Best Friends Give Birth On Same Day - Twice

Traditionally best friends do everything together - but Hannah King and Paola Campari-Moss do even more than most.

The firm friends have just given birth to their daughters on the same day - for the second time.

The pair first met in England's Salisbury Hospital nearly four years ago while they were in labor with their first babies.

After giving birth at the same time they bonded on the ward as they got to know their new arrivals.

When they left hospital they remained the best of friends and were thrilled last year when they both fell pregnant at the same time.

But they never expected to repeat the double delivery because the new babies were due 17 days apart.

Amazingly, however, both their second daughters made their arrival into the world on exactly the same day in January.

Paola, 37, a project director at Portsmouth University, said: "I was absolutely stunned when we both ended up giving birth on the same day for a second time. It was such an amazing coincidence".

The pair had first met on the labour ward in September 2006 when Paola gave birth to her daughter Ariana and Hannah, 35, an office manager, gave birth to daughter Iona.

Paola, who lives with husband Justin, 35, a fund manager, in Salisbury, said: "We had just given birth to our babies and the midwife introduced us.

"We hit it off straight away and after we left the hospital we remained firm friends.

"We only live ten minutes apart so we were always round at each others houses and attending baby groups together".

Both Paola and Hannah, who lives with her husband Russell, 35, a project manager for an insurance company, then decided to try for a second baby.

The pair discovered they were pregnant at the same time, but never imagined they would have a repeat double delivery
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Paola was two days past her due date when she finally went into labour at Salisbury District Hospital in January, giving birth to daughter Chiara, weighing a healthy 7lb 1oz.

Unbeknown to her, Hannah had also gone into labor, two weeks early, at the same time.

She gave birth on the bathroom floor to daughter Oralie, who weighed 6lb 12oz.

Hannah, an office manager, said: "It was very unexpected and I hadn't planned a home birth at all.

"I had no idea that Paola was in hospital either until I got to hospital by ambulance and I discovered they were in the next delivery room".

Paola added: "Hannah sent a text message to tell everyone about baby Oralie and I couldn't believe it.

"I sent a message back saying 'I'm in hospital too - have we done it again? And it turned out we had. Neither of us could quite believe it, and neither could our husbands".

Both the newborns were brought home from hospital to the delight of their three-year-old siblings, who are also firm friends.

Paola said: "Our elder daughters are firm friends and they have a really special bond. They were born only hours apart and they do everything together.

"They do ballet class and music, and they also have joint birthday parties. We are just hoping that these next two will be as firm friends as their older sisters are.

"When they are older we will tell them how they too were born just hours apart from each other.

"All our families and friends just think it is a miracle - no one can quite believe it when we tell them that we gave birth on the same day twice.

"Hannah and I are best friends and we do most things together - but this was remarkable.

"It just goes to show that the most incredible coincidences can happen".

Gretel the Mastiff Doesn't Like Walks

For most dogs 'walkies' is a magic word that produces manic excitement, but not for Gretel the Mastiff.

Ever since she was a puppy the now eight-year-old has turned her nose up at four paws, much preferring to get around courtesy of three wheels.

She and her owner Alvin Miechel, 75, are a regular sight around their home town of Melbourne, Australia.

With Alvin valiantly peddling away, pampered pooch Gretel enjoys a lofty view of her surroundings from the back of his tricycle.

And in recent years Gretel's dislike of walking has been compounded by the fact that she suffers from arthritis.

However, with the massive Mastiff now weighing in at a hefty 164 lbs ferrying her around is not the easy job it once was for Alvin, who weighs just 105 lbs..

In fact, whenever the duo come to a hill Gretel now has no choice but to get off and walk as Alvin's legs simply can't peddle her to the top.

"When she was a puppy it was easy and we went for really long rides," said Alvin.

"She has never liked to walk and the trike is like a car for us. But I'm a bit older now and it's hard lugging her around."

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Couple takes boat trip, forget mother-in-law in car

When a married couple offered to take the mother-in-law on a trip to France, it might not have been everyone's idea of a fun day out. Whether it was an accident or not, the husband and wife discovered when they were halfway across the English Channel that they had left their elderly relative behind. The woman, who is in her 70s, was still sitting in their car in a parking garage at Dover port.

The couple, from Bootle, Merseyside, were apparently distraught and, on realizing their slip-up, made an urgent call to Port of Dover Police to plead for help. Police eventually found the abandoned woman sitting in their parked car. She was taken for a cup of tea while she waited for her family to return several hours later.

Inspector Neil Care, of Port of Dover Police, said: 'I cannot recall anything like this happening before during my time and I've been here for 20 years.' He continued: 'On March 22 at about 8.55am we received a call from the couple from on board the ferry. The elderly woman, who was one of their mothers, was found safe and well sitting in their car. We took her for a cup of tea to make sure she was OK but she was absolutely fine.

'The couple returned at the first possible opportunity, on the next ferry, but it was still a three hours and 40 minutes round trip.' He said he did not know where the couple were heading to in France but said they had boarded the ferry as foot passengers and were on a day trip. Inspector Care said the family, who are in their 40s, did not want to be named.

JOKE: A teacher cautiously approaches the subject of sex

A teacher cautiously approaches the subject of sex education with her 4th grade class because she realizes Little Bobby's propensity for sexual innuendo. But Bobby remains attentive throughout the entire lecture.

Finally, towards the end of the lesson, the teacher asks for examples of sex education from the class.

One little boy raises his hand, "I saw a bird in her nest with some eggs."

