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Saracens star Alex Lozowski handed golden chance to end six-year international exile as he is named in England’s 36-man training camp squad

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Saracens star Alex Lozowski handed golden chance to end six-year international exile as he is named in England’s 36-man training camp squad
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Saracens star Alex Lozowski handed golden chance to end six-year international exile as he is named in England’s 36-man training camp squad

Forwards: Fin Baxter (Harlequins), Ollie Chessum (Leicester), Dan Cole (Leicester), Alex Coles (Northampton), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale), Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins), Theo Dan (Saracens), Trevor Davison (Northampton), Ben Earl (Saracens), Greg Fisilau (Exeter), Ellis Genge (Bristol), Jamie George (Saracens), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Joe Marler (Harlequins), George Martin (Leicester), Tom Pearson (Northampton), Ethan Roots (Exeter), Will Stuart (Bath), Sam Underhill (Bath), Tom Willis (Saracens).

Backs: Oscar Beard (Harlequins), Elliot Daly (Saracens), Fraser Dingwall (Northampton), Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter), Tommy Freeman (Northampton), George Furbank (Northampton), Ollie Lawrence (Bath), Alex Lozowski (Saracens), Harry Randall (Bristol), Tom Roebuck (Sale), Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton), Fin Smith (Northampton), Marcus Smith (Harlequins), Ben Spencer (Bath), Freddie Steward (Leicester), Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester).

Rehabilitation: Henry Slade (Exeter), Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins), Luke Northmore (Harlequins).

Not considered for selection: Joe Cokanasiga (Bath), Ben Curry (Sale), Tom Curry (Sale), George Ford (Sale), Alex Mitchell (Northampton), Will Muir (Bath), Max Ojomoh (Bath), Raffi Quirke (Sale), Bevan Rodd (Sale).

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US presidential election: Mail-in voting and how it works

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US presidential election: Mail-in voting and how it works
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US presidential election: Mail-in voting and how it works
FRANCE 24’s Wassim Cornet takes a look at mail-in ballots in the US which have been sent to millions of voters weeks before election day and walks us through the process of this particular way of voting. 

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Girl, 10, mauled to death by her family’s ‘XL Bully’ dog: Mother screamed ‘my baby’s dead’ in aftermath of horrifying attack as tributes paid to ‘lovely little lass’

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Girl, 10, mauled to death by her family’s ‘XL Bully’ dog: Mother screamed ‘my baby’s dead’ in aftermath of horrifying attack as tributes paid to ‘lovely little lass’
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A mother ran outside screaming ‘my baby’s dead’ after a ten-year-old girl was mauled to death by an ‘XL bully’ dog.

Witnesses spoke today of the traumatic scenes in a sleepy Yorkshire village that sparked a huge emergency response on Friday afternoon.

The schoolgirl – known locally as ‘Savannah’ and described as ‘beautiful and intelligent’ – died after being bitten by her family’s dog inside their home.

The family, who have not been named, live in a static caravan in a compound behind a shop premises in East Heslerton, North Yorkshire.

The girl’s father works as a mechanic there and she is the couple’s only child, said local residents.

North Yorkshire Police said the girl had a ‘close, loving relationship’ with the dog that went on to kill her. The force said the mutt would be put down.

Tragically, before her death the 10-year-old reportedly boasted to pals: ‘I have got a new pet – an XL Bully.’ 

People at a nearby caravan site were alerted by the screams of the girl’s traumatised mother at around 4.15pm on Friday.

Girl, 10, mauled to death by her family’s ‘XL Bully’ dog: Mother screamed ‘my baby’s dead’ in aftermath of horrifying attack as tributes paid to ‘lovely little lass’

The family live in a static caravan in a compound behind a shop premises in East Heslerton, North Yorkshire 

People at a caravan site (pictured nearby) were alerted by the screams of the girl's traumatised mother at around 4.15pm on Friday

People at a caravan site (pictured nearby) were alerted by the screams of the girl’s traumatised mother at around 4.15pm on Friday 

The surrounding areas of the caravan site where the 10-year-old girl was killed

The surrounding areas of the caravan site where the 10-year-old girl was killed 

One local farmer, who asked not to be named, said: ‘The dog is an XL bully. It has been certified and is well looked after. It’s a very big dog. I’ve seen it around the pub a few times, it doesn’t bother anyone or other dogs and is well-behaved.’

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Describing the incident, the farmer said: ‘The mother ran out from the static caravan screaming ‘my baby’s dead.’ Some people from the caravan site went over to help. She was obviously really distraught.

‘The police got here very fast, there were two helicopters, ambulances turned up and an armed response unit.

‘Someone put the dog in a car apparently.’

The farmer said the family lived in a static caravan behind the business where he worked as a mechanic.

‘They are really nice people. The girl is a really polite girl who always says please and thank you. She was a lovely little lass who you would see riding her bike around.’

