe illness in people with compromised immune systems, the federal agency said.

Common novovirus symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and fever. Symptoms usually develop 12 to 48 hours after being exposed to the virus.

Although most people recover within a few days, the virus causes an average of 109,000 hospitalizations and 900 deaths per year, mostly among adults aged 65 and older, according to the CDC.

Anyone experiencing these symptoms should contact their healthcare provider, the agency said.

Norovirus cases have surged in recent weeks, according to CDC data. There were 91 outbreaks of the stomach bug reported during the week of December 5, the most recent period data available.

“This year, the number of reported norovirus outbreaks have exceeded the numbers that we’ve seen recently and in the years before the pandemic,” the CDC said.

It can spread from having direct contact with someone with the stomach bug, eating contaminated foods, or touching contaminated objects and then putting your unwashed fingers in your mouth.

To avoid getting sick with the virus, the CDC advised people to wash their hands well and often, cook shellfish thoroughly, wash fruits and vegetables, clean contaminated surfaces, wash laundry in hot water and stay home when sick for two days after symptoms stop.


Last year, the FDA issued 10 advisories concerning norovirus-contaminated oysters, spanning from California to Maine. Thursday’s warning marks the first of 2025, but the fourth since early December.

Darién Gap Crossings Plummet 42% as Panama Tightens Policies

THERE IS NO MIGRANT CRISIS IN U$A

ByJuan Martinez
January 3, 2025
RIO TIMES

In 2024, over 300,000 migrants crossed the Darién Gap, a treacherous jungle route between Colombia and Panama. This figure represents a 42% decline from the record of 520,000 crossings in 2023, according to Panama’s migration authorities.

Despite the decrease, the situation remains dire and highlights the persistent challenges faced by those seeking a better life. Venezuelans made up approximately 69% of the migrants in 2024.

Many fled their home country due to economic collapse and political instability. They view the perilous journey through the Darién as their only option to reach the United States.

The Panamanian government, led by President José Raúl Mulino since July 2024, has taken a tougher stance on migration. His administration has implemented measures such as barbed wire fencing and increased deportations with U.S. support.

.

Darién Gap Crossings Plummet 42% as Panama Tightens Policies. (Photo Internet reproduction)

While these policies have temporarily reduced crossings, they do not address the root causes driving migration. Many migrants encounter violence and exploitation along their journey.
Darién Gap Crossings Plummet 42% as Panama Tightens Policies

Reports indicate that between January 2021 and March 2023, authorities discovered 124 bodies along the route, primarily due to drowning. However, this number likely underrepresents the true toll of this dangerous passage.

The new policies have sparked debates about their effectiveness. Analysts argue that without addressing underlying issues such as poverty and violence, these measures may merely shift migration patterns rather than resolve them.

Migrants often find themselves trapped in a cycle of danger and desperation. The humanitarian landscape in Panama has become increasingly strained. Local services struggle to meet the needs of vulnerable migrants arriving from the Darién Gap.

As conditions worsen in their home countries, many migrants feel they have no choice but to risk everything for a chance at a better future.

Jimmy Carter became craft beer ‘hero’ due to signing 1978 law

Tylor Sorensen
Thu, January 2, 2025 


ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — In 1978, there were about 100 breweries that controlled most of America’s beer output. That year, President Jimmy Carter signed a law that legalized homebrewing and paved the way for the craft beer revolution.

Prohibition ended in 1933, but homebrewing was still off-limits, allowing breweries like Yuengling, Anheuser-Busch, Miller, Schlitz, Pabst, and Coors to dominate the market, controlling around three-quarters of America’s beer volume.

Carter signed HR 1337, which allowed homebrewing for personal use, allowing Americans to brew up to 100 gallons per person and 200 gallons per household.

Those homebrewers eventually started small breweries that transformed the industry. Many craft brewing operations, such as Boston Brewing Co. and Sierra Nevada, began as microbrew operations.

Now, there are over 10,000 breweries nationwide, and that number is growing.

