Police shoot magpie dead for attacking old woman

And other stories from the stranger side of life

Australian police have shot dead a magpie after it attacked an old woman
(Image credit: Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

Australian police have come under fire over the shooting death of a magpie outside a shopping centre in northern New South Wales. Officers were called to the scene after the magpie swooped at a 70-year-old woman, who fell and injured her knee. The officers used their service pistols to shoot the bird out of a tree.

US bans eating of cats and dogs

US congress has passed a bill outlawing the consumption of cats and dogs. The "Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act of 2018” includes penalties of up to £3,800 for eating a cat or dog, and also outlaws shipping, sale and transportation of the animals for the purpose of human consumption.

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Man jailed for writing fake online reviews

An Italian man has been jailed for nine months for writing fake reviews on the online travel site TripAdvisor. The man, who was paid by businesses to post glowing reviews, had written more than 1,000 fake reviews for hundreds of companies since 2015. He was also ordered to pay a fine of £7,000.

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