A man who was in one of the nearby caravans was in a pub on the site when there was a massive emergency response.

‘The mother came out screaming about her ‘baby.’ It’s terrible. I have a son aged 11 of about the same age who knew her. I’ve not told him yet. She was a really beautiful little girl and very intelligent for her age.’

Commenting on the dog, he said: ‘It is a massive dog and looks like an XL bully but I don’t know the breed.’

Another villager who knows the family also confirmed the dog was an XL bully.

The family live in a static caravan in a compound behind a shop premises in East Heslerton

The family live in a static caravan in a compound behind a shop premises in East Heslerton

Mourners leave tributes and flowers to the 10-year-old girl who tragically died

Mourners leave tributes and flowers to the 10-year-old girl who tragically died 

People leave floral tributes to the child after she was killed by an 'XL Bully' dog

People leave floral tributes to the child after she was killed by an ‘XL Bully’ dog 

A ten-year-old girl was mauled to death by her family's 'XL bully ' dog (Stock photo)

A ten-year-old girl was mauled to death by her family’s ‘XL bully ‘ dog (Stock photo) 

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North Yorkshire Police said the girl died at the scene after suffering serious injuries.

The dog has been taken to secure kennels and is ‘being assessed as part of the investigation.’

An inquest will be held at a later date.

Ownership of American bully XL dogs is restricted under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. Since the start of this year it has been against the law to sell, give away, abandon or breed from an XL bully.

Since 1 February it has been a criminal offence to own an XL bully without an exemption certificate.

When this ban was introduced a government press release stated there had been 23 fatal dog attacks since the start of 2021 with the XL bully ‘being involved in many of these tragic attacks.’

The Office for National Statistics does not break down attack according to breed.

Caravan site manager Samantha Robinson said: ‘The static caravan moved here about four months ago.

‘This little girl said she had a new pet, an American XL bully.

‘She was a lovely little girl, she asked permission to play on the swings in the park and we gave it.’ 

Some residents saw the child coming and going to her caravan. One said: ‘It is just a horrible tragedy. She was such a sweet thing. I only know her because she would come in the park to play.

‘Everybody is totally shocked and upset about it. The family have not lived here long. I have only met her. I have never met her mum and dad.

‘She would come on the park and play on the swings and I would pass the time of day with her. She was a lovely little girl – really chatty. It is just so sad.’

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Residents of the holiday caravan park had no idea anything was wrong until the girl’s mother emerged from the caravan screaming: ‘My baby is dead. My baby is dead.’

The child was seen happily playing on the swings in the play area of the adjoining caravan park near Malton, North Yorkshire, just the afternoon before tragedy struck.

She had moved there over the summer with her parents and were living in static caravan on a private yard behind a neighbouring warehouse.

A site official said: ‘We knew they had an XL bully dog. We only knew [the girl] because her mum had asked if she could play in the park and we said ‘Of course she can’.

‘[The girl] told us she had a new dog. It was not that long ago.

‘We used to come onto the park and play with the other children.

‘I have never seen or heard the dog and I am here every day.

‘[The girl] had said herself ‘We have got a new pet’.

‘Other children who played with [the girl] in the yard said it was family pet.

‘The static caravan arrived during the summer in a field next to the Snooty Fox caravan park outside the village of East Heslerton.’ 

North Yorkshire Police said: ‘One of the lines of enquiry relates to the behaviour of the dog to help explain, as far as possible, why it attacked the girl.

‘All indications so far suggest it was out-of-character, with the girl and dog having a close, loving relationship.

‘Due to the circumstances of the incident, the dog will be destroyed.’

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Thousands protest Milei’s ‘discriminatory’ laws at Argentina’s LGBTQ march

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Thousands protest Milei’s ‘discriminatory’ laws at Argentina’s LGBTQ march
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Thousands protest Milei’s ‘discriminatory’ laws at Argentina’s LGBTQ march
An annual LGBTQ Pride march in Buenos Aires drew thousands of participants Saturday, with speeches and banners targeting austerity policies of far-right President Javier Milei that the group says are discriminatory. 

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Pentagon UFO chief reveals US military’s new ‘alien tech’ crash retrieval program

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Pentagon UFO chief reveals US military’s new ‘alien tech’ crash retrieval program
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The Pentagon’s former chief UFO investigator has revealed a sensitive new government program to recover ‘alleged alien tech’ in the event of a ‘shoot down.’

Dr Sean Kirkpatrick — a longtime CIA scientist who headed the US military’s UFO-chasing All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) — admitted to the program’s existence when pressed during a new interview.

The retrieval program’s protocols were for ‘any UAP recovery’ involving ‘everything from balloons to drones to alleged alien tech,’ as Dr Kirkpatrick told podcast host John Michael Godier.

