10 things you need to know about the world now

 

The Catholic diocese has condemned the priest's behaviour as an attempt to "capriciously introduce something to get the attention of the people".

1. A congregation in the Philippines is divided after a priest was suspended for riding a hoverboard in the aisles during Christmas Eve Mass, the Guardian reports. The Catholic diocese of San Pablo in Laguna accused the priest, Father Albert San Jose, of attention-seeking but a video of the incident shows some in the congregation applauding. The diocese says the board riding was an attempt to "capriciously introduce something to get the attention of the people". Comments on social media have been split over the incident.

THE FOLLOWING IS SAN PABLO DIOCESE'S STATEMENT ON THE 'HOVERBOARD-RIDING PRIEST'...
Posted by NOVUS ORDO Insider on Tuesday, December 29, 2015

2. The Wall Street Journal reports that the US spied on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - concerned that he would derail the Iran nuclear deal. The National Security Agency's snooping included phone conversations between top Israeli officials, US congressmen and American-Jewish groups, the Journal reports. The surveillance allegedly revealed that the PM and advisers leaked details of the US-Iran talks, which they learned through Israeli spying.

3. Two policewomen and eight soldiers in Belgium are alleged to have been involved in an orgy while the city was in lockdown and colleagues hunted for the Paris terror attack suspects. The incident occurred at a police station in Ganshoren which is near Molenbeek - where anti-terror raids have taken place.

4. Storm Frank has been battering northern areas of Britain - the third major storm of the month. Twelve people were airlifted by Royal Navy helicopter from a bus stuck in floods in Dailley, Scotland. Further heavy rain was expected today over northern England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Under fire Environment Agency chairman Sir Philip Dilley has visited the disaster zone after returning from a Barbados holiday. In the US, more than 20 people have died in Midwest floods.

5. Bill Cosby has received his first criminal charge for aggravated indecent assault. An arrest warrant has been issued by Pennsylvania prosecutors for the 78-year-old entertainer over an alleged 2004 sexual misconduct towards a former Temple University employee. Assistant district attorney Kevin Steele said the victim had rejected Cosby's advances previously. The statute of limitations for sexual assault charges in the state is 12 years and would have expired in this case in January. The age of complaints has been a problem for other women making allegations against Cosby.
6. Nasa was warned that the El Nino weather pattern could be as bad as in 1998 - the strongest on record. The BBC says that El Nino was blamed for several weather extreme events. El Nino sees warm water in the central Pacific expanding eastwards towards North and South America. Nasa says the current El Nino "shows no signs of waning" based on the latest satellite image of the Pacific Ocean which has a "striking resemblance" to one from December 1997. Nasa calls it "the signature of a big and powerful El Nino".

7. The Guardian reports on the unprecedented numbers of starving seals washing ashore off California and says experts are expecting the worst in 2016. The El Nino is warming the water and bringing species which suit those conditions such as red tuna crabs and hammerhead sharks. Seals are finding that their usual food - sardines and anchovies - are moving to cooler areas to the north. A marine life centre in San Francisco said it has rescued 106 seals in 2015 - three times the previous record year for rescues.

8. The copyright of Hitler's Mein Kampf expires in Germany tomorrow with plans by several publishers for annotated reprints in 2016 in Germany and France.

9. The Daily Telegraph reports that a 7-year-old boy racked up a 4000 pound bill playing Jurassic World on his father's iPad. Mohamed Shugaa, 32, found out that Faisall had spent 1500 pounds in just one hour when his bank card was declined.

10. A young, unmarried couple in Indonesia were caned for 'affectionate contact' in a crowd, the Independent reports. The 20-year-old woman and 23-year-old man received five lashes each under shariah law in Aceh.