Other News Stories that might be missed from 2019 to date

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What is the history of Wales' national flag?

From Wales’ World Cup opener against Fiji in France, to our football Euro qualifier in Lithuania, the Welsh Dragon will be proudly flying across Europe this week. The first use of a dragon in connection with what is now Wales is thought to date from the 7th Century. It was only officially recognised as the Welsh national flag in 1959 but the version we know today was in fact only defined in law in 2005. Graham Bartram, an expert in flags said the flag is "unique" and a "symbol of Welsh identity".

The oldest recorded use of the dragon to symbolise Wales is from the Historia Brittonum, written by the historian Nennius in around 820AD. Another historian, Geoffrey of Monmouth, in his Historia Regum Britanniae, written between 1120 and 1129, also discusses the dragon and its history. His historia links the dragon with the Arthurian legends, including Uther Pendragon the father of Arthur, whose name translates as Dragon Head. Geoffrey's account also tells of the prophecy of Myrddin (or Merlin) of a long fight between a red dragon and a white dragon. Thus symbolising the historical struggle between the Welsh (red dragon) and the English (white dragon).

The dragon also became a key focal point in Henry VII’s 1485 decisive intervention in the War of The Roses, according to chief vexillologist of The Flag Institute, Graham Bartram. He said people used the dragon as a banner and rallied under it, which created a "Symbol of Welsh identity". Mr Bartam said: “Indeed it was Henry VII who first had the Welsh Dragon blessed, at his coronation at St Paul’s Cathedral, when it was first placed on a white and green background."

Until the mid-20th Century several versions of the flag were in circulation. Including variants with tail-up/tail-down, pointed/curved wings, differing fire from its mouth, and a myriad of poses and backgrounds. “It was a people’s symbol, so they didn’t have to stick to a regimented heraldic concept. Plus there was no way of communicating the precise details to each other, so variations inevitably crept in." Mr Bartam added. It was in 1959 that the flag of Wales was legally adopted. However, it took almost 50 years more for the design to be settled.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjld93x65kyo

[muzzy]

Ex-Secret Service agent reveals new JFK assassination detail

Six decades later, new details are still coming to light in one of the most scrutinised events in American history: the assassination of President John F Kennedy. Paul Landis, an 88-year-old former Secret Service agent who witnessed the president's death at close range, says in an upcoming memoir that he took a bullet from the car after Mr Kennedy was shot, and then left it on the former president's stretcher at the hospital.

It might seem like a minute detail in a case that has been pored over since the 1960s, and for which the government laid out an exhaustive report. But to individuals who have spent decades looking at every shred of evidence, Mr Landis's account is a major and unexpected development. Conspiracies over how many gunmen were involved, who was ultimately responsible, and how many bullets actually struck the president have abounded in the decades since the assassination.

The idea that the true facts of the case differ from the official version is modern America's original conspiracy theory, and according to some historians, the killing instigated the nation's decaying trust in its government. Depending on how one looks at it, Mr Landis's story either changes nothing or everything. His book The Final Witness is guaranteed to add more kindling to the never-ending national obsession with the assassination. "This is really the most significant news in the assassination since 1963," said James Robenalt, a historian and Kennedy expert who worked with Mr Landis to prepare him for his public revelations.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-66792977

[boatbuilder]

Ex-Secret Service agent reveals new JFK assassination detail
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-66792977

Yesterday, I pre-ordered the book which is due out here in October.

[muzzy]

Trump could win even if he loses the popular vote, Electoral College and 'all his legal cases': analysis

Former President Donald Trump could "lose the popular vote, lose the electoral college, lose all his legal cases and still end up president of the United States in an entirely legal manner" in 2024, The Guardian’s Stephen Marche warns in a Monday opinion column. "It's called a contingent election." Marche explains, "A contingent election is the process put in place to deal with the eventuality in which no presidential candidate reaches the threshold of 270 votes in the Electoral College. In the early days of the American republic, when the duopoly of the two-party system was neither desired nor expected, this process was essential.