In recent years, Pentagon brass, NASA experts and academics have all reframed what were once called ‘flying saucers’ as ‘unidentified anomalous phenomena’ (UAP).

The revelation is the first time that the US government has officially acknowledged a UAP or UFO retrieval program, despite decades of speculation and whistleblower testimony that America has already been in possession of alien craft for decades.

It also comes amid multiple federal investigations into ‘mothership’ UFOs over key US military sites, releasing hard to identify, much less catch, ‘drone swarm’ UFOs.

This week, the Pentagon’s North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) admitted that America’s military installations have been plagued, since 2022, by at least 600 so-called ‘drone’ incursions, many still unexplained.

Pentagon UFO chief reveals US military’s new ‘alien tech’ crash retrieval program

This model of a sunken and deteriorated Soviet K-129 submarine was created by the CIA during its 1971-74 AZORIAN mission – one of the most elaborate terrestrial ‘crash retrieval’ missions undertaken in secret by the US intelligence community and now declassified  

The now retired director of the Pentagon UFO office, Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick (above), spent 2023 engaged in heated public sparring with UFO whistleblowers over alleged retrievals of alien spacecraft dating back to the Cold War-era

The now retired director of the Pentagon UFO office, Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick (above), spent 2023 engaged in heated public sparring with UFO whistleblowers over alleged retrievals of alien spacecraft dating back to the Cold War-era 

Classified documents suggest that the new UFO crash retrieval program began in early 2023, with a focus on ‘response and recovery and material transfer.’

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Dr Kirkpatrick initiated high-level meetings formalizing AARO’s version of a UFO crash retrieval program in January and February 2023 — according to the redacted documents released last September via the US Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).  

As one scheduling email explained: ‘The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the disposition of funding within the context of safety and security implications of UAP.’

Establishing ‘a receiving point’ for any and all recovered UFO materials was one key issue to be addressed, the meeting memo added.

‘The problem is those types of activities are already covered under Foreign Materiel Collection and Analysis,’ as Dr Kirkpatrick told Godier and listeners to his Event Horizon podcast Thursday.

‘There’s already a process and procedures in place for many of these things,’ he continued. ‘So this conversation was really to start [asking]: How do we document that for UAP? And, what kind of procedures do we need to put in place?’

Since at least the dawn of the Cold War, America has had crash retrieval programs, led by the CIA, but comprising all branches of the US military.

These programs were set up mainly to acquire Russian and Chinese tech, including the CIA’s top secret salvaging of a nuclear-equipped, sunken Soviet sub in 1974.

‘Equally important was retrieving US fragments that had landed in foreign nations to prevent the Soviets from recovering and exploiting them,’ according to curator James E. David of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.

Dr Kirkpatrick's latest disclosure adds context to an intriguing release of 78-pages worth of redacted plans between AARO and US Space Command (above), where the physicist had previously served as deputy director of intelligence from 2019 to 2021

Dr Kirkpatrick’s latest disclosure adds context to an intriguing release of 78-pages worth of redacted plans between AARO and US Space Command (above), where the physicist had previously served as deputy director of intelligence from 2019 to 2021

Space Command was only the just one of the branches AARO consulted.

Leadership from the White House’s Joint Chiefs of Staff also weighed in on the UFO recovery effort, including its directorates for intelligence (J2), operations (J3), strategy and policy (J5).

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‘AARO is Congressionally directed to come up with not just standard reporting procedures, but also mitigation and response procedures in the event of a shoot down or a collection of any sort of UAP,’ Dr Kirkpatrick said.

‘To do that mitigation and response, as well as standardized reporting,’ he added, ‘will occur through all of the combatant commands.’

‘Because they already have people in place that would collect [crashes].’ 

‘Like, if we shot down another Chinese high altitude balloon, it’s that team that would go and collect it, right? It’s those procedures and processes on how it gets notified and how we go and get it.’

Space Command records obtained via FOIA show that Dr Kirkpatrick had meetings to establish AARO’s version of a UFO-specific crash retrieval program on April 10 with Gen. Glen D. VanHerck, Commander of US Northern Command. 

General VanHerck, who led the mission to takedown the infamous Chinese spy balloon back in February 2023, has also taken a hard stance on domestic UFO cases.

‘If there are unknown objects within North America,’ he said of the recent wave of baffling drone swarms over US bases, ‘go out and identify them.’ 

Air Force and intelligence agency veteran David Grusch (center) testified under oath before Congress in July 2023 alleging widespread illegalities stemming from a long-secret UFO 'crash retrieval' program. Grusch and Dr Kirkpatrick sparred publicly over these claims that summer

Air Force and intelligence agency veteran David Grusch (center) testified under oath before Congress in July 2023 alleging widespread illegalities stemming from a long-secret UFO ‘crash retrieval’ program. Grusch and Dr Kirkpatrick sparred publicly over these claims that summer

General VanHerck, who also has a leadership role over NORAD, has pled with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to authorize more electronic eavesdropping equipment to solve the severe national security mysteries involving the drone UFOs. 

