Girl, 14, sees father bleed to death after accidentally slicing his neck open with a chainsaw two days before Christmas

-Grandfather-of-12 slipped as he tested chain saw


By Leon Watson


Happier times: Peter Conway with partner Joanne Eland their 14-year-old daughter Trudy

Mr Conway's partner of 14 years, and Trudy's mother, Joanne Eland, 52, from Brierley, near Barnsley, South Yorkshire, said her daughter was still in shock.

She said: 'It was about half 10 in the morning and Peter had gone into the garden to test the chainsaw for a friend who wanted to borrow it.

'He had the chainsaw on top of an oil drum he used to burn things in and he was standing in front of it to test it worked.

'I heard the chainsaw start up in the garden and came through from the living room to see what Peter was doing.

'I looked through the kitchen window into the garden and just saw Peter falling backwards, away from the chainsaw, which was still on the drum.

'I didn't know what had happened, I thought he may have just slipped or something but I went out to see if he was OK.

'When I got to him, it was dreadful. He was in a bad state. There was blood and he had a huge cut across his neck. It was horrific.

'We don't know what happened exactly but the only thing I can think is that the chainsaw jumped up and the force threw him backwards.

'It had to have killed him instantly, because from what I saw, there was no way he could have survived that.'

Miss Eland said her daughter Trudy was 'a rock', who took charge.

'I was panicking, I didn't know what to do. But it was like Trudy clocked into calm mode and she was telling me to call an ambulance.

'While I rang 999 she ran for a friend to come and help. The emergency services told me to get a clean towel to try and compress the bleeding, but it was too late.

'It seemed like hours until the ambulance came but it was only about 10-15 minutes.

'They did everything they could, but Peter was gone. There was nothing anybody could do,' she said.

Describing the days since the accident, Joanne said: 'Christmas was obviously awful. I've just tried to keep everything normal for our baby Trudy.

'We were planning a lovely Christmas together, at home like we always did. I just can't believe this has happened.'

Miss Eland called the emergency services but paramedics and ambulance staff were unable to save Peter as his injuries were too great.

Miss Eland said he was a 'brilliant' man who would have helped anyone. If he had a fiver in his pocket, he would have given it to you.

'He was such a loving man and he loved his family. It's still raw, it's unbelievable.'

She said she didn't know why the friend wanted the chainsaw but said if anyone wanted something from Mr Conway, he had to do it straight away.

Dangerous: Mr Conway, from South Yorkshire, died after slicing his neck with a chainsaw (stock picture)

Mr Conway did not work as he suffered from emphysema and bronchitis and had only been out of hospital two weeks.

A family friend, who did not wish to be named, said: 'He was a good friend, we're all devastated.

'It's something you read in the papers and see on television. You don't think it's going to happen to you. The whole village is in shock.'

Debbie Martin, the landlady of Brierley Social Club, said Mr Conway was a popular man.

She added: 'He was a very liked gentleman. He would do anything for anyone if he could. He came in every day, only for a few hours but it was what he liked to do.

'He was very popular with the other customers, they always spoke and had good conversations.'

A South Yorkshire Police major incident unit attended the scene on Friday lunchtime but said there was nothing suspicious about the tragic death.

A postmortem was carried out on Wednesday and showed Peter bled to death. An inquest has been opened and adjourned.

Peter is survived by Joanne, Trudy and his children from a previous relationship Shelly, 35, and Lee Conway, 22.


source:dailymail

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Who won the Jaws versus Killer Whale death match? Shark comes off second best

By Rick Dewsbury


Scroll down for video

Predator: The fin of an orca breaks the surface of the water as it stalks the school of sharks close the shore


Swimmers might think twice about cooling off at this beach.

The normally placid waters were transformed into a spectacular feeding ground as a group of orca whales attacked a school of sharks.

The sharks had been swimming close to the shore on Boxing Day at the Blue Cliffs Beach in Tuatapere, New Zealand as the orcas - also known as killer whales - stalked them through the sea.

Moments later the hungry whales sent the feared fish scattering through the waves as they sprung their assault.

Tussle: Fins and tails flap into the air as the feeding frenzy beings at Blue Cliffs Bay in New Zealand


In a spectacular display of natural predators at work, the whales herded the sharks toward the shore to force them into shallow waters.

One shark desperate to escape from the enormous beasts even beaches itself on the sand. It is seen desperately flapping around in a bid to escape the whales, which were unable to move onto the sand.

The incredible feeding frenzy was captured on film by residents who said they had never seen a display of such aggression from the orcas.

As witnesses gathered on the shore, one plucky dog couldn't resist trying to get involved and can be seen approaching the stranded shark before barking at it.

Eyewitness David Evans said he was told there were whales in the area and raced to the beach to record the spectacle.


Fierce: One of the killer whales moves through the water as the outgunned sharks are herded towards the sand

Stranded: A shark flaps on the sand after deliberately beaching itself to avoid being eaten by the enormous beats


'We all piled in the truck and grabbed a camera, grabbed the video and went down to the beach and just started shooting,' Mr Evans told 3News in New Zealand.

It is thought that there were around six whales and six sharks in the water. Although one of the sharks had a nasty gash to its side, it's not known if the whales managed to catch their dinner.

'That particular [injured] shark had been beaten up by the orcas,' resident Tracy Thomas told stuff.co.nz.

'There were heaps of sharks just off the beach, swimming in towards the beach then turning around and going back out.'


