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Boy, 14, stabbed in fight with other minor
Greece named the most Googled travel destinationEvery year, Google publishes its ‘Year in Search’ data, a report showing what users have Googled over the past 12 months.According to CNtraveller, the travel section of the data has been contextualised to take into account current events and is now presented in order to provide inspiration for those who wish to travel in 2024.The 10 cities and countries that have seen the biggest search increases on Google year on year, have been spotted and Greece tops the list. CNtraveller highlights Greece’s diverse attractions, from Mykonos‘ picturesque architecture to Kefalonia’s natural beauty. It also mentions Athens with the boasting world-class bars and culinary delights, and concludes that whether it’s Santorini’s sunsets, Corfu’s quiet beaches, or Crete’s late-summer weather, Greece consistently captivates with its varied offerings.Spain and Italy come second and third in the list.
Greek Virus Outbreak Worsens: Students With Symptoms Told Stay HomeWith COVID cases back and more viruses breaking out during flu season, Deputy Health Minister Irini Agapidaki has advised parents not to send their children to school if they exhibit symptoms of a respiratory infection.Students return on Jan. 8 from holiday breaks, a period during which there was a surge in viruses of different sorts mainly attributed to public gatherings and people coming into close contact again, leading to advice to wear masks again.
Pregnant alpaca died after 'devastating' attack by houndsPolice are investigating reports a pet alpaca was attacked by hounds and later died on New Year's Day.The attack happened in the Kings Nympton area of Devon on 1 January between 10:30 and 12:35 GMT, police said.The alpaca's owners, Lucy Aylett and Nick Stringer, said they were "traumatised" after the attack.Police are asking anyone who witnessed the attack or who has dashcam footage to come forward.Ms Aylett said she and her husband were visiting family for New Year and their neighbours were taking care of their animals.She said: "On New Year's Day we received a call from the chairman of the Tiverton Stag Hunt to say his hounds had attacked our alpaca and that the vet needed to euthanise her."Ruby died from her injuries whilst we were on the phone."Ms Aylett said the alpaca had been pregnant and nursing a four month old cria - or baby alpaca.She added: We're totally devastated and shocked, it has been traumatising for not just us, but our neighbours who were looking after the farm."The hunt had not informed us or our neighbours that they would be out that day, and clearly the hounds were out of control - otherwise Ruby would still be with us."The BBC has approached the Tiverton Stag Hunt for comment.
'Christmas miracle' as cat missing for nine years returnsA family has been reunited with their missing cat after nine years, thanks to a charity volunteer and a microchip.Long-haired cat Strawberry disappeared in June 2014 after failing to return to her home in Stoke, Plymouth.The cat was reunited with owners Lee and Jo Harris-Joce in December.
Derek Draper: Kate Garraway says husband has died, aged 56Derek Draper, the author and former political adviser, has died aged 56, his wife Kate Garraway has said.Draper had been living with extreme complications from Covid since contracting the disease in March 2020.
Battersea’s longest stay cat has been rehomedBattersea Dogs & Cats Home has rehomed a short-haired cat nearly 200 days after arriving at its centre in Windsor.
Experience: I own the world’s oldest living catI thought to myself: when I have my own place, I’ll adopt old cats to make sure they don’t stay in cages at the end of their life.Last summer, I finally got my own flat in London and was ready to adopt. I came across a cat named Flossie through Cats Protection, a charity dedicated to rescuing and rehoming stray, unwanted or homeless animals. The website said she was a 27-year-old tortoiseshell. At the time, I thought it was an error and that she must be 17. Cats Protection told me she was still available to adopt and that no, she was in fact 27.
Navy has so few sailors it has to decommission shipsNew frigates unable to be manned unless two existing warships are taken out of serviceThe Royal Navy has so few sailors that it has to decommission two warships to staff its new class of frigates, The Telegraph can reveal.HMS Westminster, which was recently refurbished at huge expense to the taxpayer, and HMS Argyll will be decommissioned this year.The crews will be sent to work across the new fleet of Type 26 frigates as they come into service.It comes as the Armed Forces experience a significant recruitment crisis, with the Navy having suffered a collapse in the flow of new recruits into the service.
Royal Navy forced to recruit for tob job on social mediaThe Royal Navy was forced to advertise for a top job on social media in a move described as “utterly shameful” by military sources.Navy chiefs posted the advertisement for the £150,000-a-year rear-admiral position on LinkedIn in December as it struggled to fill the role internally.It comes as former defence secretary Ben Wallace warned Britain’s armed forces were facing a recruitment crisis because Generation Z was not signing up.One former senior submariner said the post was “utterly shameful” and the only person who applied was an unqualified weapons engineer commodore when it was first posted, according to The Times.The chosen candidate would replace Rear-Admiral Simon Asquith as director of submarines and would be responsible for “elite operations” and the nation’s nuclear deterrent.One user commented on the job advertisement: “I’ll do it - but is the advertisement a scam. Surely not how the appointment is made.”Another former submariner who worked in the Navy for 35 years added: “Nice little bit of intelligence I am sure our Russian friends will have noted!”
The legal battle that could transform AirbnbThe legality of short-term rentals in Greece’s designated residential areas lies in the hands of the Council of State. This matter was brought forth by the Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage (ELLET), which submitted 16 appeals to the country’s top administrative court challenging the conversion of entire buildings into Airbnb accommodation units in Athens’ historic Plaka neighborhood.If these appeals are upheld, it could set a precedent for similar rulings, especially in regions subject to specific urban planning regulations, such as traditional settlements. Most importantly, this legal action will determine, for the first time, whether short-term rentals fall under the category of urban leases, as defined by law, or if they constitute a “disguised” tourist activity that might conflict with the land use regulations specific to each area.