But the general has also acknowledged that strict rules govern the use of this level of espionage tech over US soil. 

Although Dr Kirkpatrick told Event Horizon’s listeners that he found no evidence that the US government has previously recovered an alien spacecraft via its past crash retrieval programs, several of his predecessors have contradicted his claims.

Dr James Lacatski, a former Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) analyst and missile expert who managed one UFO-centered program from 2008-2012, has claimed that the US not only has recovered alien spacecraft but that officials have gotten inside one.

‘The United States,’ as Dr Lacatski wrote in a 2023 book on that program, ‘was in possession of a craft of unknown origin and had successfully gained access to its interior.’

This craft, as he briefed then US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in 2011, had ‘no intakes, exhaust, wings, or control surfaces […] no engine, fuel tanks, or fuel.’ 

Dr Lacatski’s book, ‘Inside the U.S. Government Covert UFO Program: Initial Revelations,’ was co-authored with Las Vegas-based investigative reporter George Knapp and biochemist Dr Colm Kelleher. 

Dr Kelleher had worked alongside Dr Lacatski from the private contractor side of the DIA’s once highly secretive UFO program, the Advanced Weapons System. Application program (AAWSAP).

When asked by UFO documentary filmmaker Jeremy Corbell whether or not he himself had entered this recovered UFO, Dr Lacatski replied: ‘I can’t answer that.’

DailyMail.com has reached out to Dr Lacatski for comment and will update this article if he replies.

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Iran arrests female student who stripped to protest dress code

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Iran arrests female student who stripped to protest dress code
Iranian authorities on Saturday arrested a female student who staged a solo protest by stripping to her underwear in public. Reports indicate the action aimed to highlight the oppressive enforcement of Iran’s dress code, which mandates women wear a headscarf and loose-fitting clothing in public.

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Hospitals and police stations hit by plan to help the High Street

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Hospitals and police stations hit by plan to help the High Street
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Hospitals and police stations in England will be forced to pay a new ‘levy’ under ‘ill thought-out’ plans to ease pressure on the High Street, according to analysis.

Universities, prisons, army barracks and even HM Treasury’s headquarters in Westminster will also be caught up in the tax hike, according to commercial real estate firm Altus.

Rachel Reeves said in the Budget that Labour plans to reduce the business rate burden on smaller firms with a permanent cut in the ‘multiplier’ used to calculate their taxes.

Hospitals and police stations hit by plan to help the High Street

‘Ill thought-out’: Hospitals and police stations in England will be forced to pay a new ‘levy’

That will be paid for by a new higher multiplier for more expensive properties intended to ensnare warehouses used by big online retailers.

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However, figures from Altus show that while this charge will cover 1,589 large warehouses, it will also affect 15,278 non-domestic properties, including 297 NHS hospitals, 310 universities, army barracks and court buildings. Alex Probyn, at Altus, said it was ‘ill-thought-out’.

The Treasury said it was ‘engaging with stakeholders to finalise plans’.

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Harris must rally votes from ‘black community’, ‘moderate Republican women’, journalist says

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Harris must rally votes from ‘black community’, ‘moderate Republican women’, journalist says
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Harris must rally votes from ‘black community’, ‘moderate Republican women’, journalist says
Democrat nominee Kamala Harris must rally more votes from the “black community” and from among “moderate Republican women” in order to win over swing states, said Richard Werly, Europe Correspondent and Columnist for Blick. “She still has [to cross] the finish line while all pollsters believe that for Trump it is done in terms of rallying the vote”, Werly said, adding that Pennsylvania remains a major battleground state. “Clearly, whoever wins Pennsylvania will have a clear lead in the election”, he said.

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Where to go for cheap snow: Skiing can be ruinously expensive – but not if you opt for an exceptional package at one of THESE charming Alpine resorts

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Where to go for cheap snow: Skiing can be ruinously expensive – but not if you opt for an exceptional package at one of THESE charming Alpine resorts
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The new season is nearly upon us. Fresh air, mountain scenery and a glass or two of mulled wine await – the only question is whether your budget stretches to a welcome week in the Alps.

We’ve done the homework for you and come up with ten of the best budget ski breaks – perfect for beginners and experts alike.

Here’s our pick, starting with just over £500 per person for seven nights, including flights, transfers and half-board.

Where to go for cheap snow: Skiing can be ruinously expensive – but not if you opt for an exceptional package at one of THESE charming Alpine resorts

Hotel Lion Borovets in Bulgaria has a wonderful pool

ROCK-BOTTOM BULGARIA

Best for beginners and intermediate skiers not seeking too many challenges, Borovets is tucked away in a beautiful pine forest with large communist-era hotels. Expect lively nightlife in traditional wood-framed ‘meyhanes’ (Balkan restaurant/pubs). Meals at restaurants near the slopes cost about £9.

