Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info BBC radio personality John Spencer-Barnes raised eyebrows among his concerned fans after announcing he was going in for surgery, marking his second hospital visit in just a few months. The 63 year old revealed that he had been admitted to the hospital for an operation, just months after he was admitted to hospital with symptoms resembling a stroke. BBC Radio 5 Live host John shared the worrying news with his followers, who flooded him with supportive messages. Posting on X, he informed his fans of the news. "I had nothing better to do today so I decided to check into Burnley General Hospital for an operation," he wrote, alongside a picture from his hospital bed. He added: "I'll see you on the other side." While he hasn't yet disclosed what the procedure entailed, fans sent their well wishes for his recovery. One social media user offered: "If you want some grapes and a bottle of wine sneaked in I'm only 15 minutes away from Burnley. Hope all goes well." Another chimed in: "Thinking of you," while another added: "Wishing you a speedy recovery x," reports the Mirror . John later updated his supporters, letting them know his operation was complete and he was recuperating, sharing gratitude towards his medical team. He added: "Thank you to Burnley General Hospital for their amazing care over the last 24 hours even though they sent me to Whamageddon in recovery." In July, John shared another health update with his fans, revealing that he had previously suffered two strokes back in 2015. He posted: "I've been released from hospital following the manifestation of some stroke related symptoms. After having two strokes in 2015 it's something that I'm anxious to avoid again. The examination suggested there's no immediate concerns and I'm being referred for more tests this week." John was born in Dudley, West Midlands in 1961, and later moved to Wolverhampton for university. He began his career as a freelancer at BRMB in Birmingham, before joining the Beeb's WM Heartlands from 1989 to 1991. John then worked at Chiltern Radio Network before becoming the launch manager of Welsh station Radio Maldwyn. In 1994, he secured a News Editor role at Rock FM in Preston, Lancashire, where he coordinated the EMAP Radio response to the IRA bombing in Manchester. His emergency news service replaced Manchester's Key 103 and Piccadilly Magic off air. More recently, he has worked at various BBC regional stations, but decided to become a freelancer after lockdown made him "rethink" his priorities. He told RadioToday in 2021: "The BBC wanted me to stay but it was the right time for me to move on to the next stage. Right now, I'm renovating our 300 year old house with my husband Dave and will be taking on more work when that's done but right now I want to get back to doing a little bit of radio as it's always been in my blood. "After working from home for the last year I've grown a rather fashionable lockdown beard which hopefully shouldn't prove to be too much of an issue on the radio!"Study reveals untapped potential in Switzerland's wood material flowsASP Isotopes Inc. Investors: Please contact the Portnoy Law Firm to recover your losses. February 3, 2025 Deadline to file Lead Plaintiff Motion.
Donald Trump will ring the New York Stock Exchange bell as he's named Time's Person of the YearLahore: Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan had agreed to change the protest location from D-chowk to a venue on the outskirts of Islamabad, but his wife Bushra Bibi did not accept the proposal, a minister said on Saturday. Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on November 24 called for a sit-in protest with party workers crossing barricades and making their way to Islamabad where four people died and over 50 were injured in a midnight crackdown. However, PTI claimed “hundreds” were killed in the violent clashes with security personnel. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif in a conversation with the media in Sialkot said the government offered PTI several alternative protest locations and while Khan, 72, agreed to the proposal, Bibi insisted on going to D-Chowk, leading to the chaotic situation. He said that while PTI’s crowd size “was good, just like anyone familiar with politics would muster, Bushra Bibi, unfamiliar with such a massive gathering, reportedly expressed concern, saying, ‘Who will go there now’, and insisted on continuing the march towards D-Chowk”. “What happened later, she fled from the scene, escaping with Gandapur,” the minister claimed. Asif, criticising PTI leadership, said the party leaders fled the scene when confronted with genuine resistance, The Express Tribune reported. He compared their retreat to a lack of resolve and said such behaviour was unprecedented in any war or movement. Asif said that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s vehicle was also hit by bricks as he fled the scene with Bibi. He mentioned the leaders only managed to escape and resurfaced in Mansehra. Addressing the deaths reported during the protests, Asif said that while PTI leaders provided conflicting reports about the number of fatalities, with Sardar Latif Khosa reporting 278 deaths, the actual figure was in single digits. Rangers and