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Amid Trump indictment, a look back at France’s history of prosecuting ex-leaders

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The United States waded into new territory on Thursday with the indictment of former president Donald Trump, a move that was unprecedented in US history. But other liberal democracies have extensive experience charging former – and sometimes current – leaders. While a serving French leader is generally safe from prosecution, former presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Jacques Chirac were convicted after leaving office. 

A grand jury on Thursday indicted Trump in connection with a payment to an adult film actress in exchange for keeping silent on an alleged affair she had with Trump more than 15 years ago. The related charges could involve possible campaign-finance violations and falsification of business records. Trump is to appear in court on Tuesday.

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Trump’s indictment is groundbreaking for the United States but not all that uncommon among liberal democracies – despite prominent Trump supporters saying the charges make the US look like a dysfunctional “banana republic”. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving premier, is currently being tried on allegations of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi was convicted for tax fraud in 2012 and sentenced to four years in prison, although three years were suspended and he served the remaining year doing community service because he was over 70. Berlusconi was also sentenced to seven years in prison in 2013 after being convicted of paying for sex with a minor and abuse of power (the verdict was later reversed on appeal).

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South Korea’s impeached president Park Geun-hye was sentenced to more than 20 years for corruption and abuse of power in 2018, although she was pardoned by her successor after serving less than five years. Former South Korean president Lee Myung-bak was sentenced to 15 years in prison for embezzlement and accepting bribes in 2018 but was pardoned by the current president in late 2022.

“It’s always a big deal when a former president or prime minister is indicted, but in most democracies, it is normal when they’re credibly accused of serious crimes,” Steven Levitsky, a professor of government at Harvard, told The New York Times this week.

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France has prosecuted two ex-presidents, Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy, as well as former prime minister François Fillon on charges ranging from campaign finance violations to embezzlement.  

Upon his death in 2018, Chirac was lionised by many French citizens for his avuncular style, his air of gravitas as an international statesman (notably his opposition to the 2003 Iraq War), and for combining cultural conservatism with centre-left economics. But while he was in the Élysée Palace from 1995 to 2007, many excoriated him as a “crook”. 

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Investigating magistrates launched an investigation into Chirac’s running of the Council of Paris, which administers the capital, in 1999 after receiving a complaint accusing him of widespread abuses of power while he was mayor from 1977 to 1995. But presidential immunity protected him as long as he remained in office. 

Corruption allegations against Chirac became a running joke on the country’s most famous satirical TV programme Les Guignols de l’Info, which mocked him as a cape-wearing anti-hero “Super Menteur” (“Super Liar”). One sketch portrayed Chirac and his wife Bernadette as a pair of aged rappers, wallowing in banknotes as they revelled in contravening the law

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But nostalgia for Chirac increased as the French electorate tired of the glitzy style of his successor, who critics dubbed Nicolas “Bling Bling” Sarkozy. Nevertheless, in 2011 Chirac became the first former French president to be prosecuted in a landmark trial.

Chirac was found guilty of influence peddling, breach of trust and embezzlement, when during his tenure as Paris mayor he put 21 people on the municipal payroll who actually worked for his conservative political party, Rally for the Republic. Judges said his actions as Paris mayor had cost the city’s taxpayers €1.4 million. 

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Chirac was not present at the trial, after his lawyers supplied a medical report saying he suffered from memory loss and ill health, among other “severe and irreversible” neurological problems. 

Chirac was given a two-year suspended sentence in late 2011 due to his advanced age and frailty.

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Alain Juppé, Chirac’s prime minister (and who later served as foreign minister), was also found guilty of corruption in relation to the case in 2004. He was given a 14-month suspended sentence and barred from public office.

Chirac thus became the first French leader to stand trial since Marshal Philippe Pétain, who was convicted of treason after World War II for collaborating with Nazi Germany.

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President of France from 2007 to 2012, Nicolas Sarkozy was convicted of corruption in two separate trials.  

In March 2021, Sarkozy was found guilty of attempting to bribe a judge by offering him a lucrative job in exchange for confidential information on one of the many probes launched against him since he left office. He was sentenced to three years in prison, two of them suspended, in what became known as the the “Bismuth” affair, making him the first former head of state in post-war France to receive a custodial sentence. He has appealed against the ruling. 

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In September 2021, Sarkozy was sentenced to one year of house arrest, tagged with an electronic monitoring bracelet, after he was found guilty of illegal campaign financing during his failed 2012 re-election campaign and losing a subsequent appeal. France has strict legal limits on how much can be spent on political campaigns; a series of US-style election rallies caused Sarkozy’s costs to spiral, with the final bill reaching at least €42.8 million, nearly double the legal limit of €22.5 million.

