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Monday 28th August Blog

Posted on Tue 28th Aug, 2018 in: Blog

Hello!

This past week we have seen 2 Brits die in Egypt whilst on holiday with their daughter and granddaughter. There was a "strange odour" in the Egyptian hotel room where a British couple died, the local governor has confirmed. The daughter, Kelly Ormerod, who had been on holiday with her parents, revealed her daughter "could smell something that was a little bit funny" in her grandparents' room. They attempted to cover the smell by spraying "a little bit of perfume" after dinner, Ms Ormerod has said. Her parents failed to come down for breakfast the next day before Ms Ormerod found them both seriously ill in their room at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in Hurghada. Mr Cooper, 69, died in the room while Thomas Cook employee Mrs Cooper, 63, died after being taken to hospital. Major general Ahmed Abdullah, governor of Egypt's Red Sea region where the hotel is located, confirmed on the region's Facebook page that "there was a strange odour in the room". The room was sealed off while specialist engineers inspected ventilation and air conditioning systems. The Coopers' bodies will be analysed by a forensic laboratory in capital Cairo, the governor added. Mr Abdullah also responded to claims a large number of the hotel's guests had suffered from "severe fatigue". Travel operator Thomas Cook ordered the evacuation of all of its guests staying at the hotel in the wake of the Coopers' deaths last Tuesday.

A study has shown that air pollution is causing a "huge" reduction in our intelligence. Toxic air can cause everyone's level of education to reduce by one year - and could extend to a few years' worth of education for those aged over 64. Dr Xi Chen, from the Yale School of Public Health in the US, said this can have serious consequences for the elderly, as this is usually when the most critical financial decisions of their lifetime are made. The study also suggests that high levels of air pollution have a short-term impact on intelligence, meaning students may perform worse if they take important exams on polluted days.

Household food bills are set to rise by an estimated £7.15 a month as a result of the UK's extreme weather, research suggests. The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) say 2018's scorching summer - and the cold, wet winter that preceded it - has affected domestic farming yields, which in turn will have an impact on prices. A range of British-grown fruit and vegetables will be more expensive, with wholesalers already paying nearly double for some staple items. Since March 2018, the CEBR says:

:: The wholesale price of carrots is up by 80%
:: The wholesale price of onions is up by 41%
:: The wholesale price of lettuce is up by 61%
:: The wholesale price of wheat for bread is up by 20%

The farm gate price of butter has also risen by 24% since the start of the year because the hot weather has dried up grass pasture which is critical to feed dairy herds. Meat, including sausages and bacon, are also likely to be affected.

On this day:

1963- Dr Martin Luther King makes his iconic 'I have a dream' speech

1972- Prince William of Gloucester is killed in a plane crash

1994- Sunday trading is legalised

2004- British Athlete Kelly Holmes secures a place in Olympic History by winning the 1500m gold in Athens

Birthdays:

Actor Jack Black, 49

Singer Shania Twain, 53

Singer Florence Welch, 32

DJ Felix Jaehn, 24

Actor Daniel Stern, 61

Have a great week!

The Millhouse World of Wood Team

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