WebProNews

Tag: england

  • Queen’s Speech 2013: Meditation and Baby George

    The Telegraph from the U.K. tells us of Queen Elizabeth’s traditional Christmas speech filmed a little over a month ago that aired on Christmas, as is the country’s tradition.

    These speeches are the more enjoyable of political speeches; Queen Elizabeth writes them herself, and she is not required to consult with anyone concerning political agendas before delivering.

    The commemoration of her 60th year as queen along with a new great-grandson seems to have placed Queen Elizabeth in a reflective mood this year, and she urges her countrymen and all who tuned in into her Christmas speech to take a few moments each day to reflect on their lives.

    Wearing the elegant and simple yellow dress that she previously wore to William and Kate’s wedding, yellow flowers placed on the table beside her set the scene for an interesting and succinct speech covering family ties, the upcoming Commonwealth Games and appreciating life.

    Queen Elizabeth also made sure to honor troops in the Middle East for their efforts with kind and encouraging words accompanied with footage from a lifeboat station visit earlier this year.

    Be sure to check out the behind-the-scene footage also:

    Fun Fact: In the beginning of the aired speech, you may hear a song that sounds exactly like “My Country ‘Tis of Thee.” This is not a covert plan to start the Revolutionary War Pt. II– the United States purposely borrowed the tune from the British anthem entitled “God Save the Queen/King.”


    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Stonehenge Gets a Landscape Makeover

    Stonehenge is a cultural landmark known the world over, but even world-renown structures need revamping. The site (though not the actual structure) that was built between 3000 B.C. and 1600 B.C. has just recently undergone renovations. Funds totaling 27 million pounds ($44 million) through a levy that was placed on profits from Britain’s national lottery as well as donations made these improvements possible.

    One of the changes includes a new visitor center composed of two single-story blocks with one being made of timber and the other being made of glass. This new center is located 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) away from Stonehenge in an effort to preserve and isolate the landscape within close proximity to the actual stone site. In addition, one of the roads that was a common fairground for traveling to the landmark has also been closed. Visitors will now access the site through a shuttle bus, or by walking on ancient paths.

    (image)

    Simon Thurley, who is the chief executive of English Heritage, spoke about the need to update the historical site. “Stonehenge is almost certainly the most famous ancient monument in the world and up until now it hasn’t really had adequate visitor facilities. There’s been no exhibition, no opportunities for people to even have a cup of tea. This is a radical change for the million people a year who come to Stonehenge. They can see the stones for the first time free from the clutter and rubbish that have accrued around them since the 1960s. We now have something that I think is worthy of one of the world’s greatest archaeological sites,” Thurley said.

    (image)

    With the renovations, an increase in the admission price has also been implemented. An adult ticket could previously have been purchased for 8 pounds ($13); however, this price is now 14.90 pounds ($24) due to the expenses incurred.

    According to Culture Secretary Maria Miller, “Stonehenge is one of the UK’s most iconic sites, undeniably worthy of its Unesco world heritage status, attracting one million tourists every year from the UK and all over the world. So it’s only right that, after decades of indecision, we can now offer them a visitor exhibition center and experience they deserve.”

    Images Via Wikimedia Commons and Courtesy of Jeffrey Pfau

  • Boeing 777 Landing Birmingham – Blown Sideways During Landing Attempt

    Imagine being aboard that Boeing 777 – tired and ready to get off that plane after a 7-hour flight from Dubai to Birmingham, England, and not being able to land! Not to mention the fear and terror of feeling that plane being pushed from side to side the winds were so strong, as eye witnesses described. And then, finding out that the pilot can’t even land after two attempts.

    The airline, operated by Dubai-based Emirates Airlines couldn’t land straight due to the high crosswinds and nearly came in sideways after two attempts in heavy storms hitting the area on Thursday.

    The Birmingham Mail stated that after those two unsuccessful landing attempts, the pilot had to fly another 100 miles to London’s Gatwick Airport, where it finally landed safely. The passengers were so shook up that some swore, they were just never going to fly again.

