Happy New Year

Happy New Year. Wishing you all the wonderful things you wish for yourself.

Schumacher's condition improves

Former motor racing champion Michael Schumacher's condition has improved slightly after an operation to relieve pressure on his brain, his doctors have said.

A new scan taken overnight showed signs that he was "better than yesterday", but he was still "not out of danger", doctors said.

The seven-time Formula 1 champion suffered head injuries on Sunday in a skiing accident in the French Alps.

China doctor admits baby theft

A Chinese obstetrician is on trial for stealing newborn babies and selling them to child traffickers, a court and state media report.

Zhang Shuxia was accused of selling seven babies. She told the parents their infants were sick, and convinced them to give them up, reports said.

Ms Zhang admitted the charges in a court in Fuping, Shaanxi province.

The case emerged after two parents went to the police, suspecting their child had been abducted.

Ms Zhang sold seven babies to child traffickers between November 2011 and July 2013, including a pair of twins, an indictment posted on Weinan Intermediate People's Court's verified microblog said.

Six of the babies were rescued, but one baby girl died.

Ms Zhang worked in Shaanxi's Fuping Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital.

Wonders shall never end.

Culled from BBC news

Police probe ice cream contamination

An investigation into the possible deliberate contamination of Tesco ice cream with painkillers has been launched by North Yorkshire Police. 

In November, two filled cones produced for the supermarket by R&R Ice Cream based in Northallerton were each found to contain a single pain relief tablet.

Tesco recalled its own-brand chocolate and nut cones as a precaution.

The force said it was working alongside the supermarket chain, the manufacturer and the Food Standards Agency.

Indian boy is stripped, hung upside down and beaten to death in front of his parents at Indian village 'court' for stealing a packet of buscuits

A 12 year old Indian boy was stripped, hanged upside down and beaten to death in front of his parents after he admitted stealing a packet of biscuits at a hurriedly convened village court.

Chhotu Kumar was one of two youngsters accused of stealing from a shop in Thadi village.

According to Gulf News, reports said their parents begged the court to forgive them when their children's condition had deteriorated.

But the court refused to stop unless they paid a fine of 10,000 Rupees (£100) immediately which the parents said they were unable to do for two days because they were so poor.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2531190/Boy-stripped-hanged-upside-beaten-death-parents-Indian-village-court-stealing-packet-biscuits.html#ixzz2oz5h4A33
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Migrants in the UK to face NHS care charges

Migrants are to face new charges for some NHS services in England, ministers say.

They include extended prescription fees, the introduction of charges for some emergency care and higher rates for optical and dental services.

However, GP and nurse consultations will remain free, and nobody will be turned away in an emergency.

Ministers say they are keen to clamp down on any abuse of the system, but doctors' leaders have voiced concerns.

There are also plans to introduce a new system for identifying and recording patients who should be charged for NHS services.

Schumacher injured in skiing accident

Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher has suffered a head injury while skiing in Merible, France. BBC Radio 5 live F1 correspondent James Allen said: "The injury is serious, but not life threatening."

Smacking Children Should Be Banned?

Children's Commissioner for England argues that parents should be banned from smacking their children

Maggie Atkinson told The Independent it was her personal view that the law gives pets and adults more rights to be protected from violence than children.

Dr Atkinson said she favours a total ban on smacking, which would see parents face criminal action for corporal punishment.

Dr Atkinson said: "Personally, having been a teacher, and never having had an issue where I'd need to use physical punishment, I believe we should move to ban it.

"Because in law you are forbidden from striking another adult, and from physically chastising your pets, but somehow there is a loophole around the fact that you can physically chastise your child."

She added: "It's a moral issue. The morals are that, taken to its extreme, physical chastisement is actually physical abuse and I have never understood where you can draw the line between one and the other."

Dr Atkinson, who has two adult step-children, said that despite her strong feelings about the issue, her office was not planning to fight for a ban next year.

Do you agree that smacking is a form of abuse? is it the only way to correct a child? should it be banned? What other ways are available for correcting a child? Should someone tell us how to bring up our kids? Will smacking our kids turn them to dysfunctional people? Will not smacking them turn them to unruly, ill mannered kids?

Read more: http://news.sky.com/story/1187692/smacking-children-should-be-banned-says-tsar

Indian woman 'raped by two gangs'

Police in India say 10 men are in custody, after a 21 year old woman was raped by 2 different groups of men on Christmas Eve. She was visiting friends in Pondicherry when she was abducted by 3 men and raped by one of them. She later reunited with her friends when another group confronted her group, singled her out and gang raped her.

