Quote:Cordon lifted and people allowed to return to their homes following bomb threat at Shrewsbury hotel

'Police have lifted the cordon around The Lion Pub in Wyle Cop Shrewsbury, claiming the incident has come
safely to an end. Officers rushed to the scene following a bomb threat at around 7:30 on Thursday evening.

Measures were taken to evacuate The Lion Hotel along with other businesses and private properties in the
immediate vicinity. Road closures were put in place in surrounding areas at the Wyle Cop, Dogpole and the
High Street.

But by midnight police were satisfied the threat was not genuine and that the area was safe. People were
allowed to return to their homes, the cordon was lifted and the roads reopened. West Mercia Police said in
a statement: "We would like to thank our officers and supporting emergency services for their help this evening,
together with the patience and support of the local community.

"Reassurance patrols will continue throughout tomorrow.
"If any member of the public has any concerns please speak to one of our officers"...'

Quote:Shrewsbury restaurant takes in nearly 70 people after evacuation

'A restaurant took in nearly 70 evacuated people after a hotel and nearby properties were shut by police.
West Mercia Police closed Wyle Cop, Dogpole and High Street in Shrewsbury on Thursday evening and set up
a cordon around the Lion Hotel.
The restrictions lifted just after midnight.

Police said they took precautionary action after being alerted to a possible threat but were later satisfied the threat
was not genuine. One hotel worker said people were asked to move 200m (656ft) away from the scene to the other
side of the English Bridge, across the River Severn.

A force statement said officers had taken "precautionary action", including the evacuation "of the hotel together with
businesses and private properties in the immediate vicinity" after receiving the call. A worker at the nearby Lion and
Pheasant hotel confirmed staff and guests were escorted from the premises by police at about 20:30 GMT.

"We've been told we've got to be 200 metres away," she said, adding people were awaiting police instructions in venues
on the other side of the English Bridge. Dani Leah, the restaurant manager at The Peach Tree on Abbey Foregate said
she had posted on social media to provide anyone affected with a warm place to wait and ended up with 67 people inside.
Even though the kitchen staff had gone home she offered to stay open as late as needed and told people they could order
a takeaway...'

Quote:Police evacuate 16th-Century boutique hotel housing asylum seekers following 'an incident'

*Police evacuated the Grade I Lion Hotel in Shrewsbury following an incident
*Officers also cleared neighbouring businesses and homes during the alert
*The 16th century former coaching inn started housing migrants last month
*Police have not confirmed the reason behind last night's dramatic evacuation

'Police have evacuated a Grade I-listed boutique hotel housing migrants following an incident, it has been confirmed.
West Mercia Police established a cordon around The Lion Hotel in Shrewsbury and evacuated the building which is
taking part in a Government-backed scheme to house asylum seekers.



The 16th Century former coaching inn was cleared by officers as well as businesses and homes in the immediate
vicinity. Officers have also been forced to close roads surrounding the historic building while they deal with the
incident. Superintendent Rebecca Love of West Mercia Police said: 'We will endeavour to update you further when
we can but request at this time that the public do not attend the area and keep away to allow emergency services
in attendance to do their job. Many thanks for your cooperation.'

Police also asked the public to avoid speculating about what happened in the building.  Wyle Cop, Dogpole and High
Street have all been closed while officers handle the incident.

Last month the hotel confirmed it was closing to paying members of the public and was going to concentrate on
housing migrants as part of a Home Office scheme.

At the time of the closure, a spokesperson for the hotel told the Shropshire Star: 'We are working with the Government
to welcome people who desperately need a roof over their head – often people who have escaped war-torn countries,
and are seeking a safe place to stay while they wait for a more permanent home.

'This temporary arrangement will provide much-needed investment into the hotel, which we anticipate will stand us in
good stead for the future, as well as providing continued employment for our staff.'...'

Quote:The 'depressing' detail on Lyle's Golden Syrup and Black Treacle tins that has left people shocked

'Foodies are only just discovering what the yellow logo on Lyle's Golden Syrup tin actually depicts - and it isn't
a lion taking a nap like many people originally assumed. You will probably have a tin in your cupboard - but have
you ever looked closely at the label of Lyle's Golden Syrup?


The clue is on the tin, but involves reading.

But despite being one of the UK's oldest brands to date, food lovers all over are only just learning the origins of
the logo on the tin - and it's quite a harrowing affair to say the least. People up and down the country have took
to social media to share the discovery.

