Saturday, June 24, 2023

 That's REALLY getting away from it all! A peek at 10,000-acres of gorgeous highland wilderness that Pippa Middleton is set to inherit. She even gets to call herself Her Ladyship:



Pippa Middleton recently moved from a £17million townhouse in Chelsea to a 30-bedroom retreat in Berkshire with her husband James Matthews.


But the Princess of Wales' younger sister may one day be tempted to move to the Scottish Highlands if her billionaire husband inherits his family's Glen Affric estate.


James' father, David Matthews, bought the property in 2018 along with the main house, Affric Lodge, set amidst a 10,000-acre peninsula and lake of the same name.


Glen Affric is situated south-west of the village of Cannich in the Scottish Highlands region, around 15 miles west of Loch Ness.

David took the courtesy title of Laird of Glen Affric and quickly turned the property into a luxury rental offering.


It's unclear how much he bought for it, but at £11,800 for a three-night stay for up to eight people, or £17,800 for a group of 16, we can only guess.

The main pavilion has a total of eight bedrooms as well as a whiskey room, drawing room, dining room and various lounges.


The lodge is decorated with paintings of Highland landscapes by 19th century artist Sir Edwin Landseer and retains traditional Victorian features such as turrets and fireplaces.


It was built between 1860 and 1872 using local pines and hardwoods and Caledonian granite.


The charming and newly built Stable Cottage nearby is modern and colorful.


The lodge is also better known and the late Queen's grandmother, Mary, resided at the lodge as far back as the 19th century, while David Beckham also filmed an advertisement for his Haig Club whiskey there in 2014.


James' brother, former Made in Chelsea star Spencer Matthews, even married wife Vogue Williams at the estate in June 2018.


The property's website says Glen Affric is considered one of the most beautiful places in Scotland - and the photos seem to indicate that's true.


To keep it in the family, James Middleton, brother of Pippa and the Princess of Wales, also serves as host at the estate.

James, 35, regularly shares his thoughts and moments at Glen Affric Estate.


In recent years he has shared images of himself with his French wife Alizee and their dogs standing on a paddle board.


James posted the image with the caption: 'I got tingles not from the cold but from how beautiful she is. Yes, it's Scotland in November!


Petrol prices in Britain have fallen 24% in a year and are now 45p-a-litre cheaper: How does that compare to other major countries?

Petrol prices in Britain have fallen 24% in a year and are now 45p-a-litre cheaper: How does that compare to other major countries:



Lower fuel prices relieve drivers in the UK - but how much are drivers saving compared to other countries?

A year ago petrol and diesel prices hit record highs with drivers paying over £2 a liter to fill up in many areas.

According to the AA, the average motorist now pays 143.47p for a liter of petrol, up from 188.74p a year ago, a saving of 45.3p.

That means a saving of £25.71 for every 500 miles driven on a petrol engine and reaching 40 miles per gallon - a total of £81.49 compared to £107.20 last June.

Motorists paid 196.36p a liter of diesel in June 2022, compared to 145.33p currently, or 51.3p less.

However, compared to June 2019, petrol is 15 pence per liter more expensive and diesel is 11 pence per liter more expensive.

The cheapest place to get petrol in June is Asda, the AA said, with petrol prices averaging 140.01p a litre. BP was the most expensive at 145.21p.

For diesel drivers, Sainsbury's was the cheapest petrol station at 141.36 pence per litre. Here, too, BP calculated the highest price at 147.71 pence.

Average petrol prices in the UK are mid-table compared to other countries - but have fallen the most over the past year.

The average UK driver now saves 45.27p per liter of petrol, the biggest saving of any country surveyed by the AA.

The lowest saving was in Germany, where motorists are now paying just 2.57p a liter less than in June 2022.

For drivers planning to take their car abroad on holiday, it may be a good idea to fill up before leaving the UK coast.

Petrol is currently 16.4p per liter more expensive in France, but diesel is slightly cheaper at 143.10p per liter compared to the UK average of 145.33p.