Some of those are located in the Rockford area.

In 2013, Reed Sjostrom opened Prairie Street Brewing Co., at 200 Prairie Street, a building that once housed the Rockford Brewing Company.

“I kind of kicked around some ideas and it kind of dawned on everybody that, hey, this was a brewery here in Rockford, so why not lean into that and kind of lean into the history and make it a brewery again,” Sjostrom said.

Tom Morgan started Cheezhead Brewing, at 414 Pleasant Street, in Beloit, just five years ago.

“I think the thing that draws people here is we’re about a half destination [attraction], where people come because they like to go to brew pubs and breweries. And then we’re half like Cheers, where people come in sometimes by themselves or not knowing exactly who they’re going to meet,” Morgan said. “But if they don’t know each other when they come in, they tend to know each other by the time they leave.”

The irony of Carter’s revolutionary law was that the President himself was a Southern Baptist and did not drink much alcohol at all.

“Cheers, and thank you to an American homebrew hero, President Jimmy Carter,” the American Homebrewers Association said in a statement on Sunday.

DARWIN AWARD

44-year-old zookeeper enters lion's den to ‘impress girlfriend’, accidentally films his own death

ByTrisha Sengupta
Jan 03, 2025 


A man entered into the lion’s den of a private zoo in Parkent district, where he was eaten alive by three lions. He unintentionally recorded his death.

A shocking video has captured the last moments of a man’s life before he was mauled to death by lions. Reportedly, the man who worked as a zookeeper at a private zoo in Parkent, Uzbekistan, entered the enclosure of the lions to record a video of himself to “impress" his girlfriend. His stunt, however, ended tragically, with him losing his life.

A 44-year-old man reportedly entered a lion's enclosure at 5 am to record a video (representative image). (Unsplash/pictagramar)

What did the video show?

According to the Mirror, 44-year-old F. Iriskulov approached the lion’s den at 5 am while working the night shift. The footage captured him opening the padlock and approaching the lions, who were sitting calmly.

As per the video, initially, it seemed like the big cats were not going to attack, but within moments, one of the animals suddenly approached him, and he was heard calling its name “Simba”, telling it to stay quiet. Iriskulov then went ahead to stroke the big cat's mane.

After a few moments, he flipped his camera to show his face and stroked one of the animals that came near him. However, things took a horrifying turn once the lion attacked him, and he kept on shouting, "Be quiet, be quiet.” He unintentionally captured his last moments on camera.

Police statement

Dailystar reported that the police released a statement to the local media about the incident. “Today, December 17, three lions kept in a single cage at the Lion Park private zoo, located in Parkent district of Tashkent Region, escaped into the zoo’s courtyard," the department said.

The lions entered the courtyard, attacking and injuring a 44-year-old keeper born in 1980. Unfortunately, the keeper later died from his injuries,” it added.

Bereaved Orca spotted pushing another dead calf

Jack Burgess
BBC News

Ken Balcomb, Center for Whale Research
Whale J35 (known as Tahlequah) seen supporting the dead calf in 2018

A killer whale, which captured the world's attention in 2018 when it was spotted pushing the dead body of its newborn calf for 17 days, appears to be grieving again.

The whale, known as Tahlequah, has lost another calf and is again pushing the body, according to the Center for Whale Research.

Tahlequah has this time been spotted off the coast of the US state of Seattle.

Killer whales have been known to carry dead calves for a week but scientists in 2018 said Tahlequah had set a "record".

The Center for Whale Research said the death of any calf was a "tremendous loss" but added that the death of Tahlequah's newborn was "particularly devastating" given its history.

The centre, which studies the Southern Resident killer whale and works on its conservation, said Tahlequah had now lost two out of four documented calves - both of which were female.

Both Canada and the US list Southern Resident killer whales as endangered.

The whales depend on Chinook salmon - which have been in dramatic decline in recent years - for food.

Failures to reproduce are linked to nutrition and access to these salmon, according to research from the University of Washington.

Whales can travel an average of 120km (75 miles) a day.

