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Metro
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Student spends £129 on a Wowcher mystery holiday - to the city where she lives
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A student who impulsively spent £129 on a mystery holiday package was devastated when her destination was revealed. Cara Piper, from Derry, Northern Ireland, had high hopes for a weekend away in New York City when she bought her Wowcher, which offers cheap holiday lotteries. But when the 23-year-old received the email revealing her destination, it was Edinburgh – the city she's lived in for four years. She filmed herself opening the email, capturing her shocked reaction as she shouted, 'No!' Cara, who studies education at Queen Margaret University, later said: 'I was honestly happy with anywhere as long as it wasn't the UK. 'I opened it in Edinburgh because that's where I've been living for the past four years. She and her friend Ethan had decided to book the mystery holiday on a whim, but as they hoped to go in the summer months, she had to put her departure airport as Belfast. 'We're limited on where we can go,' she explained. 'We don't think it's going to be New York or anything like that. We're happy anywhere. I'm nervous.' Cara went on to open the email, when she said: 'No, no, no, no. We've got Edinburgh. I'm in Edinburgh right now. 'We did not just pay £130 each to go where I go to uni for the past four years. For f*cks sake,' she laughed. 'We can ring up and change, I think. I literally live here. I actually can't believe that. I was saying if we got somewhere in the UK I'd be fuming.' Cara's shocked reaction gathered more than 126,000 views on TikTok, Viewer Morgan Mcsherry said: 'I'm not joking, as soon as you said Wowcher I was like 'they're either getting Belfast or Edinburgh.' Another added: 'I honestly would have ended it right at that minute. Devastated for you.' Ads for Wowcher show postcard photos of Florida, New York, Vietnam and Bali, as well as snapshots of city breaks such as Berlin and Copenhagen. But there are some limitations to travel and destinations when you buy the holiday lotto ticket. Travelling to the aforementioned destinations – plus short-haul beach hubs including Crete, Malta, Sicily, Tenerife and Ibiza – will set you back £99, if you travel in low season. That's from January to March, in May, or from September to December. More Trending Travelling during peak times incurs an additional fee, bringing the total cost to £129 per person. There's also an administration charge, which appears to be £9.99 per booking. The deal includes a two to seven-night stay (depending on the destination) in three-star accommodation, in a private room with an ensuite. All short-haul flights are direct from the UK to your destination. The mystery deal has become a popular TikTok trend, with people filming the moment they find out the location they've been given. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: 'Eurostar of Scotland' launches new London service spanning 353 miles and 11 stops MORE: Kneecap land biggest show yet in London after terror offence charge MORE: Moment Scottish gangster chased through his Spanish pub and shot dead
Daily Mirror
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
London Marathon couple issued humble apology after being caught 'cheating'
It is one of the hardest events any person can take on, but merely earning a place in the London Marathon also comes with many of its own challenges A couple who participated in the 2021 London Marathon faced a backlash after being accused of 'cheating' by outraged social media users. Monika Czarnecka and her husband, Piotr, ran the full 26.2 miles together, finishing hand-in-hand and crossing the line at the same time. The controversy erupted when a photo surfaced online showing both Monika and Piotr sporting the same bib number, 11250, sparking accusations of foul play. Although they weren't accused of cutting corners or falsifying times, it turned out that only Ms. Czarnecka was officially registered for the marathon. Piotr confessed he had duplicated the number to sneak onto the course and support his wife, a move that ignited anger among those who had tried and failed to secure a spot in the prestigious race. Among the tens of thousands who took to the streets of London, Ms. Czarnecka finished in 21,697th place, clocking a time of 4 hours, 40 minutes, and 58 seconds. The marathon is notoriously difficult to enter, with hundreds of thousands of hopefuls getting turned away each year. In response to the uproar over her husband's unregistered participation, Ms. Czarnecka expressed her remorse. While speaking to the Mail, she said: "I'm truly sorry for what we've done and didn't want to cause any harm. The supporters were amazing, and their cheering and clapping helped me finish the marathon. "It hurts to think that I've let them down. This was my first marathon and I needed Piotr's support because I was worried sick that I wouldn't be able to finish it." Piotr took full responsibility for the incident, claiming he was the person who came up with the idea to sneak onto the course. He said: "It was all my idea and I take full responsibility for it. I know it's wrong and I'm truly sorry, but I did what I did to support my wife." An official comment from organisers of the London Marathon said: "We are aware of the images that show two runners wearing identical numbers and we are investigating. We take any incident where a participant cheats or forges numbers extremely seriously." The incident sparked outrage on social media, with one individual expressing their frustration after multiple rejections. They wrote: "I've had 9 rejections in 9 years. This kind of thing is incredibly frustrating. Next year is my last chance. I'm not holding out any hope." Another voiced their discontent regarding charity places, saying: "It's not fair if we are paying around £200 for a charity place, stressing raising £2k, and you get virtuals or fakes on course really." Addressing the backlash, Piotr emphasized his sole intention was to support Monika rather than race and record a score for himself. He added: "I didn't collect a medal, I was just there to support Monika. "The race was like a walk for me because my marathon times are a lot quicker. I've run two London Marathons in the past so this one just gone was not about racing. "It was all about my wife. People are behaving as if we've committed a serious crime and are treating us worse than athletes who've been caught for drug cheating."
