“I’m a blind dad – I add braille to books so I can read to my daughter”
By Amy Reast
A blind dad puts braille on his baby's story books so he can read them to her - because he promised not to let his blindness "get in the way of being a good parent".
Anthony Ferraro, 28, was born blind but grew up being told he could still do anything he wanted to.
So when he and his wife, Kelly, 35, had their first child, NAME, five months ago, Anthony was determined to bond with his little girl as any other parent would.
One thing he wanted to be able to do was read his daughter bedtime stories - so he and Kelly found a way to make that happen.
Now, whenever their little girl is bought a new book, they use a special machine to add a braille overlay.
It means Anthony is able to have the same bonding experience with his daughter as any other new dad would.
He feels "the only disability in life is a bad attitude" and says he'll "never let excuses get in the way of things" when it comes to his parenting.
Anthony, a content creator and motivational speaker, from Spring Lake, New Jersey, US, said: "Being a dad has been incredible, the whole journey.
"Being a blind dad, finding ways to bond with my daughter aren't so obvious.
"But if I can braille things, I can read it just like normal.
"I feel it's a really important bonding moment between us and I feel so grateful I can have that with her.
"I always told myself that no matter what, I won't let my blindness get in the way of being the best dad I can be."
Anthony is the only person in his family to be born blind, due to him having a rare degenerative eye condition.
But he said his parents didn't "coddle" him and encouraged him to have a get-up-and-go attitude.
Anthony began learning braille in his first years of school - while his classmates learnt to read and write, he learnt the equivalent in braille.
Growing up, he went to a school for the blind and decided to go for his goals, no matter what they were.
He spent years of his life playing judo to an international level and was even training for the Paralympics before an injury last year put his gold medal goals on hold.
But he always wanted to be a dad - and in WHAT MONTH of 2023, wife Kelly gave birth to their daughter.
Anthony said: "I always told myself no matter what, I want to be a dad and have a family."
Alongside adding braille to her reading books so they can bond during story time, Anthony says he's taught his daughter to communicate with noises to attract his attention.
He said: "She knows she has to make noise for me to look at her.
"She has learnt to use more 'coos' with me than with my wife, and she is very vocal.
"But even when she is quiet, I can't see the smile on her face, but I can feel it."
Anthony said he has learnt to change his little girl's nappies even without being able to see them - it just takes "a few more wipes" than for someone with full vision.
He says once his daughter starts to walk, he'll put little bells on her ankles so he can still play with her.
He also plans to put bells inside of her toys and balls so they can play together in the garden.
Anthony added: "I have blind friends that are scared to have kids in case their kid is blind.
"But I always told myself that's not a reason not to have children.
"Anything could always happen to any child, but if my kid ends up blind who would be a better teacher for them than me?"
"I told myself if my child wasn't born blind then they can drive me around when they turn 17 - and my daughter isn't blind."
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People – from around the world – queue for THREE HOURS to buy humble cheese and bean jacket potato
By Ed Chatterton
A jacket potato seller has been dubbed the new 'Binley Mega Chippy' after becoming a global TikTok sensation attracting visitors from across the world.
Ben Newman - aka Spudman - has seen customers queuing for up to three hours to get their hands on his famous spuds in the quaint market town of Tamworth, Staffs.
People have been flocking from as far as the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia to his humble jacket potato van after his videos took the internet by storm.
The 39-year-old now sells up to 1,500 jackets a day priced between £4 to £5 each after racking up 2.6 million followers and 41.6 million likes on TikTok.
Dad-of-nine Ben says he has no idea how he became an unlikely tourist attraction for young people after originally joining TikTok to keep an eye on his children.
Since then, his simple videos of him sharing culinary tips and daily life as a jacket potato vendor on his trailer have exploded in popularity.
Ben has even earned his own personal fanbase in Hawaii and admits he is still baffled by his newfound fame and becoming a millennial craze.
Ben, of Burton-upon-Trent, Staffs., said: "I still can't quite get my head around what's happening. It's just been crazy and absolutely mind-blowing.
"I have no social media training or experience. When my son, who is now 16, put TikTok in front of me I just thought 'I need to keep an eye on you on this'.
"But I soon realised it wasn't just for dancing girls, so I uploaded a few videos of me making a potato using just a Go-Pro and a decent camera.
"When they began hitting a few thousand views each I thought I could use this to promote the business. But I never expected what happened next.
"It was October and we had around 400,000 followers, which I was chuffed with to be honest, then all of a sudden it started to explode.
"For no real reason that I'm aware of, some videos were getting millions of views. One has had almost 100 million views.
