Lifestyle

SWCCsmuggler – By Ross McCarthy A prolific people smuggler who organised a £1.5 million operation to transport migrants across the English Channel in small boats has been jailed for almost five years. Pistiwan Jameel, 55, referred to migrants as “pigeons” and “sticks” and used his contacts with gangs in France to arrange journeys for clients, while collecting payments in the UK. He was arrested after helping Albanian national Artan Halilaj, 40, to smuggle his brother-in-law Fiorentino Halilaj, 26, into the country on a small boat in September 2023. Covert footage had caught Jameel bragging about making at least $2m (£1.5m)…

SWFSdrugs – by Sejal Mandal A passenger was caught trying to smuggle more than £1M worth of drugs – hidden inside cookie and rice packets. Customs officers intercepted the Indian national, who was on a flight from from Bangkok, Thailand, at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, India, on Friday (Feb 21). Upon arrival, the passenger’s black trolley bag was sent for X-ray screening, where officers discovered eight food packages concealing a green-coloured substance suspected to be Marijuana. The 11kg haul was worth a total of £1,029,834 (₹11.28 crore). A video shows officials opening the seemingly ordinary food packets to…

SWFSretreiver – by Ottilie Von Henning A dog owner rescued his golden retriever after it accidentally fell into an icy pond. The man, who was not named, used an inflatable raft to reach his pup, which was stuck in the water in the middle of the pond in Hanzhong, China. A video shows the retriever’s owner breaking through the ice with a rock to reach his pet. The pair were then pulled safely to shore by a crowd of tourists who had gathered on the bank.

SWLShead – by Mark Boggis and Faye Mayern A keen amateur footballer had life-saving surgery to fit a metal plate in his skull after suffering horrific injuries while trying to head a ball. Frank Samuel, 38, was playing for Corton and Carlton Colville FC when he was involved in an ‘unfortunate clash of heads’ while he and another player attempted to win the header from a corner. Mr Samuel was a ‘little disorientated’ and was taken to the subs bench to recover during the match against Oulton Utd FC on February 16 in Lowestoft, Suffolk. However fifteen minutes later, he…

SWSMyacht – by Dean Murray Dramatic scenes show the U.S. coast guard chasing a man suspected of stealing a yacht. Coast Guard Sector Honolulu were notified on Friday (21 Feb) of a 43-foot yacht driving erratically. Additionally, naval watchstanders received a call from the owner of a vessel matching the yacht’s description stating his boat had been stolen from Kewalo Basin Harbor. However, when the 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew from Coast Guard Station Honolulu approached the suspect vessel with its sirens on, it appeared to try and escape. The U.S. Coast Guard reported: “When the boat crew approached the yacht…

SWSMtrousers – by Dean Murray A quirky video shows an astronaut putting on his trousers – both feet first. NASA’s Don Pettit is seen descending from the top of frame and neatly sliding into his cargo pants, before saying “ta-da”. He captioned the humorous clip, posted Sunday (23 Feb), “OK, you all asked if this was possible”. Seeing the funny side, online comments include “When you return home, we are starting a new Olympic competition: Pant Vaulting,” and “YOU are awesome. Is there any “Guinness book of SPACE records” for this?” Currently serving as a flight engineer on the International…

A quirky video shows an astronaut putting on his pants – both feet first. NASA’s Don Pettit is seen descending from the top of the frame and neatly sliding into his cargo pants, before saying “ta-da.” He captioned the humorous clip, posted on February 23, “OK, you all asked if this was possible.” Seeing the funny side, online comments include “When you return home, we are starting a new Olympic competition: Pant Vaulting,” and “YOU are awesome. Is there any ‘Guinness Book of Space Records’ for this?” Currently serving as a flight engineer on the International Space Station (ISS), Don…

Bob Dylan’s earliest demo recording is set to go under the hammer. The singer – whose biopic is a contender for Oscar glory on Sunday – is said to have recorded the tape live at New York’s Gaslight Café in 1961. The original reel-to-reel tape features recordings of six early tracks, including “Song to Woody” and “He Was a Friend of Mine.” It is estimated to fetch over $20,000. Boston-based RR Auction says Terri Thal, Dylan’s first manager and author of “My Greenwich Village: Dave, Bob and Me,” originally produced the tape to demonstrate Dylan’s burgeoning talent to nightclub managers.…

A company have launched an AI-controlled robot butler for your home. The NEO Gamma, announced this month, is a bipedal humanoid with uncannily person-like movements. A teaser clip shows the bot helping a couple around the house. It is seen putting on a kettle, vacuuming, cleaning the windows, helping with grocery bags and carrying a laundry basket. Developers 1X, based in California and Norway, say they are releasing a number of prototype bots into select homes for testing. NEO Gamma, successor to the firm’s Beta model, introduces AI advancements, enhancing both autonomy and safe teleoperation in the home. The improved…

SWMRtribute – by Jack Fifield The family of a three-year-old girl who was killed after a van driver smashed in to a tram have spoken out about the ‘devastating void’ her death has left. Louisa (Lulu) Palmisano, 3, was visiting Manchester with her parents on Saturday, February 22, when a van driver smashed in to a tram. The van then rebounded on to the pavement, crashing in to the tot. After being rushed to hospital, Lulu sadly passed away from her injuries. The driver of the van fled the scene, leading police on a two-day manhunt. A 36-year-old man has…