2018 Other News Stories that might be missed

[Trigger]

Latest post of the previous page:

Man dressed as penguin attacked on train

A man wearing a penguin costume was attacked on a train by a group of men after being asked if he supported Tottenham Hotspur.
The 19-year-old was on a service between London Liverpool Street and Chelmsford when the attack happened.
The victim's father and a member of the public were also assaulted when they tried to intervene.
British Transport Police have released images of three men they want to speak to in connection with the assault.
The man had passed the group of six men to go to the toilet when he was asked if he supported Tottenham Hotspur, police said.
When he came out of the toilet, the group blocked his way back to his seat and became aggressive before attacking him.
It happened between 23:50 and 00:25 GMT on 21 December and continued on the platform of Chelmsford railway station.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-42623955

[Trigger]

Double amputee teen racing driver makes comeback

This time last year Billy Monger was being tipped by many as the next Lewis Hamilton.
He was 17 and a star of Formula 4 racing but after a horrific accident in April 2017, he had both his lower legs amputated.
His recovery and determination have astounded doctors and Billy is making a comeback as a stunt driver.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-4262745 ... s-comeback – includes video.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-42627450/double-amputee-teen-racing-driver-makes-comeback

[Trigger]

Koala screwed to post sparks anger in Australia

Australian animal welfare authorities are investigating the discovery of a dead koala that was screwed to a wooden post, in an act criticised as "sick".
The incident has caused widespread anger after a photo of the marsupial was posted on social media.
Council workers found the koala fixed by its hands to a wooden shelter in a park in Queensland on Wednesday.
The perpetrator could face animal cruelty charges if found, the RSPCA said.
It is not yet known how the koala died. Its fur was matted with blood, and gum leaves had been hung in front of it.
"It's just sick, it makes me want to throw up," Murray Chambers, from Koala Rescue Queensland, told the BBC.
"I've been doing this job for 10 years and I've never seen anything like it."
Full article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-42643627

[boatbuilder]

Black pudding saves butcher trapped in freezer

A butcher who became trapped in a walk-in freezer escaped thanks to a frozen black pudding.
Chris McCabe, 70, said he got trapped after the freezer door in his shop in Totnes, Devon, blew shut behind him.
Stranded in temperatures of -20C (-4F), with the door-release button frozen shut, he said he used the 1.5kg (3.3lbs) sausage as a battering ram on the release mechanism.
Mr McCabe said: "No-one could hear me banging. Black pudding saved my life."

Upon realising his dilemma, Mr McCabe initially thought he "was OK because I could kick the safety button from inside", but "this time it was frozen solid".
Stuck in temperatures capable of killing a human in about an hour, the father-of-four searched frantically for an improvised tool to batter the button.
With the beef too slippery and the lamb too big, he happened on the "best thing" - the black pudding.
He said: "It was the right shape. I used it like the police use battering rams to break door locks in. It was solid, pointed and I could get plenty of weight behind it.
"I'm lucky really. We sell about two or three each week and that was the last one in there."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-42648624

[boatbuilder]

Kia Gott: Meningitis C girl to return home in April, parents are told

A one-year-old girl who had all of her limbs amputated after contracting meningitis C will be allowed home by April, doctors have said.
Kia Gott, from Bradford, has been in hospital since September and has endured multiple skin grafts.
Her father Paul said he "felt like we won the lottery" when he was told the news by a hospital consultant earlier.
Medics have described Kia's condition as "one of the worst cases of meningitis" ever seen.
Kia's mother, Vikki Mitchell, said: "It was something we thought we'd never hear. I nearly burst out crying it was that emotional.
"[The last few months] have been absolute torture. We weren't sure if she was ever going to make it.
"Four weeks ago the consultant actually gave us a letter saying she was pretty confident that Kia wasn't going to make it. Then today we've met her again and she's now convinced that Kia will be home by April.
"I feel like she's just been born again. The feeling you get when you've just had a baby. Words can't describe it," added Mr Gott.
........
Kia contracted the condition last year before she could receive the Men C vaccine, which is administered to infants at about 12 months old.
The government stopped the vaccination for three-month-old babies last year.

Read the full news story

I wonder how much it would have saved the NHS had she been able to have the injection at three months? And how much will it cost the system over her lifetime with the care she will need?

[nikkai]

There's me thinking it was mandatory to have an alarm system trigger within the confines of a walk in freezer or walk in refrigerator.
being that it is connected to a flashing light and either bell(s) or claxton audible devises, the trigger (normally a button) is water and temperature resilient so not affected by the conditions within the casement.
but hey ho at least he got out ekie thump n all (Goodies tradition)

[Trigger]

Nigel Farage 'has £35k pay docked by EU over misspending claim'

Nigel Farage has had his MEP's salary docked by £35,500 after claims he misspent EU funds, the BBC understands.
The ex-UKIP leader was investigated by the European Parliament over claims his office assistant had not been working on EU matters.
Half of his salary has been withheld to recoup the money the Parliament says it is owed’
The move was condemned by a spokesman for the European Parliament group which Mr Farage heads.
"There is a vindictive campaign by the European Parliament of selective persecution of Eurosceptic MEPs, parties and groups," said the spokesman for the European Freedom and Direct Democracy group.
"This allegation is all part of their politically motivated assault."
Full article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42669293

[boatbuilder]

Comedy actress Bella Emberg dies, aged 80

British comedy actress Bella Emberg - best known for her role in The Russ Abbot Show - has died, aged 80.
One of her most memorable characters was Blunder Woman, the comic sidekick of the hapless superhero, Cooperman.
Emberg also appeared on The Benny Hill Show, Z Cars, and Doctor Who.
Her agent said she would be "greatly missed", while friend and pianist Bobby Crush described her as a "truly gentle soul".
The "funniest fairy", comedy actor Paul Chuckle said.
Emberg had just finished filming a new Sky One comedy, In the Long Run, created by Idris Elba and due to be released later this year.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42671503www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42671503

[boatbuilder]

I came across this on the BBC New App last night.

