Phone Saves Man From Robber's Bullet

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  Yahoo News/Splash - An image of the HTC smartphone shows where the device took a bullet in saving its owner. (Splash News)

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A petrol station clerk in Florida has been saved from a robber's bullet by his cell phone.

The clerk had just minor injuries after a robber fired a bullet at his abdomen, Winter Garden Police said.

The man did not realise the bullet had been stopped by the phone until he pulled the device out of his shirt pocket.

The attempted robbery took place on Monday afternoon in Winter Garden, a suburb of Orlando.

A man entered the Hess gas station and asked a clerk for help.

He then showed the worker a revolver and demanded that he open the safe.

A CCTV image of the unidentified man who police are hunting in connection with the robbery. (Splash)
When the clerk could not open the safe, the robber ordered a second clerk to try. He was also unsuccessful.

The gunman fired a round at one of the clerks and fled.

U say? HTC phones stop bullets? Get me a dozen

Ajax’s inflatable dome complex collapses, players just escape

(Ajax.nl)

The bad weather that has been grinding Britain to a standstill seems to have made it across to the Netherlands.

As Ajax were preparing for Tuesday's Dutch Cup match against ASWH under their inflatable dome they noticed that the wind outside was getting stronger.

Manager Frank de Boer decided to relocate the training as a precautionary measure and it was a good thing he did because moments after everybody had left the dome collapsed.

Thankfully nobody was in the vicinity when the incident took place and there were no injuries.

You can see what the dome usually looks like in the picture below.

(Ajax.nl)

De Boer told the club's website: "This was a good choice to leave [the building]. A storm is the worst circumstance in which to train.

"We found the risk too great," he added.

The club also carried photos of the dome before and after the incident on their website.

Despite the fact that the players getting out in the nick of time was a relief, the club's £2 million dome complex will have been severely damaged.

U say? Just like that?

Leeds suspend player for incorrectly spelt, ‘offensive’ Tweet

 

Leeds have suspended winger Ryan Hall after launching an inquiry into a "disciplinary issue" concerning the player.
The 25-year-old has spent the last month on loan at Sheffield United, for whom he has made five appearances, with his spell at Bramall Lane scheduled to expire on Tuesday.
It is believed the suspension is related to a Tweet that Hall made on his official account boasting about still getting "payed" (sic) despite not playing.

A brief Leeds statement read: "Leeds United can confirm that Ryan Hall has been suspended from the club pending an investigation into a disciplinary issue.
"No further comment will be made at this stage."
Hall arrived at Leeds from Southend in October last year when Neil Warnock was in charge at Elland Road.
The former Crystal Palace trainee made only two starts and three substitute appearances for Leeds last season and has failed to appear for the first team during the current campaign.
While at Palace, where he featured only once for the first team, Hall had loan spells at Dagenham and Crawley before joining non-league Bromley. He signed for Southend in July 2010 and made over 100 appearances in total for the Shrimpers.
It is not the first time that a footballer has dropped himself in it with an offensive or crude Tweet, while even coaches are not immune.
Arsenal were forced to investigate, "as a matter of urgency", whether academy coach Mark Arber bet on the signing of Mesut Ozil after the former Dagenham and Redbridge player posted a Tweet that suggested he had bet on the move.
Most famously, Chelsea and England defender posted a foul-mouthed Tweet about the FA, describing the governing body as a "bunch of t***s".
However, while there are many examples of footballers being made to look silly and disrespectful on Twitter, we must not forget the incredible kindness of Ipswich defender Tyrone Mings, who sorted a fan out with a ticket for a game after he was told he could not afford to go.
U say? just like that...

Giant Oarfish 'Sea Serpent' Found Off California

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  Giant Oarfish 'Sea Serpent' Found Off California

A marine biologist has made the discovery of a lifetime - the five-metre-long silvery carcass of the creature believed to be the origin of sea serpent legends.

Jasmine Santana of the Catalina Island Marine Institute (CIMI) was snorkelling with colleagues in Toyon Bay, southern California when she spotted something shimmering in the water.

She dragged the eel-like beast by the tail for more than 20m, others waded in to the sea and helped her bring it to shore.

After taking a closer look she discovered it was an oarfish, which can grow up to 15m.

"Jasmine Santana was shocked to see (a) half-dollar sized eye staring at her from the sandy bottom," the institute said in a statement.