    A spokesperson for Birmingham Airport told The Birmingham Mail that, despite the heavy storms, no flights were cancelled. Also, that two other planes had been diverted because of the wind, but that conditions were forecast to ease up going into the evening.

    According to witnesses, the Emirates Boeing 777 missed two approaches at Birmingham Airport before being diverted to London Gatwick Airport.

    A smaller Brussels Airlines Dash 8 turboprop was also unable to land, amid wind speeds of between 60mph and 80mph Thursday while descending onto the runway, but the pilot managed to land the plane safely.

    Image via YouTube

  • Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Is Cause for Celebration

    Doctor Who has crossed a unique milestone. The show is based around a human-lookalike alien (apart from the two hearts and ridiculously long lifespan) who has the capabilities to travel through time and space. Ironically, the show itself has traveled through time and space, in a manner of speaking, by captivated fans for fifty years. The show first aired on November 23, 1963, through the BBC, yet still garners a large following.

    In honor of the 50th anniversary, the show is releasing tributes including a simulcast titled, The Day of the Doctor, that will air in 75 countries exactly fifty years, to-the-day, from the original broadcast. Those eager to see the show, should tune into BBC America at 11:50 a.m. PST on the 23rd. In addition, a 50th anniversary special is set for release in select theaters. Fans have been giving interviews to discuss their enthusiasm as well as posting comments through Twitter.

    Doctor Who had 26 successful seasons from 1963 to 1989 before the 2005 reboot. There was even a movie released in 1996. The alien who originates from the planet Gallifrey is central to the show’s plot, however multiple actors can portray the fascinating character due to the alien’s power to regenerate. The alien is called by his number placement in the regeneration sequence instead of using a stereotypical name, since he is an alien, after all. Traveling into the vastness of time and space requires a unique mode of transportation. The alien uses the “Time And Relative Dimension In Space” (TARDIS), which is a blue telephone box — again, what else should an alien be expected to use for traveling? — that surprisingly has more travel space than your typical phone booth.

    [Image Via Wikimedia Commons and Courtesy of Steve Collis]

  • “King’s Speech” Method Helps Boy With Stutter

    A British high school student was involved in a recent Channel 4 series as they filmed at his school, Thornhill, and says that his stutter, which he has struggled with for years, quickly became a focus of the producers. Because Musharaf “Mushy” Asghar was gearing up to take his GSCEs–and 20% of the final grade depended on an oral exam–he says he was pretty stressed.

    But when English teacher Mr. Burton became involved, he used a little trick to help Mushy get through the speaking part without a trace of a stutter: listening to music on headphones as he was speaking.

    “The poem we were working on was called The Moment and it really was a moment I will remember for ever,” Mushy said in a piece he wrote for The Guardian. “I didn’t really like the song Mr. Burton put on (it was Ben Howard, and I don’t really like guitary kind of music), but if I had to listen to all of his songs back to back for ever and could speak like that, I would do it!”

    Of course, Burton didn’t come up with the idea on his own; it was a trick used by Lionel Logue to help King George VI overcome his stammer in order to give a speech that was broadcast on the radio, and was made popular in the film “The King’s Speech”.

    “I thought Mr Burton was a genius until he lent me The King’s Speech afterwards, and then I realised he just copied that other man!” Mushy wrote.

    Mushy says he hopes that his experience being televised will help others who have the same affliction, and is proud to have been a part of it.

    “I was excited, if nervous, about the whole thing going out. But I’m really happy and proud to be on telly as I hope it gives other people with a stammer the confidence to have a go at public speaking. My speech is getting better every week. Everyone at college gives me time, but I’m getting quicker anyway so they don’t miss their bus while they are listening to me. I still won’t be applying for any call-centre jobs yet though,” he wrote.

    You can see video of Mushy in action here.