The suspects have been remanded but have not been formally charged in court.

Woman who hid her pregnancy throws baby from 1st floor window

The 35 year old who lives with her parents gave birth in the 24th of december. She was said to have kept the pregnancy a secret. She was reported to have cut the umbilical cord herself, wrapped the baby in a pair of jeans and threw the baby down from the window. Her mother spotted the baby and called emergency services. Medics managed to revive the baby who is in a 'serous condition' in hospital. Let us pray this baby survives.

Boxing Day Sales

The madness has begun. Bargain hunters are set to flock to the high streets in their thousands today as shops open for the Boxing Day sales. According to reports, shoppers had already started queuing before 7am to ensure they were first in line when the shops open. The spending never ends does it? Spending before Christmas, spending on Christmas day, spending after Christmas and then comes another spending on the January sales. Well done to those who have been out there as early as 7am and those with the time, money and strength to do battle to grab sales items.

Dutch entrepreneur to preserve tattoos of the dead

Tattoo shop owner Peter van der Helm

A Dutch entrepreneur has set up a business to preserve the tattoos of the dead. Hirschfeld and about 30 other clients each paid a few hundred euros and have donated their skin to a company called "Walls and Skin" tattoo parlour in a will.

When they die a Dutch pathologist will remove the tattoo and freeze or package it in formaldehyde, ideally within 48 hours. It will then be sent to a laboratory outside the Netherlands, where a 12-week procedure extracts water and replaces it with silicone, leaving a rubbery substance. Hirschfeld's tattoos cover his body from the neck down. "Some people are so important to me I always want to carry them with me and this way I can," said Hirschfeld, whose mother died of cancer.

Van der Helm said he was mainly inspired by the idea of preserving the best works by skilful tattoo artists.

"Vincent van Gogh was a poor man when he died. You and me can't buy a Van Gogh," he said. "Tattooing is the people's form of art."

http://music.yahoo.com/news/dutch-entrepreneur-preserve-tattoos-dead-121658865.html

Something miraculous about Christmas

I hope you had a wonderful day today? I sat taking stock of this year and I was just overwhelmed by all the wonderful things that happened to me. There have been tough and hard times but the good outweighs the bad. As I sat eating with my family, I muttered thank you to God Almighty. For the fact we are all alive, in good health and gathered together celebrating is a miracle itself. All the other stuff that weighed my spirit down didn't matter anymore. Here I was looking at my beautiful family laughing and celebrating and I just felt an overwhelming flow of thanksgiving for the privilege of being part of today. I know Christmas period can be lonely, depressing and overwhelming for many (I have been there) but just look at all the good things in your life and have a mind of thanksgiving. Are you alive and healthy? Just be grateful. Things will surely fall in right places for you. Have a miraculous day.

Merry Christmas

Have yourselves a very merry Christmas!!! Here are some words of wisdom.

1. Make peace with your past so it does not mess with your present.
2. What others think of you is none of your business.
3. Time heals almost everything, give it time.
4. Don't compare your life to others and don't judge them. You have no idea of what their journey is all about.
5. Stop thinking too much. It's alright not to know the answer. They will come to you when you least expect it.
6. No one is in charge of your happiness, except you.
7. Smile. You don't own all the problems in this world.

Are the best things in life really free?

It is often said that the best things in life are free. Things such as love, happiness, family etc. while I agree to a certain extent this is true, I also argue that it is not free in its entirety. The air we breath in, life and health are things money can certainly not buy. But things such as love, happiness, relationships have to be worked on to continue to remain in our lives and give us fulfilment. Yes, love is free but love needs some work and so is happiness, family and relationships. These things are a huge blessings and if one has all the mentioned, then, one should be grateful. However, does money answereth all things? What are you most grateful of? I am grateful for life, health, family, my beautiful kids, love etc.

My day

It is freezing cold here and I have no hot water or heating. The boiler has been down for some days. Most engineers I called are already booked up. Got one finally and he Said he cannot fix it because it needs new parts and has to order the parts the next day. I am so cold. Other than that, my day has been great. How has your day been?

The height of corruption

The president of one of the poorest countries in the world Republic of Congo spent more than £1million on clothes he wore only once. Denis Sassou Nguesso shopped at Paris boutiques, paying with Money transferred from Swiss bank accounts. It is said that mr Nguesso changed shirts four times a day and used them as Kleenex tissues.

It baffles me how someone who knows the effects of poverty does nothing to improve the well being of his people. What is it with the seat of power that makes it impossible for most African leaders to contribute towards the development of their countries? What a waste of resources if the story is true.