How to do it: Seven nights at Hotel Lion Borovets from £616pp half-board with Manchester flights (crystalski.co.uk).

Arinsal in Andorra is reliable for snow as most slopes are above 1,950m

Arinsal in Andorra is reliable for snow as most slopes are above 1,950m

CHEAP IN ANDORRA

For an affordable package, with lively bars and great slopes for beginners (plus a decent ski school), head for Arinsal in the principality of Andorra, tucked between France and Spain. Runs may be limited, but snow is usually reliable as most slopes are above 1,950m.

How to do it: Seven nights at Hotel St Gothard from £470pp half-board with Gatwick flights and transfers (igluski.com).

Hotel Modlinger in Soll, Austria is a bargain pick at seven nights from £674pp B&B

Hotel Modlinger in Soll, Austria is a bargain pick at seven nights from £674pp B&B 

SOLD ON SOLL

Connected to the huge SkiWelt area, Soll in Austria is also popular with intermediate-level skiers, although there’s a gondola link to more advanced slopes at Kitzbuhel. There’s a small village with good value restaurants serving traditional Tyrolean dishes and apres ski bars.

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How to do it: Seven nights from £674pp B&B staying at Hotel Modlinger with Glasgow flights (igluski.com).

Passo Tonale in Lombardy, Italy, is a great affordable place to go skiing

Passo Tonale in Lombardy, Italy, is a great affordable place to go skiing

ENTICING ITALY

Passo Tonale in Lombardy, Italy, is not choccy box-pretty, more like a Colorado resort with one straight road lined with shops, cafes, restaurants and hotels. However The Paradiso, a large, American motel-style building with a spa, buffet diner and in-house ski shop makes a great place to stay.

For apres ski, try one of the lurid yellow, lava-temperature Il Bombardino drinks with 30 per cent proof booze topped with cream. Affordable lunches – excellent pizzas – are to be had on the mountain.

How to do it: Seven nights at Hotel Grand Paradiso from £779pp half-board from Manchester, or from £582pp half-board at Hotel La Mirandola from Stansted (crystalski.co.uk).

The French resort of Flaine is connected to the extensive Grand Massif ski area that¿s suited to all levels

The French resort of Flaine is connected to the extensive Grand Massif ski area that’s suited to all levels

WELL-PRICED FRANCE

Don’t let the brutalist 1960s architecture put you off the French resort of Flaine, which is connected to the extensive Grand Massif ski area that’s suited to all levels. Much of the accommodation offered is self-catering apartments, which helps keep costs down.

How to do it: Seven nights at the Montsoleil Terrasses d’Eos Apartments from £569pp from Leeds Bradford, based on six sharing (inghams.co.uk).

A snowboarder hits the slopes in Nassfeld, Austria

A snowboarder hits the slopes in Nassfeld, Austria

AWESOME AUSTRIA

Nassfeld in the province of Carinthia is popular with Slovenians, Italians, Czechs and Austrians – but practically unknown to the British. Budget flights to Klagenfurt (just over an hour away) or, similarly close by, Salzburg, Venice, Trieste or Ljubljana mean that there’s usually a cheap way to get there. And decent four-star hotels are a fraction of elsewhere in Austria.

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There are stiff red runs, comfortable blues and easy green runs. Stop at a mountain hut for a slice of Kaiserschmarrn – chopped pancake with apple sauce. Delicious.

How to do it: Seven nights at Alm Hotel Karnten from £750pp half-board (almhotel-kaernten.at); return Luton-Salzburg flights from £34 (wizzair.com).

Sunset view of Bardonecchia in the Susa Valley in Italy's Piedmont region

Sunset view of Bardonecchia in the Susa Valley in Italy’s Piedmont region

PIEDMONT BARGAIN

The often-overlooked resort of Bardonecchia in the Susa Valley in Italy’s Piedmont region is another good choice for intermediates. It was recently rated the best value of all European resorts in the annual Post Office Ski Report, with ski passes from £190 for six days. The slopes rise to 2,694m, the highest point of the ski area. There’s even a chance to try a former Olympic halfpipe.

How to do it: Seven nights at Residence Tabor from £498pp with lift passes and Luton flights (sunweb.co.uk).

Four Points by Sheraton Bansko in Bulgaria

Four Points by Sheraton Bansko in Bulgaria

BULGARIA FOR FAMILIES

There was trepidation taking a family of four skiing over half term, but Bansko in Bulgaria proved a success. No one’s pretending the resort can compete with those in France, but for beginners it was great – and our week came in extremely reasonably in a four-star hotel with flights, transfers, food, ski passes, equipment hire and tuition included.

The mountains boast 75km of marked pistes rising to 2,560m with slopes for all abilities. Our kids loved the ski school. Bansko has a charming medieval old town.

