2018 Other News Stories that might be missed

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Father Christmas given parking ticket at shopping centre

Well-wishers have rallied around Santa after he was given a ticket for parking in the wrong space.
Father Christmas said he was "stunned" to receive the notice for wrongly parking in a parent and child space at Thornaby's Pavilion Shopping Centre.
He told BBC Tees: "Santa Claus gets a parking ticket? It's unheard of."
People on Facebook called for the attendant to get a lump of coal for Christmas, but the centre defended the ticket saying it was "unfortunate".
Sam Wise, who photographed the incident, said Santa was "fuming" when he returned to discover he had been fined on Tuesday morning.
Santa said: "I parked at Thornaby to do a few little jobs as I'm busy this time of year, and I parked at the parent and toddler bay and put my disabled blue badge in the window.
"I came back about half an hour later and they had put a ticket on my car.
"I was in my silver sleigh, and I was stunned."
Leslie Harrison wrote on the Facebook group Thornaby Alert that the centre was taking the rules "far too seriously", while Linsey Catchpole added "you can't fine Santa".
But shopping centre manager Oliver Westley said: "Unfortunately, Santa parked his sleigh in the wrong bay."
Responding to accusations on social media that the parking attendant had "no Christmas spirit", he added: "He has plenty. Santa wasn't at the car when the ticket was issued."
Father Christmas said he would appeal against the ticket, but confirmed the incident would not affect deliveries on 24 December, saying: "No it hasn't ruined Christmas. Ho ho ho."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-46527905

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EastEnders set revamp goes £27m over budget

The BBC project to replace and expand the external set of EastEnders will now cost £27m more than originally planned.
The original 2015 forecast for the E20 scheme was £59.7m, but the revised budget is now £86.7m.
A National Audit Office (NAO) report concluded that "the BBC will not be able to deliver value for money... in the way that it envisaged in 2015."
The BBC said the project was "large" and "complex", adding that there had been "challenges on the way".
The original completion date was pushed back from October 2020 to May 2023.
BBC

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Ambulance vandalism: Bins and scooters used in attacks

Fireworks, wheelie bins, knives and scooters have all been used to attack ambulances and rapid response vehicles in the past three years, a BBC freedom of information request has found.
More than 200 acts of vandalism were reported between 2015 and October, some also featuring metal poles and bricks.
NHS trusts have had to pay thousands of pounds to repair damage and take ambulances off the road for repairs.
Unison has called for bigger sentences for anyone convicted of such vandalism.
The BBC approached the UK's 14 NHS ambulance trusts and received responses from all of them except Northern Ireland.
The replies revealed there were 204 instances of vandalism, including people head-butting ambulance bonnets, blue lights being stolen and windows being smashed.
BBC

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EastEnders set revamp goes £27m over budget

A ridiculous waste of licence payers money.

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Marmite sprouts? Why retailers are pushing the boundaries with festive food

Many readers will find the thought of Christmas tree-flavoured crisps revolting, but Iceland is betting its customers will feel the opposite this festive season.
The crisps are part of the supermarket chain's festive food range, and have a distinct pine-like taste thanks to their pine salt seasoning, which is made with pine tree oil.
It is part of a wider trend for novel, sometimes bizarre fusion foods that has swept the UK over the last few years as retailers vie for our attention and our cash.
But some have questioned whether the trend has gone too far, with newspapers calling Iceland's crisps "dubious" and consumers mocking them on social media.
Iceland says the crisps offer a "completely new combination, unlike any other festive flavour", but shoppers I speak to outside a branch in Clapham, south London are divided.
"It tastes a bit organic, kind of herby. They have a good aroma and feel kind of Christmassy," says Rory.
He likes the fact Iceland is catering to niche tastes and would potentially buy the crisps, although another shopper Martin is unconvinced.
"It tastes a little bit earthy, like dirt I guess. It's pretty unpleasant," he says. "To me it stands out as a bit of a gimmick, it's just cashing in ahead of Christmas."
Other experimental Christmas foods on sale in recent seasons have included Brussels sprouts-flavoured tea (containing granulated sprouts) from Sainsbury's, Christmas pudding smoothies from M&S and turkey breast-infused gin from Portobello Road Gin.
BBC

