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A STRIKE by British Airways pilot is set to go ahead after the airline failed its bid to stop the industrial action. The airline said it will be appealing the decision and dates have yet to be confirmed. An overwhelming number of pilots have voted for the strike action earlier this week according to British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA). British Airways went to court today to seek an injunction to stop the strike over a technicality, which meant the ballot (the vote) would be invalid.But the judge presiding over the case said the pilots union had issued its ballot correctly and therefore the ballot result could stand according to BALPA. The union will announce confirmed dates in due course as BA is planning to go to the Court of Appeal over the decision, but the earlier this will happen is July 29. The union will then need to give BA two weeks of notice by law. This means if BA are not able to block the strike, pilots could start walking out from August 13.Will I get my money … [Read more...] about British Airways strike set to go ahead as airline loses against pilots’ union in court

AS James Burke led the commentary on the Moon landing 50 years ago this week, he kept a secret from the 22million people watching on TV. The BBC’s bespectacled science expert had just taken the biggest gamble of his career. His show had ended after the landing craft, the Eagle, touched down that evening, and they were not expecting a Moon walk until the next day. But while the station was showing regular programmes — and due to shut down at midnight — James suspected Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were going to walk earlier — and persuaded his bosses to do the unheard of — and go back on air until after midnight.In an exclusive interview with The Sun, 82-year-old James reveals that if it all went wrong, his boss was going to fire him the next morning. The BBC had spent months and a small fortune planning its coverage. In 1969, most homes had black and white TVs, with colour a rarity. Across the country, people sat in their front rooms and crowded outside … [Read more...] about BBC almost missed Moon landing…and nearly fired me, says ‘Chief Geek’ James Burke

SEX-abuse liar Carl Beech fled to a remote village in Lapland and posed as a luxury guesthouse proprietor to dodge justice. The fugitive, who had swindled £22,000 compensation from the UK taxpayer, conned locals into believing he was a successful businessman. With an international arrest warrant hanging over him, Beech bought a secluded woodland cabin for £17,000 and spent months turning it into a fairytale cottage. But the brazen conman ran up debts of at least £13,000 with traders — and mysteriously refused to pose in any photos with friendly locals — before vanishing.One said after he was re-arrested: “I had a feeling something fishy was going on.” Beech skipped bail in February last year after cops failed to monitor him as he awaited trial on a string of child sex offences. LUXURY GUESTHOUSE He caught a train to Paris then travelled 2,000 miles to the village of Overkalix — population 900 — in Swedish Lapland. There he planned to … [Read more...] about Sex abuse liar Carl Beech fled to remote Lapland hut he bought using taxpayers’ cash before posing as successful businessman

A man who sold his £325,000 home and Mercedes to set up a sex toy company says it was all worth it, despite the fact he's still sleeping on a blow up bed in his office. Tom Thurlow decided to throw everything at his idea to launch a new range of vibrators for women and has spent the past three years learning everything he can about the industry. Last week his hard work paid off when he launched Ricky , but it's a huge risk as he's invested pretty much everything he has into the venture. The 29-year-old sold the £325,000 Gloucestershire home he bought with profits from his last business success, cashed in his Premium Bonds and got rid of his fancy car to free up as much cash as possible. He moved back to his parents' house for a while but says they got fed up with him, so he decided to set up a make-shift home behind his desk. Tom has tried to make it as homely as possible and bulk buys Pot Noodles on Amazon to keep his spending as low as possible. Tom told Mirror Online: "It … [Read more...] about Man sells £325K home to set up sex toy business – and he now sleeps in his office

The world's first commercial space hotel will be like an orbiting cruise ship, featuring luxury accommodation, cocktail bars, restaurants and cinemas, it has been revealed. Designed by private aerospace company The Gateway Foundation, the Von Braun Space Station will build on technology used at the International Space Station (ISS). However, unlike its predecessor, the space hotel will have artificial gravity, making both visiting and long-term habitation much more comfortable. The hotel will consist of a 190-metre-diameter wheel that will rotate to create a gravitational force similar to that felt on the Moon. Around the wheel will be 24 individual modules fitted out with sleeping accommodation and other support functions, according to The Gateway Foundation. These will decorated using natural materials, fabrics, warm-coloured lighting and paints to give visitors to the space hotel a comfortable, homely experience. "In the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, Stanley Kubrick's Space … [Read more...] about ‘World’s first space hotel’ revealed featuring artificial gravity and luxury accommodation for 400