Ruff justice: A dog belonging to a local resident ventures up to the shark to get involved in the action


The dog, known as Flea, walks around the defenseless shark which cannot go back into the depths as the whales are still lurking


Peter Robertson said his dog, Flea, had gone into the water when it became excited by what was happening.

He added: 'It would appear the whales were fighting the sharks ... the sharks were coming ashore because they didn't want to be in the water.'

Orcas are significantly stronger, faster, heavier and larger than even the most ferocious of sea beasts - the great white shark.

It is not known what species the attacked sharks were. However, they were much smaller than the orcas and would have come off worse in most clashes.

Orcas feed on seals, sea lions, large fish and sharks - although it is rare to see such a aggressive display of hunting so close to the shore.

However, the hunting tactics and prey species vary between different pods of orcas.

Jim Fyfe, a marine ranger at the Department of Conservation Otago office, said that sharks are 'well within the range' of orcas.




source:dailymail

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MoD chiefs 'hid evidence' of big cats prowling UK, new book claims

-Puma's body 'is being kept in secure vault at RAF base'


By Damien Gayle

Ministry of Defence chiefs are covering up the existence of big cats stalking the British countryside, according to explosive claims in a new book.

Hundreds of big cat sightings have been recorded over the years, from the Beast of Bodmin Moor to the Surrey Puma, but it is now claimed that evidence of them has been suppressed.

Rick Minter, author of Big Cats: Facing Britain's Wild Predators, claims that the body of a fearsome puma-like animal is being kept hidden in a top security vault at an RAF base.

He likens the alleged cover-up to the U.S. government's veil of secrecy surrounding an alien crash landing in Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947.

In the book, seen by the Sun, he writes: 'It is at RAF Fylingdales that we have Britain's Roswell moment on big cats.

'Retired staff apparently talked about a "body on the table" and a witness outside the base reported a puma-like creature being trundled off in the scoop-arm of a tractor.'

A local paper from the area reported in June 2004 that a large cat 'the length of a sheep' was killed on the Pickering to Whitby road near to the base.

Mark Fraser, who investigates big cat sightings as part of the Big Cats In Britain group, told the Sun such a body was the 'Holy Grail' of his investigations.

'If the MoD have a body, we'd like to know about it,' he told the paper.
A series of photos taken in Cornwall purport to show the Beast of Bodmin Moor.

A big cat sighting near a naval base in Scotland - one of the many fearsome beasts said to be roaming the countryside

Farmers have claimed that they lost sheep to a large animal roaming the area and in 1998, video footage was released showing what appeared to be a black animal resembling a wild cat.

And last year, a panther-like creature was photographed near a naval base in Scotland.

In 1983, Exmoor came to national attention after 100 sheep were mauled and killed near South Molton.

Blurred photographs and a succession of intriguing big cat sightings followed, but no creature was ever caught.

The government's Department for Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) insists the claims are unsubstantiated.


source:dailymail

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Putting the PAN in chimpanzee: Kanzi loves nothing more than a good fry-up, skipping a few million years of evolution in the process

By David Derbyshire


Eagerly he collects wood from the ground, snaps the branches into small pieces and carefully balances them in a pile. Then, taking care not to burn himself, he gently strikes a match and gets ready for a fry-up.

Like all red-blooded males, Kanzi loves messing around with a barbecue. But then, as these extraordinary pictures show, Kanzi is no man. He is a bonobo - pygmy chimpanzee - and his love of fire is challenging the way that we think about our closest relatives in the animal kingdom.

For although bonobo apes and larger chimpanzees use twigs and leaves as tools, none has ever shown such skill for cooking food.

Scroll down for videos

Skill with a skillet: After slaving over a hot stove, Kanzi tucks in to his creation


Kanzi is one of eight bonobos in the care of Dr Sue Savage-Rumbaugh, one of the world’s leading experts in ape behaviour and language. She believes 31-year-old Kanzi’s fascination with fire reveals a deep intelligence.

Dr Savage-Rumbaugh, of the Great Ape Trust, in Des Moines, Illinois, adds: ‘Kanzi makes fire because he wants to. He used to watch the film Quest For Fire when he was very young which was about early man struggling to control fire. He watched it spellbound over and over hundreds of times.’

He was also fascinated by the camp fires his keepers made to cook food. And he was encouraged to interact with humans and copy them. At the age of five, he was making small piles of bone dry sticks.


Kanzi carries his barbie in a backpack (left) before finding some dry wood and breaking it down to size

The chimp searches for the perfect site for a camp fire then carefully piles sticks onto a bed of dry leaves


He was taught to use matches, a skill he picked up quickly. There’s something eerie about watching Kanzi strike a match. The way he then holds the flame - taking care not to burn himself - is remarkably human.

‘Fire is one of the most important factors in our evolution,’ says Dr Savage-Rumbaugh. ‘When humans learned to control fire and to domesticate dogs we began to feel a new level of safety which freed us to become creative and to create more sophisticated cultures.’

‘Fire enabled us to cook meat, which helped break it down and meant we could eat more of it. Plants we cooked on fires were made more digestible. In short, cooking led us to eating better, which meant we developed large brains.

‘We sat around in communal groups cooking, stoking and simply watching the fire - a situation in which language and conversation started to develop.’

His hands look almost human as he strikes a match and, with a look of satisfaction, watches the smoke start to rise


Kanzi - the name means Treasure in Swahili - does not stay close to make sure his fire stays lit. But he does throw on more wood from a distance. And he has learned how to cook. He will take a marshmallow, stick it on the end of a twig and hold it carefully over the flames, ensuring it doesn’t burn.

