Latest news with #JamesHowells
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
The Brunch round-up for August 16: The week and how it made us feel
Avoiding TMI. DJ-musician Calvin Harris and his wife Vick Hope recently had a baby. Like any proud father, Harris put up a carousel of pics. One image is of Hope's placenta. Wait, there's more: Shots of the organ being dehydrated and turned into pills. It's 2025. Now, baby pictures need a Trigger Warning too. Calvin Harris's photo dump included his adorable baby... and wife Vicki Hope's bloody placenta. We were not ready. (INSTAGRAM/@CALVINHARRIS) In 2013, James Howells's ex trashed his hard drive — and $900 million in bitcoin. (ADOBE STOCK) Dumpster diving. In 2013, James Howells's girlfriend tossed his hard drive in the trash. Oops. It contained 8,000 Bitcoins. The couple split. Howell spent years trying to find his treasure (now worth $900 million) in the Newport City landfill. Last week, he finally gave up. See? THIS is why recycling matters. Attention, Millennials! Miss Congeniality director Donald Petrie is filming a new romcom. Falling hard. Stay calm, romcom fans. Donald Petrie (How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Miss Congeniality) is directing a new movie. The Last Resort is written by Karen McCullah (10 Things I Hate About You, She's The Man, Legally Blonde). It stars Daisy Ridley, Alden Ehrenreich (No intros needed. They're delicious). Be still, our beating Millennial hearts! Denmark is giving citizens copyright over their own faces and voices. India, you listening? (SHUTTERSTOCK) Saving the data. Denmark is giving citizens copyright over their own faces and voices, so they can't be used in deep fakes. The law also prevents 'realistic, digitally generated imitations' of their features. One country is eager to protect its peoples' identities. Another (ours) is all too eager to give up control. We lost many brain cells watching the AI drama Nine-Tailed Fox Demon Falls for Me. It even has a Labubu. Watching the bots. Nine-Tailed Fox Demon Falls for Me, a Chinese drama, has more than 170 million views on Xiaohongshu, the local social media. It's generated by AI and looks absolutely unhinged. There's a labubu, a male fox who gives birth and hilarious scene jumps. We're laughing now. Do we realise that the joke's on us? Denmark's Aalborg Zoo wants people to donate their ageing pet hamsters to feed wild animals. Hard pass! (SHUTTERSTOCK) Skipping the zoo. Denmark's Aalborg Zoo wants people to donate their unwanted pet rabbits, chickens, guinea pigs and horses, so they can be fed to the wild animals at the zoo. On one level, it works. It simulates hunting in the wild, it's better than abandoning pets. But is this how we really want our beloved companions to go? How about not keeping wild animals captive to begin with? Excessively skinny models are still a thing in 2025. How? (SHUTTERSTOCK) Getting a bite. Two Zara ads have been banned in the UK for featuring excessively skinny models. Are we still on this issue? Earlier this year, an M&S campaign, and an ad from UK retailer Next were banned over displaying unhealthy bodies. Where's the AI filter that has learnt to flag a dangerously skinny person in a photo? Wasn't Zara mad excited about their AI tech last season? Nicolás Keenan and Rob Jetten are engaged and our IRL Red, White & Royal Blue. We stan! On a new ship. Argentinian field hockey player Nicolás Keenan is in a relationship with Rob Jetten, who has served as Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands. They've been together since 2022 and got engaged in 2024. Yes, it's giving Red, White & Royal Blue. Yes, we're invested. Yes, more life imitating art like this, please. From HT Brunch, Aug 16, 2025 Follow us on
The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- The Irish Sun
I lost £635M in a rubbish dump & been battling for 12 years to get it back… now I've been forced to give up for good
A MAN who lost £650 million in bitcoin has finally 'given up' after he was banned from searching for it in a rubbish dump. The computer expert had been lobbying his local council to allow him to search for the coins, after his partner threw them out by accident. Advertisement 4 James Howells lost millions when his ex-partner accidentally threw out his Bitcoin Credit: WNS 4 The Bitcoin was contained on a hard drive Credit: WNS 4 His crypto stash was valued at £635 million Credit: WNS James Howells, 39, had acquired 8000 bitcoins by 2013 - just before their digital currency's value exploded. However, when his former partner threw out a bin bag of computer parts, he lost everything. Meanwhile, the value of the cryptocurrency skyrocketed and James' stash became worth a staggering £635 million. In a desperate bid to reclaim his lost fortune, he launched a legal bid to search the council-owned dump. Advertisement Read More on UK News SUN'S OUT Brits flock to the beach to soak in the sun - with temps to soar to 33C in days James even offered to buy it with the backing of hedge-fund millionaires who wanted a slice of his crypto fortune. However, Newport City Council has since denied his request. James tried to take legal action against the local authority, but a judge ruled in the council's favour and struck out his claim. At the high court, Judge Keyser told James that he had "no realistic prospect of succeeding" if he allowed the case to continue to trial. Advertisement He said: "I consider that the particulars of claim do not show any reasonable grounds for bringing this case. 