NEWS,03.01.2012.

Mystery of the DEAD herring: What made 20 TONNES of fish wash up on Norwegian beach?

Thousands of dead herring have been discovered washed up on a north Norwegian beach - prompting Doomsday predictors to hail it as another sign the world is set to end.

More than 20 tonnes of the fish is currently carpeting the beach of Kvaenes, in Nordreisa, with experts views differing on how they have come to be there. One thing is for sure, it will provide welcome ammunition to those believing the Mayan prophecy that 2012 will bring the end of Earth.

Jan-Petter Jorgensen, 44, was walking with his dog Molly when he found the stinky haul.

Washed up: Molly the dog seen walking around the tonnes of dead herring that have mysteriously appeared on a beach at Kvaenes in Nordreisa, northern Norway

He said: 'People say that something similar happened in the 80s. Maybe the fish have been caught in a deprived oxygen environment, and then died of fresh water?'

Experts have said the school could have been trapped by tidal waters after predatory fish - such as coalfish - chased them towards the shoreline. 

Another theory is that the fish were washed ashore during a recent storm, or trapped in shallow waters and affected by freshwater from a river that flows into the bay.

Jens Christian Holst, of the Institute of Marine Research, said several factors could have come together at once. And he said he hoped they would be able to conduct tests on the dead fish to see if they had died of a disease.

The incident in Norway is not the only mass death mystery over the New Year.

On Sunday, 200 blackbirds mysteriously fell from the sky in a small Arkansas town - although officials now believe the birds were targeted by someone with fireworks, experts say.

Mystery death: One of the hundreds of blackbirds that fell out of the sky on New Year's Eve in Arkansas

Last month 25 dead horses were discovered at the bottom of a cliff near Glenn Innes, New England.

And similarly bizarre and unexplained massacres took place on the opening days of last year, with millions of spot fish washing up in Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, more blackbirds dying in Arkansas, and masses of marine life dying in a Louisiana bayou. 

'We are not in the habit of warning more than once': Iran tells U.S. not to send aircraft carrier back to gulf after missile test

Iran has threatened to take action if a U.S. aircraft carrier returns to the Persian Gulf.

The USS John C. Stennis, along with another vessel, left the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz last week after Iran launched a series of military exercises.

Tehran has also threatened shutting the strait - through which 40 per cent of the world's traded oil is shipped - if foreign powers impose sanctions on its crude exports.

Bravado: A medium-range missile is fired from a ship during Velayat-90 war game in the Strait of Hormuz yesterday

Warning: This anti-ship missile can be seen streaking through the sky. Iran today warned the U.S. not to return an aircraft carrier to the Gulf

Speaking at the end of 10 days of naval exercises today, General Ataollah Salehi said: 'Iran will not repeat its warning... the enemy's carrier has been moved to the Sea of Oman because of our drill.

I advise, recommend and warn them [the Americans] over the return of this carrier to the Persian Gulf because we are not in the habit of warning more than once.'

Gen Salehi did not name the vessel, or give details of the action Iran would take if it does return.

Force: The Nimitz-class USS John C. Stennis aircraft carrier sailed through the Strait of Hormutz last week after visiting Jebel Ali port in Dubai.The USS John C. Stennis is one of the U.S. Navy's largest vessels.It had been on a 'routine' passage through the Gulf after visiting Dubai's Jebel Ali port last Tuesday.

Iran has staged a series of naval exercises at the mouth of the Gulf, including the test-firing of three missiles designed to sink warships and 'mock' drills on shutting the strategic waterway.

Security: A long-range Qader shore-to-sea missile is launched during military exercises. Tehran has promised to respond if the USS John C. Stennis returns

Concerns: The missile disappears in a plume of fire on the Sea of Oman shore. The West has become increasingly worried about Iran's nuclear programme

The U.S. keeps at least one aircraft carrier in or near the Gulf at all times, on rotations of weeks or months.

Its Fifth Fleet is based in the state of Bahrain, and has insisted it will not allow shipping to be disrupted in the strait.

It comes after mounting criticism over Iran's nuclear programme.

Tehran denies western accusations that it is secretly trying to build atomic bombs, claiming it needs nuclear technology to generate electricity.

Earlier today, French foreign minister Alain Juppe said Iran was continuing to develop nuclear weapons and called for stronger sanctions.

'Iran is pursuing the development of nuclear arms, I have no doubt about it,' he told French television I-Tele.

'The last report by the International Atomic Energy Agency is quite explicit on this point.'

The U.S. and Israel have not ruled out military action against Iran if diplomacy fails to resolve the nuclear row.

The EU is considering following the U.S. in banning imports of Iranian crude oil.

President Barack Obama signed new sanctions against the Middle East country on Saturday, stepping up the pressure by adding sanctions on financial institutions that deal with Iran's central bank