Galaxy

11 Jun 2016

Barack Obama absent at Muhammad Ali funeral to see eldest daughter Malia graduate

President Barack Obama missed the funeral of boxing legend Muhammad Ali yesterday to see his eldest daughter, Malia, graduate from high school.
Malia, 17, took part in the commencement ceremony at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C.
The children of several presidents, including the children of Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton, also attended Sidwell.
President Obama , as well as First Lady Michelle, both attended the ceremonies at the school’s campus in northwest Washington.
Tuition at the selective Quaker school is currently £27,698 ($39,360) a year, though the school emphasises that many students receive financial aid.
“I do a lot of commencements around this time of year which I love doing, although my older daughter is graduating this week and I will not be able to handle that well,” Obama joked at a Democratic National Committee event this week.
Obama wasn’t scheduled to speak at the event.
“Malia’s school asked if I wanted to speak at commencement and I said no,” Obama said in January. “I’m going to be wearing dark glasses … and I’m going to cry.”
Malia’s younger sister Sasha, who turned 15 yesterday, also attends Sidwell.
After the graduation ceremony, the Obama family celebrated over lunch at Cafe Milano in Georgetown.
Malia is taking a year off before enrolling at Harvard in autumn 2017.
The Obamas have not disclosed plans for her “gap year”, but delaying college could keep her close to her tight-knit family as it prepares for the end of Mr Obama’s presidency in January.
The family plan to stay in Washington for several years after he leaves office so Sasha can finish school at Sidwell.

Sex with Kanye West gets a five-star rating- Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian has opened up on her and Kanye West's sex life, saying it "gets a five-star rating".
The reality star has been researching the "astrological compatibility" of herself and the rapper as he celebrated his 39th birthday on June 8 - and was very pleased with the results.
She revealed on her website: "I did a little research about Libras and Geminis and found out they're a perfect match!
"One website even said that we were one of the best matches in the zodiac. We're both air signs on the same wavelength. SO true! We've had an amazing connection right from the start.
"Libra/Gemini sex gets a 5-star rating because we're so in tune with each other."
The 35-year-old beauty - who has children North, two, and Saint, six months, with Kanye - claimed their respective signs mean they share a love of "travel, surprises and communication," while their differing personalities complement one another.
She wrote: "My serene presence soothes a Gemini , and Kanye inspires me during his creative surges."

Cars are falling: Fast and Furious 8 behind-the-scenes video

Another explosive "Fast and Furious 8" behind-the-scenes video has arrived online for viewing pleasure. The new video shows an epic car stunt on the Cleveland set of the eight installment of the "Fast and Furious" film series.
In this Fast Fridays video, seven cars are seen plummeting from a parking garage and onto a moving motorcade. According to second unit stunt coordinator Andy Gill, there will be between 35 to 40 cars involved in this massive pileup. The crew has been calling this the "zombie car" sequence.
Vin Diesel teases that this sequence will feature action which fans have never seen before. "That's how we do things on 'Fast and Furious'," second unit director Spiro Razatos says, "We do things practical. As long as we do things safe, that's the bottom line."

Angelina Jolie to commit 'Murder on the Orient Express'

Angelina Jolie is in talks to star in Kenneth Branagh's movie adaptation of Agatha Christie's novel "Murder on the Orient Express". If the deal is sealed, the actress will join the cast as Mrs. Harriet Hubbard, one of the suspects played by Lauren Bacall in the 1974 adaptation.

"Murder on the Orient Express" centers on Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, who is called into action after an American tycoon is found murdered. The victim's been stabbed multiple times in his locked compartment inside the luxurious Orient Express. With a killer in the midst during a terrible snowstorm, Poirot must identify the murderer before there is another victim.

Branagh will direct the film and star as Poirot. He will also produce the movie along with Ridley Scott, Simon Kinberg, Mark Gordon, Michael Schaefer and Aditya Sood. James Prichard and Hilary Strong will executive produce. Michael Green ("Blade Runner 2") will pen the script, with Steve Asbell overseeing the production for 20th Century Fox.

