Daily News

[Jimbuna]

North Korea TV censors Alan Titchmarsh's trousers

North Korea's state television channel has censored a BBC gardening programme - by blurring out presenter Alan Titchmarsh's trousers.

Central TV aired a 2010 edition of Alan Titchmarsh's Garden Secrets for its morning audience, but made sure that viewers could not see his jeans.

Jeans are seen as a symbol of western imperialism in the secretive state and as such are banned.

North Korea's rules prohibiting jeans have been in place since the 1990s.

Back then, leader Kim Jong-il declared denim trousers to be a symbol of Western - and specifically American - imperialism, which had no place in a socialist state, according to Seoul-based NK News.

In recent years, a crackdown on Western culture has reiterated this ban, with state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun telling citizens in 2020 to reject what it termed "bourgeois culture" in favour of a "superior socialist lifestyle".

Current leader Kim Jong-un, himself a fan of voluminous legwear, is reportedly irked by skinny jeans and T-shirts bearing Western logos which are popular in South Korea.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-68664644

[Jimbuna]

Mike Tyson hopes to deliver knockout blow with cannabis edible ears - in a nod to his most notorious fight

Former world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson is hoping to deliver a knockout blow with his new cannabis product - edibles in the shape of nibbled ears.

The bizarre products are a nod to when Tyson infamously bit off part of the ear of his opponent Evander Holyfield in their WBA Heavyweight Championship bout in Nevada in 1997.

The edibles have been released by Tyson 2.0 - a cannabis company founded by the iconic boxer known as "Iron Mike".

They come in flavours including black eye berry, sour apple punch and watermelon.

The edibles are available from the company's online store, but have already been spotted in dispensaries in New York.

The 57-year-old is reportedly planning a promotional tour at shops next month, including an event in Times Square.

Not everyone in the cannabis industry is said to be enthused about the release of Tyson's product.

The former boxer was convicted of rape in 1992 and has also been accused of domestic violence.

Stu Zakim, a publicist for the cannabis dispensary The Travel Agency in Union Square, told the New York Post: "They're honouring this convicted rapist and wife beater as a role model. We should use much better role models."

Tyson's 1997 bout against Holyfield, the second time they had met in the ring, became known as The Bite Fight following Iron Mike's act of partial cannibalism.

Tyson's boxing licence was revoked by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and he was fined $3m.

He retired from professional boxing in 2005 with 50 wins, including 44 knockouts, and six losses.

Earlier this month he announced he will be fighting YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in a bout that will be shown live on Netflix later this year.
https://news.sky.com/story/mike-tyso...fight-13102590

[Jimbuna]

Pungent 'stinknet' plant in Arizona forces idyllic picnic area to shut for a month

A picnic area at a tourist attraction in Arizona has been closed to visitors because of the presence of a pungent plant called stinknet - which smells as lovely as it sounds.

Officials at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument announced on Wednesday the area will be shut until 30 April due to the density of the invasive and noxious winter weed.

Stinknet has pretty yellow blossoms on narrow green stems and can grow more than 0.6m (2ft) tall - but has a potent smell similar to nail polish remover or burnt rubber.

It can cause serious breathing problems as well as severe skin rashes, according to the University of Arizona.

Officials at the attraction in Coolidge are asking visitors not to walk near or step on the flowering weed to avoid spreading it.

They said staff are working on a solution to get the picnic area reopened as soon as possible, but it may take until 1 May.

The monument showcases the ruins of an ancient desert farming community that includes the preserved Casa Grande, meaning Great House.

The group of structures were built by the Hohokam tribe more than 700 years ago.

Arizona Native Plant Society officials said stinknet explosively spread in Maricopa County during the wet autumn and winter seasons of 2016, 2018 and 2019.