Marche notes, "There have been two contingent elections in US history. The first was in 1825. The year before, Andrew Jackson, the man from the $20 bill, had won the plurality of votes and the plurality of Electoral College votes as well, but after extensive, elaborate negotiations, John Quincy Adams took the presidency mostly by offering Henry Clay, who had come third in the election, secretary of state. Jackson, though shocked, conceded gracefully. He knew his time would come. His supporters used the taint of Adams' 'corrupt bargain' with Clay to ensure Jackson's victory in 1828." According to Marche, a similar scenario could play out next year. "The possibility of the Electoral College releasing a confusing result, or being unable to certify a satisfying result by two months after the election, is quite real," Marche writes. "The Electoral College, even at its best, is an arcane system, unworthy of a 21st-century country. Maine and Nebraska don't necessarily have every elector go to the party that won the state as a whole. There have been, up to 2020, 165 faithless electors in American history – electors who didn't vote for the candidate they had pledged to vote for."

Marche recalls, "In 1836, Virginia faithless electors forced a contingent election for vice president. If the 270 marker has not been reached by 6th January, the contingent election takes place automatically. And the contingent election isn’t decided by the popular votes or the number of Electoral College votes. Each state delegation in the House of Representatives is given a single vote for president. Each state delegation in the Senate is given a single vote for vice president." Marche adds, "All that would be required, from a technical, legal standpoint, is for enough Electoral College votes to be uncounted or uncertified for the contingent election to take place, virtually guaranteeing a Republican victory and hence a Trump presidency. It would be entirely legal and constitutional. It just wouldn't be recognizably democratic to anyone. Remember that autocracies have elections. It doesn't matter who votes. It matters who counts."

If this were to occur, Marche concludes, "The real danger of 2024 isn't even the possibility of a Trump presidency. It's that the electoral system, in its arcane decrepitude, will produce an outcome that won't be credible to anybody. The danger of 2024 is that it will be the last election."

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/tr ... r-AA1gTyu9

[muzzy]

Fears over right to protest after woman with sign at climate trial prosecuted

Civil liberty campaigners have warned that the prosecution of a woman for holding up a placard about the rights of jurors outside a court is part of the government’s increasing attacks on the right to protest. Liberty said the decision to prosecute Trudi Warner, 68, for contempt of court for sitting outside a London trial holding up a sign was “concerning”.

Sam Grant, advocacy director of Liberty, called on ministers to reverse the restrictions on protest which are contained in recent legislation – in the Policing Act and Public order Act – and commit to protecting the right to protest. Grant said: “This decision is concerning – especially when seen in the wider context of increasing attacks on our right to protest. We all have the right to make our voices heard on issues that matter to us, but this government has continually narrowed our options for standing up for what we believe in. “As well as limits on how we can protest, we are also seeing the erosion of available defences for protesters, which has led to a situation where juries are the last line of defence for people facing imprisonment for protesting.”

The decision to prosecute Warner was made by the government’s solicitor general, Michael Tomlinson KC, a minister and the Conservative MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/f ... r-AA1gVvgR

[muzzy]

Rare 'Dumbo' octopus filmed on deep sea live stream

A "Dumbo" octopus, with ear-like fins similar to the 1940s Disney cartoon character, has been seen in a broadcast on a EVNautilus live stream, which is exploring the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in the north Pacific Ocean. The octopus can live at depths of up to 7,000 metres and has been filmed by a remotely-operated Ocean Exploration Trust vehicle.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/science-e ... t-66903382

[boatbuilder]

Cat missing for 11 years reunited with owner

A woman has been reunited with her pet cat 11 years after reporting her missing.

Daisy the cat failed to return home soon after moving to the Caerphilly area from Dorset with her owner, Sian Sexton, in 2012.

But last week, Ms Sexton received a surprise phone call from a Caerphilly vet who said a cat microchipped to her had been brought into the clinic.

"I'm still in shock," the 43-year-old said.

Ms Sexton, who has since moved to Rhydyfelin, Rhondda Cyon Taf, said she discovered Daisy had been living as a stray in Caerphilly for more than a decade.