    Image: screenshot via Channel 4

  • Cucumber Causes Criminal Conviction

    Cucumber Causes Criminal Conviction

    So you just burglarized a home, and you’re a little winded because the sack you’ve stuffed with stolen goods is a little heavy from all that precious loot you’ve been carrying around. You’ve done your daily deed of contributing to society and making the world a better place so what better way to reward yourself with a bite to eat?

    You know crime pays.

    Wrong.

    Crime never pays, and the next time you decided to fill that gluttony hole you call a mouth with a drive by biting of an innocent cucumber, expect the police, because they’ll extract your saliva DNA and book you.

    Such is the case with Billy Joe Donnely, a 22-year old bloke who was robbing a house in Preston, England on August 21st of this year. The homeowners were asleep while Donnely crept in and out of the house and stole a retirement watch, antique key rings, and the family car. But before he drove off in the sunset, assuring himself that he got away with the crime, Donnely stopped by the greenhouse situated next to the residence and nibbled on a few vegetables. Among the produce being grown (and intended for sale), was a cucumber, which, according to Hull Daily Mail, was munched once and abandoned by Donnely, only later to be swabbed for DNA by investigators that would lead to his conviction.

    “The owner was going to sell the items he was growing in the greenhouse, but someone had been in there and eaten most of the vegetables and a cucumber. A cucumber was found with his DNA on it,” said Prosecutor Jharna Jobes.

    On August 25th in England’s Whole Crown Court, Donnely pleaded guilty to the burglary and theft in connection to the crime, as well as a drug charge.

    Donnely’s barrister, Stephen Robison said that, “The burglary has had a profound effect on the complainants. He was just not thinking about that at the time. He is sorry for what has happened, and he bitterly regrets his actions. He had been drinking heavily at the time and was riding around on his bike when he entered the greenhouse and ate some of the produce from there. It was foolish behavior, and he was identified by a cucumber.”

    Donnely will be serving two and a half years in jail, and he regrets deeply of the day he decided to ransack a house and a bite a cucumber.

    (Pictures via WikiCommons, Police Hand Out)

  • British Archaeologists Uncover Mesolithic Tools, Roman Skulls

    National Geographic reported on Friday that tunnelers who were contracted with expanding the London Underground have discovered over 20 Roman-era skulls, probably dated to the first century C.E. The beheaded Romans have been suggested to be possible victims of the famed Warrior Queen Boudicca, who led her Iceni tribe in a rebellion against Roman rule.

    Speaking with National Geographic about possibility of the Romans being victims of Queen Boudica, archaeologist and discovery team member Don Walker said “It has been suggested that previous finds of skulls dating to this period may belong to victims of the rebellion… Even if this was part of a massacre, and there is no evidence that it was, it would be difficult to link it directly to the Boudicca rebellion. Of course, we will keep an open mind for now.”

    The skulls were discovered roughly 20 feet underneath Liverpool Street as part of a $23 billion engineering project conducted by Crossrail. The workers uncovered the find as they dug through dirt containing ancient sediments from the Walbrook River, a dried up tributary of the Thames River. Archaeologists believe the artifacts collected in a riverbend they washed downstream from a burial ground.

    The Roman skulls are not the only artifacts uncovered by the Crossrail project. Finds include a 9000-year-old Mesolithic “tool factory,” medieval plague pits, and a 16th century graveyard related to the infamous mental asylum, Bedlam Hospital. The artifacts will be donated to the Museum of London and the Natural History Museum for Londoners to study and enjoy.

    When asked about the Roman skulls’ origins, Walker had several comments. “It is never a surprise to find the remains of burials in London! The size of the city and its long history mean that you are never very far away from a burial ground, whether it be Roman or later,” he said.

    “However, whilst we knew that we would encounter burials from the 16th-century Bedlam burial ground, it was not at all certain whether Roman graves would turn up. he added. “The sheer number of skulls we have found, currently more than two dozen, has indeed surprised us.”

    [Image via the official archaeology story of Crossrail on YouTube]

  • Smoking Could be Banned in UK Prisons

    A smoking ban has been proposed for prisons in the U.K., and several prisons in the U.K. will participate in a pilot program to see how inmates respond to such a ban. The U.K. Ministry of Justice announced the program on Friday that will ban smoking and all other tobacco products from selected jails. The proposal comes after non-smokers have complained about secondhand smoke.

