Up-To-The-Minute News

  Washington:  A US animal shelter was "in shock" after receiving over 800 parakeets during the holiday weekend -- delivered in two batches by the son of their owner who had kept them all enclosed in one room. The Detroit Animal Welfare Group, based in the northern state of Michigan, posted on Facebook about a "Christmas present we were not expecting" -- saying the "birds came from a very unhealthy situation." It said a first group of 497 birds were dropped off on December 23 -- crammed into seven cages. The owner's son then returned on Sunday with an additional 339. "The irresponsibility of the owner is infuriating," the group wrote on Facebook, saying the birds were "smothering each other and needed immediate help." "We were in shock," it said, "but could not turn them away." Working with other local organizations, the group was able to find temporary housing for the parakeets. "It truly takes a village to...

  Amman:  Several deputies traded punches in a brawl in Jordan's parliament on Tuesday after a verbal row escalated when the assembly speaker called on a deputy to leave, witnesses said. Live footage on state media showed several MP's punching each other while one deputy fell to the ground as others shouted in chaotic scenes that lasted a few minutes. No one was injured in the punch-up that began over the refusal of a member to apologise over unwarranted remarks during a session to debate proposed amendments to the constitution. "There was a verbal shouting match that turned into a fist fighting by several deputies. The behavior is unacceptable to our people and harms our country's reputation," said Khalil Atiyeh, a member of parliament who witnessed the session.