Christie's classic is known for its complicated plot and unconventional solution. The story was first published in 1934. It's been adapted numerous times for TV and film, including the 1974 film with Albert Finney in the lead role and a cast that included Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman and Sean Connery.

The upcoming adaptation marks a change of pace for the "Maleficent" actress following her recent focus on directing career. Jolie directed "Unbroken" and "By the Sea". In the latter film, she also starred opposite her husband Brad Pitt. She is currently in post-production for "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" for Netflix.

10 Jun 2016

Imperforate Anus: born without an opening


Imperforate anus is a defect that is present from birth (congenital). The opening to the anus is missing or blocked. The anus is the opening to the rectum through which stools leave the body.

Causes

Imperforate anus may occur in several forms.
  • The rectum may end in a pouch that does not connect with the colon.
  • The rectum may have openings to other structures. These may include the urethra, bladder, base of the penis or scrotum in boys, or vagina in girls.
  • There may be narrowing (stenosis) of the anus or no anus.
It is caused by abnormal development of the fetus. Many forms of imperforate anus occur with other birth defects.

Symptoms

Symptoms of the problem may include:
  • Anal opening very near the vagina opening in girls
  • First stool is not passed within 24 to 48 hours after birth
  • Missing or moved opening to the anus
  • Stool passes out of the vagina, base of penis, scrotum, or urethra
  • Swollen belly area

Exams and tests

A health care provider can diagnose this condition during a physical exam. Imaging tests may be recommended.

Treatment

The infant should be checked for other problems, such as abnormalities of the genitals, urinary tract, and spine.
Surgery to correct the defect is needed. If the rectum connects with other organs, these organs will also need to be repaired. A temporary colostomy (connecting the end of the large intestine to the abdomen wall so that stool can be collected in a bag) is often needed.

Outlook (prognosis)

Most defects can successfully be corrected with surgery. Most children with mild defects do very well. However, constipation can be a problem.
Children who have more complex surgeries still have control over their bowel movements most of the time. However, they often need to follow a bowel program. This includes eating high-fiber foods, taking stool softeners, and sometimes using enemas.
Some children may need more surgery.

When to Contact a Medical Professional

This problem is often found when the newborn infant is first examined. Call your provider if a child treated for imperforate anus has abdominal pain or fails to develop any bowel control by the age of 3.

Prevention

There is no known prevention. Parents with a family history of this defect may seek genetic counseling.

Farewell to the Legendary Boxer: Thousands pay their respects as Muhammed Ali is honoured at Muslim service

These moving images show the traditional Muslim funeral service where thousands of mourners have gathered to celebrate the incredible life of boxing legend Muhammad Ali.
More than 14,000 mourners from across the globe amassed at the prayer service at Kentucky's Freedom Hall for a final tribute to the beloved sport star hailed "The Greatest".
Among them are many Muslims, who have travelled the world to see their hero laid to rest at the Jenazah service, which will be broadcast to the world and streamed online.
Today is the first of several ceremonies over the next few days commemorating the extraordinary life of the three-time world boxing champion, who died on Friday age 74 of respiratory problems after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.
One fellow Muslim, who shares the same name as the boxing great, travelled from Bangladesh to witness his passing.
Mohammad Ali, who arrived with no hotel reservation, said he met the boxer in the early 1970s and they struck up a friendship based on their shared name.
The Champ visited his home in 1978 and always joked he was his twin brother, he said.
Organisers say the service, or Jenazah prayer, is open to all, but meant especially as a chance for Muslims to say goodbye to a man considered a hero of the faith.
 US Muslims hope the service for the Kentucky native will help underscore that Islam is fully part of American life.

