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Angry Birds: Hitchcock Nightmare In French Neighborhood

LA VOIX DU NORD (France)

Worldcrunch

SECLIN –A mini flock of three crows have been terrorizing a neighborhood in this northern French town, attacking children on their way to school and people walking their dogs.

Three black birds, obvious fans of Alfred Hitchcock movies, have launched a series of attacks on the inhabitants of the small town of Seclin, near the city of Lille. One of the village's concerned mothers told La Voix du Nord that “the kids have been attacked by crows in the schoolyard several times over the past few days. The birds hover for a while, and then dive straight for the head.”

The local school principal said: “They are probably tamed and looking for food. They may have gotten angry from the stones people throw at them.”

The school chief observed that one of them had a ring attached, and therefore belonged to someone, reported La Voix du Nord. The city has formed a bird control team to place traps on roofs.

Soon after, one of the birds was captured. The other two still fly free: "Caaw, caaw, caaw..."

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Ideas

A Brazilian Plea For Science, Religious Freedom And The Right To Samba As You Wish

An evangelic group has threatened to take legal action against a samba school because of its mix of religious iconography at the 2023 Carnival festivities. A Brazilian secular institute has a response.

Photo of Rio's carnival 2015

Rio carnival in full swing

Daniel Gontijo E Pirula

-OpEd-

SÃO PAULO — To celebrate religious diversity at 2023 carnival, the samba school Gaviões da Fiel in São Paolo combined Christian symbols with imagery from African religions — for example, Christ with Oxalá (a deity from Candomblé, an African diasporic religion).

Gaviões received a disclaimer note from the country's conservative Evangelical Parliamentary Front (FPE). In these politicians’ view, "one cannot compare Christ and Oxalá … under no circumstances", and there would only be one god, one Son, and one Holy Spirit.

Having interpreted this artistic syncretism as an immoral, vile act, the FPE is now threatening to take legal action against the samba school.

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