    “We are considering banning smoking across the prison estate and as part of this are looking at possible sites as early adopters,” said a spokesperson at the Ministry of Justice. Approximately 80 percent of prisoners smoke, and there is a fear of legal action on the behalf of non-smokers if something isn’t done. If officials are pleased with how the smoking ban works at the selected prisons, all prisons in the U.K. could be under the smoking ban within the year.

    The smoking ban comes at a cost to the taxpayers, though. The prisons will provide nicotine patches for those who have to quit smoking, which will cost the taxpayers an estimated £11 million. According to Daily Mail, officials are afraid of a lawsuit if they don’t offer assistance in quitting smoking. Drug-addicted prisoners were awarded £11,400 each in 2008 after they were forced to go cold turkey without any help.

    Prison guards are concerned that a smoking ban will cause riots, which would make their jobs even more dangerous. Officials have acknowledged that the ban “could cause disturbances,” but haven’t yet mentioned how they plan to deal with that. Many Twitter users think that a smoking ban in prisons will only lead to trouble. What do you think about a prison smoking ban? Respond below.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Man Poses As Justin Bieber Online, Lures Underage Girls

    A man from Middlesborough, England was arrested recently on charges of luring a child to engage in sexual activity and owning indecent photos after children came forward saying he was posing as Justin Bieber online. Now, he’s been sentenced to over a decade in prison.

    “Robert Hunter was a calculating and malicious predator who set out to coerce and bully young girls into exposing themselves over the internet,” Det Sgt Paul Higgins said.

    35-year old Hunter pretended to be the pop star in order to lure underage girls into making videos and taking explicit pictures in exchange for being their “boyfriend”. Authorities found 800 videos on Hunter’s computer of both boys and girls–some as young as nine years old–and say he would threaten to release them if the children didn’t follow through on their promise to make more. The kids are from all around the world, including UK, France, Spain, Italy, Serbia, Asia and Canada, and one 12-year old girl reportedly harmed herself after Hunter made good on his threat, posting her photos and information on Facebook.

    “It represents callous, almost sadistic exploitation over a number of years preying on girls’ naivety who were undermined by their own behaviour,” Judge Peter Bowers said.

    Hunter pleaded guilty to 29 charges and was sentenced to 14 years in jail. He has reportedly agreed to seek help while in prison.

    Image: Wikimedia Commons

  • Deloitte Fine: 14 Million Pounds, or $22 Million

    The accounting firm that advised the MG Rover Group and the Phoenix Four, Deloitte & Touche, has been fined £14 million, or roughly $22 million U.S., for a conflict of interest.

    The Guardian reports that the Financial Reporting Council, which issued the record-breaking fine, gave the company a severe reprimand over ethical breaches and the amount of money made through sheer misconduct. A former director (Maghsoud Einollahi) received an individual fine of £250,000 and is banned from practicing accounting for three years.

    The executive director of conduct for the FRC, Paul George, has said of the FRC report that “[it] provides a clear analysis of the case and how it reached its conclusions. It should be essential reading for all members of the profession.”

    The Phoenix Four (John Towers, Nick Stephenson, John Edwards and Peter Beale) purchased MG Rover in 2000 for a combined total of £10, and paid themselves around £42 million before the company collapsed in 2005. Reuters reports that the firm of Deloitte and its director, Einollahi, were acting as finance advisers to firms involved with MG Rover and the Phoenix Four. When the company collapsed with a £1.6 million debt, 6000 jobs virtually evaporated.

    Deloitte is charged with failing to consider a conflict of interest that granted the company massive profits under schemes conducted by the Phoenix Four related to MG Rover. The BBC has reported that, as early as 2005, Deloitte’s accounting was being investigated by the UK’s National Audit Office.

