Chester Chronicle - And Finally

And Finally... Two Brits will split nation's biggest ever lotto jackpot of £90m

2009-11-09T09:49:41Z

Two lucky Brits had an anxious wait for the banks to open today to each claim half of a £90m jackpot - the UK's biggest ever lottery win.

The whopping £45.5m payouts must be validated by bankers before Camelot can hand over the cash.

If one person, rather than a syndicate, owns either of the winning tickets it will be the biggest individual win in Britain.

Lottery wins are tax free and a jackpot of this size could rake in £2m a year in interest alone.

The £45,570,835.50 shared EuroMillions prize money will catapult both winners into the UK's Top 200 rich list - on a par financially with Jamie Oliver, Sir Michael Caine, Jenson Button, Kate Moss, Chris Evans, Michael Owen and Sir Cliff Richard.

Camelot confirmed that both winners of Friday's draw were from the UK. A spokesman said: "We have plenty of champagne on ice... It's up to the bank to validate the tickets before we can give out the cheques." Until now, the record single win was by Angela Kelly, of East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, who won £35.4m in August 2007.

Angela said yesterday: "My win has enabled me to bring a great deal of happiness to my friends and family."

But money doesn't make everyone happy. Dolores McNamara, of Limerick, was a £77m EuroMillions winner four years ago. She now lives in fear of kidnap and is described as a recluse.

Friday's winning numbers were 19, 43, 45, 34, 11, Lucky Stars 5 and 9.

And Finally... Stocks run out as a record 42million poppies sold

2009-11-08T10:45:07Z

A record 42million poppies have been bought as the nation shows its respect for the soldiers killed in Afghanistan.

The Royal British Legion said stocks ran out on Thursday, forcing them to dip into next year's supply. The appeal is expected to top £50million.

Meanwhile, 125 soldiers from the Yorkshire Regiment were given a heroes' welcome yesterday as they returned to Warminster, Wiltshire, after serving in Afghanistan for three months.

An airstrike in Afghanistan hit a base housing Coalition troops, killing four Afghan soldiers and injuring 15 others.

And Finally...Couple choke on fake cake

2009-11-08T07:26:11Z

A newly-wed couple cut into their wedding cake - to find it was made of polystyrene.

Tony and Aimee West had paid £270 for a three tier sponge decorated with white and dark chocolate icing and flowers.

Aimee, 27, said: "It was a terrible shock - I felt so embarrassed in front of all our family and friends.

To read the full story click here

And Finally...Refund of speeding tickets in North Wales

2009-11-07T08:23:29Z

HUNDREDS of speeding tickets handed to motorists "caught" driving at over 30mph are being refunded - after it emerged the speed limit was 40mph.

Cops have been cracking down on drivers on the B4391 at Bala since March 1, thinking the speed limit was 30mph.

But a legal blunder meant the actual speed limit on an 830 metre stretch of the road was 40mph. Yesterday cops admitted it meant 300 fines, worth a total £18,000, are invalid.

To read the full story click here

And Finally...Man attends his own funeral

2009-11-06T12:06:58Z

A Brazilian man surprised his friends and family - by turning up at his own funeral.

Relatives of Ademir Jorge Goncalves, 59, a bricklayer, had identified him as the victim of a car crash in Parana state.

Police told O Globo newspaper that relatives had trouble identifying the body because it was badly disfigured.

To read the full story click here

And Finally... Bumper pay rise for MPs to make up for lost perks

2009-11-05T09:22:13Z

MPs are in line for a bumper pay rise to compensate for losing their lavish Commons allowances.

The suggestion, which will spark public fury, came as sleaze-buster Sir Christopher Kelly yesterday ordered an immediate stop on politicians profiting personally at taxpayers' expense.

Sir Christopher, chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, also called for disgraced MPs to be stripped of "golden goodbyes" that can be worth more than £60,000.

But he signalled that those who stay in Parliament can expect an inflation-busting increase in their £64,766 salaries to compensate for losing their hugely lucrative perks. Members' expenses last year averaged £144,176.

MPs reacted enthusiastically to the idea, with one ex-minister suggesting they should earn the same as town hall chiefs. They take home more than £100,000 - a figure being touted for MPs.

But others warned a pay bonanza will trigger fresh fury from disgusted voters.

Tory Grant Shapps said: "We are in the deepest recession this country has ever known. The idea that having got this scandal out of the way we should be paid more right now is preposterous."

And Matthew Elliott, of the TaxPayers' Alliance, stormed: "There is no way MPs should receive a pay rise at this time - it would make them look more out of touch and greedier than ever."

Sir Christopher paved the way for a postelection salary increase by saying successive governments had increased expenses instead of giving proper pay rises.

His reforms had "cleared the undergrowth" so the Senior Salaries Review Body, which sets MPs' pay, could look again at their wages.

Vera Baird, the Solicitor General, fuelled their expectations of a pay rise by saying Sir Christopher's reforms will have to be examined to ensure nobody is "priced out" of politics, adding: "I don't want a care worker who wants to come to Parliament to feel they can't afford to run two homes."