The court said that Sarkozy knew weeks before the 2012 election that the legal limit risked being breached and “voluntarily” declined to supervise extra expenses, as prosecutors accused him of having ignored two notes from his accountants flagging up the issue. 

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The case became known as the Bygmalion Affair, after the name of the PR firm that created fake invoices to obfuscate the real cost of the rallies. 

Sarkozy is also facing allegations that he illegally accepted funds from former Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi to finance his inaugural, and ultimately successful, 2007 election campaign. Sarkozy was first placed under formal investigation for illegal campaign financing in 2018 before facing “criminal association” accusations in 2020.

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Nicolas Sarkozy’s conservative prime minister François Fillon was the favourite to win the 2017 presidential elections, riding high in the polls until the “Penelopegate” scandal kiboshed his run and before upstart Emmanuel Macron supplanted him as the frontrunner. 

In January 2017, French satirical newspaper Le Canard Enchaîné reported that Fillon’s wife Penelope had been his parliamentary assistant for 15 years, earning around €1 million, despite appearing to do little to no actual work. 

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Fillon was handed a five-year prison sentence in 2020 with three years suspended and barred from office for 10 years; Penelope was given a three-year suspended sentence. In 2022, an appeals court reduced their sentences to four years with three years suspended and just two years suspended, respectively.  

But the court maintained the €375,000 fines that were imposed on each of them in the “fake jobs” scandal. They were also ordered to repay €800,000 to the National Assembly (lower house of parliament). 

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Under French sentencing guidelines, it is likely that Fillon will spend his jail time under house arrest, tagged electronically, instead of going to jail. 

The Fillons’ defence team say they will lodge a further appeal with France’s highest court. 

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International

Palestinians fear further isolation as Israeli minister announces vast West Bank settlement plans

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Palestinian land planner Safa Odeh points to a road in the West Bank.

Palestinian land planner Safa Odeh points in the direction of a road in the West Bank that she says only Israeli settlers can use. © France 24 screengrab
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Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has announced a plan to seize 800 hectares of Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank, the largest land seizure since the 1993 Oslo Accords between Israeli and Palestinian authorities according to NGO Peace Now. FRANCE 24’s Catherine Norris Trent and Claire Duhamel explored the roads around Jerusalem, some of which are included in the planned seizure, and spoke with a Palestinian land planning engineer who said Smotrich’s plan is aimed at “increasing control” in the territory.

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Revealed: Scale of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s funding into Wrexham laid bare by the club’s astronomical wage bill… after the Hollywood owners admitted they were ‘f****d without National League promotion

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Wrexham paid out £6.9million in wages during their promotional season from the National League as the level of funding from the club’s Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney was revealed in their latest accounts.

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The Welsh side were promoted as champions from the National League last season with a record 111 points, after edging Notts County in a head-to-head battle for the one automatic spot.

Reynolds and McElhenney admitted last year they would have been ‘f*****’ if the club had failed to have achieved promotion to League Two.

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McElhenney said on the series Welcome To Wrexham: ‘From a financial perspective, if we do not get promoted this year, we are f*****’, to which Reynolds replied, ‘Yep, f***’.’

‘We’re heavily invested in building this club, the stadium itself, and if we don’t get promoted this year, the club is completely, totally and wholly unsustainable.

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Wrexham's Hollywood owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds paid out £6.9m in wages during the club's promotion season

Wrexham’s Hollywood owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds paid out £6.9m in wages during the club’s promotion season 

Wrexham's latest accounts reveal the level of funding in their promotion season to the EFL

Wrexham’s latest accounts reveal the level of funding in their promotion season to the EFL

‘So its really ratcheted up the pressure, not just for us but for the players on the field, the people in the community. This year we have to get promoted.’

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The co-owners desperation to secure promotion has been outlined in the club’s financial accounts for the year ending on June 30, 2023.

Wrexham made an overall loss of £5.1million during the National League season, representing a record in the division.

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The figure surpassed the previous record loss of Stockport County of £4.8m in their promotion season in 2022, as well as representing a significant increase on the £2.9m loss Wrexham had made the same campaign.

A major increase in the club’s wage bill was a contributing factor with Wrexham paying out £6.9m for the financial year, representing £132,600-a-week.

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The wage bill increased by nearly £2.9million from the previous season, where the club finished as runners-up to Stockport County and were beaten in the play-offs.

Turnover and revenue has increased dramatically since  Always Sunny In Philadelphia creator McElhenney and Deadpool actor Reynolds bought the club for £2million in February 2021.