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'Death sentence': butterfly sanctuary to be bulldozed for Trump's border wall

More than 200 species make their homes at America’s most diverse sanctuary, but construction through the reserve could begin in February.
On any given day at the National Butterfly Center in Mission, Texas, visitors can to see more than 60 varieties of butterflies. In the spring and fall, monarchs and other species can blanket the centre’s 100 acres of subtropical bushlands that extend from the visitor centre to the banks of the Rio Grande river, where their property, and US sovereignty, end.
“It’s like something from Fantasia,” said the centre’s director, Marianna Wright. “When you walk you have to cover your mouth so you don’t suck in a butterfly.”
Today the most diverse butterfly sanctuary in the country, and other protected areas in the lower Rio Grande Valley along the US-Mexico border, are under threat. Last week, the US supreme court issued a ruling allowing the Trump administration to waive 28 federal laws, including the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Air Act, and begin construction on 33 new miles of border wall in the heart of the valley – and right through the butterfly centre.
Guardian

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Customs officials at JFK airport discover 70 live finches hidden in hair rollers

Customs officials at New York’s John F Kennedy international airport say they found 70 live finches hidden inside hair rollers.
Authorities say a passenger arriving from Guyana on Saturday had the songbirds in a duffel bag.
The New York Times reports officials believe the birds were brought to the US to participate in singing contests. Customs officials say people bet on how many times the finches chirp, and a winning male finch can sell for up to $10,000.
The birds were turned over to veterinarians to the US agriculture department, and the passenger was sent back to Guyana.
US Customs and Border Protection says bird smuggling could threaten agriculture through the possible spread of diseases such as bird flu.
Customs officers have seized about 184 finches this year.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... s-smuggled

[muzzy]

EastEnders set revamp goes £27m over budget

A ridiculous waste of licence payers money.

When reading the article you find out that the original set was only designed to last for 2 years, and has been lasted for over 30 years. That's 15 times longer than planned, and therefore the savings made are astronomical. Plus, the new revamp comes in 2 stages, with the 1st stage replacing the existing set and the 2nd stage creating new buildings to house technical rooms that can be used for other programmes. There is also the fact to take into consideration that a large part of the over-budget was due to asbestos found in the original set that needs specialist clearing. Personally, I believe that when you consider "all" the facts, that even the overspend can be acceptable.

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Manchester ambulance abuse note 'absolutely uncalled for'

Paramedics treating a critically ill patient had an abusive note left on their ambulance.
The irate writer criticised the crew for "blocking them in" during the visit in Manchester earlier.
The note saw the writer complain they would be late for work and used three expletives.
A North West Ambulance Service spokeswoman said the abuse was "absolutely uncalled for" and "our patients are our number one priority".
She added: "This note was left on an ambulance today in Manchester whilst ambulance clinicians were treating a critically ill patient.
"We hate to get in the way but the needs of our patients are our number one priority and abuse like this is absolutely uncalled for."
NWAS launched #GetBehind999 campaign last month, calling for people to pledge their support to condemn abuse against emergency services.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-m ... r-46558857

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Ginger-haired boy writes poem to bullies who told him he should die

A 12-year-old boy who was being badly abused for having ginger hair has written a poem to his bullies.
Alfie Coleiro, from Eastbourne, was sent anonymous messages telling him to kill himself, but he responded saying: "Have you not got anything better to do?"
The bullies targeted him on Instagram, PlayStation and on his phone.
They even told him he shouldn't have been born.
"I didn't have a clue he was writing the poem," his dad, Jay, tells Newsbeat.
"He likes to share his emotions through music and stuff like that, so he went upstairs, wrote it and then showed it to me."
In the poem, Alfie tells his bullies they'd made him cry and that not even his home was a safe place.
"It's like I'm stuck in some sort of trap. So I'm not okay, but I will say I'm fine," he writes.
BBC
NB The link includes Alfie’s poem.

