7 days agoUSA UpdateComments Off on Six cheap activities to keep your kids happy in the run-up to Christmas
LOOKING for ways to keep the family entertained this week?
From outdoor adventures to creative at-home activities, we have ideas to help you enjoy quality time with loved ones before Christmas.
GettyWe share ideas that will help you enjoy quality time with loved ones before Christmas for less[/caption]
Here are our pick . . .
BURN OFF ENERGY: Junior Park Run is a free weekly 2km event for children aged four–14, promoting fitness and fun.
Register at parkrun.org.uk and enjoy the outdoor exercise together.
You can also volunteer, helping others while teaching your kids about community.
Find a local event on the parkrun.org.uk website and it could be the start of a new festive family tradition.
CACHE ’EM ALL: Geocaching is a treasure hunt using GPS coordinates to find hidden goodies.
Download the free Geocaching app, enter the cache coordinates, and follow the GPS to find the stashed treasure.
Sign the logbook, trade items and help clean up any litter.
GIVE BACK: Organise a toy donation drive with your kids by sorting through gently used toys or by buying affordable new ones to donate.
Drop them off at local charity shops or toy banks and see how your gifts can make a difference.
GET OUTDOORS: Get outside for a winter walk or explore nature trails in your area.
Many parks offer family-friendly trails with activities like wildlife spotting or scavenger hunts.
Make it a fun challenge by creating a winter bingo game to find pinecones, animal tracks, holly berries and more.
AT-HOME ACTIVITY: When the grim weather keeps you indoors, download free activity sheets from sites such as learningresources.co.uk.
From puzzles and colouring pages to fun STEM challenges, these printable activities will help keep your children entertained for hours.
CUTE CRAFTS: Check out the hobbycraft.co.uk Ideas Hub with a guide to more than 400 free craft projects, including 20 Christmas-themed activities for kids.
With simple step-by-step guides and just a few art box items, your youngsters can create paper plate angels or clay decorations.
All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability.
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Cheap treat
SuppliedThis Mitre football is now £6.99 at Home Bargains[/caption]
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Top swap
SuppliedThese pretty champagne glasses are £16 for four from Habitat at Argos[/caption]
SuppliedPick up the similar Sallskaplig set of four, at Ikea for £12[/caption]
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Little helper
GET a year’s Spotify Premium subscription giftcard for £99 at amazon.co.uk.
An annual subscription would normally cost you £144, so this is a great way to trim the cost.
Shop & save
SuppliedSpend £45 and use your Morrisons More card to get 60 per cent off an XL 83-wash bottle of Comfort fabric conditioner[/caption]
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7 days agoUSA UpdateComments Off on Nicola Sturgeon grilled over SNP cash probe 18 months after arrest
NICOLA Sturgeon has revealed she’s still in the dark about the long-running police probe into the SNP’s finances, insisting she is “getting on with my life as best I can”.
The former first minister claimed she knows “nothing more” of the investigation – codenamed Operation Branchform – having been arrested more than 18 months ago.
PANicola Sturgeon said she knows “nothing more” about the police investigation[/caption]
AFPPolice officers stand outside Ms Sturgeon and Mr Murrell’s home in April last year[/caption]
GettyThe former First Minister made a statement outside her home in 2023[/caption]
The ex-Nats chief remains under investigation by police in connection with the probe having been questioned by cops on June 11, 2023.
That followed the arrest of her husband and former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell and the then SNP treasurer Colin Beattie.
Mr Murrell was later charged in connection with alleged embezzlement from the SNP in April this year and cops handed over their report into the investigation to the Crown Office in August.
However there has been no movement around the probe since and we told in October how cops were “frustrated” with the lack of progress around the case.
Asked if she had heard anything further regarding the investigation, the former First Minister said: “I have nothing to add. Nothing to offer you on that.
“I know nothing more than I did back then and I can’t comment on it anyway.
“I am just getting on with my life as best I can at the moment.”
In June last year after her arrest she insisted “beyond doubt” she was “innocent of any wrongdoing”.
