Latest news with #MichaelParr
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Emmerdale star is set to become a father as he reveals his girlfriend is pregnant in heartwarming post
Michael Parr has announced that his girlfriend Isabelle Du Plessis is set to welcome their first child. The Emmerdale star's girlfriend took to Instagram on Wednesday to confirm they are set to become parents in a sweet post. She shared a series of heartwarming photographs of her and Mike - who is best known for playing Ross Barton - cuddling up to one another. Isabelle showed off her growing baby bump in a figure-hugging red floral gown, which she styled with white sandals. Mike cut a smart figure in a white shirt and black trousers as he posed with his hand placed on Isabelle's stomach. The couple flashed huge smiles as they appeared thrilled to be sharing the news that they are growing their family. They did not confirm the due date, simply teasing that their baby is due 'soon', nor have they yet announced their first child's gender. In a caption, Isabelle simply gushed: 'In our Mum & Dad Era.' Mike's Emmerdale co-stars were quick to flock to the comments section to share their congratulations with the happy couple. Michelle Harwick wrote: 'Absolutely beautiful,' while Anthony Quinlan penned: 'Loads of love and congratulations.' Brad Riches quipped: 'Mum and dad are hella sexy,' and Hollyoaks' Roxanne McKee added: 'Awwww just GAWJUS!!' Mike revealed in October that he was in a new relationship but kept the identity of his girlfriend a secret. He told The Mirror at the time: 'I'm in a very happy relationship. She's amazing and has been very supportive.' He previously dated his co-star Isabelle Hodgins - who plays Victoria Sugden on the soap - but the pair parted ways back in 2019. Mike played the role of villain Ross Barton on Emmerdale from 2013 until 2018, and he has recently reprised his role. After his debut on the show, he quickly became a fan favourite for his portrayal of the complex-but-charismatic Ross. The actor said he was 'bored' just two months after his departure in 2018 due to being out of work, and reappeared on screen at the end of 2024. Ross was known for his tumultuous relationships with Donna Windsor and Debbie Dingle, and his departure followed a horrific acid attack which left him battling depression. Of his return, Michael said: 'I'm over the moon to be returning to Emmerdale. Ross is a character I'm extremely fond of and I'm excited to explore what he's been up to over the past five years. 'After seeing the scripts, I can't wait for the audience to see what's in store. One thing I can say is Ross's return will no doubt create fireworks.'
Daily Mirror
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Emmerdale's Michael Parr announces 'new era' as girlfriend shares baby news
Actor Michael Parr has announced that she's expecting a baby with his partner. The Emmerdale star shared the news alongside a series of photos of the couple showcasing the baby bump.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Conservationists raise alarm over Air Force plan to land SpaceX Starships on bird sanctuary atoll
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The U.S. military is considering Johnston Atoll, a remote Pacific island chain that serves as an important refuge for dozens of seabird species, for "two commercial rocket landing pads" to test giant cargo rocket landings for the Department of the Air Force's (DAF) Rocket Cargo Vanguard program, and it's getting push-back from environmentalists. The Rocket Cargo Vanguard program aims to develop the technologies required to rapidly deliver up to 100 tons of cargo anywhere on Earth using commercial rockets. Though not explicitly named, Elon Musk's SpaceX is currently the only company —commercial or otherwise — capable of manufacturing rockets designed for landing and reuse, and its Starship megarocket is DAF's leading contender. The Air Force outlined its plans in a Federal Registry notice last month. Objections from the American Bird Conservancy (ABC), however, may hinder plans for the new landing pads on the South Pacific atoll. Johnston Atoll lies about 825 miles (1,325 kilometers) southwest of Hawaii, and is home to several different species of seabirds, including the largest known colony of Red-tailed Tropicbirds. It was designated a refuge for native bird populations in 1926, but suffered environmental degradation through 2004, due to its use by the U.S. military as a nuclear weapons testing and chemical weapons disposal site. Since the military's departure from the islands, restoration efforts have helped raise Johnston Atoll's bird population back to nearly 1.5 million. Now, critics say the planned new rocket infrastructure could undo decades of conservation work. 