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How to do it: Seven nights at Four Points by Sheraton Bansko from £595pp half-board including flights and transfers (balkanholidays.co.uk).

Hotel Seiblishof in Ischgl, Austria - a resort known for its apres-ski and rock concerts

Hotel Seiblishof in Ischgl, Austria – a resort known for its apres-ski and rock concerts

TEMPTING IN ISCHGL

This Austrian resort allows you to stand astride Austria and Switzerland simultaneously. It’s best known for its apres-ski and rock concerts, at which Elton John, Lenny Kravitz and Rhianna have performed.

Post 5pm, bars pulse with music and the chatter of gluhwein drinkers. The extensive slopes are superb. There’s also tobogganing. Austrian prices are noticeably cheaper than in Switzerland.

How to do it: Seven nights at the plush Hotel Seiblishof from £1,165pp half-board (seiblishof.com); returns to Innsbruck from £45 (easyjet.com). More information: austria.info.

VRetreats Cervino in Cervinia, Italy, which offers seven nights for around £1,600pp all-inclusive

VRetreats Cervino in Cervinia, Italy, which offers seven nights for around £1,600pp all-inclusive

SKI AND SPA FOR LESS

Some spa hotels in Zermatt in Switzerland can cost £2,250pp for a week – without flights, transfers or meals. Enjoy seven nights across the border in Italy at VRetreats Cervino spa hotel in the adjoining resort of Cervinia for around £1,600pp with all included.

Cervinia may be less fashionable, but it has a charming centre with little restaurants, delis and cosy bars set on winding cobbled lanes. The views of the peak of the Matterhorn are spectacular too.

How to do it: Seven nights at VRetreats Cervino from £1,569pp half-board with Gatwick flights and transfers included – all for £224 a night (inghams.com). Just don’t forget that ski lift extra cost.

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Thousands call for protection of abortion rights at US Women’s March

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Thousands call for protection of abortion rights at US Women’s March
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Thousands call for protection of abortion rights at US Women’s March
Thousands of women descended on Washington on Saturday, three days before Election Day, in a passionate show of support for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and her calls for access to reproductive health care. The vice president has made abortion rights a central plank of her White House bid against Republican Donald Trump, and the issue came up constantly among demonstrators at the annual Women’s March.

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My dad died after 19 days on a miracle weight loss drug: Grieving daughter reveals the first sign something was terribly wrong – after he blamed his symptoms on burnout

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My dad died after 19 days on a miracle weight loss drug: Grieving daughter reveals the first sign something was terribly wrong – after he blamed his symptoms on burnout
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Elyse Ramsay will never forgot the moment her mother called her at midnight to deliver the terrible news about her father Tim.

A farmer-turned-long-distance-truck-driver from South Australia, he was particularly proud of his daughter, his only child, for becoming a solicitor, after her humble beginnings on the family’s farm on the state’s Yorke Peninsula.

As her mum tried to explain what had happened, Elyse was numb with shock but the facts were clear: her 58-year-old dad had collapsed suddenly in the bathroom that evening and paramedics couldn’t revive him.

The coroner put the official cause of death as ‘undetermined’, but both Elyse and her mother Rita, a 60-year-old retiree, are convinced Saxenda, the ‘miracle’ weight-loss drug Tim had been taking for just 19 days, contributed to his death.

Just hours before he collapsed on November 27, 2022, Tim had been discharged from hospital complaining of severe stomach pains.

Stomach pains are a well-known side effect of Saxenda – the sister drug of the wildly popular Ozempic, an injection used to treat type 2 diabetes which has gained popularity for its ‘off-label’ weight loss effect.

Elyse, a 29-year-old solicitor, claims her dad was recommended the medication by a doctor when he expressed his wish to shed a few kilos.

Looking back, the reason he wanted to lose weight is agonisingly bittersweet. 

My dad died after 19 days on a miracle weight loss drug: Grieving daughter reveals the first sign something was terribly wrong – after he blamed his symptoms on burnout

Tim Ramsay, pictured with his wife and their daughter Elyse at her graduation, died suddenly after going to hospital complaining of severe stomach pains. His cause of death was initially ruled as ‘undetermined’ but his family believes it was linked to weight-loss drug Saxenda

Tim, pictured with a young Elyse, was 130kg (286lbs or 20.5st) when he began taking Saxenda and wanted to lose weight to surprise his daughter for Christmas

Tim, pictured with a young Elyse, was 130kg (286lbs or 20.5st) when he began taking Saxenda and wanted to lose weight to surprise his daughter for Christmas

His weight had crept up to 130kg (286lbs or 20.5st) from his years earning a living for his family as a truck driver on Australia’s highways, where healthy, good-quality food is scarce.

Tim thought surprising his daughter with a healthier version of himself would be the perfect holiday present.