This caused heavy infestations on the northern fringes of Phoenix and Scottsdale along with rapid movement southward to Casa Grande.
https://news.sky.com/story/pungent-s...month-13103122

[mapuc]

Harvard University has said it will be removing the binding made of human skin from a 19th-century book held in its library because of the “ethically fraught nature” of how the unusual binding took place.

https://www.theguardian.com/educatio...ook-human-skin

Markus

[Moonlight]

BBC Look East is slammed for having 'all-white' production team despite corporation spending £600,000 last year on 'diversity and inclusion' staff

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ion-staff.html

If these people who are complaining took a quick look at Africa or Asia they wouldn't see any white people in their governments or on the TV either, when are the rest of the world going to start preaching about 'diversity and inclusion' then?, thought not, now **** off up your rear ends and stay there you currants.

[Jimbuna]

Bedfordshire: Black bears at Woburn Safari Park ride on swan pedalos

A lucky group of black bears were treated to a pedalo ride after a lake formed in their enclosure.

After heavy rain created a mini lake in their 13-acre reserve, keepers at Woburn Safari Park decided to float a swan pedalo on the water.

According to Tommy Babington, deputy head of the carnivore section at the park in Bedfordshire, the bears were "immediately intrigued" by their new neighbour and "wasted no time in investigating" it.

The pedalo is usually used elsewhere on the site but was awaiting new pedals, Mr Babington said.

"It was great fun for visitors to seeing them climb on board, and we love devising new ways to provide food, scent and habitat enrichment that stimulates their natural foraging behaviours," he said.

"Bears are naturally very curious animals, and keepers will encourage this with all kinds of enrichment through their habitat as this keeps their minds and bodies active.

"The swan boat enrichment may be a less conventional approach to stimulating their natural behaviours, but it certainly was a hit."

The four black bears are two pairs of siblings - two male and two female - named Harvard, Maple, Colorado, and Aspen.

Originally from North America, they can grow up to 2m long and weigh more than 45 stone.
https://news.sky.com/story/bedfordsh...dalos-13100638

[mapuc]

Officials from MBDA, Leonardo and QinetiQ confirmed to Naval News that they were working on ‘second-generation’ designs leveraging technology and techniques proven in the DragonFire prototype tested in conjunction with the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) – the science arm of the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news...-weapon-plans/



Markus

[Jimbuna]

Baseball team accused of fat-shaming after naming mascot 'Ozempig' after weight-loss drug

A US baseball team has been accused of fat-shaming after it named its pig mascot after weight-loss drug Ozempic.

St Paul Saints chose Ozempig from nearly 2,300 names submitted by fans, joking that the pig was ashamed of gaining weight and had promised to slim down.

Ozempic is intended for diabetics but is sometimes prescribed for weight loss as it can help people feel fuller for longer.

It has become popular after being promoted by certain celebrities and influencers.

However, the Minnesota team's selection didn't go down well with some on social media.

"I wouldn't make fun of people's weight and diabetics. It just feels a bit cruel. Maybe time for a marketing meeting to figure this out y'all," said one reply on the team's Facebook page.

"It's insensitive to people struggling with their weight among other things," said another.

But another fan said people were overreacting: "I'm a type II Diabetic, was prescribed Ozempic for a long time and I am not the least bit offended!"

The team's media relations boss, Sean Aronson, said they had no intention of mocking people who are trying to lose weight.

"I can tell you there was no ill-intent, there was no maliciousness," he said.

"There was never even a discussion in the room when we were going over the name that, hey, this may offend some people."

Mr Aronson said he understood why some people were upset but that they had decided to stick with Ozempig.

"We knew how we originally came up with the name and we're good with it but we did discuss it and decided we're going to keep it," he said.

A pig mascot is a regular fixture at the team's ground and carries out balls for the umpire.

It becomes visibly larger during the season and a younger pig normally takes over half way through.
https://news.sky.com/story/baseball-...-drug-13104290

[Jimbuna]

Celebrity psychic Deborah Davies buys 'creepy' doll from Edinburgh charity shop

A "creepy" doll that spooked shoppers after it went on display in an Edinburgh charity shop has been snapped up by a celebrity psychic.

Deborah Davies, star of Unexplained: Caught on Camera, has added "Annabelle" to her collection of around 60 "haunted dolls".

Ms Davies paid £220 in total for the toy, which has been sent from St Columba's Hospice charity shop in Morningside to her home in Cheshire.