She was taken to the vet by locals who were concerned about her health.

Daisy was "totally matted" and had cat flu, Ms Sexton said.
Daisy the cat

"She was sneezing and wheezing, and they [the people who brought her in] didn't think she would survive another winter being outside," she added.

At 17 years old, the same age as her sister Dory who is still owned by Ms Sexton, Daisy is responding well to medication.

"She's survived all this time and now in her final days she finally comes back to us," she said.

"Hopefully she can live out the rest of her days with us," she added.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-66913831

[boatbuilder]

Six-legged puppy found dumped in car park



A puppy born with six legs has been found dumped in a supermarket car park.

The 11-week-old female spaniel was discovered abandoned outside the Pembroke Dock branch of B&M in Pembrokeshire last week.

As well as her extra hind limbs, she was also revealed to have two vulvas.

More than £2,000 has been raised to have her two extra back legs surgically removed, but vets have warned she could also lose one of her remaining "normal" back legs in the process.

After being picked up in a state of distress by a passer-by on Wednesday, the animal was taken to Greenacres Rescue near Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, by the council's dog warden.

She was given a check-up at the town's Fenton Vets where she was named Ariel after Disney's The Little Mermaid - staff there having likened her additional back legs, which are partially fused together, to a mermaid's tail.

"When Ariel was brought into our centre she was very scared and timid," said Mikey Lawlor, Greenacres' founder and manager.

"She spent that first night at home with me and she was almost completely shut down due to everything she'd been through."

The 42-year-old said he did not think Ariel had been left to fend for herself for very long.

"It had been raining previously, but when she was found her coat was dry - neither was she hungry or particularly underweight."

Mr Lawlor described the two conjoined extra legs growing on the right-hand side of Ariel's tail as "essentially one thigh bone which then splits into two shin bones at the knee joint, but they are not functional and "serve no purpose at all".

Due to having two hip joints on one side, Ariel's pelvis has not formed properly.

"As a result her normal back right leg has virtually no muscle tone, so that might have to come off too," said Mr Lawlor.

Mr Lawlor said Ariel's extra vulva will also have to be removed, but that will be done when she is ready for neutering.

"So the plan now is to give Ariel a month to get over her ordeal and settle into life with a foster family, during which time we'll monitor her and see how she gets on."

As well as the thousands raised towards Ariel's treatment by members of the public, Mr Lawlor revealed Greenacres had already received more than 200 offers from people wanting to adopt her.

"We aren't taking applications at the moment though, not until we know for definite what the future is going to hold for her," he said.

More pictures on BBC report: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-66982752

[muzzy]

Millennium Bridge workers hang straw bale to abide by ancient bylaw

Millennium Bridge workers are hanging a bale of straw under the structure to comply with an ancient bylaw that states when repair works to a bridge over the Thames are in progress, straw must be dangled to make passing boats aware of the work going on beneath it and the reduced clearance. The Millennium Bridge was closed on Saturday October 14 for three weeks until 5 November as urgent repair and cleaning work had become necessary. The Port of London Thames Byelaws clause 36.2 says: "When the headroom of an arch or span of a bridge is reduced from its usual limits, but that arch or span is not closed to navigation, the person in control of the bridge must suspend from the centre of that arch or span by day a bundle of straw large enough to be conspicuous and by night a white light."

The City Bridge Foundation, a charity that looks after London’s five major Thames crossings, said that part of the bridge had started to degrade and a layer of membrane needed to be replaced. A team will work on it for 24 hours a day to try to get the repairs done quickly. "This is one of those quirky traditions London is famous for but it also does serve a practical purpose, to warn shipping when the headroom under a bridge span is reduced," a City Bridge Foundation spokesperson told City AM. "The bundle of straw is lowered by our contractor when they’re doing work under the bridge, in this case to install netting ahead of work to replace the separation layer between the aluminium bridge deck and the steel structure underneath. As a 900-year-old charity which maintains five Thames crossings and is London’s biggest independent charity funder, we’re proud of the part we’ve played in the history of London and our modern day role looking after some of the capital’s key transport infrastructure."