"Her first reaction was to approach with caution, until she realised that it was dead."

Oarfish are deep-water pelagic fish and the longest bony fish in the world, according to CIMI.

Because oarfish dive more than 3,000 feet (914 metres) deep, sightings of the creatures are rare and they are largely unstudied.

"We've never seen a fish this big," said Mark Waddington, senior captain of the Tole Mour, CIMI's sail training ship.

"The last oarfish we saw was three feet long."

Tissue samples and video footage were sent to be studied by biologists at the University of California in Santa Barbara.

It will be buried in the sand until it decomposes and then its skeleton will be reconstructed for display.

The fish apparently died of natural causes.

U say? Fish or Snake

Drug baron's spoils put on sale

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  Vincent Graham was jailed in 2011 at Preston Crown Court for seven years after he …

Luxury assets confiscated from a cage fighter turned drug baron are being sold on eBay by the police.

The proceeds of the ill-gotten gains of Southport father-of-10 Vincent Graham, 35, will be ploughed back into crime fighting.

The items including several high-performance cars were seized as one-legged Graham's cocaine importing operation from South Africa was uncovered by the authorities.

He was jailed in 2011 at Preston Crown Court for seven years after he admitted supplying cocaine.

A luxury watch and jewellery, with bids starting at a combined total of £6,550, are the first lots to be auctioned online.

A number of vehicles also seized in raids on Graham are expected to be sold in future on eBay.

Among the cars the drugs boss drove were a Lamborghini Gallardo, worth more than £40,000, a Nissan Skyline, valued at £35,000, and an Audi Q7 worth more than £20,000.

Half of the money gained from the sales will be split between Titan - the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit, the region's police forces, the Crown Prosecution Service and Her Majesty's Courts Service.

The remainder will be returned to central government.

Graham was said to have made an estimated £926,981 from the drugs conspiracy which also led to the jailing of three other men who were part of his gang.

Detective Superintendent Jason Hudson, head of operations at Titan, said: "This is just the start of us selling the ill-gotten gains of convicted major criminals and re-investing the proceeds back into tackling others like them.

"Expensive jewellery, luxury furniture, fast cars - these trappings of wealth are things that most ordinary people can only dream of yet serious organised criminals have been enjoying them while blighting communities with their drugs and violence.

"Law enforcement agencies are using the Proceeds of Crime Act and court confiscation orders to their full potential and hit criminals in the pockets as well as with prison. By using eBay we hope to sell criminals' assets at the highest price we can.

"Titan tackles some of the most serious organised crime groups operating in the region and we are expecting to be able to auction off lots of other high-value things in the coming months, which can only be good news for our communities."

In the first lot, currently on sale at the Titan eBay shop, is a white gold diamond-set bracelet valued at £3,200, a Jacobs & Co diamond-set watch worth £2,000, a white gold stone-set line necklace valued at £1,000 and a white gold diamond-set ring valued at £350.

Graham lost his right leg in a motorbike accident when aged in his 20s.

When arrested he was renting a five-bedroom detached house in Brockhall Village, Lancashire, near to the training ground of Blackburn Rovers.

U say? See awoof o

Strip-washing and snuggie blankets: How rising bills and Heartbeat inspired me to live without paying a penny for heating or hot water

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  Yahoo Finance UK/fotolia - As the weather starts to turn cold, Lee Beaumont is one person who won't be turning the heating on

It started in February when Lee Beaumont was faced with a £1,000 bill to have a new boiler fitted.

Instead of gritting his teeth and reaching into his pocket, he simply decided he would do without gas or hot water for a year.

“It was hard at first, especially the hygiene side of things,” admitted the 24-year-old entrepreneur who works from home.

But ever the true Yorkshireman, he took inspiration from TV programme ‘Heartbeat’ where he saw characters boiling water to take strip-washes.

Lee Beaumont loves to save moneyThe self-confessed “hard-core money-saver” also joined as many mailing lists for gyms as possible.

“Every few months they offer free two or three-day trials, so I can then use their showers twice a day,” he explained.

Though Lee was without a boiler in the depths on winter, he refused to use any heaters at all.

During the day he wore a ‘snuggie blanket’ and didn’t sleep with a normal duvet unless it was really cold.