The 2018 sighting of Tahlequah pushing a dead calf happened when it was off the shores of Victoria, British Columbia.

Musk likely to host German far-right leader for online chat on X


Musk, the world’s richest man, has become vocal in his support for far right and anti-establishment parties in Europe since spending a quarter of a billion dollars to help secure Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and faction co-chairwoman and top candidate for the federal election Alice Weidel looks on during a press conference of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Berlin, Germany, 7 December 2024. [EPA-EFE/CLEMENS BILAN]

Euractiv.com with Reuters 

 Jan 3, 2025 

Elon Musk looks likely to host the leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party ahead of Germany's 23 February national election in a live interview on X, his social media platform.

In December, the Tesla mogul endorsed the AfD, an anti-immigration, anti-Islamic party labelled as right-wing-extremist by German security services, causing consternation in Berlin, where all other parties have ruled out working with a party they regard as dangerous and undemocratic.


Elon Musk backs AfD party in German newspaper opinion piece

Shortly after the piece was published online, the editor of the opinion section, Eva Marie Kogel, wrote on X that she had submitted her resignation.

A spokesperson for the AfD said on Thursday (2 January) that party leader Alice Weidel was in touch with Musk's office, but said he could give no further details at present. Earlier, newswire dpa reported the two would talk on X, Musk's social media platform, on 10 January.

Musk, the world's richest man, has become vocal in his support for far right and anti-establishment parties in Europe since spending a quarter of a billion dollars to help Trump get elected, and has been tasked by him to prune the federal budget as a special adviser.

He called German Chancellor Olaf Scholz an "incompetent fool" and said he should resign after a deadly car attack on a German Christmas market. Musk also described German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier as a "tyrant" for criticising the AfD in a speech.

Now frequently seen with Trump, Musk has posted in support of Britain's anti-establishment Reform party as well as the AfD. Both parties are loosely influenced by economic libertarian and anti-immigration ideas.

In December, Musk hinted that an online encounter between him and the AfD's Weidel was in the works, posting that "when I and Alice do an X Spaces conversation" critics would "lose their minds".

Leaders of other parties have condemned Musk's intervention in German politics. Scholz told voters in a New Year's address that the 23 February election would be decided not by billionaires but by German voters.



German politicians decry Elon Musk's AfD support as 'intrusive' election meddling

The support of the AfD from Musk, who is set to serve US President-elect Donald Trump's administration as an outside adviser, comes as Germans are set to vote on 23 February.

Musk's support AfD is a "logical and systematic" play for a weak Europe that will not be able to regulate as strongly, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck said in his New Year's address.

The calls by Musk are not made out of ignorance, said Habeck, who is the chancellor candidate for the Greens party in German national elections due in February.

(Edited by Georgi Gotev)

Prehistoric fossil in museum found to be new species of large carnivorous turtle

By Oliver Chaseling, ABC

Adam Yates said he always had his suspicions the turtle might be a new species.

 Photo: ABC News: Xavier Martin

Scientists have discovered a new species of prehistoric turtle from what was once a lush forest in Central Australia, after re-examining an unidentified fossil on display in the Northern Territory's largest museum.

For years, the fossilised turtle shell sat alongside stuffed birds, insects, lizards and marsupials at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT).

Ever since senior curator and palaeontologist Adam Yates had started at the museum it had caught his eye, as he suspected it was unique.

"I'd had my eye on this particular fossil, but it was on display and I had many other jobs to be getting on with," he said.

In early 2023, Yates was encouraged to re-examine the specimen by an interested turtle expert from the US, herpetologist Mehdi Joseph-Ouni.

To do that, he had to spend months painstakingly extracting the fossil from its plaster display.

"I had lots of other projects on the go, so it's one that I would come back to every now and then when I had a spare moment," he said.

"I would go and work in the prep lab in removing a little bit more plaster."

When the process was finished, the pair were able to study an unusual protrusion on the underside of the fossil's shell.