He can place a grill pan on the fire and cook hamburgers. When he has finished with the fire, Dr Savage-Rumbaugh asks him to put it out using a bottle of water. He will carefully pour the liquid over the flames until it has been extinguished.

Kanzi is now incredibly passing on his skills to other apes. His son Teco, who lives in the same research centre, watches Kanzi as he solves problems. The researchers believe he may learn to make fires, too.

Healthy flames, it's time to set up the barbecue and then get the pan on


Kanzi, who weighs 12st, is the brightest of the apes at the Great Ape Trust. With two other apes at the centre, he uses paper keyboards to communicate with Dr Savage-Rumbaugh and fellow primatologist Liz Pugh.

In conversation with the researchers he points to symbols, known as lexigrams, on the keyboards representing different words.

A few treats go in and Kanzi stirs them expertly
He has learnt to ‘say’ around 500 words through the keyboard, and understands 3,000 spoken words.


Bonobos are one of the most endangered species and there are around 10,000 to 50,000 left in the wild, all in Africa’s Democratic Republic of Congo. They share 98 to 99 per cent of their DNA with us.

For Kanzi’s own safety, he is only allowed to make fires under close supervision. But his behaviour raises fascinating questions.

And for dessert... he pops a marshmallow on a stick and toasts it with care


What would happen if he was released into the wild where other bonobos could copy his behaviour? And could wild bonobos learn how to master fire independently just like our own ancestors?

You don’t have to be a fan of the Planet Of The Apes movies - in which intelligent apes threaten mankind’s supremacy on the Earth - to find those questions disturbing.


Just right: The barbie ape enjoys his pud... whose turn to do the washing up?





source:dailymail

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'Thanks for all ur support at a difficult time': Lingerie queen Michelle Mone signs off from Twitter after collapse of her marriage

-40-year-old pictured driving away from her home in Glasgow
-Statement from lawyers says separation is 'amicable' and that no other parties are involved
-Mother of three who built up firm into £39m business after leaving school at 15 was awarded OBE last year
-Mrs Mone ranks among the UK's most successful businesswomen and her designs can be found in department stores worldwide

By Sara Nathan and Jonathan Brocklebank


Brave face: Michelle Mone leaves her home in Glasgow after separating from her husband of 19 years. She thanked follower on Twitter for their support


Lingerie tycoon Michelle Mone has spoken out for the first time over her split from her husband of 19 years through her Twitter page.

Pictured driving away from her home in Glasgow the 40-year-old, who created the Ultimo bra, announced she would be stepping away from the public gaze as she deals with her break up.

She tweeted: 'Thanks for all ur support at this very difficult time.

'For the time being I'm taking a break from Twitter. Have a great New Year.'


Earlier this year, Michael Mone was said to be 'appalled' after his wife became the face of her company's racy advertising campaign.

Mrs Mone founded MJM International with her husband in 1996, launching the first of her cleavage-enhancing Ultimo bras in 1999.

After losing six stone, the mother-of-three recently began modelling her own range of lingerie, a move she said had left her husband so angry he had stopped talking to her.

The multi-millionairess admitted: ‘He was appalled I’d posed in my underwear. He didn’t speak to me for days. It’s something we can’t talk about, even now.’

Rumours of marriage trouble circulated after Mrs Mone, from Glasgow, was pictured on the arm of EastEnders actor Shane Richie in April – and was then seen getting cosy with rugby player Gavin Henson at a pre-Wimbledon party in June.


'Amicable split': Michelle Mone and husband Michael, pictured together last summer in Glasgow, announced today that they have decided to separate after 19 years of marriage

Mrs Mone, X Factor vocal coach Yvie Burnett, and Carol Vorderman enjoyed an evening at 34 Restaurant in Mayfair, London, earlier this month

She had met both men during the filming of the ITV show 71 Degrees North. She denied allegations that they were anything more than friends.

In October, multi-millionaire Mrs Mone admitted in an interview that the trappings of wealth and celebrity had not delivered happiness and that her relationship had been under strain.

She revealed that her husband was unnerved by the confidence her recent weight loss had given her.

In a surprisingly candid interview, Michelle said: ‘It hasn’t been easy for him. Before I was always there. Now, I’m more confident and outgoing. I’m doing things I wouldn’t have done before.

‘I am a different person. Most of the changes in our lives have been brilliant — sex is better and we cook and eat together as a family — but there is a lot of adjusting to do and it’s been more difficult for Michael.’

She said: 'I've been with Michael since I was 17 years old. We have our arguments like everyone else and we have to work on our relationship every day. You can only do your best.'

A statement issued yesterday through law firm Harper Macleod, said: 'It is with regret that we intimate that Mr Michael J Mone and Mrs Michelle G Mone OBE have decided to separate.

'There are no other parties involved and the split is amicable. Michael and Michelle's focus will be the welfare of their children, which is their main priority.

'They will continue to work together in their business MJM International. This is a private matter and they would appreciate their privacy and that of their family being respected at this difficult time.'

Mrs Mone is considered one of the UK's most successful businesswomen and her designs can be found in department stores worldwide.

She first found work as a model before creating the Ultimo bra and co-founding MJM International.

The couple have three children together; Rebecca, 19, Declan, 15 and 11-year-old Bethany.

Mrs Mone has previously admitted that, as the slightest hint of marriage problems, she enlisted the help of a life coach.

‘He helped us learn how to talk to each other,’ she told the Mail at the time.