"We worked out if you sat down to watch that video 100 million times, you'd be watching it for 60 years.
"All of a sudden people from across the world were turning up - from South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and USA.
"The most surreal moment was this couple from Malaysia, who hadn't come to the UK for a holiday - they came just solely to see me.
"They caught a flight to Gatwick and then hired a car to drive to little old Tamworth solely for a jacket potato.
"The amount of people I've been able to connect with and meet from all over the world is just crazy and incredibly humbling.
"Every single customer has been awesome. Its not just millennials, we have middle-aged families here too.
"We've become a tourist attraction. Our best seller is probably the classic cheese and beans."
Ben says he can't even walk through his home town anymore without being stopped in the street due to his new local celebrity status.
His fame has spawned Spud Man merchandise sold online in the form of keyrings, tote bags, aprons and clothing,
He added: "It has opened up some incredible opportunities for me. I honestly can't walk through town anymore without being stopped.
"I never sought celebrity status, I just wanted my little jacket potato van to do well. I won't tour or open my own shop - I love my trailer too much.
"I just try to be authentic and honest and I think that's what people like. I don't really know, you'd need to ask them."
Ben has been at the same location for more than 20 years after setting up his own business called Newman's Catering at the age of 18.
He became Spudman around two years ago and believes his late father, who was a jacket potato merchant, would be proud of his recent success.
In the wake of the pandemic he started using his @spudarmy account to promote his business but said he "never believed" this would be the outcome.
Ben, who lives with partner Sarah Simpson,37, AKA Spudwife, said: "It's all been beyond my wildest dreams.
"I just try and have fun with the videos. People seem to enjoy the livestreams but I enjoy filming people's responses when I give them a free spud.
"I've seen the Binley Mega Chippy comparison but I like to feel we've worked a little harder than that.
"They were a meme and it happened by chance. We know it will drop off but we want to keep going for as long as we can and to put Tamworth firmly back on the map.
"If we do well, so does the town. Its all about promoting local businesses and also every jacket potato seller out there.
"There is one in your own town, go and support them.
"My grandad was a farmer and my dad was a jacket potato merchant, I think they would be proud."
Ben sports a trademark pink mohawk, which he got to raise money for kidney research, after suffering his own health battles.
He suffered three failed kidney transplants - in 2014, 2016 and 2019 - and will be on dialysis for the rest of his life.
Last weekend he raised over £11,000 for Kidney Research UK by giving away 2,200 free jacket potatoes to people in the town.
He said: "There's not a lot of dialysis patients who are as active as me and I want to try and show a positive side of it and help support the charity where I can.
"I'm trying to put out a positive message to them and that they can be normal whilst having kidney failure."
Customer April Hall, 38, a support worker, travelled an hour from Telford, Shrops., to try a Spudman jacket potato with cheese and tuna yesterday (Tue).
She said: "Some of the guys I support have been going on about him for weeks after watching all of his stuff online.
"I'm not really into social media that much so it all seemed a bit bizarre to me but I promised them we would go and see him.
"We came early to avoid the queues and he is such a nice man. The jacket potato was lovely too.
"It's amazing to see normal, down to earth people making it in life so credit to him. He has done really well to get this following and we were happy to support him."
Another customer, McDonald's manager Lewis Rochelle, 18, of Cannock Staffs., said: "I just wanted to see what the fuss was about.
"I paid £5 for a jacket with cheese and beans and it was really good, so it was well worth the trip.
"I saw his videos before Christmas when he had about a hundred thousand followers - but its just exploded.
"Every one in two videos is about him at the moment. It's mad. I've not had to travel far but it was great to meet him and get a photo with him."
Regular Lee Vickers, 29, of Tamworth, added: "Spud man has put Tamworth well and truly on the map - it's unreal what he's doing for himself.
"He deserves all the success in the world. He always puts the graft in, he's a top guy and above all he sells top-quality hearty spuds."
Spudman Menu:
Cheese and Beans | £4.00
Chili Con Carne & Cheese | £4.00
Cheese, Beans & Coleslaw | £5.00
Cheese, Beans & Bacon | £5.00
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Humpback whale sets up home near harbour in Iceland for three weeks
By George Mathias
A humpback whale has been spotted frolicking around a harbour in Iceland for the last three weeks.
Locals in Hafnarfjörður - which lies 10km south of Reykjavík - have been "lining up on the harbour" to see the spectacle.
Asa captured close up videos of the whale as it sprayed air out of its blow hole - just metres from the onlookers standing at the edge of the harbour.