At a quick glance, it's easy to assume the yellow lion is laying down or sleeping, but it turns out the king of the
One Twitter user recently revealed the truth, writing: "Tell me I'm not the only one who didn't realise the lion on
Lyle's Golden Syrup packaging is depicted dead?!"

Lots of Brits will be familiar with Lyle's Golden Syrup, having launched over 150 years ago in 1881, it's really stood
the test of time. The depressing reality came as a shock to many eaters, who regularly grab the tin out of the back
of the cupboard for their morning porridge or a special pancake treat. It turns out the dead lion with a flurry of bees
buzzing around it is inspired by the Biblical tale of Samson.

Creator Abram Lyle decided to use the Bible's Lion and the Bees story for his packaging. According to the scriptures,
Samson kills a young lion with his bare hands after it roared and made its way toward him. A few days later, he
returns and notices a swarm of bees had built a hive inside the carcass.

So, Samson took the honey and gave it to his parents, then when he was asked where he got it from, he said:
"Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet." The revelation was brought to light a
while back on Reddit too, where users were mind blown to discover the tale behind the syrup.

"This is the most depressing thing I've learnt since I found out that the little piggy who went to market was not
going on a shopping trip," one user replied. "I did not know this. That's pretty dark," another said, while a third
wrote: "I didn't need to know this. "jungle isn't going for a nap at all, The Mirror reports...'

• “Time to pause covid mass vaccination” – A new video from John Campbell in which he says it’s time to pause mass Covid vaccinations.
  
  
• “No Covid test for Chinese arrivals in UK for now” – The Government has decided not to introduce mandatory testing for Chinese arrivals in the U.K. for the time being, reports the Daily Mail.
  
  
• “What’s behind the ‘fatal vertigo’ affecting so many Russian oligarchs?” – The Telegraph’s Oscar Williams-Grut looks back at the eight Russian businessmen who’ve died this year after falling from great heights.
  
  
• “Xi’s dreams of an authoritarian world order have been destroyed by his zero-Covid disaster” – The Telegraph’s Ambrose Evans-Pritchard says Xi Jinping’s reputation as an all-powerful tyrant may never recover from his mismanagement of the pandemic.
  
  
• “The energy crisis risks dooming the electric car” – Western societies are charging into the electrification of transport without thinking about how they’re going to charge all these vehicles, says Andrew Orlowski in the Telegraph.
  
  
• “The BBC is failing impartiality with its history documentaries” – David Abulafia in the Spectator argues that it is incumbent on the BBC to represent a variety of viewpoints when it comes to Britain’s history, not just woke self-disgust.
  
  
• “Flu jab uptake among NHS staff tumbles to lowest level in a decade” – Analysis by MailOnline shows that only four in 10 frontline NHS staff in England have had the flu vaccine this winter, the lowest uptake since 2012.
  
  
• “Civil servants given almost £30 million in high street vouchers amid pay freeze” – Ministers have been accused of “rank double standards” after getting around the pay freeze for civil servants by awarding them £30 million of gift vouchers.
  
  
• “DAVOS 2023: WEF shifts into high gear in preparing for the next Pandemic” – The World Economic Forum is going to make ending health disparities and systemic racism a priority for this January’s annual shindig in the Alps, according to Dr. Robert Malone.
  
  
• “Transgender boxers would be ring-fenced in new category” – The World Boxing Council is going to introduce a category solely for transgender fighters next year to prevent anyone born a man ever fighting a woman in the ring, reports the Times.
  
  
• “Andrew Tate reportedly arrested in Romania following human trafficking probe” – The ex-kickboxer and his brother Tristan have been arrested after their luxury villa in Romania was raided by police on Thursday in connection with a human trafficking investigation, reports the Telegraph.
  
  
• “Failing Prevent counter-terror scheme ‘needs a major overhaul’” – A report by Sir William Shawcross, the former head of the Charity Commission, has found significant flaws in the Government’s flagship counter-terrorism programme, according to the Daily Mail.
  
  
• “NYC Electric Garbage Truck Plans Hit Wall After Trucks ‘Conked Out’ Plowing Snow After Just Four Hours” – Tyler Durden in Zero Hedge points to a flaw in New York’s shiny new electric rubbish lorries.
  
  
• “Now the BMJ’s Journal of Medical Ethics confirm vaccine causes more harm than benefit to younger people” – Andrew Bridgen MP renews his call for the Covid vaccine roll-out to be suspended in light of the latest findings about their impact on children.
  
  
• See inside the luxury bunkers where the super-rich reportedly plan to save themselves from a future apocalypse the shitshow of their own making.
  