    In 2004, a joint venture had been announced by the Shanghai Automotive Industrial Corporation that might rescue the struggling automaker, but little headway or success was gained. By April 2005, MG Rover’s administrators received an offer from the UK government for a £6.5 million loan. That same month, the Shanghai Automotive corporation pulled out of the joint venture, leaving Nanjing Automotive to pick up the pieces that remained of MG Rover.

    [Image via a Youtube video inside the MG Rover factory]

  • Britain’s Prince Andrew Accepts Police Apology After Confrontation

    On Sunday, Britain’s Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, accepted an apology from police officers for a rather embarrassing incident that took place late Wednesday afternoon.

    Prince Andrew was stopped in the gardens of Buckingham Palace by two Metropolitan Police officers who didn’t recognize him and asked to see identification.

    A few sources reported that the Prince was held at gun point. According to the London Metropolitan Police, however, no guns were drawn.

    Prince Andrew responded by generously accepting the police apology:
    “I am grateful for their apology and look forward to a safe walk in the garden in the future.”

    While some viewed the latter part of his statement as a royal's attempt at humor, it rankled others including British journalist and television personality Piers Morgan:

    Others saw the incident as an opportunity to poke a little fun at the royal family:

    The Associated Press took to Twitter to point out that the popular Prince Harry would never have suffered such embarrassment:

    The Queen was not in residence at Buckingham Palace at the time. She and Prince Phillip have been at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland since the beginning of August.

    Security may have been heightened at Buckingham Palace after an incident earlier in the week in which police arrested two trespassers who allegedly had plans to burglarize the premises.

    photo credit

  • 100-Vehicle Crash: Mystery Man Saves Lives

    100-Vehicle Crash: Mystery Man Saves Lives

    A 100-vehicle crash in Kent, England yesterday has locals stunned that no one was killed, but some say the reason for that had nothing to do with luck; an unnamed driver may well have saved dozens of lives with his quick thinking.

    After thick fog rolled in and dropped visibility down dramatically, all it took was a mixture of speed and carelessness for the cars to start piling up on Sheppey Bridge. Eight people were seriously injured, but no deaths were reported in the accident that witnesses say went on for ten minutes. One man, a truck driver, moved his vehicle to block more cars from coming up into the wreckage, and that move probably saved many more people from being hurt or even killed.

    “He was going the other way and … he’s gone down to the end of the carriageway, gone across the roundabout and actually blocked off the road so no more cars could actually enter the dual carriageway before the emergency services got there,” witness Chris Buckingham said. “Whoever that guy is I’d like to shake his hand because he’s probably saved lives.”

    Another witness, Martin Stammers, said he counted himself lucky after slamming on his brakes to avoid a collision.

    “I was very, very, lucky. I was the last car out of it, if you like. As I came to the top of the hill, there were about five cars already smashed up, one was across my carriageway. I had to hit my brakes hard as well, I just had enough space to get through. From then on, all you could hear was the screeching of car tyres and the thudding, which was endless,” he said.

    There were reports that several drivers were being careless and had no headlights on in the dense fog, which contributed to the massive accident. The bridge was reopened around 5 p.m.

    Image: SkyNews video

  • 100-Vehicle Crash in England Leaves No Fatalities

    100-Vehicle Crash in England Leaves No Fatalities

    A car pile-up in Kent, England involving more than 100 vehicles left at least two dozen people with injuries on Thursday morning. While eight people were seriously injured in the pile-up, there haven’t been any reports of fatalities thus far.

    The crashes occurred at both ends of Sheppey Bridge in a thick fog that left drivers with poor visibility. Some witnesses reported of other motorists driving recklessly in the fog, which they say contributed to the massive pile-up that closed the bridge for nine hours. Kent Online has photos of the crashes. From the number of mangled cars, it’s hard to believe that injuries weren’t more serious, something Kent Police Chief Inspector Andy Reeves calls “miraculous.” Reeves also calls the amount of damage in the pile-up “the most significant incident I have been to in over 20 years of policing.”