police personnel were martyred and hundreds were injured because of the violence incited by Khan’s supporters, the minister claimed. He praised the security forces for successfully preventing what he described as the third attack on the federal government. He said there was a lack of evidence to support claims of mass killings and said no videos of funerals or statements from the families of the deceased emerged, nor had there been any concrete proof of widespread bloodshed. Separately, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said an anti-riot force was being raised to combat such situations. The minister regretted the PTI was resorting to a false narrative of dead bodies to cover up the embarrassment of fleeing from the protest site. Criticising the PTI for airing old and AI-generated images on social media, Tarar said it was the violent protesters who used different weapons against the security personnel and inflicted damage on public property. Khan’s party on Wednesday formally suspended for the time being its protest in Islamabad and blamed the midnight crackdown by the authorities. Amid concerns about the whereabouts of Bibi and Gandapur – who were leading the march to Islamabad – the party said they were at Mansehra town, near Abbottabad, of the northwestern province. The midnight crackdown forced Khan’s supporters to evacuate the D-Chowk and its adjacent main business district of the capital ending their protest, which his party described as a “massacre” under the “fascist military regime” even as police sources said about 450 protestors were arrested in the crackdown.
The billing of London-born former Chelsea boss Hayes against England’s Dutch manager Sarina Wiegman – arguably the best two bosses in the women’s game – had generated more buzz in the build-up than the players on the pitch, despite it being a rare encounter between the two top-ranked sides in the world. Hayes enjoyed her return to familiar shores but felt the US lacked the “killer piece” after they looked the likelier side to make the breakthrough. Elite meeting of the minds 🌟 pic.twitter.com/R4d8EArqTp — U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) November 30, 2024 Asked what was going through her mind during the national anthem, Hayes said: “I was definitely mouthing (it), and Naomi (Girma) and Lynn (Williams) could see that I was struggling with where to be and all that. “I got to the end of the anthems and I thought, ‘that’s so ridiculous. I’m proud to be English and I’m proud of our national anthem, and I’m also really proud to coach America’. “Two things are possible all at once. I don’t want to fuel a nationalist debate around it. The realities are both countries are really dear to me for lots of reasons, and I’m really proud to represent both of them.” The Lionesses did not register a shot on target in the first half but grew into the game in the second. US captain Lindsey Horan had the ball in the net after the break but the flag was up, while Hayes’ side had a penalty award for a handball reversed after a VAR check determined substitute Yazmeen Ryan’s shot hit Alex Greenwood’s chest. Hayes, who left Chelsea after 12 trophy-packed years this summer, said: “I’ve been privileged to coach a lot of top-level games, including here, so there’s a familiarity to being here for me. “It’s not new to me, and because of that there was a whole sense of I’m coming back to a place I know. I have a really healthy perspective, and I want to have a really healthy perspective on my profession. “I give everything I possibly can for a team that I really, really enjoy coaching, and I thrive, not just under pressure, but I like these opportunities, I like being in these situations. They bring out the best in me. “You’ve got two top teams now, Sarina is an amazing coach, I thought it was a good tactical match-up, and I just enjoy coaching a high-level football match, to be honest with you. I don’t think too much about it.” Hayes had travelled to London without her entire Olympic gold medal-winning ‘Triple Espresso’ forward line of Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Smith, all nursing niggling injuries. Before the match, the 48-year-old was spotted chatting with Wiegman and her US men’s counterpart, fellow ex-Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino, who was also in attendance. England were also missing a number of key attackers for the friendly including Lauren Hemp, Lauren James and Ella Toone, all ruled out with injury. "This shows where we are at and we need to keep improving. It is November now. This is good but we want to be better again. We have to be better again." 