Just over 17 years ago it was illegal for an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender person to serve in the British military.
Aug12017
Aug12017
Eurozone growth puts UK at bottom of league table
The Eurozone has grown twice as fast as the UK, which in no time has gone from the top of the growth league to the bottom.
The government’s shambolic handling of Brexit, which is denting business confidence by the day, is certainly not helping.
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Aug12017
HSE statement following fatal incident at Theme Park in Ohio, USA
A HSE spokesperson said: “HSE is aware of the tragic accident involving the KMG Afterburner (themed as Fire Ball) machine in Ohio on 26 July.
“There are six machines of this version operating in UK which were all thoroughly inspected within the last 12 months in line with agreed procedures. There is no verified information regarding the immediate cause of the US accident.
“Following the incident, HSE initiated a re-inspection of these machines. As a result, on Friday 28 July an Enforcement Notice was served on five of the machines, which are now to be taken out of use until the notices have been complied with. The sixth, at Lightwater Valley in North Yorkshire, was immediately take out of use following the incident in Ohio. This was a decision taken independently by the operator. Lightwater Valley has agreed to keep this machine out of use until the other five notices have been complied with.
“HSE will ensure operators are kept abreast of information as it arrives and will take such action as is necessary to ensure the rides are inspected and tested as necessary to ensure safety.”
The rides which are subject to the Enforcement Prohibition notice are in the following locations:
– Pleasure Wood Hills – East Anglia
– Ryan Crow Amusements – North East
– Coney Beach Fair – South Wales
– Joseph Manning – based in Hertfordshire
– Brean Theme Park – Somerset
Aug12017
100-mln-year-old dinosaur footprint fossils discovered in east China
Chinese paleontologists have announced that they have discovered a group of nearly 100-million-year-old fossils of dinosaur footprints in southeastern China’s Zhejiang Province.
The fossils scattered on a hill in Yiwu city are believed to be the largest group of fossilized dinosaur footprints in southeast China, according to researchers with Zhejiang Museum of Natural History.
They were first spotted in 2007, and researchers started surveying them in 2014. So far, more than 80 footprints have been found.
The footprints dating back to the early late cretaceous period belong to theropods, sauropods, pterosaurs and other dinosaurs, according to Jin Xingsheng, deputy curator of the museum.
The footprints of theropods are mostly less than 20 centimeters long, while those of sauropods can be as long as one meter. The most interesting finding was a pterosaur footprint upon a sauropod footprint.
Most of the footprints are single. However, some of the ornithopods were in pairs, showing the dinosaur walking.
The dinosaur footprint fossils contain information that skeleton fossils cannot show and can help with research on biodiversity and biological migration and behavior, as well as the evolution of ancient creatures, Jin said, adding that the site could be developed into a science visitor base.
Aug12017
Hong Kong’s giant panda has pregnancy symptoms
Hong Kong Ocean Park announced on Tuesday that female giant panda Ying Ying has started displaying typical pregnancy symptoms.
Ocean Park has artificially inseminated Ying Ying by using male giant panda Le Le’s fresh semen and An An’s frozen semen to increase the chance of pregnancy, after Ying Ying and Le Le failed in their natural mating attempts during the breeding season, which was around late March to early April.
Howard Chuk, Senior Curator of Terrestrial Life Sciences of Ocean Park, said that since early July, Ying Ying has started displaying some typical pregnancy symptoms, including reduced food intake, increased resting time, a swollen vulva, and corresponding hormonal changes.
These symptoms, however, can also be indication of pseudo-pregnancy, Chuk said, adding that the park will continue to work closely with experts from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Wolong of Sichuan Province to follow Ying Ying’s condition.
“We hope to bring some good news to the people of Hong Kong this year,” Chuk said, telling the media that the gestation period of giant pandas can last from around 70 to 300 days.
Ocean Park started to arrange mating opportunities for Ying Ying and Le Le since 2011 and Ying Ying had experienced pseudo-pregnancy.
There are a total of three giant pandas in Ocean Park, with Ying Ying and Le Le turning 12 this month, and An An, at the age of 31, has officially become the world’s oldest male giant panda under human care.