Of her husband's reaction to rumours of marriage trouble at the time of the Gavin Henson incident, Mrs Mone said: 'He knows me well enough to know that I’m never going to run off with another man.

'This isn’t about a woman who loses weight just to leg it with another man. That’s not me at all. My family is the most important thing in my life.’


Confidence: The entrepreneur candidly revealed that her husband struggled to deal with the confidence her six-stone weight loss gave her


Not supportive: Mrs Mone has previously admitted that her husband was furious over her decision to model for her company's ad campaign


Mrs Mone appears regularly on TV shows. Here she poses with fellow Celebrity Masterchef contestants (from left) Nick Pickard, Linda Lusardi and Darren Campbell


The businesswoman also appeared in the ITV show 71 Degrees North with (from left) Shane Richie, Joe Absolom, Marcus Patrick and Konnie Huq

Success story: Mrs Mone pictured at the launch of Ultimo in 1999 with twins Kirsty Langlea (left) and Kelly - she is now worth £39million

Michelle and her husband launched MJM International in 1996, and Ultimo's popularity soared after Julia Roberts wore one of the company's bras for her role in Erin Brockovich.

In October, the Scottish entrepreneur announced a partnership with Tesco to create an exclusive 'affordable' bra brand called Bra Queen.

The deal comes two years after MJM International business launched a luxury lingerie collection, Diamond Boutique, in Tesco stores. The company also designs collections for Debenhams and Asda.

Argentine actress and supermodel Luisana Lopilato, who is married to Michael Buble, was recently revealed as the latest face of Ultimo.

Mrs Mone, from the East End of Glasgow, left school at 15 and joined Labatts Brewers in Glasgow, working her way up to be running the sales and marketing team by the time she was just 20, before going on to launch her own company in 1996.

She started building her lingerie empire during her 20s when she developed the gel-filled Ultimo bra.


Support: The lingerie tycoon took to her Twitter page to thank followers for their messages


Confidence: The entrepreneur (pictured left in 2005 and right in 2010) was candid about how her husband struggled to deal with the confidence her six-stone weight loss gave her

On the rocks? Last year pictures of Mrs Mone leaving a party with Gavin Henson made headlines


She has always been proud of her success and has little compunction about showing it, driving around Glasgow in her white Aston Martin convertible with the top pulled down. There is also a Bentley and Range Rover in her garage.

She was less proud of her once-ample figure, however. She said that working with a string of supermodels such as Rachel Hunter and Helena Christensen had left her feeling inadequate about her body.

She embarked on a strict regime of diet and exercise, resulting in a dramatic weight loss. Unfortunately, Mrs Mone’s newfound confidence in her appearance has coincided with, and perhaps contributed to, the most troubled period in her marriage.

In recent years her television work has increased, with appearances on a celebrity version of The Apprentice and regular slots on the You’re Fired programme which follows the main show.

Earlier this year she appeared on Celebrity Masterchef where it soon became evident that the tycoon had spent very little of her married life preparing meals for her husband and three children.

Her husband, she admitted, had always done most of the cooking.

Last year the couple doubled the size of their home in Glasgow after striking a £650,000 deal to buy and bulldoze a neighbour’s six-bedroom villa. However, some local residents branded the new house a ‘monstrosity’ and lodged official objections.

Mrs Mone's bank balance is set to continue to soar as a collection of beauty products is planned for next year, together with a perfume.

Sales at MJM International topped £10million for the first time last year.

Last year Mrs Mone said the MJM International business had been valued at £48m by business advisers.

Mrs Mone and her husband own all of the shares in the company, after buying the stakes of investors Sir Tom Hunter and Arcadia chief executive Ian Grabiner, who had invested in the company in 1999, for £800,000.

Answering the door at the house last night, Mr Mone said the marriage split was a private matter and he had no comment to make.

The models who helped make Ultimo


Numerous stars and celebrities have modelled the Ultimo range, including The Only Way Is Essex star Amy Childs (left) this year, Helena Christensen (right) and Jade Jagger (below)





source: dailymail

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The ultimate sacrifice: Teen dies days after delivering baby she saved by foregoing chemotherapy

By Associated Press


Boyfriend: Nathan Wittman, 19, holds a photo of his late girlfriend who died of cancer shortly after giving birth to their son who he now has full custody over


Jenni Lake gave birth to a baby boy the month before her 18th birthday, though she was not destined to become just another teenage mother. That much, she knew.

While being admitted to the hospital, she pulled her nurse down to her at bed level and whispered into her ear.

The nurse would later repeat the girl's words to comfort her family, as their worst fears were realized a day after Jenni's baby was born.

'She told the nurse, "I'm done, I did what I was supposed to. My baby is going to get here safe",' said Diana Phillips, Jenni's mother.

Distraught: Diana Phillips, Jenni Lake's mother, cries while holding her son as she remembers how strong she was throughout her lengthy battle with cancer


In photographs, the baby's ruddy cheeks and healthy weight offer a stark contrast to the frail girl who gave birth to him.

She holds the newborn tightly, kissing the top of his head. Jenni, at five feet and four inches tall, weighed only 108 pounds at the full term of her pregnancy.

A day after the November 9 birth, Mrs Phillips learned that her daughter's decision to forgo treatment for tumors on her brain and spine so she could carry the baby would have fatal repercussions. The cancer had marked too much territory. Nothing could be done, Mrs Phillips said.

It was only 12 days past the birth – half spent in the hospital and the other half at home – before Jenni was gone.