"Very good, William," said the teacher.

"My mommy had a baby," said little Esther.

"Oh, that's nice," replied the teacher.

Finally, Little Bobby raises his hand. With much fear and trepidation, the teacher calls on him.

"I was watchin" TV yesterday, and I saw the Lone Ranger. He was surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of Indians. And they all attacked at one time. And he killed every one of them with his two guns."

The teacher was relieved but puzzled, "And what does that have to do with sex education, Bobby?"

"It'll teach those Indians not to screw with the Lone Ranger."

The Two-Year-Old Who Weighs The Same As An Adult

She may only be two years old but young Pang Ya already tips the scales at 6.5st(91 pounds) - the same as an average fully grown Chinese woman.

Ya, of Taocun town, Shanxi province, was born at a normal weight of 4kg(8.8 pounds), but has piled on the pounds ever since.

Her worried parents, father Fan Ruixiao and mother Zhang Chunmi, are now desperately looking for a way to help their daughter slim down.

They first became concerned when Ya was just 8 months old and already weighed 20kg (44 pounds).

Scared that something was wrong with their daughter they took her to hospital for a check up.

However, doctors were unable to explain why Ya is the size she is. And a subsequent visit to another hospital in August last year proved to be just as fruitless.

"Doctors can't figure out the reasons for her obesity, which worries us a lot," said Ya's mother Chunmi, who now spends all her time at home taking care of her daughter.

"Doctors have never seen a girl as big as her. We searched the internet and can't find anyone who is heavier than her at her age, so she could be the heaviest kid in China".

Now at the age of two Ya weighs 41.5kg (91 pounds) and has to wear clothes meant for 7-8 year olds.

At just under 39 inches tall, she is almost four times heavier than other children her age and stands out drastically when surrounded by her friends.

According to mother Chunmi bullying so far hasn't been a problem. "No one dares to bully her. She is really fierce".

But Ya's weight is already having serious affects in other areas. "Her weight doesn't stop her from playing but she gets tired if she walks long, and she seldom runs. She also has difficulty in squatting down".

Her parents, who aren't overweight, also admit that their daughter eats a lot compared to other children her age.

An average meal sees the toddler consume steamed buns, noodles and porridge - and she can easily eat more than 1 kilogram of food a day.

"She eats anything that is eatable," comments Chunmi.

"She especially loves sweets, like candies and biscuits. If we don't control her diet she would eat the same amount as us".

Her family has now started to control how much Ya eats, allowing her just two meals a day - breakfast at 8am and lunch at 1pm.

They have also started to give Ya traditional Chinese herbal medicine in the hope that it will help.

"We just want to find a better hospital to find out the reasons for her obesity and have the proper treatment for her, something that will let her loose weight quickly.

"We won't give up. On one hand we'll continue to find ways for her to lose weight and on the other hand we will control what she takes in."

Ya's father Ruixiao adds: "She is too big. She really can't be like this any more"

Border agents find wrong kind of grass in mowers

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Border authorities arrested a man trying to cross the border with two lawn mowers stuffed with the type of grass not usually found in machinery. U.S. Customs and Border Protection arrested an unidentified Mexican man who tried to smuggle 53 pounds' worth of marijuana across the border on Friday. The man drove into the inspection station from Tijuana, Mexico, at about 5:30 a.m. hauling the lawnmowers in his pickup.
A dog alerted agents and a search turned up 21 packages of pot crammed inside the chassis of the mowers.

The driver was arrested and booked into San Diego county jail on suspicion of drug trafficking.

Hockey player an 'a**hole,' but not guilty, says judge

Junior Canadian hockey player Chris Doyle was found not guilty of assault Friday, but received some harsh words from P.E.I.(Prince Edward Island) Judge John Douglas.

"If he was charged with being a colossal asshole, I would find him guilty," said Douglas, chief judge of the provincial court.

"Of assault causing bodily harm, I find him not guilty."

Doyle had shown up drunk at his ex-girlfriend's apartment in Charlottetown last September. Testifying in his own defence, he admitted punching a door, which then hit a woman in the face and broke her nose.

But he said he didn't know the woman was there, and it was an accident.

Doyle plays for the Victoriaville Tigres of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, following a trade in December. He had played with the P.E.I. Rocket for nearly four years.

Doyle had already pleaded guilty to a charge of mischief, in connection with breaking a laptop at the apartment. He will be sentenced for that offence June 7.

The punching of the door was part of a series of events described at the trial. Doyle's former girlfriend testified he came into her apartment uninvited when she had left the door unlocked because she was expecting her roommate.

Doyle was swearing and calling her names, she said, and shoved past her, looking for a man in her bedroom.

The incident with the door occurred when the woman and some friends had talked Doyle out of the apartment and he was trying to get back in. The ex-girlfriend's roommate was struck by the door.

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JOKE: A father was explaining the facts of life to his teenage son

A father was explaining the facts of life to his teenage son. "One thing to keep in mind, son, is that different women say different things during the sex act, even if you are doing the same thing. For example, their words will vary according to their occupation, a prostitute will tend to say, "Are you done yet?" On the other hand, a nymphomaniac will ask, "Are you done already?" A school teacher will say, "We are going to do this over and over again until you get it right!" A nurse will say, "This won't hurt one bit." A bank teller will say, "Substantial penalty for early withdrawal." A stewardess will say, "Place this over your mouth and nose and breathe normally."

"And what does mother say?" She says, "Beige, beige, I think we should paint the ceiling beige."