Latest news with #Athena
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- General
- Scottish Sun
Neighbours are terrified of our 12ft pet SNAKE – they should come and give her a hug instead of calling the police
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A FED-UP couple have pleaded with their terrified neighbours to stop calling the cops on their 12ft python - insisting it's a child-friendly harmless pet. Faith Boyd and Calum McKenzie regularly let huge Athena go for a slither outside their council flat in Elgin, Moray. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Neighbours were invited by Faith Boyd and Calum McKenzie to hug the snake Credit: © 4 Athena is a 12ft python that lives with the couple in Elgin Credit: © But they told how they've had animal welfare teams and police officers repeatedly turn up on their doorstep after being contacted by petrified locals. Faith, 20, said: 'There is nothing to be scared of. Athena loves cuddles. "They should just come up and give her a hug. 'She's not a danger to anyone and she absolutely loves getting some attention. 'If anyone gets a bit of a scare or into a panic, I wish they would talk to us directly rather than phoning the authorities.' Calum and Faith got Athena about four months ago after she proved too big for her previous owner. They gave her the run of their ground-floor pad and she gets one of the two bedrooms entirely to herself. She's often let out to roam around the grass next to the tenement block, but the owners insist she's always under supervision. And despite concerns from others, they have vowed never to keep the unusual pet cooped up inside. Faith said: 'I love taking her out and about. Horror moment Brit couple flee from giant 6ft swimming SNAKE off Ibiza as holiday island is gripped by serpent 'plague' 'She's used to being out in the wild, so she should get to experience that. 'Snakes shouldn't be kept in a cage. "When she's a bit older I'll be taking her for walks down the high street on a lead. I don't care if I get some funny looks.' Faith and Calum also have two geckos and smaller ball pythons, called Nala and Rafiki. 4 Faith and Calum have pleaded with their neighbours to stop calling the cops on their snake Credit: © 4 The snake is said to be friendly and "likes cuddles" - but neighbours have raised concerns Credit: © They stressed that none of the snakes are venomous and claim all are sociable. Faith said the SSPCA inspectors spent 20 minutes with Athena and were happy with how she was being cared for. While Calum said the last visit from the cops was about a month ago. But the pair are worried that they're eventually forced to get rid of Athena if she keeps getting negative attention. Faith said: 'She is too big for anyone else to take. I can't see her going to a zoo. 'So if we have to give her up she would probably be euthanised and I can't bear the thought of that.' In a bid to put people's minds at rest, they put up an open invite on social media for everyone to come and see Athena. One of their neighbours said: 'We live next door. We've got no issue with her. She's great.' Little Aiden, nine, couldn't wait to stroke and pet Athena. He said: 'Snakes are cute and they're misunderstood. I'm not scared.' Jaden Anderson, 23, lives on the same estate and has no issues with Athena being out and about. She said: 'As long as there is somebody with the snake then that's fine. It doesn't bother me - as long as it doesn't escape.' Her pal Lucy Madsen, 28, added: 'At first I thought I wasn't going anywhere near it. But it was so placid that it really put me at ease. 'I was surprised. But I don't think I'd ever be putting it round my neck.'
