Peter McDonough

Catholic priest quits church after announcing he is a father.
Father Peter McDonough, a Roman Catholic priest, has quit the Catholic Church after confessing from the pulpit that he has a four-year-old son.

Father McDonough, 54, announced the news during Sunday mass at St Patricks RC Church in Collyhurst, Manchester.

He asked parishioners to sit down before breaking the news. He then announced that he would be stepping down from his role as a priest.

Father McDonough, who had been at St Josephs for 27 years, reached his decision to resign after having several meetings with his bishop, the Rt Rev Terence Brain.
However, church authorities insist that it was very much his decision.

A Woman Named Only As Carole

French ban Muslim woman from pool for wearing 'burkini' swimsuit.

A French woman who converted to Islam has been banned from wearing a "burkini" in a swimming pool outside Paris.

The woman, named only as Carole, 35, was told that the garment, a swimsuit that covers most of the body, was "inappropriate" clothing for a public baths.
Pool staff said her three-piece Islamic swimsuit she bought in Dubai - consisting of a headscarf, tunic and trousers - was against pool regulations and unhygienic.

The ban was imposed as President Nicolas Sarkozy's government is considering an outright ban on all Islamic dress, such as the head-to-toe burka or niqab, that it considers a "sign of subservience" and "not welcome" in France.

I giggled when I read this and thought "whatever next", but actually I think, when in Rome do as the Romans do as they say. If you want to behave oddly do it at home!

Anthony Browne

New Children's Laureate launches campaign to get children drawing.

Anthony Browne is concerned that the pressure of national curriculum tests means priority is given to reading rather than drawing.
He believes that the two should be prized in equal measure and any failure to promote art could lead to a shortage of talented artists in later years. He has called for a day to be set aside each year for children to indulge their artistic side.

Well, bravo, that can be no bad thing, but why only once a year? At least once a term, please!

The day Michael Jackson died I spent hours trawling the internet for the face of Michael as I shall remember him. I couldn't find a photo to my liking! I got soooo frustrated, not least because of time wasted, and I haven't looked at the news, with a view to drawing, since. Until today. I set myself a task, so no excuses from now on.
Not so good with the likeness today, but, hey, I'm out of practise.

Gary McKinnon

BETRAYED: Spineless Labour MPs who backed Asperger's victim's bid to beat extradition desert him.

Labour MPs were accused of hypocrisy last night after abandoning Gary McKinnon in his fight against extradition to the U.S.
Dozens had previously given written pledges of their support to the Asperger's Syndrome sufferer.
But only eight stuck to their guns and joined the Tories and Liberal Democrats in voting against the Government.

During a highly-charged debate, a floundering Home Secretary Alan Johnson faced criticism from all sides over the decision to let Mr McKinnon be taken to the U.S. for trial on charges of computer hacking, where he faces a sentence of up to 60 years.
When it came to a vote, however, 74 Labour MPs who had previously signed Commons motions backing Mr McKinnon or demanding a review of extradition agreements with the U.S. failed to go against the party line. Fifty-nine voted with the Government and 15 abstained.
Tory justice spokesman David Burrowes, Mr McKinnon's MP in Enfield Southgate, said: 'It's a sad day for Parliament.
'There's rank hypocrisy on the part of MPs who on the one hand express concern for Gary and about the extradition treaty but on the other hand are not willing to put their money where their mouth is.'
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling said: 'It's exactly this kind of behaviour that brings Parliament into disrepute.'

Can't say I am surprised! Hypocrisy is one thing that gets the steam coming out my ears. Say what you mean and mean what you say, then we all know where we are.

Edward Hogan

Leicester Square placard holder Edward Hogan becomes literary prize winner.

Edward Hogan, a writer who used to make a living holding a placard in Leicester Square, has won a £10,000 literary prize.

Mr Hogan won the Desmond Elliott Prize for his novel Blackmoor, set in his native Derbyshire during the miners' strike.
The judges of the prize for first novels, now in its second year, said the work was "beautifully crafted and dazzlingly well- written".
The novel tells the story of a birdwatching teenager living a difficult life near a mysterious vanished village in Derbyshire – Blackmoor – and his search for the truth about his mother's life and death there.
Hogan, originally from Derby, who lists his former occupations as "grass-strimmer, pot-washer, conservatory salesman, bloke holding the board in Leicester Square and teacher", started the book seven years ago with no thought of having it published.
"I was four when (the strikes) happened, in West Hallam," he said.
"I couldn't really remember it but to me it seemed like such an integral part of the community."
Candida Lycett Green, chairwoman of the judges, said: "In a shortlist of exceptional quality Blackmoor stands out.
"For a first novel it is both beautifully crafted and dazzlingly well-written. We are delighted that Edward Hogan has won the second Desmond Elliott Prize."

Congratulations, Edward! I wish you continued success.

Grayson Wynne

Boy, nine, survives wilderness thanks to tips from Bear Grylls.

A boy of nine lost alone in the wilderness for 24 hours survived using tips learned from Bear Grylls.
Grayson Wynne knew he had to find a shelter for the night, conserve his energy and if possible leave clues for searchers, thanks to watching the British adventurer’s TV show.
He ripped up his yellow jacket and tied the pieces to trees just as he had seen on Man vs Wild, the U.S. version of Grylls’s survival programme.

Rescuers followed the markers and Grayson, who went missing when he wandered off on a family camping trip, was spotted by park rangers scouring the million-acre Ashley National Forest in Utah.
His first words when reunited with his parents Kynan and Kimberley were ‘Happy Father’s Day’.
‘I was really scared,’ he added. ‘But Man vs Wild tells you how to survive all different terrains.’
His father added: 'The thing that he recognised from the show, regardless of the circumstances you're in, you are capable of surviving.'

Oh, I do like a happy ending! Well done, Grayson.

Sophie Frost

Saved by my iPod: Girl survives lightning strike after dangling headphones divert 300,000 volts.

A teenage girl who was struck by lightning may have been saved by her iPod, it emerged today.
Sophie Frost and boyfriend Mason Billington, both 14, were sheltering beneath a tree in a storm when the 300,000-volt bolt hit her iPod, knocking them out.
But since her headphones were hanging from her school uniform - and not in her ears - the wires diverted some of the current away from her body, avoiding vital organs.
The effect of the strike was also reduced because she was holding hands with Mason at the time, splitting the shock between them.
Sophie escaped with minor burns while Mason, who recovered first and heroically carried her to safety, received eye damage which doctors hope will not be permanent.

Lucky girl, I wish Sophie a speedy recovery. Mason, too.

But maybe she wouldn't have been struck by lightning at all if she hadn't had the iPod!