The former Real Housewives of Cheshire star told Sky News: "I'll have CCTV cameras on it 24/7 and for now I'll keep it at my home, which is breaking my own rules.

"I keep the rest of my collection a few miles away, as many of them were sent to me by followers following serious poltergeist activity."

A picture of Annabelle went viral online after the Ashton-Drake Galleries doll was displayed in the store window with a note saying "I am not creepy".
https://news.sky.com/story/celebrity...-shop-13093149

[Jimbuna]

Pictures of Harry Kane statue 'kept in storage since 2020' emerge

Photos have emerged showing a statue of England captain Harry Kane, which has apparently been languishing in storage in east London for more than three years.

The statue's existence was confirmed last month, having reportedly been completed in 2020 - one year after it was commissioned by Waltham Forest Council.

The images, first obtained by the Big Issue, show a metallic Kane sitting on a green bench and holding a football on his thigh with his left hand.

England's record goalscorer, who now plays for Bayern Munich after moving from Tottenham Hotspur last summer, is said to have been positive about the statue.

In February, his representatives were quoted as saying they "will be happy to go" to unveil the artwork once the location has been decided.

Potential locations, according to The Guardian, had included Chingford Rail Station and Ridgeway Park, which is where Walthamstow-born Kane played football as a youngster.

But a permanent home for the statue remains undetermined.

The pictures, reportedly sent to the council by Sculpture Machine, have caused a stir on social media, with some questioning whether a footballer should be sitting on a bench in this way and others poking fun at its chocolate appearance.
https://news.sky.com/story/pictures-...merge-13099369

[Jimbuna]

Trillions of cicadas to emerge across US 'in biggest invasion in centuries'

Trillions of cicadas are about to emerge in parts of the US in numbers not seen in decades and possibly centuries.

People in the southeast of the US are set for a "sight to behold", experts say, as periodical cicadas - which usually surface every 13 years - will emerge coinciding with another brood which come out in a 17-year cycle this spring.

While annual cicadas, which are bigger and greener than their black-bodied cousins, can be found anywhere in the world, periodical bugs, which are black in colour and have red, bulging eyes, can only be found in North America.

The dual emergence of the periodical cicadas, who are infamous for how loud they can be, is a rare phenomenon and is estimated to have last happened 221 years ago in 1803, when Thomas Jefferson, one of America's founding fathers, was US president.

University of Connecticut cicada expert John Cooley called the upcoming duel invasion "cicada-geddon".

At times mistaken for locusts, the bugs' buzzing can reach a volume of 110 decibels.

"Periodic cicadas don't do subtle," Mr Cooley said.
https://news.sky.com/story/trillions...uries-13106405

[Jimbuna]

Rare lion-tailed macaque stolen from Leipzig Zoo in Germany

A rare macaque has been stolen during a raid on a zoo in Germany.

Leipzig Zoo says the female lion-tailed macaque - named Ruma - was stolen from its cage during a "violent" overnight break-in.

Police in Germany have launched an investigation.

"We do not know what motive is behind the theft, but we are extremely concerned about the welfare of the animal, whose proper care requires expert knowledge," the zoo said in a statement.

"We very much hope that the animal will be secured unharmed or returned."

Police in the German state of Saxony, where Leipzig is located, said the burglary took place overnight on Saturday, 30 March.

"On the night from Saturday to Sunday, unknown persons entered the grounds of the Leipzig Zoo and then forcibly opened the monkey's enclosure," Polizei Sachsen said in a statement.

"They then stole a female monkey and fled the premises.

"Police have secured traces and put the monkey on a wanted list."

Officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to contact them.

Lion-tailed macaques are a species of Old World monkey, native to the forests of the Western Ghats mountain range in India.

The primates are easily recognised by the striking grey or silver mane that surrounds their face and the lion-like, black tail tuft at the tip of their tail.