    Motorist Martin Stammers described the scene on the bridge as “horrific” and said that “all you could hear was cars crashing.” The crashes were estimated to have lasted for approximately 10 minutes. More than 30 emergency vehicles responded to the wreck, and firefighters had to cut several people out of their vehicles and take them for treatment at nearby hospitals.

    According to witness Chris Buckingham, another motorist is at least partly responsible for the lack of more serious injuries or deaths. Buckingham said a man used his truck to block off the bridge entrance to keep more cars from piling up. “Whoever that guy is I’d like to shake his hand because he’s probably saved lives today,” Buckingham said.

    The hero motorist hasn’t been identified, but there is no doubt that his quick thinking kept the situation from being worse. Not only did blocking off the bridge keep more cars from wrecking, it also helped emergency responders access crash victims more quickly.

    View footage of the pile-up below.

    http://youtu.be/eQ69JaSJXrE

    Image via YouTube

  • Malala Yousafzai: Books Are Anti-Terrorism “Weapons”

    Tuesday, at the opening of the largest public library in Europe, 16-year-old Malala Yousafzai praised pens and books as, “the weapons that defeat terrorism.” The Pakistani teen, who gained attention when she was shot by the Taliban for advocating education for girls, is now one of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize nominees. Take that, Taliban!

    “Let us not forget that even one book, one pen, one child and one teacher can change the world,” said Yousafzai. The last book to enter the library was her copy of Paulo Coelho’s, The Alchemist, which tells the story of an Andalusian shepherd boy with lessons about listening to our hearts and ultimately following our dreams.

    The new library (pictured below) is located in the town where Yousafzai attends school, Birmingham, England. The building now houses over a million books and the opening drew a crowd 1,000-strong.

    (image)

    Yousafzai has given herself a challenge, “I will read thousands of books, and I will empower myself with knowledge.” She said further, “I truly believe the only way we can create global peace is through educating not only our minds, but our hearts and our souls.”

    Yousafzai used this opportunity to call for peace and to, “speak up for the children of Pakistan, India and Afghanistan who are suffering from terrorism, poverty, child labor and child trafficking.”

    Last October, after a Taliban gunman shot Yousafzai in the head on her school bus, she was flown from Pakistan to the UK for emergency treatment. Tuesday, she thanked the medical staff, teachers and townspeople for supporting her in, “my second home,” of Birmingham.

    The teen inspiration is due to receive the International Children’s Peace Prize later this week. On her birthday in July, she experienced a different sort of present, addressing the UN’s youth assembly; the day was declared Malala Day. She has also garnered a place as one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” and though not apparently directly affiliated, her story has sparked new age heroines of all sorts.

    [Images via Facebook Fan Page and Wikimedia Commons.]

  • Badger Cull Divides UK Communities

    Badger Cull Divides UK Communities

    In the UK, The Government’s decision to begin culling badgers across a swathe of Somerset and Gloucestershire in an attempt to stem the spread of bovine TB has left communities deeply divided.

    On one side are those, like Miss Brumby and her fellow members of the Somerset Badger Patrol, determined to do what they can to disrupt the cull.

    “We’re a very broad based campaign, made up of all sorts of people who think this cull is not only cruel, but unscientific and counterproductive and I’m sure most people would agree with us,” she said.

    On the other side, there are hundreds of farmers, labourers and rural residents, convinced the only way to tackle the Bovine Tuberculosis epidemic threatening to cripple Britain’s dairy and cattle herd is by killing the animal they believe is spreading it unhindered. Of course, those in favour of the cull are just as passionate in their belief as Miss Brumby and her friends.

    Marilyn Bramall, 62, serving behind the till at the Post Office and shop in the village of Stogumber – at the heart of the Somerset culling zone – has lost patience with those who oppose the action. She told The Telegraph,

    “How many people are being gassed in Syria? And we’re complaining about a few badgers getting killed? I know a lot of farmers, I’ve spoken to them, and they are desperate to do something to tackle the bovine TB which is spreading through their herds, forcing them to slaughter valuable cattle.”