The Millennium Bridge, officially known as the London Millennium Footbridge, opened in 2000 and was the first new pedestrian bridge to be built across the Thames for more than a century, linking the City of London at St Paul’s Cathedral with the Tate Modern gallery at Bankside.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/newslond ... r-AA1ir0AT

[muzzy]

Why a 'hologram revolution' could be on the way

At this zoo visitors dodge stampeding elephants, peer into the gaping jaws of a hippopotamus and pat friendly giraffes. Such thrills are possible at Australia's Hologram Zoo, which opened earlier this year, and features 50 lifelike displays from dinosaurs to gorillas crafted from lasers. Its creator says it's the world's most futuristic animal theme park, using technology that has never been used anywhere else. "There's lots of laughing, lots of screaming… but when the 30-metre whale goes by, for some reason, everyone goes silent like they are in awe and reverence of such a magnificent creature," explains Bruce Dell, the chief executive of Axiom Holographics and creator of Hologram Zoo.

It is digital trickery, hoodwinking the brain into seeing something that isn't really there. "You are projecting an object in the air that appears to be real because as you walk around it you are seeing it from all sorts of different angles. So, you use laser light and we project these objects into the air," he tells the BBC. "The animals come into the room, they walk through the tunnel and you pat them just like in the movies. You're seeing an animal made of light in front of you. You'll go out and reach out your hand and pat a lion."

The hologram show uses a new "depth" technology that makes the animals seem big. The moving images are brought to life by a laser projector containing crystals that let simple sunglasses worn by guests separate fields of light. Crucially, there's a device that knows where everyone in the room is, creating a tailored virtual experience. The hologram shows also come with sensory technology, allowing visitors to smell the flowers and trees.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67080941

[boatbuilder]

Tamworth couple charged £11k for gas after 18 years with no bill

A couple who had not received a gas bill for 18 years were left in shock when they were sent an invoice for nearly £11,000.

Lee Haynes, 44, and Jo Woodley, 45, have not been billed since moving into their Tamworth house in 2005. Multiple organisations, including the National Grid, had struggled to find their energy suppliers, they said.

Gas distributor Cadent said it had an obligation to recover the cost of any gas used outside of a contract.

After moving into their home, they say they immediately tried to sort out utility bills but hit a block when it came to the gas. "We just got on with living there - like we were told to," Mr Haynes, a school site worker said. "I did everything I could. I didn't want to just let the problem go. After two years of trying really hard to find our supplier and trying to pay British Gas, we were told there was nothing we could do."

Letters from the National Grid and their housing association, both dated in 2006, confirm struggles to establish the source of the gas. The couple then contacted the utilities ombudsman, which they claim advised them to wait for the responsible gas supplier to contact them.

Now, almost two decades on, the distraught couple are facing a bill of £10,824.87. In March, Mr Haynes and Ms Woodley, an administrator, received a letter from Cadent saying it wanted to come and look at the supply to their property. In September, they were served with the official invoice for gas usage between 2005 and 2023, with a 30-day deadline to pay.

The pair say they still do not know who supplied the gas over the 18-year period, but have since signed up with a major energy firm. Mr Haynes said: "I just don't understand. The 1986 Gas Act says they can recover costs if I'm at fault but I'm not."

A spokesperson from Cadent said: "Whilst Cadent are not a gas supplier, as part of our gas transportation license we have an obligation to investigate and use our reasonable endeavours to recover the cost of any gas used outside of a supplier contract. Whilst we cannot comment on individual cases, we must stress we have a specialist team who are on hand to offer help and support to customers who are required to make a repayment."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-67232057

I don't believe they should have to pay for anything more than seven years ago.

[boatbuilder]

Liverpool police hunt for builders who buried time capsule



A time capsule that was buried in a Liverpool police station in 1971 has been unearthed during building work. Bricklayers calling themselves Swooper, Smiler and Boss planted a newspaper covering the UK's entry in the European Economic Community in the container.

