US POLICE arrest two boys after vandalism killed 500k bees

*US 🇺🇸 police 👮 arrest two boys after vandalism killed 500k bees 😱*

Police have arrested two boys for allegedly vandalising a honey business in the US state of Iowa that killed half a million bees in late December.

Wild Hill Honey's owners said they had caused $60,000 (£43,400) of damage and called the crime "completely senseless."

Co-owner Justin Engelhardt told the Sioux City Journal: "They knocked over every single hive, killing all the bees.

The losses faced by Mr Engelhardt and his wife drew national and international attention and police were able to track down the suspects with the help of tip-offs from the public.

The boys have been charged with criminal mischief, agricultural animal facilities offences, burglary, aggravated misdemeanour and possession of burglar's tools.

China's economy grows by 6.9% in 2017

: *China's economy grows by 6.9% in 2017*

China's economy grew by 6.9% in 2017 according to official data - the first time in seven years the pace of growth has picked up. The figure beats Beijing's official annual expansion target of about 6.5%. China is a key driver of the global economy and so the better-than-expected data is likely to cheer investors around the world. But many China watchers believe the GDP numbers are much weaker than the official figures suggest.

This month alone, the governments of Inner Mongolia and of the large industrial city of Tianjin have admitted their economic numbers for 2016 were overstated. Taking the figures at face value, the 2017 growth rate is China's highest in two years. And it represents the first time the economy has expanded faster than the previous year since 2010.

However as Beijing ramps up efforts to reduce risky debt and to increase air quality, analysts said this may impact 2018 growth. The numbers released on Thursday also showed that in the last three months of 2017, the economy grew at an annual rate of 6.8% - slightly higher than analysts had been expecting.

Gunmen in Pakistan have shot dead a mother and daughter who were administering polio vaccinations in the south-western city of Quetta.

*Pakistan 🇵🇰 polio: Mother and daughter killed 💐 for giving vaccinations*

Gunmen in Pakistan have shot dead a mother and daughter who were administering polio vaccinations in the south-western city of Quetta.

Sakina Bibi, 38, and her daughter, Rizwana, 16, had been giving drops to children when two gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire, police said.

Police said that the vaccination team had not been given security as in the past the police presence had drawn attention to their work.

Police official Naseebullah Khan said the women had been part of a major immunisation campaign in Balochistan province, of which Quetta is the capital.

Pakistan is one of only three countries in the world, along with Nigeria and Afghanistan, that have failed to prevent the transmission of polio, according to the World Health Organization.

*Pope Francis 💍 marries couple ❤ on Chile flight ✈*

*Pope Francis 💍 marries couple ❤ on Chile flight ✈*

Pope Francis has made history by performing a wedding ceremony for two flight attendants on board a plane travelling between cities in Chile.

Paula Podest Ruiz, 39, and Carlos Ciuffardi Elorriga, 41, had been married earlier in a civil service but asked the Pope to bless their marriage.

On Wednesday, Pope Francis visited the city of Temuco in Chile's southern Araucania region, where he called for unity in one of the country's longest-running conflicts.

He is wrapping up his visit to the country on Thursday with an open-air mass celebration in Iquique, before heading to Peru for the final leg of his two-nation trip.

Muslim cleric arrested with human parts

*Muslim cleric arrested with human parts in Lagos*

The Police on Tuesday arrested an Islamic cleric, Alfa Kayode Abdul-Fatai, in Alakuko area of Lagos State for being in illegal possession of human parts including a female private organ.The suspect, who was arrested at No. 4, Okedumola Street, Off Obadare area of Alakuko, was said to have also been caught with a heart and other parts of a female in his room.

The Lagos State’s Public Relations Officer, SP Chike Oti, said the Islamic cleric was arrested following a tip-off and investigation by officers in the command. Oti said the suspect, during interrogation, revealed that the said human parts were given to him by an accomplice who has also been rounded up.

According to Oti, the suspect and the accomplice would be charged to court at the end of its investigation. He said the Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, particularly urged members of the public to be conscious of the activities of people living in their vicinity, and report any suspicious movement to law enforcement agencies.

Man allegedly rapes two goats to death

*Man allegedly rapes two goats to death*

A middle-aged man, identified as Mbiti Munyao in Kangundo constituency, Machakos area of Kenya was arrested for allegedly raping two goats to death. According to the area assistant Chief Mary Mulwa, Munyao was seen pulling the two goats from a bush where the animals had been tied on Saturday, January 13. The two goats were said to have taken their last breath after Munyao was done with them.

The accused spent a night in police custody before he was charged and bailed for sh100, 000( N349,515.00) after he pleaded not guilty to the accusation. He was charged with an unnatural offence and unlawful killing of goats. The images of the two dead goats and the man in the police station have sparked outrage among Kenyans with most of them condemning the inhumane act.