‘He was a long-distance truck driver for many, many years and with the terrible food options available on the road and how exhausted he was when he was home, he was finding it so hard to lose weight,’ Elyse tells me.

‘He also wanted his weight loss to be a surprise for me at Christmas time. 

‘So, he saw his GP who prescribed him Saxenda. He was injecting it as directed for 19 days before he died.’

Tim had heard of Ozempic from his sister, 68, who was trialling the drug alongside her 47-year-old daughter.

Elyse claims her dad was recommended the medication when he decided to shed a few kilos and it was prescribed by his doctor

Elyse claims her dad was recommended the medication when he decided to shed a few kilos and it was prescribed by his doctor

Both women stopped using the injection within a few weeks due to its negative side effects.

It didn’t take long for Tim to feel unwell on it, too. 

Nausea was the first sign something was wrong. While it is a common side effect when first taking Saxenda, it often eases over time as the patient’s body adjusts to the medication. However, Elyse said her father was ‘sick and queasy the entire time’ he used the drug. 

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In fact, his stomach problems significantly worsened in the 24 hours before his death with the hardworking father forced to call his daughter in the dead of night for help.

Tim was in the middle of a shift at a truck depot in Burton, north Adelaide, when he began experiencing intense pain in his stomach.

He tried to ignore the agony for as long as he could but at 2am phoned Elyse, who lived in nearby Findon, to pick him up.

‘Mum was at home on Hindmarsh Island [an almost two-hour drive from Burton], so it was quicker for me to get my pajamas on and race down to get him,’ Elyse explains.

‘Plus, I think he didn’t want to worry her.’

Although her dad tried to play off the severity of the situation, Elyse was deeply disturbed by his uncharacteristic plea for help.

‘He was in a lot of pain with his stomach but was trying to chat and laugh with me like usual – trying not to worry me too, I think,’ she says.

‘I just focused on getting him to the Royal Adelaide Hospital as quickly as I could.’

Elyse only began letting her adrenaline subside once her mother arrived at the hospital and reassured her everything would be okay.

The couple was so confident Tim would recover that they sent their anxious daughter home to get some rest. 

Stomach pains are a known side effect of Saxenda, the 'miracle' weight-loss drug Tim had been taking for just 19 days. Saxenda is the 'sister drug' of the wildly popular Ozempic, an injection used to treat type 2 diabetes which gained popularity for its 'off-label' weight loss effect

Stomach pains are a known side effect of Saxenda, the ‘miracle’ weight-loss drug Tim had been taking for just 19 days. Saxenda is the ‘sister drug’ of the wildly popular Ozempic, an injection used to treat type 2 diabetes which gained popularity for its ‘off-label’ weight loss effect

While her father was prescribed Saxenda through proper channels after speaking to a doctor, Elyse, pictured here with her family, was 'horrified' to learn after his death that thousands of people are accessing weight-loss drugs online - without being properly warned of side effects

While her father was prescribed Saxenda through proper channels after speaking to a doctor, Elyse, pictured here with her family, was ‘horrified’ to learn after his death that thousands of people are accessing weight-loss drugs online – without being properly warned of side effects

‘They discharged him around midday, after doing tests,’ Elyse says.

‘On their way home from the hospital, my parents stopped in to see me. 

‘He wasn’t 100 per cent but in the typical Aussie bloke way insisted he was okay and that he was just burnt out from work. He and mum went home.’

After a tense night and long day, Tim and Rita both headed straight to bed as soon as they arrived back at their Hindmarsh Island home.

‘When dad went to bed, he was still in pain and exhausted. Mum went to bed a little while later but dad woke as she came in and got up to go to the bathroom,’ Elyse explains.

‘She patted him on the belly as he went past and said, “Love you”.’

Those would be the last words Rita said to her soulmate.

‘Mum dozed off for about five minutes before she woke and thought dad was in the shower because she could hear water running in their ensuite,’ Elyse explains.

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‘She got out of bed and called his name and asked, “Are you right?” but he didn’t answer. 

‘She then noticed his grey hair poking out from under the bottom of the ensuite door, meaning he must have been on the floor and up against it.

‘She tried so hard but couldn’t open the door. After calling Triple 0, her neighbour managed to smash the ensuite window and jump in to start CPR. 

‘SA Ambulance tried to revive him but couldn’t bring him back… At midnight that night, mum called me and told me [what happened].’ 

The last words Rita, Elyse's mother, said to Tim (pictured on their wedding day) were 'love you'

The last words Rita, Elyse’s mother, said to Tim (pictured on their wedding day) were ‘love you’

Elyse said she 'hit the jackpot' with her parents, whom she described as 'soulmates'

Elyse said she ‘hit the jackpot’ with her parents, whom she described as ‘soulmates’

The cause of Tim’s death was initially ruled as ‘undetermined’, but the South Australian Coroner agreed in July 2024 to investigate its possible link to Saxenda after protests from his loved ones.