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Boy, 4, uses Siri to call 999 after mum collapses

A four-year-old boy used Siri on his mother's iPhone to call 999 after she collapsed.
Beau Austin from Hook, Pembrokeshire, was on his own with his pregnant mother Jess when she passed out from the side effects of morning sickness medication.
He asked Siri to dial 999 and told the operator "my mummy's sick", that he was four years old and was alone with her.
Beau, who loves talking to devices such as Alexa and Siri, has now been given a bravery award for his quick thinking.
"I was just really proud of him, without Beau being there, something really awful could've happened to me," said Ms Austin.
"It was just me and Beau in the house by ourselves so he did really, really well. To use Siri like that is incredible. I didn't even know you could do that on a phone.
"He said he saw it done before on the TV."
BBC

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Scottish Parliament re-names gingerbread men as ‘gingerbread persons’ to tackle sexism

Gingerbread men have been banned at the Scottish Parliament in a bid to reduce sexism. The tasty treats have been replaced by ‘gingerbread persons’ amid fears that the traditional name caused offence. The Scottish Parliament’s coffee shop made the change as part of a drive at Holyrood to cut out sexism.
The change comes after a recent survey of Holyrood staff found that 30 per cent of women working on the site say they have been sexually harassed. By making names gender-neutral, the parliament hopes to foster a more inclusive working environment for female and non-binary staff. This approach is increasingly popular within progressive institutions across the country.
iNews

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Ambitious elf woos theatrical agents with Christmas dance

An aspiring actor from South Africa has chanced upon a route into show business by dancing on the pavement outside London’s best-known toy shop.
Dressed as a friendly elf by the managers of Hamley’s store in Regent Street, Mike Rogers improvised a routine to the piped sound of the seasonal pop classic I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus earlier this month.
Footage of his dance was filmed by a passerby and quickly went viral, sparking interest from theatrical agents. If the incident does not make Rogers’ career, it will certainly provide the plot for a Christmas movie to come.
Speaking to the theatre magazine the Stage, Rogers explained the impact of the video, which has been retweeted under the heading: “Leading role, they said. West End location, they said”, and watched nearly a million times.
Guardian

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Thousands welcome Emmeline Pankhurst statue in Manchester

Thousands of people have turned out in the freezing cold to welcome home Emmeline Pankhurst – the first female statue in Manchester that is not of Queen Victoria.
The Moss Side-born suffragette was the overwhelming winner in a public vote three years ago to choose which woman should be immortalised in bronze, beating the Victorian novelist Elizabeth Gaskell, the anti-racism campaigner Louise da-Cocodia and “Red” Ellen Wilkinson, the Labour cabinet minister and leader of the Jarrow March.
Members of the public then chose the final design, by sculptor Hazel Reeves. Her last big commission was the “cracker packer” statue honouring the lives of female biscuit factory workers in the Cumbrian city of Carlisle.
Reeves chose to portray Pankhurst in full tub-thumping mode, standing on a chair as she rallied a crowd. Helen Pankhurst, the suffragette’s great-granddaughter, was among those who unveiled the “Our Emmeline” statue on Friday, 100 years to the day after some women got the vote for the first time in the UK.
Guardian

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Shrewsbury crash leaves car vertical in tree

A driver has been arrested after crashing into a telegraph pole and getting his car stuck in a tree.
West Mercia Police said the crash happened on the B4386 at Cruckton, Shrewsbury, in the early hours of Sunday.
The force said the male driver failed a breath test and was arrested on suspicion of drink driving.
The crash left the car vertical with its bonnet pointing down, surrounded by branches from a tree.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-s ... e-46583894

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Dingwall Pupils fall ill after drinking vaping fluid

Pupils at a school in Highlands became seriously ill after drinking vaping fluid contained within electronic cigarettes.
Dingwall Academy has sent letters home with its students warning that the liquid is "highly toxic and can be fatal".
NHS Highland has issued a wider warning about the potential risks of the behaviour.
Signs someone has drunk the fluid include vomiting and dizziness.
Highland Council said letters went out to pupils' parents and carers on Friday.
A spokeswoman said: "We have had to deal with a small number of incidents over the last couple of days where pupils have become seriously ill in school.
"We believe that the illnesses may have been caused by individuals drinking vaping fluid, which is highly dangerous.
"We have spoken to pupils at assemblies and have sought further advice from the police and NHS Highland."
BBC