  
• Neanderthals were smart, sophisticated, creative—and misunderstood.
  
  
• Finding the first Americans. Archaeology and genetics can’t yet agree on when humans first arrived in the Americas.
  
  
• Beyond the Five Senses: Telepathy, echolocation, and the future of perception.
  
  
• Enjoy the Martian winter wonderland, courtesy of NASA.
  
  
• Scientists find key reason for ongoing loss of smell in long-COVID.
  
  
• Red Pill of the Day: Kansas police raid hospital room of terminally ill patient. His crime? Using a weed vape and THC paste to ease his pain — Obligatory meme.
  

• “Time magazine mocked for saying that exercise is racist” – The polarising piece, titled ‘The White Supremacist Origins of Exercise’, says exercise was invented by racist white Americans.
  
  
• “We can cut tax if we tackle our public spending” – Daniel Johnson in the Mail argues that a tax burden as a proportion of GDP of 37.5% is a shameful betrayal of everything that Tories are supposed to believe in.
  
  
• “Labour reaffirms pledge to fight structural racism amid disparity figures” – Labour doubles down on the blatantly false proposition – ‘misinformation’, in fact – that Britain is structurally racist.
  
  
• “NHS hospital bans visitors and brings back masks due to winter bugs” – A pair of NHS hospitals in England have imposed visitor bans and mask mandates in scenes reminiscent of lockdown, reports the Mail.
  
  
• “China’s Covid nightmare is the final proof: lockdowns were a total failure” – Sweden’s refusal to impose compulsory lockdowns has now been completely vindicated, argues Matt Ridley in the Telegraph.
  
  
• “Sponges, snakes and snowy landscapes: Age of Extinction’s year in pictures – international” – Guardian photographers travelled across the globe in a desperate search for evidence of global warming.
  
  
• “Negative Covid tests to be made mandatory for travellers from China” – Rishi Sunak has U-turned and the U.K. will now insist on negative PCR tests for all Chinese arrivals. See this piece by David Livermore for why that’s pointless.
  
  
• “The BBC’s only response to charges of systemic bias? Suck it up” – Two damning reports have found evidence of what Roger Scruton called ‘oikophobia’ at the BBC – the hatred of home.
  
  
• “Why won’t the Conservatives stand up for conservatism any more?” – Whether it be via classical liberals like Steve Baker or social liberals such as Theresa May, genuinely conservative ideas have been marginalised, argues Patrick O’Flynn in the Spectator.
  
  
• “2022 was the year we realised we’re fighting Cold War II against China” – Niall Ferguson in the Mail argues that China is the main threat to the peace and prosperity of the West. This is the historian, not the epidemiologist.
  
  
• “Fury as Police Scotland describes paedophiles as ‘minor-attracted people’” – Campaigners see the contentious term, used in a force report, as an attempt to normalise paedophilia, reports the Telegraph.
  
  
• “What if the USSR hadn’t collapsed?” – Dominick Sandbrook imagines what the world might look like if the U.S. and not the USSR had collapsed in 1989.
  
  
• “Reparations are a disaster for race relations” – Lionel Shriver in the Times says Labour’s cynical attempts to win over the BAME vote will sow division and conflict.
  
  
• “Clearly masking in hospitals made very little impact, to inflict this cruelty on visitors to hospitals and their loved ones is completely unnecessary” Director of free Speech Union, Toby Young, reacts to two NHS hospitals banning visitors and bringing back face coverings.
  
  
• “Did Physicists Open a Portal to Extra Time Dimension, as Claimed? That’s the way the story reads at Scientific American. But experimental physicist Rob Sheldon says not so fast.”
  

(01-01-2023, 01:27 AM)EndtheMadnessNow Wrote: End Times News Round-Up (just cause)

• “Time magazine mocked for saying that exercise is racist” – The polarising piece, titled ‘The White Supremacist Origins of Exercise’, says exercise was invented by racist white Americans.
  

Quote:

• “Sponges, snakes and snowy landscapes: Age of Extinction’s year in pictures – international” – Guardian photographers travelled across the globe in a desperate search for evidence of global warming.
  

Quote:

• “Negative Covid tests to be made mandatory for travellers from China” – Rishi Sunak has U-turned and the U.K. will now insist on negative PCR tests for all Chinese arrivals. See this piece by David Livermore for why that’s pointless.
  

Quote:[*]“Why won’t the Conservatives stand up for conservatism any more?” – Whether it be via classical liberals like Steve Baker or social liberals such as Theresa May, genuinely conservative ideas have been marginalised, argues Patrick O’Flynn in the Spectator.

