Mystery Irish woman gives £50k fiver to charity

An Irish woman who found a rare five-pound note engraved with a portrait of Jane Austen has donated it to charity.

The note, worth an estimated £50,000, was found in Northern Ireland by a woman known only as "J".

She sent the fiver back to the Scottish gallery it came from, and asked for it to be used to benefit a charitable cause.

"£5 note enclosed, I don't need it at my time of life. Please use it to help young people," she wrote.

The anonymous benefactor is known to be from County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland.

The Tony Huggins-Haig Gallery, in Kelso, Scotland, told BBC News NI the five-pound note would likely be auctioned off in aid of Children in Need.

Image captionThe five-pound notes feature a tiny, engraved portrait of Jane Austen

The gallery created the notes in conjunction with Birmingham micro-artist Graham Short.

Just four notes were specially engraved and spent in each of the home countries.

The first was found in a café in south Wales in December, with the second discovery coming in Scotland inside a Christmas card the same month.

England is now the only area yet to discover its jackpot Austen note.

Image captionThe woman sent the gallery a picture of the note with a dated copy of her local newspaper

However, it is Ireland's anonymous donor who is causing the biggest stir after she discovered the rare fiver - and handed it back.

According to the gallery, the woman got in touch in mid-January to tell them she had found the note while visiting Enniskillen in County Fermanagh.

The artist, Graham Short, had previously told the BBC that he spent it "in a small bar called Charlie's Bar".

When the gallery asked the woman to prove her find, she sent them a picture of the note, verifiable through its serial number, along with a dated copy of her local newspaper, the Donegal Democrat.

Michael Huggins, the gallery's assistant manager, said the woman then asked for a couple of weeks to "mull over" what she might do with it.

"Then we received this note in the mail along with the fiver," he told BBC News NI. "The note just said she wanted it to be used to help young people."

Image captionCharlie's Bar in Enniskillen - is this where the fiver began its Northern Ireland journey?

There are few clues as to the identity of the unidentified Donegal donor.

The woman spoke on the phone to gallery artist Tony Huggins-Haig, Michael said, who described her voice as "soft" and "older".

"With that and the note when she refers to her age, we think it's an older woman," he added. "But, all we know is that she is from County Donegal and that she wants the money to go to benefit young people."

He added that the gallery had been in touch with Children in Need, and it's likely the note will be auctioned with an added bonus.

"It seems we'll auction it off, but we've also spoken to the artist Graham Short about creating another one-off note as well. So we'll auction both off together."

Source:BBC NEWS

Mystery Irish woman gives £50k fiver to charity

An Irish woman who found a rare five-pound note engraved with a portrait of Jane Austen has donated it to charity.

The note, worth an estimated £50,000, was found in Northern Ireland by a woman known only as "J".

She sent the fiver back to the Scottish gallery it came from, and asked for it to be used to benefit a charitable cause.

"£5 note enclosed, I don't need it at my time of life. Please use it to help young people," she wrote.

The anonymous benefactor is known to be from County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland.

The Tony Huggins-Haig Gallery, in Kelso, Scotland, told BBC News NI the five-pound note would likely be auctioned off in aid of Children in Need.

Image captionThe five-pound notes feature a tiny, engraved portrait of Jane Austen

The gallery created the notes in conjunction with Birmingham micro-artist Graham Short.

Just four notes were specially engraved and spent in each of the home countries.

The first was found in a café in south Wales in December, with the second discovery coming in Scotland inside a Christmas card the same month.

England is now the only area yet to discover its jackpot Austen note.

Image captionThe woman sent the gallery a picture of the note with a dated copy of her local newspaper

However, it is Ireland's anonymous donor who is causing the biggest stir after she discovered the rare fiver - and handed it back.

According to the gallery, the woman got in touch in mid-January to tell them she had found the note while visiting Enniskillen in County Fermanagh.

The artist, Graham Short, had previously told the BBC that he spent it "in a small bar called Charlie's Bar".

When the gallery asked the woman to prove her find, she sent them a picture of the note, verifiable through its serial number, along with a dated copy of her local newspaper, the Donegal Democrat.

Michael Huggins, the gallery's assistant manager, said the woman then asked for a couple of weeks to "mull over" what she might do with it.

"Then we received this note in the mail along with the fiver," he told BBC News NI. "The note just said she wanted it to be used to help young people."

Image captionCharlie's Bar in Enniskillen - is this where the fiver began its Northern Ireland journey?

There are few clues as to the identity of the unidentified Donegal donor.

The woman spoke on the phone to gallery artist Tony Huggins-Haig, Michael said, who described her voice as "soft" and "older".

"With that and the note when she refers to her age, we think it's an older woman," he added. "But, all we know is that she is from County Donegal and that she wants the money to go to benefit young people."