Stone boy: Young boy suffering from Ichthyosis, a devastating skin condition that freezes the body

An 11-year-old boy suffering from a rare condition which is slowly turning him to STONE has been helped by a surprising Good Samaritan.
Young Ramesh Kumari has a rare and debilitating condition which means hard, flaky scales cover his body and make daily life almost impossible.
Ramesh, from Baglung, Nepal, started displaying symptoms of Ichthyosis at just a few weeks old.
Now, he has been left unable to walk or speak due to the extremely rare condition which has frozen his body and limbs into twisted shapes.
The young boy's dad Nanda explained how other children run away from him as his appearance scares them.
His mum Nar isn't able to work as she spends all day caring for him and said he is only able to communicate when he wants the toilet or needs feeding.
 Nanda said : "His skin started peeling off 15 days after he was born and then new skin began to grow very thick. "It hardened and turned black, we had no idea what to do about it. No one helped us.
"He is only able to inform us when he’s hungry or wants to use the toilet. He used to sit and cry but we didn’t know what was hurting him or how to help him.
"Any young child would see him and run away crying. It was hard for him and us to watch."
Ichthyosis is a long-term condition that results in hard 'fish scales' forming on the skin and is caused by a faulty gene passed down from parents.
There is no cure for the disease but it can be managed by daily skincare and other medications.
Ramesh's family were unable to afford medical care on Nanda's 7,000 rupees (£44) a month salary.
But he has found fresh hope thanks to help from Brit singer Joss Stone, who has raised much-needed funds for his medical treatment.
He's now receiving treatment at Kathmandu Medical Centre, where things are looking up for the youngster.

Bobby Brown claims Tupac had an affair with Whitney Houston while still married

Bobby Brown has claimed his ex-wife Whitney Houston and Tupac had an affair.
The New Edition star has penned a memoir, titled Every Little Step, in which he alleges his late ex and the late rapper got together after they worked together - while Whitney and Bobby were still married.
US Weekly released several extracts from the memoir, including a claim that Whitney also had a lesbian affair with her longtime assistant and friend Robyn Crawford.
Meanwhile, Whitney's Houston's mother Cissy Houston has slammed the singer's ex-husband Bobby Brown over his recent comments about her daughter.
He claimed he broke tradition on his wedding day before marrying the I Will Love you singer to discover her snorting a line of cocaine.
The R&B singer also claimed he and Whitney would spend hours a day locked in a room in their mansion doing drugs while a nanny cared for their Bobbi Kristina.
Hitting back, Cissy says she's disappointed with her former son-in-law's "disturbing" drug allegations.
Speaking to People magazine, she said: "Last night I saw Bobby Brown's interview with Robin Roberts. It was disturbing."
She continued: "There is no value in my challenging all of his statements – point for point – such as his assertion that he 'had money' when he married Whitney or that anyone in my family said he started Nippy on drugs. No one blames Bobby for that.
"However, I must say that his story of seeing her do drugs for the first time on their wedding day is untrue (Donna Houston, Robyn Crawford and I were with Nippy the whole time before the ceremony), and more importantly, it forever casts a shadow over one of the most important days of her life."

Kim Kardashian meet with her doppelganger Kamilla Osman in new 'KUWTK'


Kim Kardashian looks surprised when meeting her doppelganger Kamilla Osman. In a new clip from this Sunday's "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" episode, Jonathan Cheban orchestrates an encounter between Kim and Kamilla at a cosmetic center in Beverly Hills.

"This is so weird and so funny," Jonathan tells Kamilla when they meet Kim, "Well, here's Kim." He tells Kim, "I was taking her with me to show her Dr. Ourian's office ... we just hit the town. I was taking her with me because you are too busy to hang out with me, but meanwhile you're here hanging out with somebody. So now I'm pissed."

"You're so ridiculous," Kim tells Jonathan, before deciding to take some selfies with Kamilla.
"This is super awkward," Kim says to the camera. "The fact that Jonathan would take it to this level is so bizarre to me. Jonathan's trying to rub this in my face and make me feel some type of way, but I don't. Having two kids is a lot, and your priorities just change. Jonathan can try all he wants to replace me, but he can't. Go try, honey."