But the Lib Dems' Chris Huhne said: "Our pay is over £60,000 a year. That is more than treble the national average.

"It is ridiculous to suggest anyone is going to be priced out."

Sir Christopher unveiled his plans to draw a line under the scandal of phantom mortgages, "flipping" second homes, moats and duck houses at a press conference in Westminster. Mortgage interest payments on second homes will be phased out along with employing husbands and wives, as revealed by the Mirror. Instead, politicians and their families will be put in rented accommodation arranged by the Commons authorities so that they do not get to handle the cash.

A £1,250 a month limit means they will be priced out of exclusive areas in and around Westminster.

Sir Christopher gave MPs five years to lay off relatives and sell off their second homes.

But he announced those who keep claiming for mortgages in that time will have to hand a share of the profits back to the Commons when they sell the property.

Sir Christopher said: "From today there will be no more gains at the public's expense and no more flipping either for any MP."

Claims for fixtures, fittings, cleaning and gardening, which ran to tens of thousands of pounds under the old system, will be banned.

The £25-a-night subsistence and annual £10,000 communications allowance will also go.

From the general election after next MPs who voluntarily step down will lose the generous resettlement grant, which now goes to all those leaving Parliament. Nothing in the proposals will deal with those MPs caught abusing the system who are quitting and refuse to hand cash back.

But Sir Christopher urged the Commons Standards Committee to use its powers to strip them of the grant, which can be worth more than £60,000 for long-serving MPs. He refused to say how many should be punished but explained: "The way in which expenses were dealt with by a large number of MPs was deplorable and the public are quite right to have deplored it."

Responsibility for pay and pensions will be transferred to the new Parliamentary Standards Authority, which will implement and police his expenses reforms.

The authority will face fierce lobbying from MPs who want to water down the proposals and push for a pay rise.

Gordon Brown and the other party leaders managed to stop a public revolt by ordering them to accept the changes. But the PSA will have to consult on the reforms.

Labour MP John Mann, who has campaigned to clean up Westminster, said colleagues were already plotting to undermine them. He went on: "I know for a fact they are, from all parties, meeting in groups, whispering."

And MPs jeered loudly when they heard the head of the authority, Prof Sir Ian Kennedy, will earn £100,000 for what will be a two or three day week.

But Commons Speaker John Bercow wrote to all MPs, warning against attempts to delay reforms. He said: "The public would not look kindly on anything which was perceived as deliberate procrastination.

"There will be consequences of change which may be uncomfortable to members.

"Yet the old structure has been so thoroughly discredited that nothing less than a new system will be enough to restore public confidence."

MPs will have no vote on the PSA's plans, though they will be asked in a few days to approve Sir Ian's nomination by a committee which will be chaired by Mr Bercow.

MPs' SALARIES ACROSS WORLD

France: Deputies receive £211,000 a year in wages, unchecked expenses, staff salaries and travel.

Germany: MPs get £80,880 in wages plus £41,676 entertaining and living expenses and a free rail card.

Italy: Politicians take home £168,000 a year in pay and allowances before tax.

Sweden: MPs earn £53,376, get free travel and rent-free homes.

Japan: Bonuses take pay and expenses to £230,000.

Kenya: MPs receive £90,000 and untaxed expenses in a country where half the population lives on less than 75p a day each.

United States: Members of the Congress and Senate start on around £105,000.

And Finally... The £1,002 rail ticket (and that's in the UK)

2009-11-04T10:14:32Z

The relentless rise in train fares has led to the first £1,000 ticket - prompting a fresh row over the cost of rail journeys yesterday.

The fare of £1,002 is for a turn-up and go, first-class return from Newquay in Cornwall to the Kyle of Lochalsh in the Scottish Highlands.

Unearthed by rail expert Barry Doe, the Cornwall to Scotland return trip offered by CrossCountry trains would cover around 1,700 miles, Mr Doe's research also showed that some standard-class, turn-up-and go return fares have risen 100% since the mid-1990s.

A London-to-Manchester return has gone up from £33 in 1995 to £66.10, while a London-to-Newcastle upon Tyne return has risen 84% to £105.

Liberal Democrat transport spokesman Norman Baker MP said he was shocked by the fares.

He said: "When you can fly half way across Europe for £30, the idea that you can end up paying £1,000 for a train journey in Britain is absolutely scandalous.

"Not only are passengers being encouraged off the trains and into their cars, but some considering this journey may decide they'd rather fly to Australia and back for half the price. This is a very unwelcome landmark and will do nothing to encourage people to travel by train."

Cat Hobbs of the Campaign for Better Transport said: "The Newquay £1,000 fare shows just how pricey and complicated the fare structure is.

"Fares in this country are far too expensive. They are the most expensive in Europe.

"We think the Government should step in and urgently review how they regulate fares."

Under an annual inflation rate price formula, regulated fares (which include season tickets) will actually go down in January as retail price index inflation is in negative territory.

But Ms Hobbs said that the Government should not take any credit for this dip in fares because it was merely a result of the recession.

She added: "Our fear is that the train companies will put up unregulated fares (which include many off-peak tickets) to compensate for the dip in regulated fare income.