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Turnover increased from £5.972million to £10.478million in the year ending June 30 2023.

Wrexham were promoted as National League champions with a record points tally

Wrexham were promoted as National League champions with a record points tally

The club ended a 15-year exile from the Football League after securing promotion last season

The club ended a 15-year exile from the Football League after securing promotion last season

The club’s accounts outlined how Wrexham’s overseas fanbase has contributed to the increase in turnover.

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Wrexham highlighted a ‘staggering’ increase in its Rest of the World turnover to £2.582m from £657,000 in the 2022 accounts, with UK turnover rising to £7.8million from £5.3million.

Club director Humphrey Ker wrote in the accounts that the club ‘await with interest to see how this ratio changes going forward.’

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Wrexham’s retail operation enjoyed an increase from £3.430m from £1.304m in 2022, while sponsorship rose to £1.883m from £1.053m.

The club’s run to the FA Cup fourth round helped football revenue grow to £1.314m from £0.531m.

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The League Two side said that their year-on-year income increases show the potential of the club, stating that this will ‘significantly increase again following promotion and the continued popularity of Welcome to Wrexham’

Wrexham noted that the club needed to be conscious of ensuring that when the Disney+ series comes to an end it can ‘manage the change effectively and still deliver our objectives based on the legacy that has been created.’

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A third season of the show is planned for next month.

‘The amount owed to The RR McReynolds Company, LLC (owned by the two actors) at the year-end was £8.977million (2022: £3.714million),’ a statement from Wrexham said.

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The Disney+ series Welcome to Wrexham has helped to increase their overseas fanbase

The Disney+ series Welcome to Wrexham has helped to increase their overseas fanbase

‘The financial losses suffered by the club since the takeover shouldn’t be repeated, with income generated by the club now sufficient to meet the operational costs of the club going forward.

‘These losses were deemed necessary to allow the club to maximise its full potential in the shortest time practically possible.

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‘The club is under no immediate pressure to repay these loans at the expense of the progress we seek to achieve and further financial support will be provided/secured to support the capital expenditure projects the club is currently planning, which includes increasing the capacity of The Racecourse Ground and the development of a training facility for all the club’s teams.’

Wrexham are in contention to secure a second successive promotion with the club in the automatic promotion places in League Two with seven matches remaining this season.

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The Red Dragons would be required to pay £207,500 to other clubs for the transfer of players should the club achieve promotion this season.

In addition, Wrexham could pay out £509,710 as part of player contracts and bonuses should they be seal a spot in League One.

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Wrexham noted that further bonuses may be payable if they club is promotion to the Championship in the future.

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International

Russian missile and drone attacks damage power plants in central, west Ukraine

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Russian missile and drone attacks hit thermal and hydro power plants in central and western Ukraine, power grid operator Ukrenergo said on Friday, the latest assault on the already damaged power infrastructure.

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“During the night, the Russians struck again at energy facilities in a massive and combined attack,” Ukrenergo said on the Telegram messaging app.

“Thermal and hydroelectric power plants in the central and western regions were damaged.”

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Regional officials said Russian forces had attacked infrastructure in the Kamianske district near the city of Dnipro. At least one person was wounded, they added.

Ukrainian energy minister German Galushchenko also said power facilities in the regions of Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava and Cherkasy were attacked.

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“Electricity generation facilities were targeted by drones and missiles,” Gelushchenko said on Facebook.

The Ukrainian military said its air forces had destroyed 58 Russia-launched attack drones overnight from a total of 60, along with 26 of 39 missiles.

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“The enemy launched a powerful missile and air strike against the fuel and energy sector of Ukraine, using various types of missiles and attack drones,” the commander said.

Reuters could not independently verify the report.

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Ukrainian television said explosions were heard in the regions of Ivano-Frankivsk and Khmelnytskyi as well as the city of Dnipro as Russian cruise missiles were spotted in Ukrainian air space.

The largest private power firm, DTEK, said its three thermal power plants were attacked.

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“The equipment was severely damaged,” it said on Telegram. “After the attack ended, the power engineers promptly started to repair the damage.”

Ukrainian power distributor Yasno said this week that DTEK lost about half its capacity following Russian missile and drone attacks.

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(REUTERS)

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Made you look! These bizarre images are certain to make you chuckle

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The internet is filled with funny and outlandish images that range from quirky memes to bizarre photos capturing unexpected moments of humour and absurdity. 

The Comedy Heaven subreddit community, dedicated to discovering and sharing photos of amusing images worldwide, has rallied up some of the greatest picks.