The whale - thought to be a young male - is estimated to be 20 feet long and locals have been deciding what to call him.
They have suggested Humpy and Juno - but a name hasn't been agreed on yet.
Asa Steinars, 33, a photographer who also runs campervan trips, said: "It's quite unique.
"You can go whale watching in Iceland and sightings out at sea are common, but I have never seen one this close before."
According to Asa, locals are loving having the whale around.
"There haven't been any talks of getting rid of him," she said.
"Some days he goes out to the ocean but he always comes back."
Asa says this particular whale is "behaving uniquely".
She said: "He's not shy at all, He swims right up to the end of the harbour. It's amazing."
However, residing in a busy harbour is not without its risks.
"We are hoping he doesn't get hit by a boat or anything," Asa said.
"I noticed a few scratches on his back - it looked like at some point he had been hit by something.
"But he seems to love it here."
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Golfer enjoyed different type of birdie – when parrot joined game
By Izzy Hawksworth and Sarah Marshall
A stunned golfer has told of how he enjoyed a different type of birdie – when a parrot joined him on the green.
Tom Kelson, 31, was enjoying a game of golf with dad Pete Kelson and father-in-law Steve Jessop, when they spotted a bright green bird in the trees.
The parrot then flew over to the trio at Tinsley Golf Course in Sheffield, South Yorks,. and perched on their shoulders as they attempted to take their shots.
The funny footage shows the group playing the game and walking around the course, while the parrot sat on them.
Tom said: “It flew over and I gave the parrot a bit of my cereal bar and it wouldn’t leave us alone.
“It would fly back to the trees but then fly back to one of us – it ended up landed on all of our shoulders.
“The parrot was that comfortable so it stayed on our shoulders as we were playing.
“We just found it really and we just knew it was a once in a lifetime thing to happen, especially because we were playing a game of golf.”
While the group were still playing, Tom went on Facebook and discovered the bird had escaped from a nearby salon a couple of days before.
But luckily, he managed to help the owner reunite with his pet.
Tom said: “I think the parrot sits on his owner’s shoulder as he’s cutting hair but had blown out one day.
“He went over to Tinsley but when he was there, the parrot had left at this point but we pointed him in the right direction.
“We were packing our things up in the car park and saw that they had been reunited.”
Pampered pooch rocks $20k designer wardrobe – and struts down runways all over the globe
By Katie Storrie
Meet the pampered dog who has a wardrobe of custom-made designer clothes worth $20k - and struts down runways all over the globe.
Tika, a 12-year-old Italian Greyhound, loves to get dressed up in stylish outfits and attend glamorous events - such as Paris, New York and Milan fashion week - with her owner Thomas Sharpio, 32.
Tika is spoilt and has a wardrobe of 400 items - as well as being treated to a raw and fresh diet.
Thomas and his partner, Louis, 36 also have a one-year old Italian greyhound called Kala who they also dress up- and they both share a king sized bed with the couple.
Thomas, a full time content creator, from Montreal, Canada, said: “All of her clothes are custom made.
“They can range anywhere from £60 to £100 pounds per item.
“Most dress are worth between £100 to £300.
“I like that she is a bit of a trend setter."
Thomas and Louis, a project manager, have always dressed Tika up in clothes - as the climate in Montreal is often very cold.
Thomas said: “Breeds like Greyhounds are like humans, she had a wardrobe before we even started sharing photo’s online.
“We live in Canada and it is always cold and rainy.
“You have to be prepared."
Thomas began posting Tika's outfits online in 2016 and she has now worked with big fashion brands such as Boss, Dior, Channel, Fendi and Vogue.
She has also had the opportunity to walk down the catwalk at fashion weeks across the world.
Thomas has all Tika's outfits custom made - and has taken inspiration from the likes of Lady Gaga, Celine Dion and Cher.
He said: "I get most of my inspiration from current runways, but also from people like Lady Gaga, Celine Dion and Cher - you know the icons."
Day to day Tika wears more practical clothing and layers up in a onesie, overcoat, boots, hat and snood.
Thomas said: “When picking an outfit it can vary. If it is day to day we aim for comfort.
"For her she is wearing a onesie, she is very used to it."
Younger pooch Kala is also ready to follow in Tika's footsteps when she retires.
Thomas said: “When Tika is ready to retire, after all she is 12, Kala will take over.
“She is really not slowing down though and we won't ever force her."
Tika and Kala have a strict diet to ensure they stay fit, healthy and camera ready.
Their diet consist of food full of proteins and high fibres.
Thomas said: "We always feed them freeze dry raw food.
“The girls love it and they are in great shape.
