News: Michelle Duggar has lost her baby

Michelle Duggar loses baby in second trimester

A routine check-up in the second trimester has led to Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar receiving the news she had lost what would have been her 20th child. According to People: “After the appointment, we came back home and told the children. We had just been talking about baby names last night and they were getting excited about naming a boy or a girl. It has been a real sad disappointment.”

“I feel like my heart broke telling my children. They have all been so excited about this baby and looking forward to April coming around and having a new little one in our arms. That was the most difficult. The Lord is the giver of life and he can choose when that life is ready to go on and be with Him.” The couple have 19 children.

Racist slurs over new Neighbours cast members

Sachin Joab is a Melbourne born actor of Indian descent who has just landed a role playing the Dad in a new family who has moved to Ramsey Street – the famous suburban haunt of Australian soap Neighbours. But the move has been branded by some as ‘unAustralian’ on social media walls, which producers have been removing as they appear.

Sachin said: “Those Aussies who are saying it is un-Australian will be the same ones who pretty much supported the White Australia policy back in the day, you are never going to get away from that kind of stuff.” Producer Susan Bower said: “”We have been criticised heavily for being too white and you are damned if you do and if you don’t, and we would much rather be criticised for moving (in this direction).”

Gunman kills at Virginia Tech, four years after massacre

A man has shot dead a police officer at Virginia Tech campus today. It is believed a second body found at the campus today is that of the gunman, who died from a self inflicted gunshot wound. A weapon was found near the body. The campus is the scene of the horrific 2007 massacre which resulted in the deaths of 32 people, mostly students, and the suicide of the gunman. Today’s shooting came on the same day that officials from Virginia Tech were in Washington appealing a $55,000 fine for its failure to alert students about the 2007 shooting fast enough. Back then the school waited two hours to alert students to the incident. It is believed the gunman was a student at the campus.

The eating disorder app

An Australian PhD student has been offered a place at Stanford University to continue working on app for mobile phones which she hopes will help people with eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. She was motivated by watching her own friend’s decade long struggle with bulimia. Jenna Tregarthen said of the Recovery Record app: “These girls have these critical moments where they have a really extreme urge to binge or purge. And we are catching them in that very moment and doing therapy on the spot, when they’re alone to get them through that moment, whereas if you’re seeing a therapist once a week you just don’t get that sort of support.”

Down with email in the workplace?

A major international corporation has decided to do away with using emails in employee communication because the amount being sent is no longer sustainable. Atos, which had a 2010 revenue of $6.6 billion (Aus) and has 74,000 employees in 42 countries, has reduced its emails by 20 per cent since announcing its plan in February, through encouraging its employees to use Office Communicator, a Microsoft Instant Messenging client, and internal company webpages where workers can share and keep track of their ideas.

A spokesman for the company said: “The volume of emails we send and receive is unsustainable for business. Managers spend between 5 and 20 hours a week reading and writing emails. They are already using social media networking more than search, and spend 25 per cent of their time searching for information. At Atos Origin, for example, we have set up collaboration tools and social community platforms, to share and keep track of ideas on subjects from innovation and Lean Management through to sales. Businesses need to do more of this – email is on the way out as the best way to run a company and do business.”

Gaga the 21st Century Princess Di?

So apparently pop mega star Lady Gaga reckons she’s the 21st century incarnation of Princess Diana. And she’s releasing a song about how she believes she may end up dying the same way – hunted by the world’s media. She has said previously: “Diana was the most iconic martyr of fame. She died because of it.” It’s unclear when the track will be released.