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From questionable Amazon reviews to outlandish social media posts, this community acts as a repository for a diverse array of content.

Some of the best images have been collated into a gallery by Bored Panda, including some side-splitting jokes. 

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This professor, believed to be from the US,  was eager to demonstrate a theorem by successfully fitting his fist into his mouth

This professor, believed to be from the US,  was eager to demonstrate a theorem by successfully fitting his fist into his mouth 

Who said romance was dead? One person, belived to be from the US, shared a picture of a sign on a lawn apologising to Andrea

Who said romance was dead? One person, belived to be from the US, shared a picture of a sign on a lawn apologising to Andrea

One showed a picture of a professor putting his hand in his mouth to explain a theorem, while another saw a man profess his love on the side of the road.

Others shared hilarious photoshopped Disney posters, while another was shared by a vet, showing the sweet card he got from a child saying ‘thank you for removing my cat’s testicles’.

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Here, FEMAIL looks at the funniest and most outlandish posts shared on the forum. 

Almost 14,000 customers appreciated this honest review of leggings on Amazon written by Cory in the US

Almost 14,000 customers appreciated this honest review of leggings on Amazon written by Cory in the US

The Aldi checkouts are considered suitable only for the seasoned supermarket shopper, as one person shared a screenshot of a news article saying they were left 'crying and shaking' by the checkout speed at the German supermarket

The Aldi checkouts are considered suitable only for the seasoned supermarket shopper, as one person shared a screenshot of a news article saying they were left ‘crying and shaking’ by the checkout speed at the German supermarket 

Pinocchio: All he wants is human flesh... to turn into a real boy. One person shared this somewhat dark take on Pinocchio

Pinocchio: All he wants is human flesh… to turn into a real boy. One person shared this somewhat dark take on Pinocchio

A heartfelt thank you note to the vet for performing a purrfect operation on this child's cat, shared by a vet practice in Kigali, Rwanda

A heartfelt thank you note to the vet for performing a purrfect operation on this child’s cat, shared by a vet practice in Kigali, Rwanda 

Another man, from the US, did a 4am photoshoot with his chicken nugget

Another man, from the US, did a 4am photoshoot with his chicken nugget  

Unexpected visitor: Is it an alien or just a very unusual insect ringing the doorbell? The screenshot was shared from the US

Unexpected visitor: Is it an alien or just a very unusual insect ringing the doorbell? The screenshot was shared from the US

Gymnast Katherine Coronel of Venezuela performs her routine during the rhythmic gymnastics competition at the 20th Juegos Deportivos Centroamericanos y del Caribe in Cartagena in Colombia, looking momentarily headless

Gymnast Katherine Coronel of Venezuela performs her routine during the rhythmic gymnastics competition at the 20th Juegos Deportivos Centroamericanos y del Caribe in Cartagena in Colombia, looking momentarily headless

Oops! This child's homework probably left their teacher saying 'uck!'

Oops! This child’s homework probably left their teacher saying ‘uck!’ 

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African Union ‘warmly congratulates’ Senegal’s Faye on presidential election win

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The African Union on Friday congratulated anti-establishment opposition candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye on his victory in Senegal’s presidential election and hailed the “unanimous acceptance of the results”.

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In a statement, African Union Commission President Moussa Faki Mahamat said he “warmly congratulates” Faye on the official declaration of his first-round win, while wishing him “full success in his weighty and noble charge”.

According to provisional results, Faye won the first round of the vote outright with 54.3 percent, far ahead of incumbent Macky Sall’s hand-picked candidate, former prime minister Amadou Ba.

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Senegal’s Constitutional Court could declare Faye the official winner before the weekend, which would make a handover possible before April 2, the official end of Sall’s term.

Faye, 44, was only freed from prison 10 days before the election, along with his mentor Ousmane Sonko, who was barred from running following a criminal conviction he says was politically motivated.

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(AFP)

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US government plans to unleash ‘hunters’ to KILL half a million owls in three US states to save its endangered cousin

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At least 500,0000 invasive barred owls’ lives are at stake for encroaching on the endangered California spotted owl’s territory.

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The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) plans to unleash ‘hunters’ in California, Oregon and Washington to kill about half a million nocturnal birds that are native to the eastern US. 

Under the proposal, hunters would broadcast barred owl territorial calls to attract owls and shoot on sight, but in areas where firearm use is inadvisable, the protocol would be to capture and euthanize the creature. 

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However, the strategy to save one species has caused outrage among 75 groups that claim its actions could disrupt the wildlife and cause ‘mistaken-identity kills.’

