BBC News:

South Korea’s plan to resume hunting whales for research purposes has drawn immediate protests from non-whaling nations and environment groups that suspect the plans may be a cover for commercial whaling.

South Korean officials announced the plan to the International Whaling Commission during an IWC meeting this week in Panama, according to Seoul’s Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

The whaling would be aimed only at studying the types and amounts of fish whales eat because fishermen complain that an increasing number of whales are consuming large amounts of fish stocks, ministry officials said Thursday…

BBC News:

Three people have been arrested in Amsterdam and London as part of a Europe-wide inquiry into blackmail linked to animal rights extremism.

A woman, 50, was held in Croydon, south London, on suspicion of conspiracy to blackmail following her arrest by counter terrorism officers, police say.

A man and a woman, both aged 25, were also arrested at a residential address in the Netherlands.

Searches are ongoing at business addresses linked to all three…

Belfast Telegraph:

A wild rabbit found trapped inside a car engine was rescued with the help of an animal charity and a mechanic.

The Scottish SPCA was called out by a man in Aberdeen after a neighbour heard strange noises coming from his vehicle.

After inspection, it became apparent that a young female rabbit was stuck inside the car engine and animal rescue officer Karen Hogg was called in to help with the unusual situation.

However, attempts to free the frightened animal were unsuccessful and a mechanic was called out to the city’s Laburnum Walk on Tuesday to get the rabbit out without damaging the car.

Ms Hogg said: “Despite our efforts, there was just no way of getting the rabbit out with the car still in one piece.”

The mechanic removed the front section of the vehicle and the rabbit was released fit and healthy before being released back into the wild…

Joey the capuchin monkey, was stolen from the rainforest at just 3 months old. His mother was killed for bush meat.

Flown from South America to the UK, Joey was locked in a tiny cage in a flat in Camden Town for 9 years.

HERE IS JOEY’S STORY, TOLD BY STEPHEN FRY