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
I'm obsessed with ‘beautiful' manhole covers – people think I'm a nutter but they've changed my life
Peter Sishton, 63, from Barry, Glamorgan, runs Facebook group Manhole Covers Around the World, with 65,000 members MY MANHOLE PASSION I'm obsessed with 'beautiful' manhole covers – people think I'm a nutter but they've changed my life A GRANDAD is so obsessed with manhole covers he has travelled the world to see them and written two books. Peter Sishton's love for street coverings began in 2017 when he hurt his back in southern France and could only look down while out walking. 3 Peter Sishton loves manhole covers, pictured with his book Manc Holes and Beyond Credit: Athena 3 The grandad runs Facebook group Manhole Covers Around the World, with 65,000 members Credit: Athena He said: "I visited friends but on day two my back went and I ended up laid up for the majority of the time. 'When I went out for a walk in the evening, doubled over in pain, I looked down and noticed that the manhole covers were a work of art in themselves. 'I took abstract photographs of them and even managed to sell them, so I kept going.' Peter, 63, from Barry, Glamorgan, runs Facebook group Manhole Covers Around the World, with 65,000 members. He visited Spain, France and Sri Lanka to search out designs. The artist's books include Heavy Metal and Manc Holes and Beyond, which he wrote with the Manchester Manhole Collective. The group launched the world's first manhole exhibition, Manc Holes and Beyond, which ran from April to June at Manchester Central Library. The exhibition proved such a success, celebrating the art and design of manhole covers, that he is now in talks with the National Lottery Heritage fund to move the manhole exhibition out of Manchester to tour the rest of the UK. Peter said: 'Manhole covers changed my life. When I start talking about manholes, people think I'm a nutter.' Other manhole cover fans include ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and historian Lucy Worsley. Pigeon football - Glasgow man's hilarious lunchtime hobby
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
I'm obsessed with ‘beautiful' manhole covers – people think I'm a nutter but they've changed my life
A GRANDAD is so obsessed with manhole covers he has travelled the world to see them and written two books. Peter Sishton's love for street coverings began in 2017 when he hurt his back in southern France and could only look down while out walking. 3 Peter Sishton loves manhole covers, pictured with his book Manc Holes and Beyond Credit: Athena 3 The grandad runs Facebook group Manhole Covers Around the World, with 65,000 members Credit: Athena He said: "I visited friends but on day two my back went and I ended up laid up for the majority of the time. 'When I went out for a walk in the evening, doubled over in pain, I looked down and noticed that the manhole covers were a work of art in themselves. 'I took abstract photographs of them and even managed to sell them, so I kept going.' Peter, 63, from Barry, Glamorgan, runs Facebook group Manhole Covers Around the World, with 65,000 members. READ MORE LIFE STORIES He visited Spain, France and Sri Lanka to search out designs. The artist's books include Heavy Metal and Manc Holes and Beyond, which he wrote with the Manchester Manhole Collective. The group launched the world's first manhole exhibition, Manc Holes and Beyond, which ran from April to June at Manchester Central Library. The exhibition proved such a success, celebrating the art and design of manhole covers, that he is now in talks with the National Lottery Heritage fund to move the manhole exhibition out of Manchester to tour the rest of the UK. Most read in Fabulous Peter said: 'Manhole covers changed my life. When I start talking about manholes, people think I'm a nutter.' Other manhole cover fans include ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and historian Lucy Worsley. Pigeon football - Glasgow man's hilarious lunchtime hobby 3 'Manhole covers changed my life', says Peter Credit: Athena
Finextra
4 days ago
- Business
- Finextra
Lloyds trumpets GenAI knowledge hub's impact
Lloyds Banking Group has built an AI knowledge hub that slashes the time it takes customer-facing employees to answer queries. 0 The UK banking giant's first major GenAI product, the Athena hub acts as a one-stop knowledge shop of information for customer-facing staffers. It can scan the 13,000 internal articles that make up Lloyds' internal knowledge hub for supporting queries on every possible topic a customer could need help with. The tool has reduced the average search time from 59 seconds 20 seconds - a 66% change. Lloyds says that for its telephone banking teams alone, this will lead to 4000 hours of time spent searching - and customers waiting - saved. Since the start of 2025, 21,000 employees have used Athena to search 2.1 million times. By the end of the year, the Group aims to introduce Athena to more users in relevant customer support roles, hitting an estimated 40 million searches. Ranil Boteju, group chief data and analytics officer, Lloyds, says: 'Athena is a monumental leap in our digital and strategic evolution, as we harness the power of generative AI to supercharge efficiency and elevate the customer experience. This technology isn't just an upgrade—it's a revolution. "We are freeing up thousands of hours as Athena puts critical information at our colleagues' fingertips, leaving them free to help our customers with more complex, bespoke needs. The future of work is here, and we're leading the charge!" Earlier this year, Lloyds revealed that it was building a new machine learning and GenAI platform using Google Cloud's Vertex AI. The bank says it expects the technology to bring in at least £50 million in revenue growth and productivity improvements in 2025.
NZ Herald
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Watch: Chief of War trailer
Kid songwriters battle it out for the 2025 Kōkako Award Reporter Athena interviews this year's Kōkako Award finalists! Which amazing kid will take the top prize for performing their original song at the Children's Music Awards?