PAPeter Murrell, Ms Sturgeon’s husband, was also arrested[/caption]
AlamyColin Beattie was serving as the SNP treasurer when he was questioned by cops[/caption]
Her comments came as Christina Hendry, the niece of ex-SNP leader Alex Salmond, blasted Ms Sturgeon in a thinly-veiled reference to Mr Salmond’s belief his former colleagues were integral to an alleged political conspiracy to see him jailed.
The two pro-indy titans fell out after the late Alba Party leader was accused of sexual harassment, which he was later cleared of in a high profile trial in 2020.
Ms Hendry, who announced last week she would stand for her uncle’s party in his former seat, said: “To be quite honest, I have nothing to say to Nicola Sturgeon.
“I think we’ve all just maybe got to reflect back on ourselves and things that we’ve done.”
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Scottish Tory deputy leader Rachael Hamilton said Operation Branchform “lays bare the complexities of investigating the SNP’s finances”.
She added: “With SNP cuts continuing to hit police budgets, they could do without this investigation dragging on.”
A spokesman for Police Scotland said: “On August 9 2024, we presented the findings of the investigation so far to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and we await their direction on what further action should be taken.”
2017 – March 13 – IndyRef2 campaign fundraiser launched by SNP on website ref.scot – with £1million target – as Nicola Sturgeon announces she is requesting a second referendum with a letter to then PM Theresa May. The website says: “The success of our campaign will rely on the hard work and good will of tens of thousands of ordinary people across the country.”
2017 – June – snap General Election sees the SNP lose 21 of its 56 MPs. SNP later sidelines immediate IndyRef2 bid.The ref.scot crowdfunder is wound down – showing total of £482,000
2017 – June 13 – SNP statement to The Herald newspaper says: “The funding that was raised during the period of the ref.scot crowdfunder will only be used for the specific purpose of a referendum campaign. In that regard, the money is earmarked. The money spent in the General Election campaign was taken from our general election appeal.”
2020 – October 28 – MSP and SNP Treasurer Colin Beattie – in the post since 2004 – sends an email to SNP members amid concerns about the fate of crowdfunded cash, saying he wanted to “quash rumours spreading on social media about one of our fundraising appeals”. It comes after the SNP accounts for 2019 showed the party had less than £482,000 in cash and reserves. Beattie says the “Referendum Appeal Fund” has a balance of £593,501 “and we can fully deploy those funds instantaneously”. He says the SNP “does not separate out restricted funds in annual accounts – even though his SNP accounts in 2012 had a separate referendum funds section.
2020 – November 30 – Mr Beattie ousted as Treasurer when he loses SNP internal election, with members backing MP Douglas Chapman to replace him amid a push for greater transparency
2021 – March 20 – Three members of the SNP’s finance and audit committee quit citing concerns about a lack of transparency.
2021 – March 27 – Indy activist Sean Clerkin makes a complaint to Police Scotland about the fate of the IndyRef2 cash raised in the 2017 online crowdfunder.
2021 – May 6 – Holyrood election. SNP spend £1,468,343 on the election campaign, according to returns later published
2021 – May 29 – Douglas Chapman tweets: ”Despite having a resounding mandate from members to introduce more transparency into the party’s finances, I have not received the support or financial information to carry out the fiduciary duties of National Treasurer. Regretfully I have resigned with immediate effect.”
2021 – June 3 – Mr Beattie returns as Treasurer.
2021 – June 19 – After an SNP national executive committee meeting, Mr Beattie says that at the end of 2020 “a total of £666,953 had been raised through the independence related appeals” and “£51,760 of expenditure had been applied against this income”. He says the “balance” remains “earmarked” for “independence related campaigning”.
2021 – June 20 – SNP chief executive Peter Murrell – Nicola Sturgeon’s husband – loans the SNP £107,620 which the SNP later says was to “assist with cashflow”. The loan is now declared for a year – breaking Electoral Commission rules.
2021 – July 13 – Police Scotland confirm they have begun a formal investigation into the allegations of fraud and financial irregularity. The probe is called Operation Branchform, and the SNP denies any wrongdoing and vows to cooperate.
