08/11/17

[Maik]

Paddles, New Zealand PM's 'first cat', dies in car crash

A cat belonging to New Zealand's new Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, has died after being hit by a car.

A spokesperson for Ms Ardern confirmed to local media that the so-called "First Cat" Paddles had died in an accident on Tuesday.

The cat was well-known for its polydactyl abnormality - she had extra claws that looked like thumbs.

A rescue cat, she had a following of thousands on Twitter, where her profile read: "Have thumbs, will tweet."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-41909057

 

[Maik]

British tourists complain to mayor after being charged £463 for lunch in Venice

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/11/07/british-tourists-complain-mayor-charged-463-lunch-venice/

[Maik]

We want our Brexit cash boost - NHS boss

The health service should get the cash boost it was promised during the EU referendum, the head of the NHS in England is expected to say later.

Simon Stevens will use controversial claims used by Vote Leave to put the case for more money in a speech later.

With waiting times worsening, he will say trust in politics will be damaged if the NHS does not get more.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-41908302

[Maik]

Clever sheep can recognise Fiona Bruce, Emma Watson and Barack Obama

The humble sheep has long been judged a placid and witless creature, a view epitomised by Winston Churchill when he labelled Clement Attlee a ‘sheep in sheep’s clothing’

But a new study by Cambridge University suggests that we may have underestimated the intellectual capacities of the wooly hill-dwellers.

Sheep can recognise human faces, spot the facial features of their handlers, and can even distinguish Fiona Bruce from Emma Watson.

In experiments in which the farm animals were rewarded with food for picking out portraits of Bruce, Watson, Barack Obama, and Jake Gyllenhaal sheep proved they were experts at identifying individuals.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/11/08/clever-sheep-can-recognise-fiona-bruce-emma-watson-barack-obama/


Might answer the query about celebs on Strictly - the sheep recognise them all. 

[TonyD]

We want our Brexit cash boost - NHS boss

The health service should get the cash boost it was promised during the EU referendum, the head of the NHS in England is expected to say later.
Simon Stevens will use controversial claims used by Vote Leave to put the case for more money in a speech later.
With waiting times worsening, he will say trust in politics will be damaged if the NHS does not get more.

Sounds like a very politically biased speech to come. As for "...trust in politics will be damaged...", will?!
Not sure I ever saw a "promise", but even so, additional monies can only be realised once we've left, surely?

[Maik]

Yep, seem to recall actual promises were as common as Paddington Bear poo, instead the Brexit campaign invited the voting public to *imagine* more money would be spent on the NHS. Be interesting to see if massive amounts of 'saved' monies are poured in to the NHS when (if?) the UK leaves the EU (... or if you have to imagine you've had your hip replacement, etc).

[Maik]

Kountoura: Greece Can Tackle ‘Overtourism’ By Attracting Visitors 365 Days a Year

Minister Kountoura informed that Greece is in the process of developing tourism in the winter months and this way “spread out” the tourists coming to the country.

The minister underlined that the Greek islands are generally very busy in the summer season and that is why the ministry’s strategy involves establishing Greece as a 365-day a year destination.

http://news.gtp.gr/2017/11/07/kountoura-greece-tackle-overtourism-visitors-365-days-year

As we all know, expanding the tourist season has been talked about for years, prospect seems to exist only in politicians' imaginations.