👊 Reaction from the boss ⬇️ — Lionesses (@Lionesses) November 30, 2024 Wiegman brushed aside suggestions from some pundits that her side were content to settle for a draw. She said: “I think we were really defending as a team, very strong. We got momentum in the second half, we did better, and of course both teams went for the win. “So many things happened in this game, also in front of the goal, so I don’t think it was boring. “We wanted to go for the win, but it was such a high-intensity game, you have to deal with a very good opponent, so you can’t just say, ‘Now we’re going to go and score that goal’. “We tried, of course, to do that. We didn’t slow down to keep it 0-0. I think that was just how the game went.”Peninsula residents who love skateboarding but don’t want to brave the cold winter weather are in luck — a new indoor skate park will soon be coming to Newport News. City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a permit to operate a skateboard ramp in a 5,000-square-foot suite in the Warwick Denbigh Shopping Center at 14347 Warwick Blvd. City residents Ebony and Vincent Nickens hope to launch the new Westgate Indoor Skatepark business by February or March. Westgate Indoor Skatepark touts itself on social media as “the ultimate indoor skate park where skaters of all levels can ride, practice, and improve their skills year-round.” According to Ebony Nickens, the skatepark will have ramps, rails, a restroom, a snack area and a seating area with couches and TVs. One of the conditions of the permit is that there can be no more than 20 skaters on the floor at any time. Ebony Nickens said people could either use a $14 daily pass or a $125 monthly membership to skate at the facility. Ebony Nickens said her son and his best friend love to skate. But the place they skated in Hampton, Mekos Skatepark , closed down about two years ago. That inspired them to make the leap and open their own facility. “So we always wanted to open up one on this side, so they can skate indoors, especially when it’s cold,” Ebony Nickens said. The proposed hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Sunday. The hours will be 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Ebony Nickens said she and her husband also hope to be able to occasionally host outdoor events in the parking lot. However, she noted that would have to be coordinated with the shopping center’s owners. Newport News Senior Planner Saul Gleiser told the Planning Commission earlier this month there are currently no indoor skateboard ramps within the city and the new business would provide a safe venue for skateboarders to enjoy the sport. He added that the skateboard park will complement the nearby DW Center’s entertainment activities making the commercial area “a family entertainment destination within the city.” He said the park will not have any more impact on nearby residential uses than the current shopping center uses. Josh Janney, joshua.janney@virginiamedia.com Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on X (Opens in new window) Most Popular Fire crews begin extinguishing underground fire at Williamsburg Premium Outlets Fire crews begin extinguishing underground fire at Williamsburg Premium Outlets Underground fire at Williamsburg Premium Outlets extinguished Underground fire at Williamsburg Premium Outlets extinguished New restaurant owner keeps tradition of serving community Thanksgiving feast in Hampton New restaurant owner keeps tradition of serving community Thanksgiving feast in Hampton Newport News council to consider banning guns from government buildings Newport News council to consider banning guns from government buildings 757Teamz football live scoreboard: 5 region championship games slated for tonight 757Teamz football live scoreboard: 5 region championship games slated for tonight Let it burn: Days-old underground fire at Williamsburg outlet mall could smolder for a week Let it burn: Days-old underground fire at Williamsburg outlet mall could smolder for a week In era of NIL and transfer portal, coaches accept reality of tampering as ‘unacceptable acceptable practice’ In era of NIL and transfer portal, coaches accept reality of tampering as ‘unacceptable acceptable practice’ High school scoreboard: Maury, Oscar Smith capture football region championships High school scoreboard: Maury, Oscar Smith capture football region championships UVA and Virginia Tech meet in a Commonwealth Cup with higher stakes this season UVA and Virginia Tech meet in a Commonwealth Cup with higher stakes this season How the way we travel has changed since the pandemic How the way we travel has changed since the pandemic Trending Nationally What to watch: ‘Senna,’ ‘Little Secret’ offer made-to-order holiday home viewing ‘Beatles ’64’ captures the Fab Four charming a grieving nation How to use up every one of your Thanksgiving leftovers Crazy cleaning fees have caused once-loyal Airbnb travelers to consider hotels Why did the chicken with a broken wing cross a Chicago road? 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The hunt for the suspect involved in the murder of UnitedHealth executive Brian Thompson intensifies as authorities close in on him. New York City Mayor Eric Adams was reported by the New York Post on Saturday, stating the "net is tightening" around the suspect. Thompson, aged 50, who served as CEO of UnitedHealth's insurance division since April 2021, was fatally shot in the back early Wednesday morning. The attack, described by police as targeted, caught the executive unawares, sending the shooter on a manhunt escape through Central Park. Video footage released by law enforcement demonstrates the premeditated nature of the crime and the suspect's actions after the attack. Despite clues suggesting he left the city via bus, the suspect remains at large. Authorities are calling for public cooperation to aid the investigation. (With inputs from agencies.)