2022 – June 30 – End of year accounts for 2021 show that the SNP had a £751,572 deficit in the calendar year 2021, with income of £4,510,460 and expenditure of £5,262,032
2022 – autumn – SNP auditors Johnston Carmichael – who signed off the 2021 accounts – resign, but this is initially kept secret by party bosses.
2023 – February 15 – Nicola Sturgeon quits just a fortnight after claiming she has plenty left in the tank. She refuses to comment when asked about the cop probe. Ms Sturgeon is asked by a reporter: “Have you been, or do you expect, to be interviewed by the police who are looking into your party’s finances?” She replies: “I’m not going to discuss an ongoing police investigation. I wouldn’t do that on any issue and I’m not going to do it now.”
2023 – February 16 – SNP set out an accelerated five-and-a-half week timetable to for the leadership race, with SNP Business Convene Kirsten Oswald saying it is “not hugely lengthy”
2023 – March 27 – Humza Yousaf, who was favoured by the Sturgeon regime, is elected as SNP leader with a final round result of 52/48 percentage split over main rival Kate Forbes.
2023 – April 5 – Mr Murrell is arrested in a dramatic raid at he and Ms Sturgeon’s home in Glasgow, quizzed by officers and later released without charge pending further inquiries
2023 – April 18 – Mr Beattie is arrested.
2023 – April 21 – Mr Murrell is pictured in public for the first time since his arrest
2023 – April 22 – SNP support plummets with expert Prof John Curtice claiming the fraud investigation and leadership contest had “taken their toll on SNP support”.
2023 – April 26 – Ms Sturgeon returns to the Scottish Parliament and describes events as “very traumatic”.
2023 – May 16 – It emerges a warrant for the search of Nicola Sturgeon’s home wasn’t signed off until the SNP leadership race had concluded and Ms Sturgeon had left office as First Minister.
2023 – May 17 – Kenny MacAskill calls for a judge-led inquiry into the Crown Office’s handling of the SNP fraud probe.
2023 – June 11 – Ms Sturgeon is arrested, later released without charge, and named as a “suspect” by police.
PAPolice Scotland stand guard outside Ms Sturgeon’s home[/caption]
ReutersCops raided the property in 2023 and erected evidence tents in the garden[/caption]
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NO RISK DES FLOS (12.22 Southwell, nap)
Has tons of ability and was second to the smart L’Eau Du Sud on reappearance. The trip is his minimum, but there is tons of pace which will suit a strong stayer. He’s 8lb below his last winning mark and with his connections in great form, he can gain an overdue win for Olly Murphy and Sean Bowen.
LADY BALKO (2.10 Plumpton, nb)
Got off the mark at the second attempt over fences with an easy win at Plumpton. A 9lb rise for that is fair and although he has lots of weight to carry, he should have too much improvement for his rivals and can make it 2-3 over fences.
ALIEN STORM (1.10 Plumpton, treble)
Has gained both his win at Plumpton, including on chase debut in September. He’s run well in two starts since and back at this track he can return to winning ways.
Templegate’s tips
SOUTHWELL
11.52 Safe Destination 12.22 NO RISK DES FLOS (nap) 12.52 Bebe And Bean 1.22 French Symphony 1.52 Benmore 2.22 Crazierthandaisy 2.52 Ballydangan 3.22 My Gift To You
4.30 Kyber Crystal 5.00 Soldier’s Star 5.30 Rogue Officer 6.00 Beccali 6.30 Bay Of Naples 7.00 Java Raja 7.30 Plumette 8.00 Port Noir 8.30 Not Just Yet
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7 days agoUSA UpdateComments Off on Rare British coin collection sells for HUGE sum – including one 17th century piece for £200k
A PRIZED coin collection with some of the rarest examples of hammered gold in British history has sold for £1.1million.
A Charles I piece from 1643 was the top item, going for £222,000.
BNPSA coin collection with some of the rarest examples of hammered gold in British history has sold for £1.1million[/caption]
It was struck by his royalist supporters at the height of the Civil War, showing him as a “peace-bringer” in the years before his beheading.
An 1839 coin depicting Queen Victoria as poet Edmund Spencer’s “Faerie Queen” was close behind, selling for £204,000. Only 400 of them were made.
And a special £5 coin from 1991, featuring the head of Elizabeth II, fetched £7,800.