'I also consider that the claim would have no realistic prospect of succeeding if it went to trial and that there is no other compelling reason why it should be disposed of at trial." Inside France's brutal crypto crime wave with chopped off fingers, delivery van street kidnaps & £10million ransoms The 39-year-old was told that looking for the lost cryptocurrency would be like 'looking for a needle in a haystack'. Although James has said he won't give up, he claimed to the Crypto Banker that he had been 'denied access to even start the search'. What else can I do? What else do you want me to try? Advertisement He added: "I would happily dig tomorrow but they are not going to change their minds. 'I believed that once the value of this hard drive reached $1billion they would come to their senses and say 'ok let's have a conversation and see if we can make this happen'?' James is now planning on developing his own cryptocurrency named Ceiniog Coin. The value of the currency would be linked to the value of his lost hard drive in a bid to reclaim some of his money. Advertisement The news comes after heartwarming footage of the moment that a dad who overcame cancer told his son that he had won the Euromillions surfaced online. Paul Harvey from Attleborough, Norfolk, won £1 million in the July 4 lottery. In the video, Paul and his son can be seen laughing and jumping around the kitchen. Paul recalled: 'I wanted to tell the kids in person so when my son got home I set up my phone to record it." Advertisement And after an agonising wait for them to get home from school, he got his dream moment. Paul said: "How many millionaires do you know?" And his bewildered son replied "zero". Then Paul broke the news by saying: 'Well, you do now.' Advertisement The 51-year-old had been battling with bowel cancer but is now looking forward to happier times after winning the massive prize.
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Scottish Sun
I lost £635M in a rubbish dump & been battling for 12 years to get it back… now I've been forced to give up for good
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MAN who lost £650 million in bitcoin has finally 'given up' after he was banned from searching for it in a rubbish dump. The computer expert had been lobbying his local council to allow him to search for the coins, after his partner threw them out by accident. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 James Howells lost millions when his ex-partner accidentally threw out his Bitcoin Credit: WNS 4 The Bitcoin was contained on a hard drive Credit: WNS 4 His crypto stash was valued at £635 million Credit: WNS James Howells, 39, had acquired 8000 bitcoins by 2013 - just before their digital currency's value exploded. However, when his former partner threw out a bin bag of computer parts, he lost everything. Meanwhile, the value of the cryptocurrency skyrocketed and James' stash became worth a staggering £635 million. In a desperate bid to reclaim his lost fortune, he launched a legal bid to search the council-owned dump. James even offered to buy it with the backing of hedge-fund millionaires who wanted a slice of his crypto fortune. However, Newport City Council has since denied his request. James tried to take legal action against the local authority, but a judge ruled in the council's favour and struck out his claim. At the high court, Judge Keyser told James that he had "no realistic prospect of succeeding" if he allowed the case to continue to trial. He said: "I consider that the particulars of claim do not show any reasonable grounds for bringing this case. 'I also consider that the claim would have no realistic prospect of succeeding if it went to trial and that there is no other compelling reason why it should be disposed of at trial." Inside France's brutal crypto crime wave with chopped off fingers, delivery van street kidnaps & £10million ransoms The 39-year-old was told that looking for the lost cryptocurrency would be like 'looking for a needle in a haystack'. Although James has said he won't give up, he claimed to the Crypto Banker that he had been 'denied access to even start the search'. What else can I do? What else do you want me to try? He added: "I would happily dig tomorrow but they are not going to change their minds. 'I believed that once the value of this hard drive reached $1billion they would come to their senses and say 'ok let's have a conversation and see if we can make this happen'?' James is now planning on developing his own cryptocurrency named Ceiniog Coin. The value of the currency would be linked to the value of his lost hard drive in a bid to reclaim some of his money. The news comes after heartwarming footage of the moment that a dad who overcame cancer told his son that he had won the Euromillions surfaced online. Paul Harvey from Attleborough, Norfolk, won £1 million in the July 4 lottery. In the video, Paul and his son can be seen laughing and jumping around the kitchen. Paul recalled: 'I wanted to tell the kids in person so when my son got home I set up my phone to record it." And after an agonising wait for them to get home from school, he got his dream moment. Paul said: "How many millionaires do you know?" And his bewildered son replied "zero". Then Paul broke the news by saying: 'Well, you do now.' The 51-year-old had been battling with bowel cancer but is now looking forward to happier times after winning the massive prize.