An American map showing the rapid increase in average winter temperatures across the United States published last week showed us by doing the numbers what we gardeners know in our bones: It’s getting toastier out there. Not always toasty. There is still cold. Just a lot toastier than before. Thirty-five years ago, when I bought my Pasadena garden (and a little cottage sitting on its edge), there were three or four regular overnight frosts, morning ice glistening on the rose bushes and the irises, every winter, and seven or eight in the different microclimate just down the hill, the floor of the Arroyo Seco canyon where the Rose Bowl is. It’s been well over a decade since we have seen any frost at all. The map published by Climate Central shows that our coastal zone of Southern California is an area that has seen average winter temps rise between 2 and 3 degrees Fahrenheit since 1970. That’s not nearly as major a change as back East, where all of New England is in a zone where the winter lows are on average 5 degrees higher than 54 years ago. This is not an issue of opinion. It doesn’t matter to the real world if a politician such as Donald Trump finds it convenient to pretend that “climate change is a hoax.” This winter numbers are just a small piece of the data pie showing this year to be the hottest ever. “The global mean surface air temperature from January to September 2024 was 1.54°C above the pre-industrial average. This is the first time the world has exceeded 1.5°C warming,” the World Meteorological Organization reports. King Canute can command the tides to recede all he likes, but the rising tide pays no attention to his royal wishes. But the perhaps apocryphal story of the actual ancient English king, crowned in 1027, as told by his chronicler, Henry of Huntingdon, was meant to tell the opposite of how the story is now understood. After the tide kept coming up and dampened his shoes despite the command, Canute stepped back and declared, “Let all men know how empty and worthless is the power of kings, for there is none worthy of the name, but He whom heaven, earth, and sea obey by eternal laws.” A king, or a president, can have no effect on global warming and other examples of climate change by commanding the atmosphere and the oceans to stop heating up. The laws of chemistry, and of physics, are eternal laws. But the president can, out of a desire to seem populist, or whatever reality-denying motive is at play here, once again withdraw our nation from The Paris Agreement, negotiated by 196 countries in 2015 “to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.” And surely once in office Trump will do just that. It’s a national embarrassment, yet another one; it’s anti-human, as well as anti-Earth. For those of us who favor the Earth over, say, Mars, and who don’t want to leave our great-grandchildren an inhospitable home planet, it’s a disgusting political maneuver. But that doesn’t mean that smart, everyday Americans will give up on our own fight against climate change, absurd as it is that the president’s likely action will see us join only a tiny group of countries, including Libya, Iran and Yemen, in the denialism. We do contribute 13% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and American scientists, engineers and politicians of goodwill will continue to work to bring that number down, waiting out the Trump administration’s colossal error. As Max Boykoff, professor in the Department of Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado says, yes, there will be “a loss of trust and a loss of opportunity for the U.S. to be in a position of leadership in a clean energy economy, and more generally on other global issues as well.” But: “The renewable energy sector has grown to a point where it actually makes great financial sense to continue to benefit from these market trends. With the way the economy has been moving, the Trump administration’s withdrawal ... may carry more symbolic significance than actual functional significance.” Keep up the good fight, even if this president is unlikely to attain the wisdom of the old king. Larry Wilson is on the Southern California News Group editorial board. lwilson@scng.com.