He added that the gallery had been in touch with Children in Need, and it's likely the note will be auctioned with an added bonus.

"It seems we'll auction it off, but we've also spoken to the artist Graham Short about creating another one-off note as well. So we'll auction both off together."

Source:BBC NEWS

Mystery Irish woman gives £50k fiver to charity

An Irish woman who found a rare five-pound note engraved with a portrait of Jane Austen has donated it to charity.

The note, worth an estimated £50,000, was found in Northern Ireland by a woman known only as "J".

She sent the fiver back to the Scottish gallery it came from, and asked for it to be used to benefit a charitable cause.

"£5 note enclosed, I don't need it at my time of life. Please use it to help young people," she wrote.

The anonymous benefactor is known to be from County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland.

The Tony Huggins-Haig Gallery, in Kelso, Scotland, told BBC News NI the five-pound note would likely be auctioned off in aid of Children in Need.

Image captionThe five-pound notes feature a tiny, engraved portrait of Jane Austen

The gallery created the notes in conjunction with Birmingham micro-artist Graham Short.

Just four notes were specially engraved and spent in each of the home countries.

The first was found in a café in south Wales in December, with the second discovery coming in Scotland inside a Christmas card the same month.

England is now the only area yet to discover its jackpot Austen note.

Image captionThe woman sent the gallery a picture of the note with a dated copy of her local newspaper

However, it is Ireland's anonymous donor who is causing the biggest stir after she discovered the rare fiver - and handed it back.

According to the gallery, the woman got in touch in mid-January to tell them she had found the note while visiting Enniskillen in County Fermanagh.

The artist, Graham Short, had previously told the BBC that he spent it "in a small bar called Charlie's Bar".

When the gallery asked the woman to prove her find, she sent them a picture of the note, verifiable through its serial number, along with a dated copy of her local newspaper, the Donegal Democrat.

Michael Huggins, the gallery's assistant manager, said the woman then asked for a couple of weeks to "mull over" what she might do with it.

"Then we received this note in the mail along with the fiver," he told BBC News NI. "The note just said she wanted it to be used to help young people."

Image captionCharlie's Bar in Enniskillen - is this where the fiver began its Northern Ireland journey?

There are few clues as to the identity of the unidentified Donegal donor.

The woman spoke on the phone to gallery artist Tony Huggins-Haig, Michael said, who described her voice as "soft" and "older".

"With that and the note when she refers to her age, we think it's an older woman," he added. "But, all we know is that she is from County Donegal and that she wants the money to go to benefit young people."

He added that the gallery had been in touch with Children in Need, and it's likely the note will be auctioned with an added bonus.

"It seems we'll auction it off, but we've also spoken to the artist Graham Short about creating another one-off note as well. So we'll auction both off together."

Source:BBC NEWS

Mystery Irish woman gives £50k fiver to charity

An Irish woman who found a rare five-pound note engraved with a portrait of Jane Austen has donated it to charity.

The note, worth an estimated £50,000, was found in Northern Ireland by a woman known only as "J".

She sent the fiver back to the Scottish gallery it came from, and asked for it to be used to benefit a charitable cause.

"£5 note enclosed, I don't need it at my time of life. Please use it to help young people," she wrote.

The anonymous benefactor is known to be from County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland.

The Tony Huggins-Haig Gallery, in Kelso, Scotland, told BBC News NI the five-pound note would likely be auctioned off in aid of Children in Need.

Image captionThe five-pound notes feature a tiny, engraved portrait of Jane Austen

The gallery created the notes in conjunction with Birmingham micro-artist Graham Short.

Just four notes were specially engraved and spent in each of the home countries.

The first was found in a café in south Wales in December, with the second discovery coming in Scotland inside a Christmas card the same month.

England is now the only area yet to discover its jackpot Austen note.

Image captionThe woman sent the gallery a picture of the note with a dated copy of her local newspaper

However, it is Ireland's anonymous donor who is causing the biggest stir after she discovered the rare fiver - and handed it back.

According to the gallery, the woman got in touch in mid-January to tell them she had found the note while visiting Enniskillen in County Fermanagh.

The artist, Graham Short, had previously told the BBC that he spent it "in a small bar called Charlie's Bar".

When the gallery asked the woman to prove her find, she sent them a picture of the note, verifiable through its serial number, along with a dated copy of her local newspaper, the Donegal Democrat.

Michael Huggins, the gallery's assistant manager, said the woman then asked for a couple of weeks to "mull over" what she might do with it.

"Then we received this note in the mail along with the fiver," he told BBC News NI. "The note just said she wanted it to be used to help young people."