Auction manager Louis Davern said: “It was a rare privilege to auction some of the finest British coins known.
“There was competitive bidding across the British gold from hammered examples all the way through to Elizabeth II gold coinage.
“The Charles I Triple Unite is an exceptionally rare and historically significant coin valued at 60 shillings, the highest English hammered denomination ever struck.
“Produced at the Oxford mint following the king’s retreat from Parliament-controlled London, these coins were created to curry favour with the elites and encourage support for the Royalist cause during the Civil War.
“Intended as a temporary measure to fund the king’s campaign, the majority were melted down after the conflict, making surviving examples extraordinarily rare.
“This combination of scarcity, artistry, and historic value ensure the
“Triple Unite’s place as a standout addition to any collection of British hammered gold coins.”
In all, 220 rare coins were auctioned in Marylebone, central London.
BNPSA Charles I piece from 1643 was the top item, going for £222,000[/caption]
7 days agoUSA UpdateComments Off on Jill Jacobson dead: Star Trek The Next Generation & Who’s the Boss star dies aged 70 as family pays tribute
LEGENDARY Star Trek actress Jill Jacobson has died at the age of 70 after battling a “long illness”.
Jacobson revealed earlier this year that she recovered from esophageal cancer after struggling for two and a half years.
GettyActress Jill Jacobson arrives at A Week In London screening at ArcLight Cinemas Cinerama Dome[/caption]
GettyActress Jill Jacobson arrives at a series premiere at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel[/caption]
Paramount TelevisionJill Jacobson as Vanessa in Star Trek[/caption]
The actress passed away at Culver West Health Center in Culver City, California, close friend and publicist Dan Harary told the Hollywood Reporter.
“Beautiful, energetic, and positive to the end, she will be deeply missed by numerous relatives, friends, and her beloved dogs Benny and Kowalski,” he added.
Speaking about her previous cancer battle, Jacobson said: “[The cancer] kind of took me out of the game for a while.”
She added: “What I went through was pretty intense. You can’t function, you just can’t function.
“And now I’m so grateful, I just want to keep going, I want to help people. It makes you want to help people.”
Jacobson kicked off her Hollywood career in the ’70s and played small roles in a series of movies.
She got her big break in 1985 when she played Erin Jones on the soap opera Falcon Crest.
Jacobson then appeared on Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1989 and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in 1996.
Some of her notable works include Who’s the Boss?, Party Down and House of Usher.
The star also worked as a volunteer spokesperson for the American Cancer Society – and received awards for her contributions.
Jacobson’s next project Merrily, currently under production, is set to release next year, TMZ reports.
More to follow… For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.
7 days agoUSA UpdateComments Off on Sir Keir Starmer has ‘Surrender Squad’ ready to junk Brexit for closer EU ties, experts claim
SIR Keir Starmer has a “Surrender Squad” ready to junk Brexit for closer EU ties, it is claimed.
More than 100 civil servants will run a team set to abandon the freedoms of leaving the bloc.
PASir Keir Starmer has a ‘Surrender Squad’ ready to junk Brexit for closer EU ties, insiders claim[/caption]
GettyEx-PM Boris Johnson said: ‘It would be a huge mistake to drift back into the orbit of Brussels and sacrifice our economic independence’[/caption]
It comes as the UK formally joined the Indo-Pacific economic trade pact over the weekend, a move made possible by regaining powers through Brexit.
PM Sir Keir has been discussing a “reset” with Brussels since he entered No 10 and will meet EU leaders in February.
In return, Eurocrats want freedom of movement for 18 to 30s with free health care, it is said.
Fishers would have to be guaranteed access to UK waters and the UK would have to abide by EU food and agriculture rules.
Ex-Brexit negotiator Lord Frost said a “Surrender Squad” in Whitehall was preparing for major renegotiation.
He said: “Unless we stop them, the reset will end with this country once again in the EU’s orbit gradually losing our ability to set our rules and make our own laws.”
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said: “In every negotiation, from trade union pay to the Chagos Islands, Keir Starmer has given away everything for nothing in return.”
