Motoring

A scientist who is dying from a muscle wasting disease is taking drastic steps in his bid to become the world's first true cyborg. Dr Peter Scott-Morgan, 61, from Torquay, Devon, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease two years ago and told it would only take until this year to kill him. But instead of accepting his fate he decided to challenge what it meant to be human and now hopes to create Peter 2.0. He is gradually replacing his bodily functions with machinery – an electric wheelchair now enables to him to be upright, sitting or laid down; he has banked his voice on a computer and had his voicebox removed; and is fed through a tube and has a catheter and colostomy bag attached so he doesn't eat or excrete.  Scroll down for video  Dr Peter Scott-Morgan, 61, with his husband Francis. Dr Scott-Morgan shared the photo on social media with the caption: 'This is my last post as Peter 1.0. Tomorrow I trade my voice for potentially decades of life' Dr … [Read more...] about ‘I’m not dying, I’m transforming’: Doctor diagnosed with terminal motor neurone disease hopes to become the world’s first true cyborg

The autoworkers picketing outside General Motors’ Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant stand to gain more than most if a tentative deal with the company is ultimately approved this week. For a start their jobs would be spared. GM previously slated the plant for closure by January. Instead, its 700 employees could start building electric pickup trucks next year. But as the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike appears to be ending, after more than a month, emotions outside the plant were decidedly mixed last week. Those who spoke with the Guardian said their feelings fell somewhere between “cautiously optimistic” and “skeptical” as a slow trickle of news came from UAW leadership. The union released an outline of the deal last week but the details are still only known to “the guys at the bargaining table”, said Paul Radatz, a 34-year company veteran. Over the weekend UAW members were getting to grips with those details. Voting started on Saturday and is … [Read more...] about General Motors workers anxiously await details of deal to end strike

A striking autoworker in Tennessee has died after a vehicle hit him along a picket line outside a General Motors plant. Roy McCombs died while striking with the United Auto Workers outside the Spring Hill plant just before 6.30am on Tuesday.  Columbia Police Lt. Jeremy Haywood confirmed that a vehicle accidentally struck a pedestrian outside the plant. General Motors worker Roy McCombs died while striking with the United Auto Workers outside the Spring Hill plant in Tennessee just before 6.30am on Tuesday (file photo) United Auto Workers President Gary Jones and Vice President Terry Dittes confirmed the identity of the worker.  They released a statement describing his death as 'heartbreaking' for all union members.   The statement said the union was working 'to ensure that safety is a priority on the picket line'. 'Roy A. McCombs tragically lost his life today on a picket line standing up for a better life for himself and his coworkers,' the statement … [Read more...] about General Motors worker striking outside Tennessee plant is run over and killed by a car on the picket line

Negotiations between General Motors and the United Auto Workers reached a tentative contract deal on Wednesday that could end a month-long strike that brought the company's US factories to a standstill. The deal was hammered out after months of bargaining but won't bring an immediate end to the strike by 49,000 hourly workers.  They will likely stay on the picket lines for at least two more days as two union committees vote on the deal, after which the members will have to approve. Picketing United Auto Workers Richard Rivera, left, and Will Myatt react to news of a tentative contract agreement with General Motors, in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. The deal was hammered out after months of bargaining but won't bring an immediate end to the strike Picketing United Auto Workers Richard Rivera, left, and Robin Pinkney react to news of a tentative contract agreement with General Motors, in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. The strike resulted in 49,000 workers walking off the job, … [Read more...] about General Motors and its workers union reach a tentative deal to end a month-long strike and bring 49,000 employees back to work and reopen 33 manufacturing plants in nine states

‘Where do you want to go?’ asked Captain Ross Cameron as our beautiful motor-yacht slid away from Saint-Laurent-du-Var harbour near Nice Airport. And there, right there, is why I love boat holidays: it’s the freedom to go where the hell you like, when you like, and to do so in the wild, unpredictable, scarily powerful and gloriously refreshing ocean. As Sir Francis Drake put it: ‘It isn’t that life ashore is distasteful to me, but life at sea is better.’ Piers rented a 73ft motor yacht named ‘Lazy P’ (pictured) from Dorset-based Sunseeker Charters Piers posted several pictures from his Riviera adventure to his Instagram page. He captioned the image on the left 'I fully intend living up to the name of my boat this week' and the image on the right 'my office for the next 10 days' Each summer, I take my three sons - Spencer, 26, Stanley, 22, and Bertie, 18 - on a lads’ trip, either to a Caribbean beach or as on this … [Read more...] about PIERS MORGAN: The most blissful way to sample the delights of the French Riviera? On board a motor yacht called ‘Lazy P’, of course…