AA's Luke Bosdet said: "With dismal inflation and rising interest rates, the much lower cost of petrol and diesel is encouraging the start of the summer season, with holidaymakers heading to some capable areas to save a little more." Europe. '


Mark Zuckerberg Wants To Fight Elon Musk In A Cage Fight

 Mark Zuckerberg Wants To Fight Elon Musk In A Cage Fight



Two of the world's most famous tech billionaires - Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerburg - have agreed to fight. Zuckerberg says he's ready to take on Musk in cage fights and accepts his challenge.

It's a new normal, but it doesn't seem so normal considering two of the world's most prominent tech billionaires - Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerburg - have agreed to go head-to-head in a cage fight.

Recently, Tesla SpaceX Twitter boss Elon Musk tweeted that he was "ready for a cage fight" with Zuckerberg. The CEO of Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp), an aspiring mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, hit back by posting a screenshot of Musk's tweet on Instagram with the caption, "Send me location."

Musk then responded to Zuckerberg's response with "Vegas Octagon."

FYI: The Vegas Octagon is the competition mat and fenced area for the Ultimate Fighting Champions (UFC) bout taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada.

While Zuckerberg is known for his fitness and recently won jiu-jitsu tournaments where he defeated an Uber engineer and won two medals, Musk has been very vocal about not working out, also tweeting, "I have this great move that I call "The Walrus", where I just lay on top of my opponent and do nothing."

The exchange went viral and social media users debated who would win the fight, while others posted memes, including mock-up posters promoting the fight.


Lily James nails festival chic in a ribbed minidress as she joins pal Billie Piper

 Lily James nails festival chic in a ribbed minidress as she joins pal Billie Piper and Gemma Chan for the big Glastonbury weekend which sees Foo Fighters make surprise performance



Lily, 34, rocked extra long looks in a short black pleated mini dress with gold metallic trim.
Lily's dress featured a subtle and sexy black lace detail at the top of the Yesterday star's thigh, reminiscent of suspenders.
Not only did the dress show off her sun-kissed skyscraper legs, but it also featured a plunging neckline that discreetly hinted at the star's cleavage.
Gemma Chan, meanwhile, brightened up the festival in a crisp white shirt and top combo.
The Crazy Rich Asians actress, 40, wore a super short white denim skirt that showed off her long legs.
Baby Driver lead actress Lily paired the dress with a pair of black Barbour ankle boots and a black Barbour wax coat.
Actress Rebecca completed the look with large black Ray-Ban sunglasses and a small black handbag.
Lily met her friend Billie Piper. The actress gave the 40-year-old I Hate Suzie star a big hug as they celebrated their reunion.
Billie wore a matching purple shirt and shorts under a long black coat with gold buttons.
She paired the ensemble with a pair of black Adidas rubber clogs and carried a small brown handbag over one shoulder.
She completed the outfit with rectangular sunglasses and, like Lily, kept her hair dyed black.
The BFFs appeared to be beaming with happiness as they attended the event together, sometimes holding hands affectionately.
She wore the outfit under a black Barbour coat with brown suede lapels and paired the coat with black knee-high Barbour boots.
 Gemma attended the legendary festival with her boyfriend, actor Dominic Cooper.

The Mamma Mia star, 45, wore a matching look with Gemma, also opting for a black coat with brown suede lapels worn over a white t-shirt.
However, he differentiated himself from his girlfriend by opting for matching pants and high-top green and black cargo trainers with orange detailing.
He completed the outfit with a pair of Ray-Ban tortoiseshell sunglasses and a cream Panama hat.
The couple smiled as they prepared to see the Foo Fighters' surprise performance on stage.
The band made a surprise appearance at the festival, returning for the first time since the death of Taylor Hawkins.


The rock 'n' roll icons shocked festival-goers when they took the stage at The Pyramid to perform an impressive hour-long setlist, leading Friday's star-studded performers.
The band last played Glastonbury six years ago and it was the first time they had returned to the festival since the tragic death of drummer Taylor Hawkins last year.
Singer Dave Grohl paid tribute to his late friend and bandmate by dedicating his latest song, Everlong, to him in a touching moment.
Taylor was found dead in his luxury hotel room last year after suffering a "cardiovascular collapse" caused by excessive drug use during the band's tour of Colombia.
The group's surprise appearance came after weeks of speculation about who would be playing the 'secret' slot, which went by the mysterious alias The Churnups.
Fans previously believed the alias referred to Britpop group Pulp, but the Daily Mail later confirmed it would be The Foo Fighters who made a surprise appearance.
The Glastonbury crowd went wild as vocalist Dave strutted onto the stage, guitar in hand, and opened the show.
Festival goers and viewers at home took to Twitter to share their shock at The Foo Fighter's surprise performance, with some admitting they "screamed" when they arrived.