As the mercury has started to drop again, he has bought an electric blanket, but is still reluctant to use it.

Realising that he would be using far less water, Beaumont had a meter installed. But after finding he was using just one unit a month, which cost £3, and paying a £14 service charge, he decided to take his mission one step further. 

“I phoned them up and asked to be cut off, but they wouldn’t do it because it’s illegal,” he said.

[ 50 ways to use less energy ]

[ Can you live without money? ]

After reading the Water Act, Lee discovered that water companies are indeed obliged to supply clean drinking water to all homes, but he also found that he did not have to accept it.

His supplier was unable to turn off the supply, but agreed to freeze the account and do a meter reading once a month to check he wasn’t using any water.

Lee turned off the stopcock completely in April and started buying 14 five-litre bottles of water a month costing him £14.

Bella the dogThe change made him more conscious about how much water he was using. For instance, by using water from his dog Bella’s drinking bowl to flush the toilet, he makes sure not a drop is wasted and Bella gets plenty of fresh water to drink.

The savings on his other bills further drove him to slice more off of his electricity costs. “It made me want to save more money,” he said.

Lee is now on an Economy 7 tariff, which offers cheaper electricity at night than during the day, as a result he’s become partially nocturnal.

He also uses an old fashioned phone, so he doesn’t have to pay any electricity costs on a cordless model - once again he got this idea from ‘Heartbeat’.

No need for a fridge: Lee's milk supply“I sleep during the day and work at night,” he said, and has now managed to cut his electricity bill to just £3.66 a week, including VAT.

But he’s still not satisfied: His goal is £2 a week. 

When his provider, partnered with SSE, announced it was increasing bills by an average 8.2% last week, he decided to turn his fridge-freezer off. “They’re not getting any more out of me,” he commented.



Most of the food he eats, such as porridge and noodles, can be made simply by boiling water.

And he’s now bought a stash of long-life milks for cups of tea - the one thing he refuses to do without.

“I just love saving money,” Lee explained – estimating he has shaved at least £136 off bills since February. And, of course, the £1,000 cost of that new boiler. 

You can keep up with how Lee’s getting on through his blog here.

U say? seems he's got no fam

Buckingham Palace: Man With Knife Arrested

A 44-year-old man has been arrested after trying to enter Buckingham Palace while in possession of a knife.

The Metropolitan Police said the man was held just before noon as he tried to enter through the palace's north centre gate.

Police said they found a knife when they searched the man and arrested him on suspicion of trespassing on a protected site and possession of an offensive weapon.

The force said the man is currently in custody at a London police station.

Buckingham Palace confirmed the Queen was not in the building at the time of the incident.

A Royal source told Sky News the matter had been dealt with "effectively" and "quickly".

In September, police arrested two men over a suspected break-in at Buckingham Palace in what was considered a rare breach of royal security.

One suspected burglar was found on September 2 in a room that had been open to the public during the day.

The second man was arrested outside the palace on suspicion of conspiracy to commit burglary.

Less than 48 hours later, amid heightened security, two police officers confronted the Duke of York in the palace gardens demanding to know who he was.

Scotland Yard later issued a public apology to the Queen's son after the blunder was made public.

In response Prince Andrew issued a statement to say protection officers have "a difficult job" and he was grateful that the force had apologised.

U say? Just a Knife?

Angry Balotelli clashes with Berlusconi’s TV crew

Mario Balotelli's famous temper got him in headlines again after he appeared to hit a cameraman as Italy's squad arrived in Naples on Sunday.

The Azzurri made the journey by train from Florence to Naples, where they will play Armenia in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday night.

There were hundreds of fans waiting for the squad at the train station and several camera crews.

However, Italian broadcaster Sport Mediaset reported Balotelli had struck one of their television cameras and tried to knock it to the ground.

The video footage appears to back up this claim.

It is a particularly unusual gesture considering Mediaset are owned by Milan president Silvio Berlusconi, who is technically Super Mario's boss.

Former Manchester City star Balotelli had already been irritable on Sunday when posting a photograph of a headline in the Gazzetta dello Sport via Twitter: "Balotelli is ill, but will be there in Naples as a symbol against the Camorra (the local Mafia)."

"This is what you say!" Balotelli raged. "I am coming because football is wonderful and everyone should play it where they want, plus there’s a game!!!!"

U say? Star or Celeb?