Image captionCharlie's Bar in Enniskillen - is this where the fiver began its Northern Ireland journey?

There are few clues as to the identity of the unidentified Donegal donor.

The woman spoke on the phone to gallery artist Tony Huggins-Haig, Michael said, who described her voice as "soft" and "older".

"With that and the note when she refers to her age, we think it's an older woman," he added. "But, all we know is that she is from County Donegal and that she wants the money to go to benefit young people."

He added that the gallery had been in touch with Children in Need, and it's likely the note will be auctioned with an added bonus.

"It seems we'll auction it off, but we've also spoken to the artist Graham Short about creating another one-off note as well. So we'll auction both off together."

Source:BBC NEWS

Obama opens African-American museum in Washington DC

The first black president of the US has formally opened the first US national museum about the African-American history in Washington DC.

Barack Obama said the $540m (£415m) museum represented a "common journey towards freedom".

The building, designed by British architect David Adjaye, sits on Washington's National Mall.

Mr Obama was joined by his predecessor George W Bush, who signed the bill in 2003 to allow construction to proceed.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr Obama urged African-Americans to "come here and see the power of your own agency".

"The very fact of this day does not prove that America is perfect, but it does validate the ideas of our founding - that this country born of change, of revolution, of we the people, that this country can get better."

Both Mr Bush and his wife Laura addressed the crowd. They were followed by Stevie Wonder, who performed the song Where Is Our Love.

Mr Obama then rang a bell belonging to one of America's oldest black churches to formally open the museum.

The museum contains 36,000 items, ranging from trade goods used to buy slaves in Africa to a segregated railway car from the 1920s and a red Cadillac convertible belonging to rock'n'roll pioneer Chuck Berry.

Source:

Air China magazine London race slur sparks anger

A Chinese airline has reportedly warned passengers that "precautions" should be taken when visiting areas in London mainly populated by "Indians, Pakistanis and black people".

Air China included the comments as part of a feature in its in-flight magazine on visiting the city.

It also advised tourists not to go out alone at night, and for females to always be accompanied when travelling.

A London MP has written to the Chinese ambassador to the UK for an apology.

The comments were noticed by Beijing-based producer Haze Fan from US news channel CNBC.

They were published in its monthly Wings Of China magazine and read: "London is generally a safe place to travel, however precautions are needed when entering areas mainly populated by Indians, Pakistanis and black people.

"We advise tourists not to go out alone at night, and females always to be accompanied by another person when travelling."

Air China has not commented on the article.

But MP Virendra Sharma said: "I am shocked and appalled that even today some people would see it as acceptable to write such blatantly untrue and racist statements."

The Labour MP for Ealing Southall, which has a high Indian population, said he had requested for the magazine to be removed from circulation immediately.

"I have invited representatives of Air China to visit my constituency of Ealing Southall to see that a very multi-cultural area is safe, and would be of great value for those visiting London to see.

"I will await their response, and if an appropriate one is not forthcoming I shall feel forced to question whether Air China is a fit company to operate in the UK."

The airline operates two flights per day from Beijing to London Heathrow.

The number of trips to the UK from China rose by 46% last year to 270,000 according to VisitBritain.

The Chinese government has previously raised concerns about how its citizens act abroad.

In 2013, a senior Chinese Communist Party official called for authorities to "guide tourists to conscientiously abide by public order and social ethics, respect local religious beliefs and customs, mind their speech and behaviour... and protect the environment".

Source: BBC NEWS

Phyllis Schlafly, leading US conservative, dies at 92

Phyllis Schlafly, a leading figure in the US conservative movement, has died at her home in Missouri, aged 92.

Mrs Schlafly was an outspoken opponent of feminism and abortion and helped Republicans block the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s.

She campaigned against Communism and is credited with creating the political climate that helped Ronald Reagan become president.

Mrs Schlafly publicly endorsed Donald Trump at a rally in March.

Paying tribute to her on Monday, the Republican presidential candidate described Mrs Schlafly as "a patriot, a champion for women and a symbol of strength".

Mrs Schlafly's death, in St Louis, wasannounced by the Eagle Forum, a conservative group she founded in 1972.

It described her as an "iconic American leader whose love for America was surpassed only by her love of God and her family".

Mrs Schlafly was a strong advocate of traditional family values and one of her crowning political victories was helping to stop the Equal Rights Amendment [ERA] from being added to the US Constitution.

She once described feminists as "a bunch of bitter women seeking a constitutional cure for their personal problems".

Donald T Critchlow, author of a biography of Phyllis Schlafly, said that defeating the ERA helped to usher in a new conservative era in US politics, paving the way for Ronald Reagan's election in 1980.

The Eagle Forum said Mrs Schlafly was survived by her six children, 16 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Source: BBC NEWS