A 1960s James Bond-style Aston Martin DB5 - which became so dilapidated local children played on it - has been restored and is now worth £1m.
John Williams, 71, from Mold, Flintshire, bought the vehicle second hand in 1973 for £985 - the equivalent of about £15,000 today.
He last drove the car, made famous in films Goldfinger and Thunderball, in his 20s, before leaving it to rust on his driveway.
Mr Williams saved £400,000 for a three-year restoration at Aston Martin's Buckinghamshire works, where experts had to remove a mouse nest before carrying out 2,500 hours of repairs.
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The name is Bond, James Bond -
The National Security StrategyThe Trump administration released its much-anticipated National Security Strategy this week. CFR convened seven of its experts to discuss the implications of a document that could reorient the United States’ approach toward the world.
Expert Brief by Rebecca Lissner, Will Freeman, David Sacks, Liana Fix, Steven A. Cook, Michelle Gavin, and Paul B. Stares
https://www.cfr.org/expert-brief/unpacking-trump-twist-national-security-strategy
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Tai chiCan tai chi help insomnia? Recent study published in the BMJ says it might.
The study:
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RIP Frank GehryPhoto gallery:
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2025/dec/05/frank-gehry-architecture-in-pictures
They are intriguing but I have to say they're not my style of architecture.
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Never miss an opportunity for self-promotionIn 2026, Americans will get free admission to national parks on President Donald Trump's birthday but no longer on Juneteenth and Martin Luther King Jr. Day, according to the National Park Service website.
Previously, the National Park Service included these two federal holidays among its free-entry days for its 116 parks.
Trump Rushmore next?
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RIP Tom Lehrer -
The end of an eraCongratulations, @piano-dad !
https://bsky.app/profile/dhfeldman.bsky.social/post/3m7beyzq2z22g
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Aussie kids and social mediaMeta has started removing Australian children under 16 years old from its Instagram, Facebook and Threads platforms, a week before an official teen social media ban begins.
The tech giant announced last month it had begun notifying users aged between 13 to 15 years old that their accounts would start being shut down from 4 December.
An estimated 150,000 Facebook users and 350,000 Instagram accounts are expected to be affected. Threads, similar to X, can only be accessed via an Instagram account.
Australia's world-first social media ban starts on 10 December, with companies facing fines of up to A$49.5m (US$33m, £25m) if they fail to take "reasonable steps" to stop under-16s from having accounts.
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Thoughts on portable electric heatersWe've never had one. Are they heavy to move?
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Meditation upon a CannoliAh, I could see it now — a life, a good life, a Utican life. It’s the best of Brooklyn without all the noise, it’s urban and provinical all at once.