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'They play a vital part in our healthcare system, but this care is at risk'
Hospices throughout Greater Manchester are in urgent need of extra funding, leaders have urged MPs. Since 2020, operators have seen their total costs increase by a third, with most of this cost having to be met by fundraising from the local community. Now, the Greater Manchester Hospices Provider Collaborative, made up of adult and children's hospices, is requesting MPs sign a joint letter to the Minister of State for Health and Social Care, calling for the government's new 10-year health plan to include commitments to improving palliative and end of life care, and reforming the hospice funding model. READ MORE: Vast shopping centre dominated a town centre for more than 50 years – now it's going to take a year to knock down READ MORE: On her second day at work, she got the call many dread - and hasn't been able to work since More than 10,000 patients, and their loved ones, are cared for by hospices in Greater Manchester each year. In the UK £11.7bn is spent on healthcare for people in the last years of their life, but 80 percent of that funding is spent in hospitals - while hospices are allocated around four per cent. An additional hospice 57 bed spaces are needed in Greater Manchester to meet the current needs of the community according to the Health Innovation Manchester Report. Yet in 2043 there are expected to be 5,000 (21 per cent) more deaths and 3,500 (17.5 per cent) more deaths requiring palliative care each year in Greater Manchester than in 2019. Leigh Vallance, Chief Executive of Bolton Hospice and Chair of GM Hospices Provider Collaborative, said: 'Hospices play a vital part in our healthcare system, but this care is at risk. Increasing demand, long term underinvestment and rising costs, mean many hospices are struggling to maintain their services. This, in turn, places more demands on the NHS. 'The new 10-year health plan provides an opportunity to put this right. Currently £11.7bn is spent on health care for people in the last year of life in the UK, but 80% of that funding is spent in hospitals. We believe this money could be better used by investing in hospice care, which currently only receives 4% of this funding. 'We know from experience that hospice care reduces hospital admissions, speeds up hospital discharges, keeps care in the community and makes it more likely that people can die in the place of their choosing. This is better for the patient, better for their loved ones and better for the NHS.' In Greater Manchester, hospices rely on their local communities to raise two thirds of their total funding. Demands on hospice services are only set to increase and the current funding model means they need to ask more and more of their communities every year - at a time when the cost of living is at an all time high. The Government has made a commitment to invest £100m in additional capital spend in hospices over the next two years, which has been welcomed by Greater Manchester's hospices, but only offers a short term solution. Long term reform is needed to protect hospice services. Today's parliamentary event has been sponsored by Josh Simons MP, Member of Parliament for Makerfield. The GM Hospices Provider Collaborative is a partnership of Greater Manchester's adult and children's hospices, working together to deliver "high-quality, accessible and sustainable specialist palliative care for all who need it." Hospices attending the event in Westminster today were Bolton Hospice, Bury Hospice, Derian House Children's Hospice, Dr Kershaw's Hospice, Springhill Hospice, St Ann's Hospice, Wigan & Leigh Hospice, Willow Wood Hospice. Almost half of deaths in Greater Manchester are in hospitals. Only three percent of people have a preference to die in hospital (Office for National Statistics Voices Survey). In Greater Manchester, one third of people will have more than three admissions to hospital in the last year of life.