Follow-up to the 2004 Biblical blockbuster: Mel Gibson making a sequel to 'Passion of the Christ'


"The Passion of the Christ 2" is in the works. Mel Gibson and writer Randall Wallace are teaming up for a follow-up to the 2004 Biblical blockbuster "The Passion of the Christ" that will tell the story of the resurrection of Jesus.

Randall confirms rumors that has begun to write a script for the sequel as the project is becoming too difficult to keep under wraps. Mel and him began to get serious about a sequel to "The Passion", while they're working on "Hacksaw Ridge".

Randall, who was a religion major at Duke University, says the resurrection was a specialty of his. "I always wanted to tell this story," he tells THR, "The Passion is the beginning and there's a lot more story to tell."

According to Randall, the demand in the Christian community influenced Mel's and his willingness to do another film. "The evangelical community considers 'The Passion' the biggest movie ever out of Hollywood, and they kept telling us that they think a sequel will be even bigger," he says.

No studio or financial backing has been lined up for the project, but Randall says some financiers are interested in investing. "It's too early to talk money," he adds. "This is such a huge and sacred subject."

Mel's rep hasn't commented on his involvement on "The Passion" sequel.

"The Passion of the Christ", starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus Christ, earned a whopping $612 million worldwide on a $30 million production budget. It is the highest grossing religious film, the second highest-grossing R-rated film in the U.S. and the highest grossing non-English-language film of all time. It also received three nominations at the 77th Academy Awards.

Justin Bieber involved in physical fight after NBA finals game

Justin Bieber got into a physical fight with another man in Cleveland. The 22-year-old Canadian singer was in town to watch the Cavaliers facing off the Golden State Warriors at the Quicken Loans Arena during the game 3 of the NBA Finals.

Bieber was seen wearing a Cleveland Cavaliers shirt. He was caught on camera throwing punches at the man, but his much-bigger opponent easily retaliated with his own fist and sent the star to the ground. The incident reportedly happened outside his hotel.
Earlier in the day, Bieber was reportedly booed by the home team's fans when he showed up on the jumbotron. He was joined by his homie Lewis Hamilton at the Quicken Loans Arena, but it's unclear if the F1 racer was present during the brawl.
A video posted by Justin Bieber News (@officialbiebernews) on

9 Jun 2016

HBO reveals Game of Thrones super-sized season 6 finale

"Game of Thrones" is getting a super-sized season 6 finale. HBO has revealed the titles and running time for the final two episodes of the sixth season. The extended season 6 finale will air on Sunday, June 26.

Episode 9, which airs for 60 minutes on June 19, is titled "The Battle of the Bastards". The title seemingly hints at the long-overdue confrontation between Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon) for control of Winterfell and the North as a whole.
The finale is titled "The Winds of Winter", a nod to George R.R. Martin's forthcoming sixth novel in his "A Song of Ice and Fire" series, which was originally intended to be released prior to this season. The finale is a whopping 69 minutes long, making it the longest "GoT" episode ever.
Both episodes are directed by Miguel Sapochnik, who helmed last year's acclaimed "Hardhome" episode.
While there are no descriptions yet for the final two episodes, HBO has unveiled the title and synopsis of episode 8, airing on Sunday, June 12 at 9/8c. Titled "No One", the description reads, "While Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) weighs his options, Cersei (Lena Headey) answers a request. Tyrion's (Peter Dinklage) plans bear fruit. Arya (Maisie Williams) faces a new test." HBO has also released photos of the new episode.

Bey fans freak out after she sneezes mid-concert

Beyonce Knowles doesn't need to do something very big to get everyone talking about her. The singer recently sent BeyHive everywhere into a frenzy after she was seen sneezing in front of thousands of people attending her "Formation" concert in New York City.

Taking the stage at Citi Field on Tuesday night, June 7, Bey had just finished a song and was getting ready to perform the next one on her setlist when she graciously sneezed into her sleeve. The audience cheered loudly and and simultaneously shouted, "Bless you!" as she smiled before launching into an acoustic version of "Love on Top".
Around 45,000 people in the venue weren't the only ones freaking out after Beyonce sneezed. A lot of fans at home took to Twitter to talk about it. "Last night Beyoncr sneezed and I've never seen her do that and it amazed me idk why lmao," one user wrote. "Yo! I saw Beyonce sneeze tonight. It was glorious. Now I will sleep," said another.