The Sun
6 days ago
- The Sun
I lost £635M in a rubbish dump & been battling for 12 years to get it back… now I've been forced to give up for good
A MAN who lost £650 million in bitcoin has finally 'given up' after he was banned from searching for it in a rubbish dump. The computer expert had been lobbying his local council to allow him to search for the coins, after his partner threw them out by accident. 4 4 James Howells, 39, had acquired 8000 bitcoins by 2013 - just before their digital currency's value exploded. However, when his former partner threw out a bin bag of computer parts, he lost everything. Meanwhile, the value of the cryptocurrency skyrocketed and James' stash became worth a staggering £635 million. In a desperate bid to reclaim his lost fortune, he launched a legal bid to search the council -owned dump. James even offered to buy it with the backing of hedge-fund millionaires who wanted a slice of his crypto fortune. However, Newport City Council has since denied his request. James tried to take legal action against the local authority, but a judge ruled in the council's favour and struck out his claim. At the high court, Judge Keyser told James that he had "no realistic prospect of succeeding" if he allowed the case to continue to trial. He said: "I consider that the particulars of claim do not show any reasonable grounds for bringing this case. 'I also consider that the claim would have no realistic prospect of succeeding if it went to trial and that there is no other compelling reason why it should be disposed of at trial." Inside France's brutal crypto crime wave with chopped off fingers, delivery van street kidnaps & £10million ransoms The 39-year-old was told that looking for the lost cryptocurrency would be like 'looking for a needle in a haystack'. Although James has said he won't give up, he claimed to the Crypto Banker that he had been 'denied access to even start the search'. What else can I do? What else do you want me to try? He added: "I would happily dig tomorrow but they are not going to change their minds. 'I believed that once the value of this hard drive reached $1billion they would come to their senses and say 'ok let's have a conversation and see if we can make this happen'?' James is now planning on developing his own cryptocurrency named Ceiniog Coin. The value of the currency would be linked to the value of his lost hard drive in a bid to reclaim some of his money. The news comes after heartwarming footage of the moment that a dad who overcame cancer told his son that he had won the Euromillions surfaced online. Paul Harvey from Attleborough, Norfolk, won £1 million in the July 4 lottery. In the video, Paul and his son can be seen laughing and jumping around the kitchen. Paul recalled: 'I wanted to tell the kids in person so when my son got home I set up my phone to record it." And after an agonising wait for them to get home from school, he got his dream moment. Paul said: "How many millionaires do you know?" And his bewildered son replied "zero". Then Paul broke the news by saying: 'Well, you do now.' The 51-year-old had been battling with bowel cancer but is now looking forward to happier times after winning the massive prize. 4
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Father who lost £630m Bitcoin fortune when his girlfriend threw his computer out FINALLY gives up eight-year fight to find it
A father who lost a £630million Bitcoin fortune when his girlfriend threw his computer out has finally given up his eight-year fight to find it. Computer expert James Howells, 39, lost 8,000 bitcoins when his former partner threw out a bin bag containing computer parts from their home in 2013. Since then the cryptocurrency value has sky-rocketed and James has been battling with his local council for the right to search a rubbish dump in Newport, Gwent, for his buried treasure - now worth over £717million. The father-of-three launched a legal bid for permission to search the council-owned dump but his case was thrown out by a judge earlier this year. He has even offered to buy the landfill site from Newport City Council after being backed by hedge-fund millionaires wanting a slice of his fortune but his offers were rebuffed. James said he would 'never give up' his hope of getting the coins back but believed the 'gates had been locked' by those in power. Speaking to Crypto Banter, James said: 'I've been denied access to even start the search. What else can I do? What else do you want me to try? 'I will try whatever you want to try but at the end of the day if the gatekeepers will not open the gate there is nothing to try. Since then the cryptocurrency value has sky-rocketed and James has been battling with his local council for the right to search a rubbish dump in Newport, Gwent, for his buried treasure - now worth over £717million Asked if it was difficult to accept, James said: 'Yes, obviously.' 'I would happily dig tomorrow but they are not going to change their minds. I believed that once the value of this hard drive reached $1billion they would come to their senses and say "ok let's have a conversation and see if we can make this happen". 'Even after I put a multi-million dollar offer to them to buy the landfill they still won't respond to me so what else do you want me to do? 'I have asked everyone in the crypto community what would you do? I have tried everything possible.' James is now planning on developing his own cryptocurrency called Ceiniog Coin which is linked to the value of his lost hard drive to regain some of his money. James said: 'I'm no longer trying to communicate with them [Newport Council], I did that for 12 years. If they want to communicate with me then they can get in touch with me.' James lodged his writ in a bid to seek the legal right to be allowed to search for the missing hard drive but the local authority sought to strike out the claim and in January this year a judge ruled in its favour. Judge Keyser, sitting as a High Court judge, said Mr Howells claim had 'no realistic prospect of succeeding' if he allowed the case to continue to trial. He said: 'I consider that the particulars of claim do not show any reasonable grounds for bringing this case. I also consider that the claim would have no realistic prospect of succeeding if it went to trial and that there is no other compelling reason why it should be disposed of at trial.' After accidentally dumping the hard drive along with other computer parts Mr Howells instantly realised the mistake and has been asking to get the hard drive back ever since but the council consistently said no. And it has been lost in the landfill site ever since - where more rubbish has been piled on top. The court hearing was told his search amounted looking for a 'needle in a haystack' and Judge Keyser, sitting as a High Court judge, said his legal bid had 'no realistic prospect of succeeding.'