    Tom Howe, a 19-year-old medical student whose father owns the shop, has listned as the cull became one of the heated topics of conversation in the village over the past few weeks.

    “I appreciate the protesters believe in what they are doing, trying to disrupt the cull, but if a disease like this was effecting their livelihood I’m sure they would be demanding something be done about it,” he said. “If there were other methods to use then fine, but at the moment culling is the most widely agreed way to reduce bovine TB.”

    Nowhere has the debate between those for and against the cull been more heated than in the nearby village of Withycombe, where one resident went as far as putting a poster on her garden gate slandering one of her neighbors for participating in the cull.Meg Sunningdale, 66, named the farmer and accused him of being one of the marksmen contracted to carry out the cull.

    She has since taken down the poster, after being warned by Somerset police it could constitute a case of harassment.

    “Perhaps it wasn’t very wise of me,” said Mrs Sunningdale. “But this is something I feel very strongly about and feelings are running very high. I have badgers who come into my garden at night and I do not want them shot.

    The problem for those opposed say there is no conclusive evidence that the badgers are even responsible for the spread of Bovine TB. One report stated that the cull would only be about 16% effective.

    Mrs. Sunningdale milked and looked after a herd of cows for several years in the 1970s, after studying agriculture at college. She blames the rapid spread of bovine TB across the West Country in the past 15 years on intensive farming methods, which she says have weakened the immune system of cattle.

    For their part, farmers blame the decision by the 1997 Labour government to scrap regular badger culls for the explosion in levels of the disease.

    Bill Carroway, a retired estate worker said, “Over in Ireland they’ve had a badger cull for 10 years and the bovine TB has gone down. We haven’t got a proper vaccine against TB and we won’t have one for 10 years. In the meantime something has to be done.”

    Image via Wikipedia

  • Nando’s Chicken: Beyonce Drops Thousands On Dinner

    Beyonce may be touring, but that doesn’t mean she’s too busy to hook her crew up with some good food.

    The superstar placed a huge order at Nando’s Chicken in Chelmsford, England on the 17th after her show, dropping about $2,200 on 58 wing platters, 48 whole chickens, 12 veggie burgers, 24 orders of coleslaw and 24 rice dishes. The restaurant employees were ecstatic about the big order, though, considering who it was for.

    “Too excited that Beyonce is ordering a Nando’s from us if only she would pick it up herself!” one employee tweeted.

    According to The Daily Mail, the restaurant is a favorite of the singer’s; she’s dropped big bucks there before at a Dublin location.

    Beyonce made headlines recently with her new haircut after she lopped off her locks into a pixie style and lightened the color. The new style has gotten lots of attention online–not all of it good–but her old bandmate, Kelly Rowland, said that Bey would look good no matter what she did.

    “Beyonce can have a strand of hair on her head and still be fine,” she said.

  • Horse In McDonald’s Poops On Floor After Drive-Thru Denial

    Horse In McDonald’s Poops On Floor After Drive-Thru Denial

    A U.K. woman decided to take matters into her own hands when her local McDonald’s wouldn’t allow her to go through the drive-thru on a horse.

    Christine McGrail was with her daughter Olivia and their horses, Dancer and Minnie, at the fast-food joint when they were turned away from the window. McGrail says she allowed Olivia to lead her pony into the restaurant to order their food, and that’s when all hell broke loose.

    “Minnie likes McFlurrys. We’ve genuinely been served several times before and I didn’t think using he drive-through would be a problem,” McGrail said.

    Minnie, apparently excited by the prospect of a treat, let loose with a volley of excrement in the middle of the restaurant and customers became understandably upset at the sight–and smell–of it as they were trying to eat. Managers called police, and McGrail was issued fines for taking the horse inside. Greater Manchester Police, Whitefield Division, issued a statement.

    “On Saturday the 20th of July Police from Whitefield received a call from McDonald’s on Fountain Place regarding a woman on horse using the Drive Thru. The staff refused to serve the women due to company policy. The women then took the horse into the restaurant who ended up doing his business on the floor. The sight & smell of this caused obvious distress and upset to customers trying to eat, as well as staff members. Officers arrived at the location and woman was issued a Fixed Penalty notice for causing alarm & distress to other customers and staff.”