Even so, her family and friends insist her legacy is not one centered in tragedy, but rather in sacrifice.

This month, her family gathered at their ranch style home in Pocatello, where a Christmas tree in the living room was adorned with ornaments picked out just for Jenni, including one in bright lime green, her favorite color.


Jenni Lake's family: From left, father Mike Lake, sister Kaisee Lake, boyfriend Nathan Wittman, mother Diana Phillip with Jenni's newborn son Chad Michael Lake, and sister Ashley Lake

Ultimate sacrifice: Jenni Lake decided against treatment for tumors on her brain and spine so she could carry her baby Chad to full health

She had passed away in a bedroom down the hall.

Recalling Jenni's infectious laugh and a rebellious streak, her mother held the baby close, nuzzling his head, and said: 'I want him to know everything about her, and what she did.'

The migraines started last year, when Jenni was a 16-year-old sophomore at Pocatello High School.

She was taken to the family doctor, and an MRI scan found a small mass measuring about two centimeters wide on the right side of her brain.

She was sent to a hospital in Salt Lake City, some 150 miles south of Pocatello, and another scan there showed the mass was bigger than previously thought.

Jenni had a biopsy on October 15, 2010, and five days later was diagnosed with stage three astrocytoma, a type of brain tumor.

With three tumors on her brain and three on her spine, Jenni was told her case was rare because the cancer had spread from her brain to another part of her body with no symptoms.

Her parents, who are divorced, remember they were brought into a room at the hospital and sat down at a long table as doctors discussed her chances of survival.

'Jenni just flat out asked them if she was going to die,' said her father, Mike Lake, 43, a truck driver who lives in Rexburg, north of Pocatello.

The answer wasn't good. With treatment, the teen was told she had a 30 per cent chance to make it two more years, Mr Lake said.

While he was heartbroken, Mr Lake marveled at how strong she seemed in that moment.

'She didn't break down and cry or anything,' he said.

But her mom recalled Jenni did have a weak moment that day.

'When they told her that she might not be able to have kids, she got upset,' said Mrs Phillips, 39.

Jenni started aggressive chemotherapy and radiation treatments, while also posting videos on a YouTube site titled Jenni's Journey, where she hoped to share her story with updates every other day.

True Love: Nathan and Jenni had just started dating before she received her diagnosis but he stuck with her throughout everything

She managed to upload only three videos, though, as her treatments left her tired and weak.

On her second video, posted on November 20, 2010, Jenni appears distraught while a family friend records her having lunch with her mom.

'Last night, like, I was just lying in bed and I was thinking about everything that was going on and it just like, it just hit me, like everything, and I don't know, it made me cry,' Jenni says on the video.

Her mom is shown burying her face in her hands.

'Do you know how hard it is to be a mom and know that she's sick and there's nothing you can do,' she says, before collapsing into tears.

Jenni persists: 'It's hard. It's like, I don't know how long this is going to last and I just want it to go away ... I feel like this is holding me back from so much.'

By March of this year, the tumors had started to shrink, the family said.

In a picture taken at her prom in early May, Jenni is wearing a dark blue strapless dress and gives the camera a small smile.

There's a silver headband in her hair, which is less than an inch long. Chemotherapy took her shoulder-length blond tresses.

Her boyfriend, Nathan Wittman, wearing a black dress shirt and pants, is cradling her from behind.

Jenni started dating Nathan a couple of weeks before she received her diagnosis.

Their adolescent relationship withstood the very adult test posed by cancer, the treatments that left her barely able to walk from her living room to her bedroom, and the gossip at school.

'The rumors started flying around, like Nathan was only with her because she had cancer,' said Jenni's older sister, Ashlee Lake, 20, who tried to squelch the mean-spirited chatter even as the young couple ignored it.

They were hopeful, and dreamed of someday opening a restaurant or a gallery.

Jenni had been working as an apprentice in a local tattoo shop. 'She was like our little sister,' said the owner, Kass Chacon.

But in May, Jenni's visits to the shop grew less frequent.

She had been throwing up a lot and had sharp stomach pains. She went to the emergency room early one morning with her boyfriend and when she returned home, her family members woke up to the sound of crying.

'We could hear Jenni just bawling in her room,' said her sister, Kaisee, 19.

She had learned that she was pregnant, and an ultrasound would show the fetus was ten weeks old.

Jenni's journey was no longer her own.

From the start of treatment, she was told that she might never have children, her mother said, that the radiation and chemotherapy could essentially make her sterile.

'We were told that she couldn't get pregnant, so we didn't worry about it,' said Nathan, 19.

Jenni, the third of her parents' eight children, had always wanted to be a mom. She had already determined to keep the baby when she went to see her oncologist, Dr David Ririe, in Pocatello two days after she found out she was pregnant.

'He told us that if she's pregnant, she can't continue the treatments,' Mrs Phillips said. 'So she would either have to terminate the pregnancy and continue the treatments, or stop the treatments, knowing that it could continue to grow again.'

Dr Ririe would not discuss Jenni's care, citing privacy laws, but said, generally, in cases in which a cancer patient is pregnant, oncologists will consider both the risks and benefits of continuing with treatment, such as chemotherapy.

'There are times during pregnancy in some situations, breast cancer being the classic example, where the benefits of chemotherapy may outweigh the risk to mother and baby,' Dr Ririe said. 'There are other times where the risk outweighs the benefits.'

There was no discussion about which path Jenni would choose. Her parents didn't think of it as a clear life or death decision, and Jenni may not have, either.