Ex-PM Boris Johnson said: “It would be a huge mistake to drift back into the orbit of Brussels and sacrifice our economic independence.”
A government spokesman said resetting the relationship with the EU would strengthen cooperation, tackle trade barriers and “drive economic growth”.
He said: “There will be no return to the customs union, single market or freedom of movement.”
7 days agoUSA UpdateComments Off on Tiny robots thinner than a human hair could help fight cancer tumours, reveals study
TINY robots thinner than a human hair could help fight cancer tumours, a study has found.
Scientists have crafted special 3D-printed microbots able to directly take drugs to cancer cells.
They are only 30 microns — thousands of a millimetre — in diameter, and can easily turn from solid to liquid and back.
They can survive stomach acid and would pass out of the body in urine.
A trial in mice has already helped to shrink the size of bladder tumours.
A test on humans is now hoped for in the long term.
Researcher Wei Gao, of Caltech University in the US, said: “Rather than putting a drug into the body and letting it diffuse everywhere, now we can guide our microrobots directly to a tumour site and release the drug in a controlled and efficient way.
“We think this is a very promising platform for drug delivery and precision surgery.
“Looking to the future, we could evaluate using this robot as a platform to deliver different types of therapeutic payloads or agents for different conditions.
“In the long term, we hope to test this in humans.”
GettyTiny robots could help fight cancer tumours[/caption]
7 days agoUSA UpdateComments Off on Baer’s Furniture is handing out $5,000 checks from data breach settlement – and you only need to submit a form
THERE’S just days left to claim a share of a settlement pot agreed by Baer’s Furniture following a data breach.
The cyberattack in 2022 potentially compromised the personal information of customers and the company’s employees.
There’s just days left to claim in this class action settlement, following a cyberattack in 2022Alamy
This attack involved personally identifiable information, such as names and addresses, social security numbers and possibly medical details.
Plaintiffs brought a class action lawsuit against the Florida-based retailer, claiming the company should have done more to prevent such a data breach by improving cybersecurity.
Baer’s Furniture denies any wrongdoing, however the company has agreed a settlement to avoid any further expense associated with continuing the case.
Those eligible could receive up to $5,000, which includes $25 per hour for up to four hours’ time spent dealing with any fallout from the breach.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
Individuals whose information was compromised by the breach are eligible to claim.
Customers and employees will have received notice of the security breach from Baer if they were affected to claim a share of the money.
Each individual can claim up to $5,000 for unreimbursed losses incurred because of the breach, as well as two years’ credit monitoring services for free.
The total claim amount can also include up to $100 for time spent dealing with the incident.
Anybody not wishing to take up these benefits can claim a $50 cash payment instead.
To grab the cash, claimants must show proof, such as bank statements, invoices, and receipts.
They will need to submit the online claim form or alternatively, ask for a claim form to be emailed or posted to them.
A notice ID number is required to access the claim form online.
Online claims should be submitted by December 16, 2024, and postal claims will need to be postmarked by the same date.
What's a class-action settlement?
Class action lawsuits offer groups of people, or 'classes,' a way to band together in court.
These suits are often brought by one or a few people who allege a company or other entity has wronged a large group of people.
When a suit becomes a class action, it extends to all “class members,” or people who may have similar complaints to those who filed the suit.
Companies often settle class actions – offering payment to class members who typically waive their right to pursue further legal action by accepting money.
These payout agreements frequently include statements by the defendant denying wrongdoing. Companies tend to settle class actions to avoid the costs of further litigation.
Pollution, discrimination, or false advertising are a few examples of what can land a class action on a company’s doorstep.
Documentary evidence of expenses caused due to the data breach should also be submitted.
A final approval hearing for the settlement agreement took place on December 5 in Orange County, Florida.
RECENT SETTLEMENT OFFERS
The class action lawsuit against Baer isn’t the only one to have been settled recently.
Injured Workers Pharmacy is paying up to $5,000 to individuals potentially impacted by a data breach discovered in 2021.
7 days agoUSA UpdateComments Off on Hundreds feared dead in Mayotte after cyclone
Footage released on Sunday (December 15) showed several homes and trees destroyed on the French archipelago of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after Cyclone Chido swept through the region.
