Metro Herald, January 30, 2014

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thursday, January 30, 2014

Books

The many, many types of love rat to avoid»p18

Style What’s hot for spring/ summer »p15

Girl survives 1km plunge to Earth by aaron patrick A SKYDIVING teenager has astounded doctors by surviving a fall of almost 1km. Trauma surgeon Dr Jeffrey Bender said Makenzie Wethington, 16, hurt her liver, broke her pelvis, lumbar spine in her lower back, a shoulder blade and several ribs and a tooth in Saturday’s fall in Chickasha, Oklahoma. ‘If she truly fell 3,000 feet, I have no idea how she survived,’ Dr Bender, of OU Medical Centre in Oklahoma City, said. He said Makenzie was expected to leave the hospital’s intensive care unit. The girl’s parents let her jump, but her father, Joe Wethington, now blames the skydiving firm, who he said should not have allowed it. However Robert Swainson, owner of Pegasus Air Sports Centre, said Makenzie’s father went up with his daughter and was the first to jump. Her parachute opened correctly but she began to spiral downward when the chute went up, but not out, Mr Swainson said. In another skydiving near miss, this time in Wiltshire, UK, a man knocked out moments after he jumped was saved by some quick-thinking friends who caught up with him and opened his parachute. A jump buddy had banged his leg on James Lee’s head, leaving him powerless to arrest his 3,800m (12,500ft) fall. His friends noticed something was wrong as his body hurtled downwards. Mr Lee regained consciousness after landing but he could not remember anything about his near-death experience. He said: ‘I’ve been skydiving for five years and this was my 1,050th jump. I’m very glad that everything unfolded how it did.’ Mr Lee intends to carry on skydiving.

Economy to grow by 2% IRELAND’S economy is to grow by more than two per cent this year. The Central Bank’s first forecast on the outlook for 2014 also warned that more work needs to be done to improve fiscal consolidation and grow employment by improving competitiveness. Gross domestic product – which measures the value of the wider economy including multinationals – is expected to grow by 2.1per cent this year and 3.2 per cent next year. Gross national product – Irishonly businesses which keep profits in the country – is expected to grow by 2.2 per cent this year and 2.5 per cent next year. The Central Bank report said Ireland needs to stick to the same stringent cost-cutting seen in the bailout to ensure ‘continued access to market financing at relatively favourable rates into the future’.

BOD’s writer quits book

Picture of you

Keith Duffy proudly shows off his Philanthropist Of The Year award for his work with Irish Autism Action along with Tina Roche, chief executive of the Community Foundation for Ireland, who chose the singer and actor as the sixth national winner of their award Picture: Jason clarke

Keep Dublin tidy – Please recycle this Metro Herald when you are finished with it

SpoRTS journalist and former procyclist paul Kimmage has resigned from his role as ghost-writer of Brian o’Driscoll’s (right) upcoming autobiography and has been replaced by Limerick Leader editor Alan English. publishers penguin Ireland confirmed the resignation in a statement in which o’Driscoll said: ‘I have enjoyed working with paul over the last few years and it is unfortunate that we cannot complete this project together.’ No explanation has been given, although tweets Kimmage posted last week hint at struggles. @paulKimmage tweeted: ‘Blessed are the meek for they shall be trampled on,’ and ‘I leave before being left. I decide – Brigitte Bardot.’


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