Boy, 10, Bailed Over Pensioner's Death In Leeds

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A 10-year-old boy arrested over the death of a 79-year-old church volunteer has been released on bail, police have said.

The man was found with a head injury and taken to Leeds General Infirmary for treatment, but was pronounced dead a short time later.

Officers were alerted by an ambulance crew called out to help the victim - named locally as Victor Hepworth - at 6.19pm on Sunday in Leeds.

It is understood the pensioner lived in the street in the Harehills area of the city where the incident occurred. He is yet to be formally identified.

Shocked neighbours described him as an "exceptional" man who had lived in the community for many years.

Abdul Hannan told Sky News: "He's been in this street for a considerable number of years. He's a personal friend and a family friend.

"He used to live in the street that my mum lives in. He would go out of his way to help the community.

"He would put the bins out, he would pick up litter from the streets, he would tell kids to put litter in the bins. He also volunteered in the local church on a regular basis.

"He was an exceptional helper in the community - we're shocked and disturbed by what's happened." 

Liaqat Ali, manager of the Abubakar supermarket on nearby Roundhay Road, said the man was a regular customer and that he had seen him the previous day.

He said: "The old gentleman used to come to the shop all the time, God rest his soul. I've been here for 10 years and he'd been living in the area at least that long. I think he had a son.

"I saw the old man walking around yesterday afternoon, but I didn't speak to him. He was quite well-known in the area.

"Everyone's surprised that this has happened. I'm shocked they've arrested a little kid."

A forensic tent has been put up at the scene in Back Hill Top Avenue, a street of terraced houses, and the area has been cordoned off by police.

West Yorkshire Police is appealing for information about the man's death.

Any witnesses are asked to contact officers from the homicide and major inquiry team on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

U say? These films they watch ehn... 

Mum Diary: How do you discipline a two-year-old?

(Copyright: REX)

When my sweet-natured toddler Harry reached his second birthday without any tantrums, I quietly congratulated myself. He was a loving, contented little lad who hardly ever raised his voice.

Inwardly I thought that the legendary Terrible Twos simply happened to parents who hadn’t laid down proper ground rules for their children, or who didn’t have enough time for them. I’m not going to lie; I felt pretty damned smug.

Then Harry reached two years and four months, and the Terrible Twos kicked in with a vengeance. 

[Mum Diary: Why meeting other mums will keep you sane]
[Mum Diary: Should I just ditch my parenting self-help books?]

My sweet, polite little boy can go from happy to meltdown within 15 seconds simply by seeing something he wants but not instantly having it in his hands. Sometimes what he wants is our crystal vase (wedding present), so the tantrum can last quite a while.

It’s exhausting and I’d be lying if I said it’s not infuriating. The trouble is that it’s also quite often very funny and I have to leave the room to chuckle. Laughing at him when he’s upset really offends him – it’s astonishing how dignified he can suddenly become when you’ve laughed at his fury.

But generally, discipline isn’t easy. He’s still very young and doesn’t always understand why he’s being told off. Quite a lot of the worst things he does (running over his baby brother Olly with a toy monster truck for example) are because he forgets what’s allowed because he is so very focused on his game.

And quite a lot of the official advice is simply too old for him. Here are a few of the methods I’ve tried.

The Naughty Step

I love Supernanny; I’d watch that show compulsively if my husband didn’t complain that the crying is bad enough when it’s our own kids. He sees no reason why we should watch other people’s when ours are finally in bed.

And I am a big believer in the Naughty Step – for older children. But we have tried it with Harry and he simply doesn’t comprehend what’s going on. He can’t understand why I’m dragging him out to the hall to tell him off, and then gets on with playing when I leave him. 

When I return, he’s forgotten what he did wrong in the first place and is just pleased to see me again. So that’s a no.

[Mum Diary: I can't wait to embarrass my children too!]
[Mum Diary: That awkward moment when you forget you can’t sing]

Confiscating toys

If you’ve ever wondered how it would feel to destroy someone’s joy in life completely, simply confiscate a toy from Harry.

The howls, the distress, the tears… The staring around wildly at the utter ruination of his life’s hopes and dreams – that’s what happens when you take away a toy, even just for five minutes.

Just last night I warned him that if he kicked me again I would take away Bunny Munro (his cuddly rabbit that we have accidentally named after a book about a sex addict). So, when he kicked me again, the rabbit went into the wardrobe for five minutes.