They believed that since the tumors had already started to shrink earlier, she had a strong chance of carrying the baby and then returning to treatment after he was born.

'I guess we were just hoping that after she had the baby, she could go back on the chemotherapy and get better,' her mother said.

Jenni and Nathan named the baby Chad Michael, after their dads. Nathan has legal custody of the child, who is primarily cared for by Nathan's mother, Alexia Wittman, 51.

'Nathan will raise him,' she said. She brings the baby to Jenni's house to visit her family whenever they ask.

Jenni didn't show regret for her decision, not in the final weeks of her pregnancy as she grew weaker, and not when she started to lose her vision as the cancer took its course, her family said.

Jenni's last words were about her son as he was placed beside her a final time, her father said. As she felt for the baby, she said: 'I can kind of see him.'



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Monster from the deep... on the Norfolk coast: 40ft sperm whale washes up on Christmas Eve

It is believed the mammal was dead before it was washed up on the beach


By Charles Walford


The 40-foot-long sperm whale was washed up on the beach at Old Hunstanton, in Norfolk


A 40ft sperm whale has been washed up dead on an East Anglian beach, with what appears to be a large gash in its stomach.

The sand around its tail did not appear disturbed, suggesting the creature was dead before the tide carried it onto the sands at Old Hunstanton, Norfolk.

Large crowds gathered to see the whale, which is near the high tide mark.

A spokesman for the British Divers Marine Life Rescue said it may have been the same whale which had been seen dead on the RAF’s bombing range on the other side of the estuary, at Holbeach, some weeks ago.

Scientists from the Zooological Society have already taken samples from the animal, which will be left to be carried away by the tide to decompose naturally.


The whale had a gash in its stomach, but may have died due to the fact there are no squid for it to live off in the North Sea

A member of the public cuts off a tooth from the beached whale, which washed up on the Norfolk coast on Christmas Eve


A number of whales have been washed up on the North Sea coast in the past year.
They have been especially prevalent around the Humber Estuary.

Conservationists believe the increase in the number of strandings could be explained by a change in sea currents bringing colder streams of Arctic water into the North Sea and with them whales that would not normally pass so close to the UK shoreline.

At the end of September a 33ft mammal, thought to be a Sei whale, was discovered in marshes on the north bank of the River Humber near the village of Skeffling.

Earlier the same month, a young Fin whale - a relative of the Sei - was stranded at Immingham, North East Lincolnshire, and subsequently washed up dead near Spurn Point.

The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust has noted a rise in whale sightings generally in 2011 but no-one is sure why there may be an increase in the mammals in the North Sea.

Over the summer, a pod of up to 10 Minke whales were spotted regularly off the North Yorkshire coast between Whitby and Scarborough.

Whale experts admit they do not know why there has been an upsurge in sightings and strandings.


The whale has not been moved for two days and is attracting great interest from the locals


A man poses in a fisherman's outfit to pretend he had caught the 40ft beast that was washed up on the North Sea coast


A number of people have descended on the beach to take pictures of the stranded whale



source:dailymail

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Gentlemen look away: Angler snares deadly fish that killed two men by biting off their testicles

-Angler wrestled 40lb monster on to the floor of his boat and opened its snapping jaws with his naked hands
-Pacu fish boasts impressive set of man-like molars, which tear off testicles of unwitting fishermen


By Nadia Gilani


Brave: Jeremy Wade, pictured with the ferocious 'Ball Cutter' fish which has killed two men by biting off their testicles


An intrepid British angler today told how he snared a predator which kills men - by biting off their testicles.

Fearless Jeremy Wade, 53, spent weeks hunting for the fish in remote Papua New Guinea after locals reported a mysterious beast which was castrating young fishermen.

He finally unmasked the perpetrator as the Pacu fish - known locally as ‘The Ball Cutter’ - and managed to catch one in his small wooden fishing boat.


Mr Wade wrestled the 40lb monster on to the floor of his boat and opened its snapping jaws with his naked hands - to discover a jaw-dropping array of human-style teeth.

The Ball Cutter boasts an impressive set of man-like molars, which tear off the testicles of unwitting hunters, leaving them to bleed to death.

Mr Wade, from Bath, Somerset, told how he reeled in the Ball Cutter as part of his new series of River Monsters, aired on ITV next week.

He said: 'I had heard of a couple of fishermen in Papua New Guinea who had been castrated by something in the water.

'The bleeding was so severe that they died. The locals told me that this thing was like a human in the water, biting at the testicles of fishermen. They didn’t know what it was.

'It is a hot and dirty area so the people would often go to the water with their children to wash but obviously they were very worried about this thing in the water.

'Amazingly, these things are quite elusive so we had to be patient catching one. We put a line into the water and waited for it to bite.

'When I reeled it in, it had this mouth which was surprisingly human-like, it is almost like they have teeth specially made for crushing.

'They are like human molars and the fish have powerful jaw muscles. They are very deep bodied and solid like a carp, with strong muscles.'

At least two fishermen have bled to death after being bitten by the beast although Jeremy believes they were 'pretty unlucky' as it is quite shy.

Fierce: The pacu fish have human-like teeth and powerful jaw muscles


Pacu fish are usually found in the Amazon, where they need their teeth to crack into the tough cases of nuts and seeds.

The previously vegetarian fish were introduced to Papua New Guinea 15 years ago to increase stocks.

They quickly used their special technique to chomp meat due to a lack of suitable vegetation in the waters - making short work of human testicles.