    McDonald’s says they had to put a policy in place regarding horses in the drive-thru due to safety issues which might arise for customers if the animal got spooked by a car.

  • Stolen Beef: Dead Grandma Memories To Blame

    A UK man claims he’s innocent of the charges of shoplifting leveled against him, and says he was simply “moving” a roast beef to get it out of his sight because it reminded him of his grandma.

    51-year old John Casey, an unemployed father of eight, was busted on security cameras while putting the roast into his backpack, and after he was arrested, chose to stand trial for the accusations rather than be seen in lower court.

    Judge Milford, who oversaw the case, said “Ordinarily this is a case that would be dealt with in the lower court but he has elected trial. He has the right to be tried by a jury and he has been.”

    Casey maintained his innocence throughout the trial, but he was found guilty by jurors in just an hour’s time. He was given two years of probation.

    “You have caused a huge amount of unnecessary expense to be incurred by electing trial and you have got no means from which you can cover the costs of this expensive trial,” Judge Milford said. “If you come in front of me again I will be a lot less sympathetic.”

    Casey said the combination of the beef and blood reminded him of his grandmother, who died when he was just a child.

    “Every day my grandmother is with me, I remember her, but this was not like any other,” Casey said. “I was re-living it, it was like I was there with her again. The blood in the bag was bringing it on, it was like I was there, like I was living it.”

  • Mayor Terry Buckle Rams Car Into Store

    Mayor Terry Buckle Rams Car Into Store

    According to a report from the East Anglian Daily Times, Bury St Edmunds Mayor Terry Buckle drove his car through the front of a Tesco Express on Tuesday. The 73-year-old Buckle had only been mayor of the town for five days when the incident occurred. Bury St Edmunds is a small town located in Suffolk, England.

    Buckle reportedly drove the care from a parking spot into the front door of a Tesco Express shop. Buckle was uninjured, but was taken to a nearby hospital as a precaution, and had X-rays taken of his neck. Though sore from the accident, he was then taken home to rest. No other serious injuries were reported.

    Despite the nature of the accident, the damage caused was reportedly minimal. The side mirrors on Buckle’s car were damaged, and the doors and security equipment near the entrance to the Tesco were also damaged.

  • London Attack Leaves One Dead, Two Injured

    An attack in London has left one man dead, and two others injured, near a military barracks.

    The AP is reporting that two men attacked another man in London this morning. Those on the scene said that the attackers employed a number of weapons, but it’s unknown if a gun was involved yet.

    Police responded to reports of an assault where they found one man dead. The two other men were shot and taken to nearby hospitals.

    The above scenario may seem like a random act of violence, but the authorities aren’t so sure yet. An anonymous government official said that the attack may have been “terrorist-motivated” and that the authorities are investigating the incident as such.

    While it may pale in comparison, this isn’t the first time London has suffered a terrorist attack. In 2005, suicide bombers attacked the public transportation system in London leading to the deaths of fifty-two civilians and over 700 were injured.

    More details regarding this latest attack will likely emerge in the coming days. We can just be thankful that not more were injured or killed.

    Here’s a report with more details on the attack:

  • 14-Year Old Forced To Get Pregnant By Adoptive Mom

    A 14-year old girl was forced into pregnancy by her adoptive mom after the woman was told she couldn’t adopt any more children.

    The woman was desperate for another baby and hatched a plan to inseminate her daughter with syringes and donor sperm she procured online. The girl says she went along with the plan because she thought it would make her mother love her.

    The woman, an American transplant in the U.K., has been given a 5-year prison sentence for child cruelty after a successful pregnancy yielded a baby boy born in 2011, when the daughter was just 17. The children were put into foster care after a hospital employee overheard the mother admonishing her daughter about breastfeeding because she didn’t want the baby to become attached to her.