Free Republic

The horde of “demonic” sea lions that attacked people off the California coast in recent weeks lashed out because they were sickened by mind-warping toxic algae, scientists have discovered. The normally adorable ocean critters — who mauled a surfer and bit a swimmer — were reduced to a zombie-like state due to a neurological flare-up that caused confusion, seizures and panic, marine experts said. The center tested hundreds of sea lions and found they suffered from the so-called “domoic acid toxicosis” from gobbling down fish exposed to the toxic bloom near the southern California shoreline. At least 195 sea lions...

Ukraine's security service has said it has foiled an attempt to sell 80 kilograms of a toxic substance used as chemical weapon during World War I, the Ukrainian news agency Interfax-Ukraine reported on 14 March. The substance, chloropicrin, is an oily colourless liquid which quickly evaporates, acts as an irritant and can be fatal if inhaled. The Ukrainian army uses chloropicrin to train soldiers how to protect themselves from a chemical attack, the agency said. Ukraine's security service, the SBU, was alerted when it received intelligence reports about an attempt to sell an unidentified quantity of the substance. About 80...