Former biology teacher Jeremy luckily just sustained a small nick to his knuckles during his encounter with the Ball Cutter, despite wearing just shorts and a T-shirt.

The angler of 40 years said: 'It is about going in to these situations with the right information to know what you are dealing with.

'It is all about prevention. But there is this fear running through you. As long as I know what I am about to face and we have all of the precautions then I am happy.

'The fish was remarkably muscular, it was kicking so hard to get away from me but I wasn’t really injured.'

Jeremy spent 14 weeks travelling around the world - from Australia to Suriname in South America - to film his third series of his hit show this year.

He captured a total of seven beasts, including an electric eel which stopped human hearts in Brazil, before releasing them back into the wild.

His team consisted of just four others, plus a local guide who would show them where to find the monsters.

River Monsters Series Three - which features seven parts - will begin on ITV1 at 7.30 on January 3. The fourth series is currently in production.



source:dailymail

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Millions of wailing North Koreans line snow bound streets in display of state-controlled grief for Kim Jong Il's funeral

-Kim Jong Un walks beside father's hearse as he prepares to take power
-Stage-managed funeral 'a message that family is still in control'

By Daily Mail Reporter


Farewell: Weeping North Koreans lined the streets of Pyongyang to bid goodbye to long time leader Kim Jong Il


North Korea carried out a meticulously choreographed funeral for its late leader Kim Jong Il today and affirmed that the country was now in the 'warm care' of his son.

Kim's youngest son and successor, Kim Jong Un, walked slowly next to his father's hearse as mourners lining the procession route in Pyongyang wailed in ostentatious displays of grief.

Live footage from the North Korean capital is rarely seen outside of the insular communist dictatorship.

The tightly stage-managed funeral seemed to be a message from the country's ruling family that they remain in tight control despite the death of their figurehead.

Scroll down for video...


In mourning: North Korea's new leader Kim Jong Un walked alongside the car carrying his father's coffin

Mobbed: Mourners crowded around the hearse carrying North Korean leader Kim Jong Il through the streets of the capital


Dressed in a dark overcoat, the younger Kim - the focus of the proceedings - bowed his head slightly against the snow, and raised his right arm in salute to the late 'dear leader'.

Tens of thousands of mourners stood in freezing temperatures, wailing and holding onto each other for support as the parade passed by.

As the snow fell from a grey sky soldiers stood in lines with their heads bowed, many with tears streaming down their faces.

'How can the sky not cry?' a weeping soldier standing in the snow said to state TV. 'The people ... are all crying tears of blood.'


No expense spared: The funeral procession of the late 'dear leader' Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang, North Korea today as his son and successor Kim Jong Un accompanies the coffin


Accompanying: Kim Jong Un walks alongside his father's hearse during the procession


'Sadly missed': A huge portrait of the late Kim Jong Il trundles through the snow during his funeral procession in Pyongyang, North Korea today


Honoured: The procession lasted three hours and was watched by tens of thousands of North Korean


Military salute: North Korean soldiers fired guns in honour of their late leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang

Standing to attention: Kim Jong Un (third from left) salutes during his father's funeral, accompanied by state dignitaries including a woman (second from right) who some believe is his wife


Some of the pictures purporting to show grieving North Koreans at the funeral were actually released by the country's state media yesterday, to ensure they would be available for news agencies to illustrate their coverage of the funeral.

Like his father's in 1994, Kim Jong Il's coffin was wrapped in a red flag. A limousine carrying a huge portrait of a smiling Kim led the procession, and soldiers followed the hearse and lined the streets.

The footage was accompanied by rousing military music.


Guard of honour: North Korean soldiers stood to attention as a car carrying a portrait of Kim Jong Il drove past them at Kumsusan Memorial Palace in Pyongyang


In honour: A portrait of Kim Jong Il is paraded (left) as the hearse is driven through the streets (right)

Turnout: Tens of thousands lined the streets as the hearse carrying Kim Jong Il passed by


The procession passed by a billboard with a slogan praising the 'revolutionary ideas of Comrade Kim Il Sung,' Kim's father and the country's revered founder.

North Korean state media said the memorial route was about 25 miles (40km) long, though top officials did not walk the entire route.

Walking behind was Kim Jong Un was Jang Song Thaek, Kim Jong Il's brother-in-law and a vice chairman of the powerful National Defense Commission. Mr Jang is expected to play a crucial role in helping the young and inexperienced Kim Jong Un take and hold power.


Prostrate with grief: Two men howl in the streets of Pyongyang today during the funeral procession of Kim Jong Il who died on December 16


Uncontrollable: These mourners were unable to hold back floods of tears at the loss of the North Korean tyrant


Stricken with grief: North Korean women soldiers weep hysterically over the death of leader Kim Jong Il in front of his body at the Kumsusan Memorial Palace, Pyongyang, in this picture released yesterday


Out of control: Despite starving millions of his citizens to death, there has been an enormous outpouring of grief for Kim Jong Il

Wailing: North Koreans fell to the ground in desperation as the procession drove by


Also escorting the limousine were military chief Ri Yong Ho and People's Armed Forces Minster Kim Yong Chun. Their presence indicates they will be important players as the younger Kim consolidates his leadership.

Top Workers' Party officials Choe Thae Bok and Kim Ki Nam and senior military officer Kim Jong Gak also were prominent positions, according to Seoul's Unification Ministry.

'It shows they will be core powers in North Korea,' said Yoo Ho-yeol, a professor at Korea University in South Korea. 'Particularly, Jang Song Thaek and Ri Yong Ho will be key to Kim Jong Un's leadership.'