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed culling 500,000 barred owls who are encroaching on spotted owls' territory

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed culling 500,000 barred owls who are encroaching on spotted owls’ territory

Spotted owls were added to the endangered species list in 1990 due to deforestation

Spotted owls were added to the endangered species list in 1990 due to deforestation

Owls have historically been protected from hunters, but the FWS claimed the barred owl has become an emerging threat to the spotted owl because they have a larger appetite, causing them to compete for the same prey.

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The barred owl has also been known to kill the spotted owl, according to the FWS. 

The two owls look very similar, with both having rounded heads, brown and white-colored bodies, and black eyes and are only distinguished by their slight size difference and the colors of their beaks.

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Spotted owls measure about 1.5 feet in length and have a wingspan up to four feet while barred owls are bigger, standing about two feet tall with a wingspan of up to four feet.

Barred owls started migrating to the forests of Washington, Oregon and Northern California from their native region in the northeastern US in the early 1900s due to climate change and deforestation.

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In 1990, the spotted owl was added to the Endangered Species Act because of habitat loss, but now the migration of the barred owl over the past century has allegedly worsened the situation.

Organizations led by Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy penned a letter to Interior Secretary Deborah Haaland on Monday, accusing her of a ‘reckless’ plan to shoot down 500,000 barred owls over the next 30 years.

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The spotted owl has become further endangered because the barred owl eats much of its food source

The spotted owl has become further endangered because the barred owl eats much of its food source

The FWS previously culled more than 2,000 barred owls but studies showed it didn't make a major difference to the spotted owl population

The FWS previously culled more than 2,000 barred owls but studies showed it didn’t make a major difference to the spotted owl population

Climate change has contributed to the animal’s adoptive behavior and migration pattern, the letter said, adding: ‘We cannot victimize animals for adapting to human perturbations of the environment.’

Issues first arose in the late 1980s and 1990s when environmentalists fought loggers who were trying to harvest timber in the Northwest forests – the conflict became known as the Timber Wars.

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During this time, the spotted owl which lived in the old trees, started dwindling and led to protections for the bird and its habitat. 

Despite this, the FWS published its 264-page proposal in November, saying that culling the barred owls was essential to protecting the endangered spotted owl.

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However, when asked why so many barred owls need to be culled and how many spotted owls they have killed, a FWS spokesperson directed Dailymail.com to a press release that said ‘barred owls have not substantially impacted California spotted owl populations to date.’

Instead, the release said that the purpose of culling so many owls is to eliminate their future expansion and range and reduce any populations that might become established in the years to come.

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‘Competition from the invasive barred owl is a primary cause of the rapid and ongoing decline of northern spotted owl populations,’ the release said. 

‘Due to the rapidity of the decline, it is critical that we manage invasive barred owl populations to reduce their negative effect before northern spotted owls are extirpated from large portions of their native range,’ it added.

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The FWS is currently reviewing the public’s input and is expected to make a final decision in the late spring or early summer. 

If approved, the FWS will be granted a permit for the Migratory Bird Treaty Act that will allow the barred owls to be hunted and killed. 

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The FWS initiated a five-year experiment to cull 2,485 barred owls in spotted owl territories in the Pacific Northwest when the invasive birds first started appearing.

The experiment wasn’t wholly successful, according to the letter to Haaland, which said the results only showed a short-term reduction of the owls and ‘modest numerical gains for spotted owls.’

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‘The disturbance created by the shooting alone would have adverse effects on a wide range of species, along with the direct, incidental killing that would inevitably result,’ the letter said, adding: ‘Night hunting of the animals is unimaginable and even more impractical.’ 

‘This is a case of the federal wildlife agency not seeing the forest from the trees.’

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Israeli strike kills at least 36 Syrian soldiers near Aleppo

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Gaza’s health ministry collects data from the enclave’s hospitals and the Palestinian Red Crescent.

The health ministry does not report how Palestinians were killed, whether from Israeli airstrikes and artillery barrages or errant Palestinian rocket fire. It describes all casualties as victims of “Israeli aggression”.

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The ministry also does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. 

Throughout four wars and numerous skirmishes between Israel and Hamas, UN agencies have cited the Hamas-run health ministry’s death tolls in regular reports. The International Committee of the Red Cross and Palestinian Red Crescent also use the numbers.

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In the aftermath of war, the UN humanitarian office has published final death tolls based on its own research into medical records. The UN’s counts have largely been consistent with the Gaza health ministry’s, with small discrepancies. 

For more on the Gaza health ministry’s tolls, click here.

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(FRANCE 24 with AP) 

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