A high-tech “drone” boat capable of being operated for 12-hour autonomous and unmanned surveillance missions is being developed for the Royal Navy’s new aircraft carrier.
The modified rigid inflatable boats (Ribs) will be able to travel in excess of 38 knots (44mph) and operate up to 40km away from their parent ship, enabling high-risk manoeuvres to be carried out while keeping sailors out of harm’s way.
The technology, created in Portsmouth by BAE Systems in partnership with unmanned craft specialists ASV, is designed to be fitted to existing Pacific 24 Ribs which will be used by Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers and is already deployed with the Navy’s Type 23 frigates and Type 45 destroyers.
Woman finds bear in apartment
A North Carolina woman said she entered her daughter’s apartment and found a bear, which had entered by opening an unlocked door, as it was roaming through the home.
The mother called emergency personnel after spotting the bear eating some pet food, according to Asheville fire department spokeswoman Kelley Klope. The bear smelled dog food right inside the door and was able to get in through the door by pulling down on the unlocked handle, said North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission biologist Mike Carraway.
Ms Klope said crews arrived and hit on the ceiling to scare the bear, which then left unharmed.
Bishop’s appeal for donations
The Bishop of Shrewsbury has appealed for donations to help prove whether parts of a skeleton belonged to one of the 40 martyrs of England and Wales.
The Catholic martyrs were put to death for their faith in the 16th and 17th centuries and were canonised in 1970 by Pope Paul VI.
The bones of an “anonymous martyr” were discovered in the late 19th century hidden in a pub next to St Winefride’s Well, Holywell, Flintshire, North Wales, which doubled as the headquarters of Jesuit missionaries working in the area.
A team of forensic specialists from Edinburgh University has examined the bones, which were found in a garment dating from the period of the fabricated Popish Plot of Titus Oates – which resulted in St John Plessington dying as a martyr in Chester in 1679. Circumstantial evidence points to the likelihood the bones are those of St John but DNA from the bones needs to be matched with other relics of the saint to prove they are his.
Couple chooses sex over surrender
A man and woman have been arrested after officials say they prolonged a stand-off with police in order to have sex.
Police told local news outlets yesterday that they responded on Wednesday night to a Jacksonville mobile home in search of 34-year-old Ryan Patrick Bautista, who was wanted on several warrants. Mr Bautista and 30-year-old Leanne Hunn were holed up in the mobile home, leading to a stand-off.
Police said they tried to make contact with the people inside for about 45 minutes. At one point, Ms Hunn told police over the phone that she would give up, but that she wanted to have sex with Mr Bautista “one last time”.
The couple were arrested after Swat team negotiators arrived. Both were charged with resisting arrest and false imprisonment.
Coffee shop arrest by FBI agents
FBI agents nabbed a suspected bank robber when he showed up at a coffee shop near the bureau’s Portland office.
A federal magistrate ordered 58-year-old Timmie Lee Smith be jailed following an initial court appearance. The robberies occurred on October 7 and 12 in downtown Portland.
Authorities said an agent who had seen bank surveillance photos spotted Mr Smith at a coffee shop a few blocks from the FBI’s office near Portland International Airport. The agent investigating the robberies arrived and approached Mr Smith, who was taken into custody without incident.