The military presence at the funeral Wednesday also suggests Kim will uphold his father's trademark military-first policy, Mr Yoo said.

After the funeral, the young Kim is expected to cement his power by formally assuming command of the 1.2million-strong military, becoming general secretary of the Workers' Party and chairman of the party's Central Military Commission, Mr Yoo said.


Weeping: North Koreans braved the snow to show their support for their dear departed leader


Suffer little children: Girls in North Korea wail in this picture released by state media yesterday as they mourn the 'dear leader' who ruled the country for 14 years with an iron grip


Coordinated: North Koreans lined the streets to mourn the passing of their Dear Leader

Tears: Soldiers cry as a procession carrying late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il passes through the streets of Pyongyang


Kim Jong Il died of a heart attack on December 17 at the age of 69 after ruling the country for 17 years in a brutal and repressive dictatorship.

For 11 days since Kim's death was announced, hundreds of thousands of North Koreans have paid their respects to him round the clock.

In freezing temperatures they have visited portraits of the late leader to bow and lay flowers in a theatrical show of grief, similar to the one for his father in 1994.

Kim's body had been laid in state in a glass coffin to which his son paid five visits. Kim Jong Un has rapidly gained prominence following his father's death.

Even as North Koreans mourned the loss of the second leader the nation has known, the transition of power to the younger Kim was already under way.


Official: Thousands of North Koreans are on Pyongyang's streets for Kim Jong Il's state funeral


Wailing: Women and men of all ages have been seen crying during the procession

Devastated: Women soldiers wipe tears from their eyes as others blow their noses during the funeral procession of Kim Jong Il

The young man, who is in late 20s, is already being hailed by state media as the 'supreme leader' of the party, state and army.

State media declared the country in the 'warm care' of his young son as it extended the Kim family's hold on power to a third generation.

Over the past week, state media has bestowed him with new titles, including 'great successor,' 'supreme leader' and 'sagacious leader.'

He is believed to have led a private ceremony earlier Wednesday in the inner sanctum of the Kumsusan Memorial Palace with top military and party officials.

A public memorial service will take place at midday tomorrow and include an artillery salute, three minutes of silence and locomotives and vessels blowing their sirens, North Korea's Central News Agency said.


Choreographed: Endless rows of military stand to attention at the funeral procession of Kim Jong Il, as shown by this picture from state television in North Korea


Mass mourning: North Korean military personnel stand in lines during a funeral for late leader Kim Jong Il

Tribute: Top military and civilian officials walk beside the car carrying the coffin of Kim Jong Il


Heavy snow was falling in Pyongyang, which state media characterized in the early days of mourning as proof that the skies were 'grieving' for Kim Jong Il as well.

According to reports, the heavy snowfall overnight forced authorities to delay the funeral for several hours, as Pyongyang citizens were mobilised to clear the route of the cortege.

Footage on state TV showed images of swirling snow, the log cabin in far northern Mount Paektu where Kim is said to have been born, and the mountain named after him, where his name is carved into the rocky face in red.

Earlier, state television also replayed images of missiles being fired and the April 2009 long-range rocket launch that earned North Korea strengthened U.N. sanctions.

The U.S., South Korea and other nations called it a test for a missile designed to strike the United States; North Korea said the rocket sent a communications satellite into space.


Tears for a tyrant: Kim Jong Un sheds a tear for his father as he lay in state in the in the inner sanctum of the Kumsusan Memorial Palace yesterday

Paying respects: Kim Jong Un's face is contorted with grief as he looks on at his late father. Right, former South Korean first lady Lee Hee-ho (left) shakes hands with Kim Jong-un after paying her respects


The funeral for Kim Jong Il's father, Kim Il Sung, was expected to serve as a template for how Kim Jong Il will be mourned.

In 1994, the funeral began with a private ceremony attended by Kim Jong Il and top officials before a long procession through Pyongyang to Kim Il Sung Square, the main plaza in the capital, where hundreds of thousands of mourners were waiting.

North Koreans lined the streets and filled the air with theatrical wails, many of the women in traditional black dresses and with white mourning ribbons affixed to their hair.

At the time, details about the funeral in a country largely isolated from the West were shrouded in mystery, revealed only after state TV aired segments of the events.

Most foreigners aside from those living in North Korea were shut out, and the same is expected this week.

Footage filmed in Pyongyang yesterday showed long lines of people carrying wreaths and bunches of white flowers toward a building with a huge picture of a smiling Kim Jong Il on its facade.

They piled flowers beneath the photo, bowing and crying as they stood in the cold. Some pledged their loyalty to Kim Jong Un.

Light traffic flowed through Pyongyang's streets while people drank hot tea at makeshift tents set up at the sides of the roads.

In the Chinese border city of Dandong, across the Yalu River from North Korea, dozens of people crowded into North Korea's consular offices in a high-rise building and into a North Korean restaurant across the street to watch the funeral on television.

Many were dressed in black and among them were North Koreans, identifiable by the Kim Il Sung badges on their lapels.

Police shooed reporters away from both venues, keeping them behind cordons.


Half staff: The flag at the North Korean Embassy in London was flying low today in tribute to Kim Jong Il's funeral


Rally: Across the border in South Korea, protesters have been burning the North Korean flag in protest at the succession of Kim Jong Un


Protest: South Korea has held a series of rallies against its neighbour since Kim Jong Il died last week




source:dailymail

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