Despite having it back in plenty of time for bed, Harry actually woke in the night wailing that Bunny Munro was in the wardrobe. It’s quite hard to enforce discipline that seems to be mentally scarring your child!

The worst thing is that sometimes when I am about to remove a toy he will start to cry: “Noooo! I don’t want consequences!” which makes me laugh and ruins the whole thing.

Counting to three

Wow this is powerful. By the time I reach number two, Harry has dropped whatever thing he shouldn’t have and is sitting in terrified silence.

I don’t know how long counting to three will hold such terror for Harry – presumably at some point he will call my bluff and realise that I don’t suddenly develop magical, maniacal powers of punishment simply by reaching the number three.

As it is, this works well. I’m just scared to over-use it.

[Mum Diary: I was mistaken for a perfect parent!]
[Mum Diary: Why are mums always late? It's took an hour to get my two in the car...]

Best friends

A major problem that I have with discipline is that I want my boys to love spending time with me. When Baby Olly cries, he needs something – even if that’s just a reassuring cuddle. And when he’s in my arms, everything is better. I have the power to make him completely content.

So when Harry cries, my instincts are the same. I want to scoop him up, cuddle him tightly and tell him he can have whatever it is he wants straight away. But I also don’t want the kind of toddler that you see on Joe Frost’s Extreme Parenting, or the kind of child that other adults don’t want around.

Realising that I have to be stern sometimes means that I can’t be Harry’s best friend, no matter how much I want to be. 

That’s really hard, for both of us – but I hope that it means we’ll have a better relationship in the long term. As long as he forgives me one day for putting Bunny Munro in the wardrobe.
U say? Where's my "KOBOKO"

What do you do? How did you discipline your toddlers? Are parents too lax or too authoritarian? Let me know how you handled the Terrible Twos in the comments below.

Mum-of-one gets apology from Sainsbury's after finding RAZOR BLADE in chicken kiev she served to one-year-old daughter

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A mum-of-one has received an apology from Sainsbury's after finding a razor blade in a chicken kiev she served to her young daughter.

Sophie Perks bought the twin-pack of fresh garlic and parsley kievs from her local supermarket as a quick dinner for her one-year-old daughter Maddison-Faithe.

But as the 22-year-old cut the snack up on the tot’s high chair plate she was stunned when her knife hit a sharp slither of metal.

When she examined the food she was shocked when she discovered a jagged shard of metal measuring around one inch long.

The mum-of-one was enraged when she returned to the branch in Church Gresley, Derbyshire, to find they could offer no explanation for how the blade got into the dish.

Instead, Sophie was offered another pack of £2.50 kievs as an apology for the incident which happened on October 5.

The data manager at a cancer research firm is calling for an urgent investigation into the source of the blade - to make sure no one else suffers the same fate.

Sophie, of Swadlincote, Derbyshire, said: 'I popped in to the store and grabbed a two pack of kievs, the fresh ones not frozen, so my daughter could have dinner.

'When we got home I cooked them both and when they were done I cut one up on Maddison's plate and heard a clink when my knife hit something.

Sophie, pictured with partner Jordan Langstaff, has vowed to boycott Sainsbury's after almost serving the razor …

Sophie said the blade she found in the kiev was around one inch long. (SWNS)

'I picked it up to check what had made the noise and the razor blade fell from the bottom.

'I was disgusted, if I hadn't heard the clunk I would have just served it up - I dread to think what could have happened.

'I took it back to the shop and the deputy manager was very apologetic, they gave me some new ones, which I checked in the shop and said the manager would contact me.

'When he did all he could say was that they could only offer their sincere apologies and were looking into the matter.

'I wanted to know how it got in there but they couldn't tell me.

'This needs to be looked into as soon as possible. If it is because of something from the manufacture or the machines then there needs to be a recall.

Bosses at the Church Gresley Sainsbury's Local offered 'sincerest apologies'. (SWNS)

The supermarket giant is now investigating the claims.

A Sainsbury’s spokeswoman said: 'We have started a thorough investigation and apologised to Miss Perks for the inconvenience caused.

'Incidents like this are extremely rare as we have the highest standards and carry out quality control checks at all stages of production.'
U say? A Knife or a Blade