That led to them discovering the specimen was a completely new species of snapping turtle - a large carnivorous turtle, long extinct, that they named Elseya mudburra.

"[The carapace] is made up of multiple bones that are joined together. Of particular interest is the first costal, which is actually a modified rib," Yates said.

"The way the lower part of the shell joins to the first costal … is really significant and varies a lot in different turtles.

"In our one, it had a peculiar thick shape with an extra little process sticking down, that told us that it wasn't like anything that had been found before."

Yates said Elseya mudburra was alive during the Miocene period of 13 to 14 million years ago and lived in rivers surrounded by lush forests in what is now the savannah country of the northern Tanami Desert.

The fossil was originally unearthed at a limestone deposit called Bullock Creek, near the remote community of Kalkarindji, which has previously yielded unique fossils of an ancient cassowary, a crocodile and possibly a giant snake.

Bullock Creek's Elseya mudburra predates megafauna found at another Miocene-period fossil deposit in the Northern Territory, the Alcoota fossil beds, by about 5 million years.

Located much further south, bordering the Simpson Desert, the Alcoota fossil beds have yielded what has been labelled a "gold mine" of unique fossil specimens.
Possibility of more undiscovered species in museum collection

Below MAGNT's natural history exhibits are the museum's archives, where there are rows upon rows of labelled boxes and drawers housing taxidermied insects, birds, reptiles and marsupials.

According to MAGNT's head of science and ecologist Kirsti Abbott, the exact number of individual specimens in the collection is unknown, with hundreds of thousands of "lots" in the collection containing multiple specimens, similar to samples extracted from Bullock Creek.

"At MAGNT, we've got just over 830,000 lots. In terms of individual animals, that's millions, probably, when you're thinking about insects," Abbott said.

"For those things that've been there for decades, or we haven't looked at, or we don't know much about that type of animal, there could be hundreds of undiscovered species in museums around the world, including ours."

With there being only a small number of experts for any given type of animal, Dr Abbott said that like the case of Elseya mudburra, discoveries of new species often occurred by chance within large collections.

"You might be casually looking through a drawer or showing somebody around and you notice something that you haven't noticed before," Abbott said.

"[If] you travel down that investigative path, you might find a new species where you might not have looked before."

- ABC

Jurassic highway: Hundreds of dinosaur footprints found in UK quarry


Members of the excavation team working on the footprints at the Dewars Farm Quarry, north of Oxford. Photo: EMMA NICHOLLS/Oxford University Museum of Natural History / AFP

Researchers have uncovered hundreds of dinosaur footprints dating back to the middle Jurassic era in a quarry in Oxfordshire, southern England, showing that reptiles such as the nine-metre predator Megalosaurus moved along enormous tracks.

The dig at Dewars Farm Quarry found five extensive trackways, one of which measured more than 150 metres in length, researchers from the Universities of Oxford and Birmingham said on Thursday.

Four of the tracks were made by gigantic, long-necked, herbivorous dinosaurs called sauropods, most likely to be Cetiosaurus, an up to 18-metre-long cousin of the well-known Diplodocus, they said.

The fifth trackway was made by the carnivorous theropod dinosaur Megalosaurus, which had distinctive three-toed feet with claws.

The carnivore and herbivore tracks, which are about 166 million years old, cross over at one point, raising questions about whether and how the two types of dinosaur were interacting, the researchers said.

Megalosaurus was the first dinosaur to be scientifically named and described in 1824, kick-starting the last 200 years of dinosaur science and public interest.

Emma Nicholls, vertebrate palaeontologist ay the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, said: "Scientists have known about and been studying Megalosaurus for longer than any other dinosaur on Earth, and yet these recent discoveries prove there is still new evidence of these animals out there, waiting to be found."

The buried prints came to light when quarry worker Gary Johnson felt "unusual bumps" as he was stripping the clay back with his vehicle in order to expose the quarry floor.

More than one hundred researchers then excavated in the site in June, where they found around 200 footprints, the universities said in a statement.

- Reuters