Merseyside Police are keen to speak to anyone involved - although there is no risk of an arrest for the "crime", as the builders cheekily dubbed it. It was found at St Anne Street station, which recently reopened after a revamp. The base, which is Merseyside Police's busiest operational station, opened in 1972 - some months after a team of builders left their mark by burying the time capsule.

Containing a copy of the Daily Mirror heralding then Prime Minister Edward Heath's hope for "new opportunities", it was discovered after refurbishment work began in 2021. Merseyside's police commissioner Emily Spurrell said the capsule, buried by builders from the Cubitts firm, was an "unexpected surprise. "Their 'crime' back in 1971 has certainly stood the test of time - St Anne Street has faithfully served Merseyside Police for more than 50 years."

The station now has a new floor and will accommodate about 450 officers and staff.

A Merseyside Police spokeswoman was keen to add "no crimes are believed to have been committed during the building of St Anne Street".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-67249878

[boatbuilder]

Driver in 'shocking' 100mph police pursuit


FULL STORY

In the story above, the Police and Crime Commissioner said the following:

“The custodial sentence handed down to this offender is only right and I am pleased he will not be able to use our roads for at least the next three years."

But will he? Maybe not for the next year (or less) whilst he is 'inside', but there is no guarantee after that if he is 'that sort of person'.

[boatbuilder]

Liverpool FC: Friends in fateful Anfield reunion after 50 years


Colin McCabe (left) and James McCarthy became best buddies while sitting next to each other in class

Two estranged schoolfriends enjoyed a fateful reunion when they sat beside each other at a football match 51 years after they lost touch. James McCarthy and Colin McCabe, both 67, became best friends when they were made to sit in alphabetical order in class at their school in Liverpool.

They lost contact in 1972 when 16-year-old Colin moved to London.

James said it was "unbelievable" they ended up next to each other Liverpool's game at Anfield on Thursday. He told BBC Radio Merseyside that Colin had written a letter to him from his new London home in 1972 but did not include his address. The teenager had also made a mistake in writing down his friend's postcode, meaning the letter arrived three months late, via Leeds and Leicester. James later made several unsuccessful attempts to locate his friend.

However, fate would intervene at Liverpool's Europa League fixture at Anfield.

"I walked in and this guy is sitting there. We don't recognise each other because it's been 51 years and we were 16 last time [we saw each other]," he said. "We were just chit-chatting in the first half and at half time, I said, 'Do you do any social media?'" They then saw each other's names and profiles on X, formerly known as Twitter. "He said, 'Did you go to Cardinal Allen Grammar School?' and I go, 'Yeah' and he says, 'It's me, Colin.'"

"It was just unbelievable. I looked at his face… and I thought yeah, I recognise him."

Colin, who eventually moved back to Merseyside, said he would normally sit in a different section at Anfield but had a chance to pick a seat near the halfway line for Thursday's match. "I didn't recognise him. It was his name that I recognised when he showed me something on Twitter but even then I never thought it would actually be him," he said.

Such was the joy in catching up on past decades, James said they were absorbed in "talking away" throughout the second half. They did not even pause to take a picture together, and only halted their catch-up to celebrate Liverpool's fourth goal in the 92nd minute.

They have since swapped phone numbers and arranged to meet up again soon.

James joked they were "still as stupid as ever ", adding that schoolfriends "know you inside out - it's the best thing. It'll just be lovely to have such a good catch-up. Honestly I've been so happy… it was meant to be."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-67601775

[Dave]

I saw this news item on BBC's 'Breakfast' programme this morning, I won't be having a go anytime soon.

[boatbuilder]

Ventnor landslip forces residents from homes


About 20 homes have been evacuated on the Isle of Wight following a large landslip.

It happened between Bonchurch Shute and Smugglers Haven, near Ventnor, on the south-east coast of the island on Sunday night.

Isle of Wight Council said its officers along with police helped residents leave their homes in Leeson Road.

The road has been closed between Bonchurch Shute and Shanklin and police remain at the scene.

Full report and pictures