Only a few thousand lion-tailed macaques are thought to exist, and they are considered endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
https://news.sky.com/story/rare-lion...rmany-13106817

[Jimbuna]

Missing dog turns up nine months later - and 2,000 miles from home

A dog missing from California has been reunited with its owners after turning up almost nine months later - and more than 2,000 miles away from the family home.

Terrier mix Mishka went missing from San Diego in mid-July last year and her owners' social media pleas for information failed to deliver any leads.

Fast forward nearly nine months and just before Easter, authorities in suburban Detroit, Michigan, responded to a call about a stray dog.

Police in Harper Woods picked the pooch up and contacted animal welfare group The Grosse Pointe Animal Adoption Society.

They soon discovered three-year-old Mishka had been chipped with information about her owner, who lives in San Diego, on the US west coast.

Mehrad Houman and his family were planning to travel to Minnesota when they got the call about Mishka being found.

Once the flight landed, he drove 10 hours to Michigan for an emotional reunion.

"This is a tale that Hollywood would love to tell," the adoption society said in a social media post.

Mishka had disappeared from Mr Houman's workplace and Corinne Martin, director of the animal welfare group, believes the dog was "stolen and then it was sold and ended up in Michigan".

After being checked over and given a rabies shot, Mishka was cleared to return to her California home.

"She was clean [and] well-fed. Whoever had her took good care of her," vet Nancy Pillsbury told The Associated Press.

"How she got here - that's a story only Mishka knows."
https://news.sky.com/story/missing-d...-home-13108010

[Moonlight]

Were Covid patients left to die against their wishes? Care homes under pressure to issue Do Not Resuscitate forms. Signatures forged on vital paperwork. And helpless families kept in the dark about their loved ones' final hours...

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...st-wishes.html

The Killing Fields Of Scotland.
The Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry has brought up some horrendous practices by some of Scotland's Medical Professionals, after its finished there should be a police investigation into who were forging these DNRs, who were the medical professionals in charge of obtaining these DNRs, and who were the executives at NHS Scotland who sanctioned it all.

Well, from what I've just been reading these Medics were playing at being God, lives weren't being saved, in fact they were handing out death sentences on a daily basis, nobody will ever get to the bottom of this scandal as self preservation will kick in and the guilty ones will get off scot free.

[Jimbuna]

Tiny Sicilian island giving away goats as tensions grow over rapidly expanding animal population

A tiny remote island off the coast of Sicily has started donating its 600 goats, with the animals overwhelming the human population of just 100.

Local mayor Riccardo Gullo told Sky News the goats were creating "tension" among the local community as they were wreaking havoc on the environment, storming people's homes and eating their crops.

Mr Gullo said it all started with a few goats supposedly escaping from their owner and going on to reproduce themselves to a point where they have now become too hard to manage.

"They represented a problem, you would meet them everywhere," he said.

"Six hundred goats have been counted - the island is really small, so they're really too many."

With pictures showing the goats grazing on what appears to be residents' back gardens, the mayor said measures had to be taken to contain them following "massive damage" on the island, the smallest of the volcanic Aeolian archipelago in southern Italy.

"Some goats are nice and robust, so some people are scared, while others fear they will enter their home," said Mr Gullo.

The plan to offer the goats to whoever sought to breed them has so far been successful, the mayor said, with requests coming from as far as the central Italian region of Tuscany and Lombardy, in the north of Italy.

While the offer expires on 10 April, there are no restrictions on who can apply for a goat or any limit on how many of the wild animals one can request.

"It's a random delivery without conditions, a special gift," the mayor of the Comune di Lipari, which administers Alicudi, said.

Gloria, owner of the Golden Cafe Noir at Alicudi's port, welcomed the plan but questioned how it would work logistically.

She told The Guardian the goats have become "too many", with one of the animals also visiting her business.

While it attracted attention at first, Gloria was concerned the goat could turn aggressive towards one of her customers.

Pointing to how it may be a struggle to get the goats transferred from the top of the mountainous, cone-shaped island, she said: "How will they bring the goats back down? Perhaps they would need a helicopter to transfer two or three at a time.

"It's a nice proposal, but there is no logistical solution yet."
https://news.sky.com/story/italy-tin...ation-13107661