Free Republic

This is the sickening moment a teenager plunges his pet dog head-first into freezing water in an "ice bucket challenge" stunt. The boy, believed to be from London, forcibly shoves the animal into the bucket in a cruel mutation of the charity fundraising trend. His actions have been condemned by animal rights campaigners who say it would have been caused "distress, if not harm" to the dog. Officers from the RSPCA said a "formal investigation" was being conducted into potential offences under the Animal Welfare Act. Footage of the incident emerged at the height of the craze - which has...

Forget the Ice Bucket Challenge, it’s a different kinda bucket challenge that’s sweeping the “sandy” Middle East this week! Using #RubbleBucketChallenge to raise awareness on social media, campaigners have swapped ice-and-water-filled containers for sand and rocks. The trend appears to have been started by Jordanian comedian Mohammed Darwaza last Friday, reports The Independent. This challenge is closer to home for Palestinian superstar Mohammad Assaf than others, who’s joined the trend in support of his hometown Gaza, that’s been under attack by Israel for two months now. Assaf knows exactly how his people are feeling; he went through the same exact...