Quote:[*]“2022 was the year we realised we’re fighting Cold War II against China” – Niall Ferguson in the Mail argues that China is the main threat to the peace and prosperity of the West. This is the historian, not the epidemiologist.

Quote:[*]“Reparations are a disaster for race relations” – Lionel Shriver in the Times says Labour’s cynical attempts to win over the BAME vote will sow division and conflict.

Quote:Scientists say planet in midst of sixth mass extinction, Earth's wildlife running out of places to live

In what year will the human population grow too large for the Earth to sustain? The answer is about 1970, according to research by the World Wildlife Fund. In 1970, the planet's 3 and a half billion people were sustainable. But on this New Year's Day, the population is 8 billion. Today, wild plants and animals are running out of places to live. The scientists you're about to meet say the Earth is suffering a crisis of mass extinction on a scale unseen since the dinosaurs. We're going to show you a possible solution, but first, have a look at how humanity is already suffering from the vanishing wild.

******
Paul Ehrlich: Too many people, too much consumption and growth mania.

At the age of 90, biologist Paul Ehrlich may have lived long enough to see some of his dire prophecies come true. 

Scott Pelley: You seem to be saying that humanity is not sustainable?

Paul Ehrlich: Oh, humanity is not sustainable. To maintain our lifestyle (yours and mine, basically) for the entire planet, you'd need five more Earths. Not clear where they're gonna come from.

Scott Pelley: Just in terms of the resources that would be required?

Paul Ehrlich: Resources that would be required, the systems that support our lives, which of course are the biodiversity that we're wiping out. Humanity is very busily sitting on a limb that we're sawing off.

In 1968, Ehrlich, a biology professor at Stanford, became a doomsday celebrity with a bestseller forecasting the collapse of nature. 

Scott Pelley: When "The Population Bomb" came out, you were described as an alarmist.

Paul Ehrlich: I was alarmed. I am still alarmed. All of my colleagues are alarmed.

(01-03-2023, 05:41 AM)EndtheMadnessNow Wrote:

Quote:Media Blackout Over Terror Incident At Vegas Power Plant

'The US power grid is under attack as extremists shoot, sabotage, and vandalize electrical equipment at power stations.
One of the highest-profile attacks was when two men used guns to paralyze a substation in Washington state on Christmas
Day, leaving thousands without electricity.

The incident made national news, but strangely enough, another attack last week on the Las Vegas power grid went
unnoticed by the national press. Mohammad Mesmarian, 34, rammed his car through the gate of a solar power generation
plant outside Las Vegas on Wednesday and set his car on fire, intending to damage a massive transformer, 8 News Now
reported.


Mohammad Mesmarian... poor gambler?

"Employees at the plant said they found a car smoldering in a generator pit," 8 News Now said, adding the Mega Solar
Array facility provides power to 13 properties on the Las Vegas Strip, all belonging to MGM Resorts. Investigators believe
Mesmarian "siphoned gasoline from his car to put on wires at the transformer," 8 News Now said, citing documents from
investigators.

"Mesmarian clarified he burned the Toyota Camry," police said. "Mesmarian said he burned the vehicle at a Tesla solar
plant and did it 'for the future." Here's security camera footage of Mesmarian lighting his car on fire next to a giant
transformer.

8 News Now said Mesmarian caused "major damage," estimating it could take two years to receive parts and fix the
transformer. Luckily, the damaged unit wasn't online at the time of the incident. "Following an incident at the Mega
Solar Array facility, on-site personnel immediately notified authorities and shut down the plant's operations as a
precaution in accordance with industry-standard safety protocols," an Invenergy spokesperson said.

Mesmarian was arrested at a campground Thursday. He's being charged with committing an act of terrorism,
first-degree arson, third-degree arson, destroying or injuring real or personal property of another, and escape
by a felony prisoner.

Why is the national press absent in reporting this terror incident on the power grid?
Perhaps the person involved doesn't fit the extremist profile routinely touted by progressive and state media...'

(01-09-2023, 11:52 AM)BIAD Wrote: Another incident where the character doesn't fit the mainstream narrative.



It wasn't us.

Quote:Almost 90% of people in China’s third most populous province have now been infected with Covid-19, a top local official has said, as the country battles an unprecedented surge in cases.

Kan Quancheng, director of the health commission for central Henan province, told a press conference that “as of January 6, 2023, the province’s Covid infection rate is 89%”.