Iraq Business
07-03-2025
- Business
- Iraq Business
Petrel Resources Raises £250,000 for Iraq Oil Projects
By John Lee. Irish-based Petrel Resources Plc (LON: PET) has raised £250,000 through a share placement managed by Novum Securities. The placement represents a 45% discount to the closing price on 5 March 2025. According to a statement from the company, the funds will provide additional working capital, supporting Petrel's efforts to secure new oil and gas projects in Iraq and beyond. Full statement from Petrel Resources: Petrel Resources Plc (Lon: PET) is pleased to announce that the Company has raised £250,000 (before expenses) through a placing by Novum Securities of 23,809,523 new ordinary shares (the "Placing Shares") at a placing price of 1.05p per Placing Share ("Placing"). Each Placing Share has one warrant attached with the right to subscribe for one new ordinary share at 2p per new ordinary share for a period of two years. The Placing Shares are being issued under the Company's existing share authorities and will represent approximately 11.5% of the Company's issued shares, as enlarged by the Placing. The Placing price represents a 45% discount to the closing price on 5 March 2025. Use of Funds The net proceeds of the Placing will provide the company with additional working capital, as Petrel's board continues to assess new projects in Iraq, and elsewhere. The security situation in Iraq continues to improve, while an investment slow-down since 2014 has led to potential improvements on contract terms which should improve scope for development. Petrel has recently submitted an application to assume an existing contract east of Baghdad 4 th Bid round award in 2012, at a remuneration per barrel of $5.38. Block 8 covers 6,000 km2 in Wasit and north-eastern Diyala Petrel has previously conducted a Technical Cooperation Agreement on the Merjan oil-field in west-central Iraq, in a 50% partnership. Following the steadily improving security conditions in this part of Iraq, and better global oil and gas prices, Petrel has proposed to develop this discovery under applicable Iraq contracts. Petrel may be invited to enter into pre-qualification discussions with the Ministry of Oil. Discussions may also cover Petrel's past studies on the Merjan-Kifl-West Kifl area, and the Mesozoic and Paleozoic potential of the Western Desert. Admission and Total Voting Rights An application will be made for the admission of the Placing Shares, which will rank pari passu with the existing ordinary shares in issue, to trading on AIM which is expected to occur on or around 20 March 2025 ("Admission"). Following Admission, there will be a total of 207,681,323 ordinary shares in issue with each ordinary share carrying the right to one vote. This figure may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or change to their interest in, the Company under the FCA's Disclosure and Transparency Rules. David Horgan, Director, commented: " The supply/demand balance for oil is shifting in Iraq's favour. New global oil & gas investment falls short of levels needed to support anticipated demand. The dramatic growth in North American fracked output between 2005 and 2014 is less of a concern for OPEC exporters. Sanctions on Russia, Iran and Venezuela had constrained the early development of their resources, while demand for oil products and LNG continues to grow - particularly in Asia." "As reported recently in connection with BP negotiations, the Iraqi Government plans to streamline contract awards and fiscal terms so as to deliver increased output for Iraq's economic development. We have the team, experience and skills to participate in the coming boom. " (Source: Petrel Resources)
Emirates Woman
31-01-2025
- Lifestyle
- Emirates Woman
Rosewood London on High Holborn delivers the heart of the city at your doorstep
Life by Camille Macawili 1 hour ago A stone's throw away from Covent Garden, the Royal Opera House, the British Museum and West End Theatres, Rosewood London on High Holborn delivers the heart of the city at your doorstep. THE STAY Filled with painstakingly beautiful architectural features steeped with history, including the magnificent Grade II-listed Street frontage and dome, and the grand Pavonazzo marble staircase, Rosewood London is where English heritage meets contemporary sophistication. Guests enter via a grand carriageway which leads to a distinctive courtyard giving a sense of arrival more akin to a private manor house than a hotel. The property is equipped with 263 rooms and 45 suites crafted and appointed to convey the feel of a stylish Lon- don residence, delivering one of the chicest stays in the city. THE DINING Showcasing the capital's finest conversational cuisine and intuitive service, Rosewood London's luxury hotel restaurants and bars share a genuine British sensibility. The glamorous Mirror Room serves elegant and innovative cuisine and exquisite afternoon tea, whilst the dynamic Holborn Dining Room offers iconic British classics with a twist. The celebrated Scarfes Bar serves creatively crafted beverages alongside live jazz. THE WELLNESS This zen-like urban sanctuary is adorned with bamboo walls, soft lighting, and wooden walkways over rippling water and pebble stones which lead you to treatment rooms, where you can indulge in an array of rejuvenating services. The changing rooms offer a sauna, steam room and large sensory showers to soothe guests. The shimmering gold leaf and teak relaxation lounge is the centrepiece of the spa and provides an oasis of peace in the heart of the bustling city. – For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram January's – The Optimism Issue – Download Now Images: Supplied