'Installing rocket landing pads on Johnston Atoll cannot occur without significantly disrupting wildlife," said ABC president Michael Parr in a statement. DAF has stated that environmental reviews will be conducted before any operations move forward, but ABC say it's not enough. ABC says the islands have become a crucial nesting habitat since the military's 2004 departure. Seabirds fly for thousands of miles across open water to reach Johnston Atoll, which sits alone amidst more than 570,000 square miles of ocean. Often times, the ABC says, it is the only land these birds see in their entire lives. "The proposed 10 rocket landings per year would pose serious ecological risks, including hazardous debris, contamination, noise pollution, and other impacts from potential failures and explosions," it says in the ABC statement, adding, "opening Johnston's airstrip to planes would destroy the ground-nesting seabird colonies that have reclaimed the entire runway." ABC expects the DAF to issue a Draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) in the near future, but believes the study will overlook the possible major impacts to the region's bird populations. Instead, they are requesting the DAF prepare a full Environmental Impact Statement "to better assess the potential hazards posed by the project." Starship is SpaceX's newest rocket under development, and currently stands as the world's largest, most powerful launch vehicle. The company began orbital flight tests of the megarocket in April 2023, with a mostly steady progression of milestones over the course of eight launches. It's last two though, which launched a taller, upgraded version of Starship's upper stage, have stinted that progress, with both flights ending in the unexpected loss of the vehicle during ascent. RELATED STORIES: — SpaceX loses Starship rocket again, but catches giant Super Heavy booster during Flight 8 launch (video) — Starship and Super Heavy explained — Will 2025 be the year of Starship? SpaceX's megarocket is growing up. SpaceX has already faced environmental scrutiny over its Starbase test site near Boca Chica Beach in South Texas, where it manufactures and launches Starship from a facility surrounded by other dedicated wildlife areas. Past launches have sparked legal action and criticisms from environmentalists there as well. SpaceX has designed Starship to be fully reusable, and capable of carrying both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the moon, and eventually Mars. It's built for high-capacity, rapid-turnaround spaceflight, and is central to SpaceX's long-term vision to make human life interplanetary. Beyond commercial and military applications, NASA has contracted a version of Starship under its Human Landing System (HLS) program to serve as one of the lunar landers for the agency's Artemis Program, which aims to return astronauts to the moon's surface later this decade. It is slated to land the first Artemis astronauts on the moon on the Artemis 3 mission no earlier than 2027.
Voice of America
14-03-2025
- Science
- Voice of America
Report: US bird population is declining
The U.S. bird population is declining at an alarming rate, according to a report published Thursday by an alliance of science and conservation groups. Habitat loss and climate change are among the key contributing factors to the bird population losses, according to the 2025 U.S. State of the Birds report. More than 100 of the species studied, have reached a "tipping point," losing more than half their populations in the last 50 years. The report revealed that the avian population in all habitats is declining, including the duck population, previously considered a triumph of conservation. "The only bright spot is water birds such as herons and egrets that show some increases," Michael Parr, president of the American Bird Conservancy, told Reuters. The decline in the duck population fell by approximately 30% from 2017, but duck population numbers still remain higher, however, than their 1970 numbers, according to an Associated Press account on the report. "Roughly one in three bird species (229 species) in the U.S. requires urgent conservation attention, and these species represent the major habitats and systems in the U.S. and include species that we've long considered to be common and abundant," Amanda Rodewald, faculty director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Center for Avian Population Studies told Reuters. Included among the birds with highest losses, Reuters reported, are the mottled duck, Allen's hummingbird, yellow-billed loon, red-faced cormorant, greater sage-grouse, Florida scrub jay, Baird's sparrow, saltmarsh sparrow, mountain plover, Hawaiian petrel, Bicknell's thrush, Cassia crossbill, pink-footed shearwater, tricolored blackbird and golden-cheeked warbler. Some of the birds in this "red alert" group are already protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, the news agency said. "For each species that we're in danger of losing, it's like pulling an individual thread out of the complex tapestry of life," Georgetown University biologist Peter Marra. who was not involved in the new report, told AP. While the outlook may seem dire, it is not without hope, said Marra, who noted the resurgence of the majestic bald eagle.