8 Jun 2016

Barack Obama to miss Muhammad Ali funeral for daughter's graduation

US president Barack Obama is to miss Muhammad Ali's funeral to attend his daughter's graduation.
Mr Obama and wife Michelle will be in Washington for eldest daughter Malia's high school ceremony, the White House confirmed.
Ali's widow Lonnie spoke to Mr Obama over the phone and appreciated his "kind words and condolences," family spokesman Bob Gunnell said.
The Obamas are sending a letter to be read at Friday's service in Louisville, Kentucky, where White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett - who knew Ali personally - will represent the president.
The president paid a heartfelt tribute to the boxing legend , who he said "shook up the world and the world is better for it".
In a heartfelt tribute Mr Obama revealed he keeps a pair of Ali's gloves in his private study at the White House, and said we are fortunate that "The Greatest chose to grace our time".

Serena Williams open up about relationship with Drake

Serena Williams has opened up about her relationship with rapper Drake for the first time.
The pair were rumoured to be dating after being spotted on a string of dates late last year, though neither of them confirmed the romance at the time.
But speaking publicly about the Canadian rapper for the first time, the tennis ace said he shouldn’t have been blamed for her loss to Roberta Vinci at the US Open semi-finals last September.
Following the game, the internet quickly blamed the Canadian rapper for her shock loss, with a #BlameDrake hashtag even popping up.
“I told y’all if Serena lost I was gonna #BlameDrake. I now hate Drake until Serena Williams again. I need a ghost writer for my diss track!" one Twitter user joked.
"I don't think that was fair,” Serena told the July issue of Glamour magazine.
"I'm the one who's playing, who's making mistakes or making winners. I'm not one to blame anyone else for anything. And I don't think anyone else should either.
"I played a really good opponent that day. And I wasn't at my best."

Friendly exes: Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose celebrate divorce settlement in strip club


Friendly exes Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose celebrated their divorce settlement by heading along to a strip club together.
The pair - who have three-year-old son Sebastian together - came to an amicable agreement on their assets and filed the paperwork in court on Monday before heading to the Ace of Spades strip club in Los Angeles.
According to the terms of the agreement, obtained by TMZ, Amber will receive $1 million, and $14,800 a month child support for Sebastian, who the couple will share physical and legal custody of while Wiz keeps their Pennsylvania home and 10 cars.

Amber, 32, previously revealed she and Wiz were working on maintaining a friendship for the sake of their little boy.
She said: "I think that we just wanted different things in our lives. Being married in the public is not easy. Having access to pretty much any and everything we want is not easy. We still love each other.
"Right now we're just working on co-parenting and learning how to be friends. He's at my house a lot for the baby. I'm at his house."
And she also explained that her split from the 28-year-old rapper helped her embrace her inner feminist.
She said: "Going through a divorce, I really saw the double standards. Wiz would be with a different girl every day and get photographed out with girls at the club. I would be on one date with a guy, and it was like, 'You're a horrible mother! You're a f***ed up person! You're a w***e! That's why Wiz left you, you f***ing slut.'
"And I was just like, damn, am I not allowed to live? Am I not allowed to be sexy anymore because I'm a mom?
"I feel like I found my voice. I was constantly defending myself, like, 'No, I didn't sleep with that guy. No, I'm not a w***e. Don't look at me like that.'
" And one day, I woke up and I was like, "Maybe I am - and that's cool.' I'm single. I'm a mom. Yes, I'm going to date. I'm going to live my life and do whatever I want.