With a population of 99.4 million, the figures suggest about 88.5 million people in Henan may now have been infected.

Visits to fever clinics peaked on 19 December, Kan said, “after which it showed a continuous downward trend”.

The Guardian

Quote:China estimates 250mn people have caught Covid in 20 days (Dec 24, 2022)

Chinese officials estimate about 250mn people, or 18 per cent of the population, were infected with Covid-19 in the first 20 days of December, as Beijing abruptly dismantled restrictions that had contained the disease for almost three years.

The explosion in cases followed Beijing’s decision this month to abandon its zero-Covid policy, which kept the virus at bay through mass testing, mandatory quarantine and draconian lockdowns.

Meanwhile, the estimate of 250mn cases raised further doubts about the accuracy of official Covid statistics and how authorities account for deaths from the disease.

(01-11-2023, 04:49 PM)EndtheMadnessNow Wrote: Hoo Boy. 'Vaccine misinformation' is a lot like election denying, both subjects make people in high government jobs incredibly nervous and they act criminally like actual criminals.

Quote:Biden was paid a million dollars a year to teach, but he never taught a single class

'At the summit of North American leaders in Mexico City on Tuesday, Biden said, “In the four years after I
became vice president, I was a professor at Penn.” Notably, the University of Pennsylvania paid Biden nearly
$1 million for two years, but he never taught a class.


Eh, it's no joke.

This revelation was made by the research unit of the Republican National Committee, or RNC Research, which
has also reported that “Biden continues to lie about being a professor.” Biden was an honorary professor at the
Philadelphia School from 2017 to 2019.

According to a Philadelphia Inquirer investigative report, he was paid $371,159 in 2017 and $540,484 in 2018
and 2019. In 2017, Biden accepted an honorary professorship, officially known as the Benjamin Franklin
Presidential Practice Professor. He also founded the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement
in Washington, in addition to the Biden Institute at the University of Delaware, his alma mater.

However, this role was voluntary. He lectured and lectured to students on campus, but did not teach the entire
course load of a semester during that time. Biden was once an honorary professor at the University of Pennsylvania
(UPenn) from 2017 to 2021 after serving as a vice president in Barack Obama’s administration.

However, he did not teach a semester’s worth of courses; He primarily lectured and lectured to undergraduate
students and directed the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement in Washington.

In April 2019, when Biden became the candidate for the US presidency, the university released a statement stating,
“Biden has formally announced that he will run for President of the United States. A number of people on campus
have been asking over the past few days how this would affect his role at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy
and Global Engagement. Vice President Biden, who serves as the Benjamin Franklin Presidential Practice
Professor, will now that he is official Candidate is to take unpaid leave from work at the Penn Biden Center.”

According to tax forms he released, Biden received more than $900,000 from the university for holding the position
between 2017 and 2019.

Meanwhile, in responding to documents classified as classified found at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and
Global Engagement in Washington, Biden said he was “surprised” to learn there were any government documents
at the office, which opened after he served as Vice President. reported CBS News.

“People know that I take classified documents and classified information seriously,” Biden said during a news
conference at the North American Leaders’ Summit in Mexico City, adding, “When my attorneys vacated my
office at the University of Pennsylvania, they judged.” she set up an office for me when I was a professor at
Penn for the four years after I was vice president.

They found some documents in a box, in a locked cupboard, at least a closet. And as soon as they found it,
they realized that there were several secret documents in that box.

“And they did what they should have done,” the President said, adding, “They immediately called the Archives
– immediately called the Archives, turned them over to the Archives, and I was informed of this discovery and
I was surprised to learn there was some government papers that were brought there to that office.”

Biden said he didn’t know the contents of the documents, CBS News reported.

“But I don’t know what’s in the documents, I have – my lawyers haven’t suggested I ask what the documents are.
I turned over the boxes, they turned over the boxes to the archives, and we “We are fully cooperating, we are fully
cooperating with the review, which I hope will be completed soon. And there will be more details at that time.”,
said the US President.

Attorney General Merrick Garland had previously instructed the US Attorney in Chicago to examine the documents.

The 10 or so documents come from President Biden’s vice presidential office at the center, the sources said, and
CBS News has learned that the FBI is also involved in the US attorney’s probe. CBS News has learned that these
documents were marked with varying degrees of classification, including some classified as top secret...'

Quote:Conductor of London opera of 'The Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas' defends controversial production

The conductor of the opera said: 'I disagree with critiques of John Boyne's book, which is one reason why I chose
to adapt it into an opera.'