“We give them supplements and we give them fresh veggies and fruit."
Tika and Kala can sleep for up to 21 hours a day and have 12 dog beds throughout the house - but curl up in the couple's bed at night.
Thomas said: "They sleep in a kings size bed with me and my husband.
“They are always looking for heat, they love to be near you.
Thomas and Louis also have two children together - Harrison, two and Eleanor, one - and says the pair love the dogs and where they wear matching outfits.
Thomas believes Tika is a "trend setter" and "icon".
He said: “Other dogs are now dressing up - I think Tika started this thing.
“When you go into a store there are more options for dogs, than there were five to six years ago.”
With other 400 items of clothing it is estimated they are worth more than $20k.
Thomas however gets the majority of this for free, due to the sponsorships he has.
Thomas spends an average of 60 dollars a week on food.
"I spend about $500 dollar's every two months."
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Creepy device gives AI a face
By Dean Murray
A creepy device has been launched that gives AI a realistic face.
Wehead takes text-based artificial intelligence platforms and gives them expressions and a voice.
The desktop Wehead GPT model, set for first deliveries this month, works with the popular Chat GPT AI tool.
Equipped with ultra high-definition LED screens, users can choose from a range of faces, which move their lips as they speak.
A motorised neck replicates "natural movements" to make the device "more approachable and relatable".
Wehead say the units offer a range of uses, including as an AI educator for children, an assistant for people with disabilities, or a personalised news host.
The company also suggest it can form digital clones of celebrities and people you love.
Early adopters can buy Wehead GPT for £3,900 to buy or rent for £160 a month.
The firm say "Wehead GPT is the first AI device designed for tech enthusiasts and their families to offer a human-friendly way to interact with AI-generated people through natural, face-to-face conversations.
"This innovative device transcends traditional AI interactions by enabling users to maintain eye contact with an AI person and engage non-verbally, offering a more emotional and intuitive experience."
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Mouse hops right up to wildlife photographer and poses for pictures
By Samuel Wightwick
This is the amazing moment a mouse hopped right up to a wildlife photographer to pose for pictures.
Jeffery Cassiers, 39, couldn't believe his luck when the playful rodent approached him while on a family holiday in Norway.
As he and his family were walking back to their rented cabin after a visit to the lake, they noticed the tiny creature coming closer to them.
Jeffery, from De Panne in Belgium, said: "I spotted the mouse coming from the bushes and it seemed to keep getting closer and closer so I laid down on my belly to get the perfect shots.
"I’m no mouse expert so I’m not sure if its normal for mice to come up to people.
"I’ve never encountered a mouse before so that was quite a unique moment for me especially as it came nearer and nearer which provided me with the excellent shots I could take."
Jeffery takes photos of wildlife as a hobby between his day job of running a vape shop six days a week.
He described his encounter with the mouse as his greatest wildlife moment of the year.
He explained: "Normally when I go out to shoot pictures, you’re looking out for animals and it's hard to find them.
"Even if you do find them they’re mostly shy when they notice you they run or fly away.
"This was the first time that something walked towards me, that’s why it was so unique to me with the cute little mouse.
"We all had a lot of fun with this moment."
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Hero dog saves neighbourhood by sniffing out huge gas leak
By Leo Black and Samuel Wightwick
A pet dog saved his neighbourhood after discovering a gas leak in his owner's front yard.
Kobe, a four-year-old husky, was able to alert his owner about the leak by digging a large hole.
Owner Chanell Bell, 28, initially didn't think much of it but as the hole got bigger, she figured Kobe was trying to tell her something.
Chanell, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, said: "I trust his judgment because that isn’t his typical behaviour and he is usually right.
"He has great senses and he never digs holes unless he is helping me dig.
"We’ve been here at our new home for a while now and he never digs holes without me, so I knew something was up."
Chanell had had a gas leak in the house earlier in December so she decided to take out her gas detection device.
Chanell, a business owner, said: "The hole looked ominous. It was very big and you could see that it showed under the sidewalk.
"I had a reader already in the house to make sure there were no leaks coming from my old heater.
"When saw the hole and realized it was odd behavior for my dog. My intuition told me to check it."
Immediately, the reading detected gas.
Chanell alerted authorities who informed her that if Kobe hadn't detected the leak when he did on December 21, the consequences could have been catastrophic.
Channel said: "If it wasn't detected and the gas continued to leak into our homes.
"We were told it could've caused serious health effects like respiratory issues, brain damage and even death.
"They told me that something as simple as a light switch turning on could've caused an explosion too!"