"The Government should not let the train companies take all the flak for this. It's up to the Government to change the system."

A spokesman for CrossCountry said: "No one has actually bought this £1,000 fare but it does exist.

"Someone wanting a first-class return would be likely to book a saver return in advance - and pay £561."

And Finally... The world's biggest ever cruise liner is five times the size of the Titanic

2009-11-03T10:05:29Z

This majestic liner boasts an ice rink, golf course, amphitheatre and parkland, but then it's not short of space - being FIVE times bigger than the Titanic.

At 20 storeys high and 360 metres long, the £855million Oasis of the Seas is the world's largest ever cruise ship.

And yesterday the liner, operated by Royal Caribbean, dropped anchor in Southampton on its maiden voyage from Finland to Florida.

More like a floating city than a ship, it's home to 8,500 people and even has an open-air park planted with 12,000 real trees. There's a bar in the lift for a cheeky cocktail between decks, and champagne bars and restaurants galore.

Theatre-lovers can see Hairspray, the first full Broadway show to be performed at sea. While to keep the kids happy, there are theme parks and a non-alcoholic "mocktail bar".

The OTT liner officially goes into service next month. So, if the thought of a cruise on it floats your boat, here's what to expect...

The ship in numbers

6,360 Number of passengers, plus 2,160 crew

£1,364 Starting price for a nine-night Caribbean cruise

£855m How much it cost to build

20 storeys and 16 decks

630,000 Gallons of paint needed to decorate it

2,700 Number of cabins onboard

And Finally... Net pirates spend more (apparently)

2009-11-02T09:25:41Z

People who illegally download music spend more on official releases than those who don't, according to a survey published yesterday.

Illegal downloaders spent an average of £77 a year, £33 more than their lawful peers.

The 42% of people who admitted breaking the law said they did so to "try before you buy", suggesting filesharing may encourage sales. Think tank Demos, which surveyed 1,008 people, said its findings showed cutting off file-sharers, a move proposed by the Government, may not help the music industry.

And Finally... Passenger accidentally ejects himself from plane

2009-11-02T09:22:36Z

A passenger in an air force display team plane shot out of the cockpit when he accidentally set off the ejector seat.

The civilian had been trying to steady himself during a gut-wrenching aerobatic manoeuvre when he pulled a lever between his legs. It launched two rockets on the chair and the man, who has not been named, experienced 20G of acceleration as he shot into the air.

A parachute opened and he floated safely to earth as a helicopter was scrambled to pick him up. Experts said yesterday he was lucky to be unhurt.

An inquiry has started into the mishap at Langebaanweg airfield, north of Cape Town, where the South African Air Force Silver Falcons display team was flying.

And Finally...Boy's TV aerial affects aircraft radios

2009-10-31T10:42:56Z

Government officials raided the home of a 12-year-old schoolboy - because his TV aerial was interfering with planes landing at Luton Airport.

The schoolboy had used the booster device for two years to watch cartoons, music channels and Big Brother on his 14-inch television

To read the full story click here

And Finally...Marker pen masks give burglars away

2009-10-30T14:48:27Z

Two would-be burglars have been arrested after covering their faces by drawing on 'masks' with magic marker pens.

Matthew Allan McNelly, 23, and Joey Lee Miller, 20, were arrested last week after they tried to break into an apartment in Carroll, Iowa.

A witness told police the pair, both wearing black hooded sweatshirts, had sped off in a large white car.

Police soon spotted a 1994 Buick Roadmaster that matched the vehicle description and stopped it.

They found two occupants with mask-like scribbling on faces, Iowa's Daily Times Herald reports.

The two men were arrested at gunpoint because of reports they might be armed, but neither man had a weapon.

Both suspects were charged with attempted second-degree burglary and have been released on bail.

And Finally...A novel way to transport livestock (picture)

2009-10-30T14:39:34Z

see more Epic Fails

And Finally...Rich pickings at Russian Millionaire Fair

2009-10-30T10:36:58Z

Stuck for Christmas pressie ideas? If there's a few billion quid burning a hole in your pocket, look no further...

At Moscow's annual Millionaire Fair you'll find a bizarre selection of bad taste bling guaranteed to delight any mega-rich oligarch who already owns too much stuff.

How about a stretch Hummer with a pole-dancing stage inside, or a £250,000 coffee table with woolly mammoth tusks for legs? You could snap up one of the diamond-encrusted Mercs, solid gold mobile phones, bearskin chairs, thoroughbred horses, palatial yachts, £100,000 fur coats or a pair of granite skis - a snip at £10,000.

This year's fair, at Manezh Exhibition Hall near the Kremlin has just opened. It's always a huge attraction, especially to high society Russians eager to flash their obscene fortunes. But anyone who can stump up the £30 admission fee can get in for a glimpse at all the goodies.

And Finally... Dutch woman swallows 78 pieces of cutlery

2009-10-29T10:09:39Z

"Obsessed" Margaret Daalman, 52, swallowed an entire 78-piece canteen of cutlery in Rotterdam, Holland. Doctors had to operate to remove it.