‘The Coroner allocated it to Counsel Assisting to investigate whether or not Saxenda may have contributed to his death – we strongly believe it did,’ Elyse tells me. 

A spokesperson for the Coroner’s Court confirmed the investigation was ongoing. 

While her father was prescribed Saxenda through proper channels after speaking to a doctor, Elyse was ‘horrified’ to learn after his death that thousands of people are accessing weight-loss drugs online without being properly warned of side effects.

Some Australians are even seeking out weight loss injections from black market overseas vendors despite the massive risks of taking unregulated drugs.

Today, Elyse’s message for anyone considering weight-loss medication is clear: if you aren’t diabetic, it’s not worth the risk.

‘I struggle with my weight and I totally understand the temptation to take the easy option when it’s offered up so quickly and accessibly,’ she says.

‘But this medication was not designed for weight loss. Using it off-brand to satisfy our obsession with being thin is simply not worth the risk to those who require it to treat their diabetes – and it is certainly not worth the risk to our own lives.’

Elyse and Professor Lauren Ball, a dietician and researcher for the University of Queensland, warned of the dangers of buying weight loss injections off the online 'Ozempic black market'

Elyse and Professor Lauren Ball, a dietician and researcher for the University of Queensland, warned of the dangers of buying weight loss injections off the online ‘Ozempic black market’

Elyse, pictured with her father as an infant, says Tim spent some of his last moments reassuring her and her mother that he was okay because he didn't want to worry them

Elyse, pictured with her father as an infant, says Tim spent some of his last moments reassuring her and her mother that he was okay because he didn’t want to worry them

What’s the difference between Saxenda and Ozempic?

Ozempic and Saxenda have different active ingredients but both work to mimic a hormone, GLP-1, which controls appetite and blood sugar.

Ozempic, which uses semaglutide, is primarily used to treat type 2 diabetes but is often prescribed for its ‘off label’ weight loss effect.

Saxenda, which uses liraglutide, is primarily prescribed for weight loss.

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Ozempic requires weekly injections while Saxenda is injected daily.

Both are owned by Novo Nordisk, founded in Denmark.

Professor Lauren Ball, a dietician and researcher for the University of Queensland, says that while extreme reactions to weight loss injections are rare, adverse side effects are extremely common.

‘There are a high percentage of people who have some side effects,’ she says.

‘So, for example, there was a trial where nearly three quarters of people had some sort of gastro symptoms, like nausea and diarrhoea. 

‘But they’re considered fairly mild, by no means life-threatening.’

Like Elyse, Professor Ball was disturbed to learn how easily injections like Saxenda or Ozempic can be accessed from online clinics or illegal foreign suppliers.

A quick search of the word ‘Ozempic’ on social media will show dozens of people and pages offering to ship weight loss medication to Australia for a cheap price.

While the risk of suffering severe side effects from pharmacy-dispensed weight loss injections may be low, Professor Ball warns patients run a much higher risk when buying from these sites.

When Daily Mail Australia asked the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) if it would consider withdrawing its approval for Saxenda if Tim was found to have died from its side effects, the regulatory agency said: ‘All medicines, including Saxenda, carry potential risks’.

‘The TGA applies scientific and clinical expertise to its decision-making to ensure that the benefits of a product… outweigh any risks,’ a spokesperson added.

‘The TGA regularly reviews and analyses reports of side effects (also known as adverse events) submitted by health professionals, consumers and pharmaceutical companies to detect patterns of reporting that indicate possible new safety information requiring investigation. 

‘Where the evidence indicates that a medicine is likely to cause a particular medical condition, the TGA takes action. 

‘In the most serious circumstances, this might result in the medicine being withdrawn or changes to how it is used. 

‘More commonly, it involves adding warnings in the Product Information and Consumer Medicine Information documents (which contain information about the safe and effective use of the medicine) and publishing safety information for health professionals and consumers to manage and mitigate the identified risks.’

While Prof Ball does not believe there is a high risk of weight loss injections causing sudden death - which is what Tim's family suspect happened to him - she is concerned about the alarming number of people trying to obtain the medications from the black market

While Prof Ball does not believe there is a high risk of weight loss injections causing sudden death – which is what Tim’s family suspect happened to him – she is concerned about the alarming number of people trying to obtain the medications from the black market

Dozens of illegal foreign vendors offer cheap weight loss injections online, but the drugs could be much more harmful than those dispensed from pharmacies because they are unregulated

Dozens of illegal foreign vendors offer cheap weight loss injections online, but the drugs could be much more harmful than those dispensed from pharmacies because they are unregulated

With seemingly little to no intervention from the Australian government, Elyse only has the memories of her dad to comfort her.

‘I’m an only child but I hit the jackpot with my parents,’ she tells me.

‘They were soulmates and loved me fiercely. We did everything together. Losing my father has been devastating.’

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