One fan exclaimed, "I actually screamed when the Foo Fighters came!" Wahhhhh.'
Another shared his shock, writing: 'Foo Fighters out of nowhere', while a third wrote: 'The Foo Fighters show up and do whatever it takes.'
A third joked: "Churnups look and sound weirdly like Foo Fighters."
Another said: "There aren't many bands these days that I would love to be in Glasto, but Foo Fighters is one of them."

'Alive one millisecond, dead the next': Former Navy doctor reveals exactly what would've happened during Titanic Five's tragic final moment - saying 'they would've been crushed instantly'

 'Alive one millisecond, dead the next': Former Navy doctor reveals exactly what would've happened during Titanic Five's tragic final moment - saying 'they would've been crushed instantly'

Dr Dale Molé, former director of underwater medicine and radiotherapy for the US Navy, told DailyMail.com the deaths were quick and painless, with deaths almost instantaneous due to the extraordinary forces exerted by the ocean in depth.

Molé said: "It would have happened so suddenly that they wouldn't even have known there was a problem or what had happened to them."

"It's like being here for a minute and then the switch goes off." One millisecond you're alive and the next millisecond you're dead."

The crew was more than 2 miles below the surface of the sea, which would have generated pressures in excess of 5,500 pounds per square inch (PSI).

On board the ship is OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, 61; Paul-Henri (PH) Nargeolet, French Navy veteran, 77; British billionaire Hamish Harding, 58; Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, 41; and his son Suleman, who was only 19 years old.

The tiny crewed ship was protected by a hyperbaric chamber, a sealed capsule well above ambient pressure, a pressurized gas system to control the internal pressure, and a breathing gas supply for the occupants.

Molé said: “The pressure hull is the chamber where the occupants stay. It's like they hit rock bottom when the pressure vessel imploded, and when it ruptures, it's usually all at once.

"It looks like it was the carbon fiber cylinder that gave way and caused the implosion."


How the pressure chamber was pierced remains unclear. However, such an implosion could be due to a leak, a power outage, or a small fire due to an electrical short.

The result would have been a violent and instantaneous implosion as highly pressurized water rushed in from the outside, ripping off the rear cover and landing frame, tearing the submarine's hull apart and crushing those inside.

Molé said: "They would have been torn to pieces."

"An implosion is when the pressure wave is directed inward, whereas an explosion is when the pressure wave or shock wave emanates from any source."

He explained it as an overinflated balloon - the balloon will eventually burst if too much pressure is applied.

The reverse happens during an implosion: if there is more pressure on the outside than the container can handle, the inside collapses.

Molé said, "If someone stood on an empty soda can, it would support your weight, but if you then pressed the sides, the can would immediately collapse."



He added: "It's just the place where debris and fragments and everything else is pouring inward due to a strong outside force." In this case, it was the sea.

"At least at Titanic's depth, which is 12,500 feet, the external pressure would be 6,000 pounds per square inch. It is this pressure that, if there were a weak point in the hull, would cause the hull to collapse and suddenly create a shock wave. An implosion can certainly be just as destructive as an explosion.

According to Scientific American, had the submersible been near the Titanic, it would have been subjected to more pressure than a great white shark bite.

Nicolai Roterman, a deep-sea ecologist at the University of Portsmouth, UK, agreed that with such an implosion, the pressure would have killed the occupants almost instantly.

"If there were any breach in the hull, the occupants would succumb to the sea almost instantly."

Tributes were posted and released following news of the Titanic Five's deaths on Thursday.

Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77 - commonly known as PH - was part of the first human expedition to visit the Titanic wreck in 1987 and had visited the site at least 35 times. His family said her death broke her heart.