The gas foreman and crew immediately turned off her gas and got to work.
The age of the pipes and rust had caused three main gas leaks in Chanell's neighbourhood.
All in all, the gas engineers worked three and a half days straight to resolves the leaks and fit new pipes.
Channel said: "When they [the engineers] arrived, they were so impressed with Kobe and mentioned what a good dog he was."
Channel feels indebted to Kobe and believes that you should always listen to your animals and their senses.
She said: "It feels amazing to know Kobe saved our block, I am very thankful to have him.
"I hope that this spreads awareness to others about the dangers and severity of gas leaks and to pay attention to your fur babies!"
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Lucky hyena barely escapes being eaten by hippo!
By Safia Azizi
A lucky hyena narrowly escaped being eaten by an angry hippo - that it mistook for being dead.
Safari guide Carlos Ismail was leading a tour in Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania, when he spotted an opportunistic scavenger wading through some water.
Tense footage shows the hyena creeping up on the behind of a seemingly immobile hippo half submerged under the algae.
Suddenly the hyena turned tail and just in time as the hippo swung its huge body around and chased it from the water almost catching it in its powerful jaws.
Carlos said: “This hyena was very lucky. It was on its own and I think it thought that the hippo was dead and would be an easy meal.
“It just managed to escape in time before it was caught in the hippo’s huge jaws. It barely managed to make it to dry land.
“I have been a guide now for nine years and have never seen anything like this before. Although I have seen the same hippo chase after a lioness.
“They are not scared of anything!”
The footage was filmed on November 1 last year.
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Dad wears muzzle in solidarity with his XL bully in protest
By Josie Adnitt
A dad held a one-man protest over new XL bully laws by drinking in his local pub - with a muzzle on.
Eamonn Mcgeady, 51, and six-month-old dog Lexi wore matching protective guards on their visit to the Straw Hat.
Once inside Eamonn sat down at the bar, ordered a pint - and drank it through a straw.
His daughter Elle, 19, said he did it to make a point about new legislation on the breed - and left her feeling proud.
She visited the pub along with her dad and dog on New Year's Day.
Elle, an apprentice engineer from Chester, said: "I just don't agree with the muzzle.
"We’d be happy enough to walk her on a lead but we’re not happy with the muzzle - it’s just not nice to see.
“She hides when going on a walk now because she knows she has to wear it.
"Other dogs want to bully her now that she’s on a lead with a muzzle on.
“Before people would come up and give her a stroke and a pat but now we’re getting more evil looks off people instead.
“We got to the pub and everyone was laughing about it - I was proud [of him] and happy to see him wearing it.
"Dad was drinking pints using a straw through the muzzle and getting on the floor with Lexi to play around with her.
“He wanted to show her there was a person was wearing it and it wasn’t just for her.
"The people we walked past were praising him for it, saying it showed he’s good owner.”
The Government announced a host of law changes around XL bullys after a spate of deadly attacks in 2023.
It became a legal requirement for the dogs to wear a muzzle in public on New Year's Eve.
It is now also illegal to breed, sell, advertise, gift, exchange, abandon or let XL bully dogs stray.
And, from February 1, XL bullys will be banned - unless registered before the deadline.
A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs statement said: "Owners are also being urged to apply to register their current XL bully dogs, as the Government takes action to safely manage the existing population of the breed.
"There is only a month left to meet the deadline when the ban comes into force on 1 February.
"Owning an unregistered dog after this date will be a criminal offence, with owners who don’t facing a criminal record and an unlimited fine.
"Owners who do not want to keep their dogs after this date should take them to a vet to have them put down. "
Elle and boyfriend Nathan Morrissey, 18, a plasterer, bought Lexi in August 2023 - just weeks before the new legislation was announced.
And they say the pup used to love visiting the pub and socialising with dogs and humans alike.
But that now Lexi is forced to wear a muzzle, Elle says the pooch no longer wants attention, preferring to be left alone to lie down when visiting their local.
And while she agrees that some restrictions are needed, she says she believes it’s unfair to have to muzzle her family pet.
Elle said: “Every time we take her for a walk she’s hurting herself trying to scratch it off.
“[Dad was wearing the muzzle to] show people who think these dogs have a bad reputation that they’re not actually that bad and it’s not fair.
“We completely disagree with the rules, we agree that something needed to happen because of the amount of attacks that were happening, some action should have been taken.
“We've only had Lexi for about four months, and we want her life to be as playful and joyful as we can make it.
“It’s sad to see that she’s so young and for rest of her life she won’t experience being off lead again.”
Eamonn did not want to be interviewed for the story.
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