Meet man who lived for 555 days without a heart in his body and still plays basketball


Without a heart to pump oxygenated blood around the body, you die pretty quickly. Transplants though, are hard to come by, which is why scientists are looking into using CRISPR to allow pigs to host human-like hearts .
In the meantime, however, one 25-year-old man has proved that it's possible to live over a year while literally heartless.
Stan Larkin went a massive 555 days wearing an "artificial heart" backpack, which filled in after his ticker was removed while he awaited a transplant donor.
Both he and his brother Dominique were diagnosed with familial cardiomyopathy as teenagers – a terrible condition where your heart can fail without warning.
Both siblings were on the transplant list for several years, and eventually had their hearts removed to make way for healthy donor ones.
For the duration of the wait, both brothers were fitted with a 13.5 pound backpack that connects directly to the cardiovascular system and takes over where the heart leaves off.
While implantable defibrillators and similar technology can assist with partial heart failure, this device – known as Syncardia – is designed to be used when both sides of the heart fail.
While Dominique only needed the device for a couple of weeks, Stan was plugged into his 24 hours per day for 555 days, finally receiving a full transplant on 9 May 2016.
Despite what Larkin describes as an “emotional rollercoaster”, he is now back to full health. “I got the transplant two weeks ago and I feel like I could take a jog as we speak.
I want to thank the donor who gave themselves for me. I'd like to meet their family one day. Hopefully they'd want to meet me,” he said .

Larkin stunned doctors by being able to continue playing basketball, despite having a backpack the weight of nearly four Macbook Pros strapped to his back 24 hours a day.
"He really thrived on the device," said Jonathan Haft, associate professor of cardiac surgery at the University of Michigan, who carried out his surgery.
"This wasn't made for pick-up basketball. Stan pushed the envelope with this technology.
"They were both very, very ill when we first met them in our intensive care units. We wanted to get them heart transplants, but we didn't think we had enough time.
"There's just something about their unique anatomic situation where other technology wasn't going to work."
Younger brother Dominique has been with a donor heart since January 2015, and was able to explain a little of what his brother must be going through, being without the backpack for the first time.
"It's been like having a new life. You can do everything you weren't able to do and everything you thought you would probably never be able to do again," he said.
"You can live without the restrictions you had when you were sick and not have to worry about every little thing."
For Stan, though, it’s one step at a time - he’s even staying off the basketball court for a little while.
"I'll probably run a few pick-up games, but not right away," he told Michigan Live. "I haven't taken a shot yet without the backpack hooked up. I just want to put the heart to use."

Woman stop job to breastfeed her bodybuilder boyfriend every two hours

A mum has revealed why she put her job on hold to breastfeed her bodybuilder boyfriend every two hours - two decades after having kids.
Jennifer Mulford is currently 'on a break' from her role as a bartender so she can regularly 'feed' her 36-year-old partner, Brad Leeson.
Because she last give birth 20 years ago, she 'dry feeds' every couple of hours to induce lactation by making her body think she has had a baby.
She also takes pills to increase her milk supply and wakes up to 'feed' Brad during the night - although sometimes he falls asleep attached to her breast.
Speaking to The Sun , Jennifer described how breastfeeding her muscular boyfriend is a 'magical experience' that leaves them both feeling peaceful and calm.
She said: “Nights have been a struggle because Brad sleeps so peacefully but we manage to cope – until he falls asleep latched onto me, which is beautiful."
She added: “I’ve taken a break from my job because I want to devote everything to making this work."
Jennifer, from Georgia, US, said she came across a website for Adult Breastfeeding Relationships (ABRs) when single and was immediately envious.
She said she knew she would be a fan because she had always enjoyed her breasts being touched by her sexual partners, 'more than anything else'.
Shortly after, the mum started speaking about the concept of adult breastfeeding with Brad - a former school boyfriend - to see what he thought.
The bodybuilder was instantly 'curious and excited', particularly because he had always been interested in large-breasted women, she said.
“It was like a light switched flicked in his head," she told the newspaper.
Jennifer said the pair's friendship soon developed into their current relationship, where she 'dry feeds' and pumps her breasts every two hours in a bid to induce lactation.
The mum, who has a 20-year-old daughter, also regularly takes the herbal pill Lactiful and drinks Mother's Milk Tea to enhance her milk supply.
She said Brad, a 'real alpha male' who loves going to the gym in their home city of Atlanta, believes breastfeeding could help him live a healthier lifestyle.
He also thinks other women could be jealous of their close bond, she said.
But despite their attitudes towards adult breastfeeding, the couple do not do it in public - and have only told a number of family and friends.
“I’m not opposed to telling people but I don’t think many others would understand," said Jennifer, adding that she wished she could 'tell the world'.
Many people in ABRs feel that breastfeeding has a strong stablising effect on their partnership, enabling them to experience close intimacy.
Others see it as a form of comfort or stress relief.