"He is a man who will be remembered as one of the greatest deep-sea explorers in modern history. When you think of the Titanic and everything we know about the ship today, you think of Paul-Henri Nargeolet and his legendary work.”

"But what we will remember most is his big heart, his incredible sense of humor and how much he loved his family. He will be missed today and every day for the rest of our lives.

Harding's company, Action Aviation, also released a statement following the news of his death.

“Hamish Harding was a loving husband to his wife and a devoted father to two sons whom he loved dearly. For his Action Aviation team, he was a leader, inspiration, supporter and living legend,” the statement said.

The Dawood family said they are grateful to those who took part in the international rescue operation. Their works are "a source of strength," Hussain and the Kulsum Dawood family said in a statement.

“We are also indebted to our friends, family, colleagues and supporters around the world who supported us in this difficult hour,” the statement said. "The tremendous love and support we receive continues to help us get through this unimaginable loss."


Friday, June 23, 2023

Wagner seize control of Russian military HQ in Rostov-on-Don after commanding officer FLED when mercenaries arrived

Wagner seize control of Russian military HQ in Rostov-on-Don after commanding officer FLED when mercenaries arrived: Militia leader Prigozhin says 25,000 men will march on Moscow to take out 'evil' military chiefs as Putin charges him with armed mutiny



Fears of an attempted coup in Russia grew on Saturday after Wagner militiamen stormed the military and ministerial headquarters in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don. Russia, led by embittered mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, is poised to avenge Moscow's murder. his men

Prigozhin released a new message at 7:30 a.m. Moscow time on Saturday, saying his men had infiltrated the Southern Defense Command in Rostov-on-Don and were controlling the city's airport.

Government officials urged local residents to stay indoors, but some watched the action and even streamed the action live on their cellphones.

Prigozhin, who was once a confidant of Vladimir Putin before declaring war on Moscow's military rulers, said in a video that the senior command post officer fled when he learned Wagner's troops were approaching .

"We have it under control so that the attack planes do not bring us in, but attack the Ukrainians." The main control center headquarters is functioning normally. There are no problems, not a single official has been caught. If we also tell you that the PMC Wagner intervened and things like that... When we came here, we confirmed again: a lot, a lot of territory was lost. Three to four times as many soldiers were killed as reported to commanders. And it is reported ten times less than what is said on television. "Cases per day can reach 1,000 people on some days." "Something went wrong at the front [it's wrong]," Prigozhin said.





“It is the missing dead, the injured and the so-called refusers who refuse, not because they are afraid, but because they have no way out, no ammunition, no control.” “The chief of staff fled from here as soon as he heard that as we approached the building,” he concluded.

New photos showed Wagner fighters marching through the streets of Rostov-on-Don on Saturday morning, with one photo showing a member flashing the V for the victory sign.

Footage shared on social media showed troops in front of the military headquarters in the south - which plays a crucial role in handling the war in Ukraine - while others could be seen less than half a mile around the Rostov office of the interior ministry.

 

Meghan Markle ranks first in list of potential runners for US pollical party president

 Meghan Markle ranks first in list of potential runners for US pollical party president:



Meghan Markle has outranked the others in a poll conducted by the US Democratic Party to choose the most suitable president.

According to Express.co.uk, 64% support a candidate in the upcoming presidential election, while the Duchess of Sussex won 525 votes in a poll of 1,500 potential voters.

Patrick Basham, director of the Democracy Institute, said: 'We have confirmed that most Democrats want a woman and want a female candidate next time around.

“For a number of years it has been said that very soon the Democrats will be able to get the National Democratic Party to stop nominating white gay men as candidates.



"Before we had Michelle Obama with us, she's not a serious candidate because she doesn't seem serious about running for office."

"The elephant in the room on the Democratic side is Meghan Markle who continues to make moves there and I would say she is going to test the waters in different ways and in different ways."

"She's ahead in part thanks to her paint-by-numbers profile. As a newcomer, it has not been tested or found to be faulty. She remains a serious candidate if she decides to go down this path,” she added.


'Putin has never been so humiliated and weak':

 'Putin has never been so humiliated and weak': Russia experts say strongman president has been reduced to a bystander after begging...