Auschwitz.

'An opera production of The Boy in Striped Pyjamas which has opened at London’s Cockpit theatre has caused
controversy. The book which has been widely criticised by many including the Auschwitz Memorial for harming
holocaust education and by the Holocaust Centre North for “historical inaccuracies".

However, the conductor of the opera has defended himself, speaking to MyLondon, Noah Max said he disagreed
with the criticism the book had faced. He added that he also knew and had worked with Holocaust survivors.
Auschwitz was the largest of the German Nazi concentration camps and extermination centres where more than
1.1 million people lost their lives.

Noah’s own family history includes relatives fleeing the Nazis. Addressing the opera and the criticism around it,
Noah said: “I am Jewish. Members of my family were murdered in the Holocaust. I disagree with critiques of
John Boyne's book, which is one reason why I chose to adapt it into an opera. I know and have worked with
Holocaust survivors who approve of the book."

In 2019, the Holocaust Centre North dedicated an entire blog post which they said pointed out: “historical
inaccuracies and stereotypical portrayals of major characters that help to perpetuate dangerous myths
about the Holocaust.”

Speaking to MyLondon, a spokesperson from Auschwitz Memorial said whilst they weren't aware of the specifics
of the opera adaptation of the book in London, they said: "In our general opinion "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas"
should be avoided by anyone who studies or teaches about the history of the Holocaust or the reality of concentration
and extermination camps.

"It is a fictional story that has nothing to do with the reality of the camp system. It’s a very good example how popular
culture can distort history."

However Noah has argued that the production he has worked on is supported by the Holocaust Educational Trust and
Community Security Trust. He said: “These organisations are widely considered the world leaders in their respective
fields.”

Noah says that the production he is conducting has been developed whilst considering the criticism the book has
eceived. He added: “This new operatic adaptation addresses many of the points the Auschwitz Memorial Museum
and others have taken issue with in recent years. I have developed the project in conversation with people at the
Centre for Holocaust Education, International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, Association of Jewish Refugees
and other organisations.”

Commenters on social media have criticised the book being adapted into an opera, with one person saying: "They
have made an opera of The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas...The book that the Auschwitz Memorial said 'should be
avoided by anyone who studies or teaches about the history of the Holocaust.'"

Whilst another commenter said: "The ending has been criticised and I get it but it's misunderstood. The death of
the Kommandant's son is both the Kommandant's punishment and awakening. Historically inaccurate but a good
one to teach for English class." The opera production opened in London’s The Cockpit theatre yesterday, with
another performance this evening followed by a Q&A with the Noah Max...'

Quote:The Guardian. Thu 27 Oct 2022 10.00 BST.
Bird and birdsong encounters improve mental health, study finds

'Research suggests visits to places with birdlife could be prescribed by doctors to improve mental wellbeing...'

Quote:Natural History Museum. First published 8 October 2020.
How listening to birdsong can transform our mental health
'In a recent survey conducted by the Museum, 73% of people reported hearing louder birdsong during the
COVID-19 lockdown in the UK...'

Quote:Max Planke. OCTOBER 17, 2022
Birdsong is good for mental health

'Study investigates the influence of birdsong on mood, paranoia, and cognition...'

Quote:Amol Rajan's under cover role revealed! BBC journalist had job as a model for agony aunt's photo casebook
as an inadequate lover

'His meteoric rise has made him one of the BBC’s star journalists, with assignments on Radio 4’s Today programme
and host of University Challenge. But Amol Rajan has revealed a much less commanding role: playing an 'inadequate'
man in an agony aunt's photo casebook on Channel 5's The Wright Stuff.


The rise of the entertainers.

'I would be pictured, often with someone out of my league, and I'd have real questions and self-doubt and there would
be a little thought bubble that said "I just can't make it happen",' he told the BBC's Would I Lie To You? 'It was really
to bring alive scenarios that people could relate to,' he added.

Asked to decide whether The One Show host's extraordinary tale was a truth or a lie, the opposing team, led by comedian
David Mitchell, said he was telling the truth, which Rajan confirmed. Viewers were shown an example of the comic strip,
which saw a topless Rajan in bed next to a woman who appears less than impressed with his lovemaking.

The 39-year-old former newspaper editor joined the BBC as media editor in 2016, a role he held until last month.
He had spent two years as a mic boy on The Wright Stuff before joining The Independent in 2007.
In 2013, aged 29, he became the paper’s editor, which made him the youngest editor of a broadsheet title in Britain...'