Katie Price strips off covering bare boobs in steamy hot tub


The television personality sent her fans' hearts racing when she posted a cheeky video of herself in a hot tub on Wednesday.
Shared on Instagram, the footage features the blonde beauty as she enjoyed the relaxing soak wearing nothing but her birthday suit.
Pricey just about managed to protect her modesty ever so slighty as she was filmed in the tub.
The mum-of-five made sure to cover her bare boobs with her hands as the warm water splashed up against her naked body.

Human solar panel: Man spend £10,000 on illegal injections to achieve the perfect tan

A man who calls himself a 'human solar panel' has spent a staggering £10,000 on illegal injections to achieve the perfect tan. Karl Dinis, 33, from Cardiff, Wales, is addicted to Melanotan - a drug which stimulates the production of the tanning pigment melanin in the body. Over the past seven years, he has spent thousands of pounds - including £2,500 last year alone - bulk buying the injections from China. Karl, who lives with his partner, Dru Maidment, 33, injects himself once a day in his leg and admits he feels much more confident with a glowing tan. Melanotan 2 is an untested synthetic drug which is not approved by the UK government's Medical and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency However, tan-obsessed Karl says he is not concerned about the health risks.

The full-time nanny said: "I started using Melanotan seven years ago and ever since I have injected every single day.
"In the first four days of using it, I could already notice a difference.
"You only have to be in the sun for a short amount of time for it to take effect - it's like you become a solar panel.
"Over the years, I have spent roughly £10,000 on the injections, they're not cheap but definitely worth it."
He added: "Having a constant tan makes me feel so much more confident in myself, the tan never fades and I always feels healthier with a glow.
 "People ask me how dark I want to go, but I don't have an answer for that, I just want to keep going.
"I'm not concerned about the health warnings, I have used it for long enough now that I think I'd know if there were going to be any long terms effects.
"I'm definitely addicted and I would only stop using them when I am either broke or dead."
Karl's addiction to tanning began seven years ago after a friend suggested he try out the injections.
After trialling them for a week, the nanny was amazed with the results and ordered his first batch from China.
A bottle of Melanotan 2 contains ten injections that last the course of a month.
However, Karl now takes them continuously, meaning he has to fork out around £25 for a new bottle every 10 days.
"I started off using sunbeds but the results were never good enough for me," he said.
"I would always burn which would ruin my tan so I stopped using them and looked for alternative methods of tanning.
"After using Melanotan for less than a week I could already see a difference - the results were amazing.
"Ever since then I have never looked back and I inject once every day.
"I started off injecting into my stomach but it sometimes felt uncomfortable so I now inject into the top of my leg.
"There are no side effects or pain, and I always make sure I have my morning coffee at the same time.
"I wouldn't look at myself and say I am much darker than anyone else, I just think I look healthier with a glow.
"And having a tan makes me feel so much more confident."
Despite Karl's positive reaction to the injections, there have been a number of reports suggesting that the drug has affected people who use it differently - from heart issues to stomach problems, blood infections and eye irritation.
Melanotan 2 has not been given a licence in the UK and is therefore illegal to supply.
Karl said: "When doctors try and warn me about the dangers I'm not shocked, I have done all of the research and as far as I'm concerned I can't see that it is effecting my health in any way.
"I have been injecting for seven years now, and so far, my health is in great condition.
"I love the results to much to stop using Melanotan."

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