Opens in new tab: The Yorkshire Ripper and the unsolved Swedish murders

[Trigger]

Londoners hit out at 'mistimed' bus safety alerts

Bus passengers have criticised Transport for London (TfL) over a "mistimed" announcement designed to stop people falling over on board.
The warning, "Please hold on, the bus is about to move", is supposed to sound just before buses pull away from stops.
But a technical glitch means many warnings sound after the bus has started moving.
Some passengers have branded the idea "annoying and useless", but TfL said it would make journeys safer.
It said about 3,000 people were injured each year by slips, trips and falls on London buses.
TfL said many of these happened "because people have shopping in one hand and phones in the other".
But it accepted that the new warnings "have not quite got the timing right yet".
Full article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-42681106

[Trigger]

Budgie house: RSPCA finds 359 uncaged birds flying around home after owner was taken ill

Officers from the RSPCA spent three days rescuing 359 uncaged budgies from a small house after the homeowner was taken to hospital.
The animal welfare charity is desperately trying to find new owners for the colourful birds, having been "inundated" by the huge number of them.
The charity was called in to help after the owner of the budgerigars fell ill and was taken to hospital.
Three RSPCA officers turned up to the property expecting to find 200 hundred of them but were in fact greeted by 359 noisy and uncaged birds, free-flying around the small semi-detached house.
When they arrived, they were met with "a sea of yellow, green, blue and white, with birds perched everywhere".
RSPCA inspector Liz Wheeler said: "We were expecting to find around 200 budgies but ended up removing 359. They were flying free around the semi-detached home so we had to use capture nets to safely catch them and remove them. When you entered the property there was a sea of yellow, green, blue and white, with birds perched everywhere. The noise from their tweeting and chirping was deafening."
Full article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/01 ... ound-home/

[Trigger]

Car hurled into upper floor of California building

A speeding car in California was hurled into the upper floor of an office building after it hit a road divider, reports say.
The crash, which left one half of the vehicle hanging out of the building, occurred early on Sunday morning.
Both people in the car survived the crash but suffered minor injuries, according to police.
Police told US media outlets that the driver had allegedly used drugs and was in hospital for observation.
Full article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42688747

[Trigger]

Man ruptures throat by stifling a sneeze

Stifling a sneeze by clamping your nose and mouth shut can cause serious physical damage, doctors are warning.
The medics treated a 34-year-old man who ruptured his throat while trying to stop a high-force sneeze.
With nowhere to escape, the pressure ripped through the soft tissue, and although rare and unusual, they say others should be aware of the danger.
Trapping a sneeze could also damage the ears or even rupture a brain aneurysm, they warn in journal BMJ Case Reports.
The man said he felt a "popping" sensation in his neck when it happened and then immediately experienced pain and difficulty swallowing and speaking.
Full article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-42687970

[boatbuilder]

Moscow's 2017 December was its 'darkest' on record

December set the record for the least amount of sunshine seen in Moscow, Russian weather experts say.
"The sun didn't come out even once for the entire month," said the weather website Meteonovosti.
According to Russia's main weather centre, the sun did shine for six minutes. But normally Muscovites get dozens of hours of December sunshine.
Russian winters are famously freezing, but this week the cold in Yakutia, in the far east, dipped below -60C (-76F).
It is about -7C in Moscow.
Yakutia - a remote region also known as the Sakha Republic - is historically the coldest part of Russia.
"Even for the Sakha Republic, famous for its harsh cold, this temperature is abnormal," Meteonovosti said.
On Tuesday, the temperature remained below -50C across the vast region, whose capital Yakutsk lies 4,900km (3,045 miles) east of Moscow.
Russian children are usually kept indoors and schools are shut when the cold plunges below -50C.
Roman Vilfand, head of the Russian Meteorological Centre, attributed Moscow's exceptionally overcast weather in December to big cyclonic air masses, which had moved in from the Atlantic.
Moscow's previous record for December darkness was in 2000, when the capital got just three hours with the sun breaking through the cloud.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42701715

[Trigger]

Where's Sir Andy Flurry? Keeping track of Scotland's gritters

Scotland has a set of surprise heroes - in the form of road gritters.
Thanks to social media, Transport Scotland's fleet of light-flashing, salt-spraying kings of the road have become a bit of a sensation.
Followers have been glued to their screens following the roads authority's Gritter Tracker.
They were surprised to find out the vehicles had humorous names like Sir Andy Flurry, Sir Salter Scott and Gritty Gritty Bang Bang.
The force was with the people of Ayrshire during Tuesday's snow flurries, their roads were being protected by Luke Snowalker.
Around Dunblane, Sir Andy Flurry was out on duty.
Along with strong snow-slaying names like the Ice Destroyer, Snow Queen and Ice Buster, more unassuming gritters like Fred, Jack and Frosty have also been out and about keeping the country moving.
Not forgetting Sprinkles, Sparkle and Ready Spready Go.
The Gritter tracker has a serious purpose, to reassure and update Scotland's drivers on the number of vehicles sent out to treat the roads during winter conditions.
The winter fleet for trunk roads has a total of 208 vehicles available for spreading salt and ploughing.
Full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-42703839

[boatbuilder]

Portsmouth restaurant delivers takeaway curry to France

An Indian restaurant has chartered a private plane to deliver curry to 30 expats in France.
The 500-mile journey from Lee-on-the-Solent in Hampshire to Bordeaux was completed on Saturday.
Faz Ahmed, from Southsea's Akash restaurant, said they still honoured the business's policy of free delivery on orders over £12.

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