Airline gives its passengers a big Christmas surprise

The kindness of humanity surfaces in the latest UK flood disaster

The inherent kindness of humanity has come to the fore in the recent flooding disaster which has hit the north of the UK recently.

The true scale of 'Storm Desmond' is still to be fully realised as emergency services and soldiers from all over England continue to bring aid to those affected.

But in the worst-hit communities of Carlisle and Cockermouth, work has started closer to home. The BBC has reported hundreds of people working hard to help out. A Facebook group designed to bring together people who could help has already attracted 11,000 followers from as far afield as London, Wales and Belfast, and a team of 12 has been drafted in to help cope with the number of donations and volunteers.

Haulage company Eddie Stobart has offered free storage space in Carlisle to house the mountains of donations pouring in. The group has been swamped with offers of everything from nappies, kitchen utensils and generators to crates of water, toiletries, free furniture and a bed for the night.

It's 'amazing who you meet in these hard times,' wrote member Michelle Smith on the Facebook page. "Tonight I've given my bed up for two old age pensioners and even though they've lost basically everything they've had me giggling all night long. God bless community spirit, I am proud to be Cumbrian."

Catherine Clarke, who runs Cathy's Cupcakes in Broughton, was invited to join the group and the firm responded by delivering food and drink to people in need. "On Saturday, I went to the mountain rescue centre with 50 sausage sandwiches and 50 bacon sandwiches as well as 60 litres of homemade soup," she said. "But I'm not the only one, people have been out all night. Everyone's been trying to do what they can and all the little companies have been providing help to each other.”

Others have been spreading a little cheer by foot - Scott Murray donned his superhero suit and dished out chocolate and directions to the nearest rescue centre in Carlisle and Alison McKerlie is opening up her dance school in Carlisle to local businesses and has also offered free classes to children to keep them occupied.

The Met Office has warned that 'all the evidence' suggests climate change has played a role in the floods caused by Storm Desmond. It has also issued a severe weather warning for rain this week as northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland brace themselves for more heavy downpours. Environment Secretary Liz Truss said the severity of the weather was 'unprecedented', with a new record set for rainfall over a 48-hour period - 15.9in at Thirlmere in Cumbria. The Met Office's chief scientist Dame Julia Slingo said the extreme weather conditions were 'extraordinary'.

Mount Ingino Christmas lights are switched on today

On 7^th December every year a giant Christmas tree is lit up on Mount Ingino in Italy.

Having broken the Guiness Book of World Records, the mountain's Christmas tree twinkles with 700 enormous light bulbs - I believe charged by solar energy - linked together with over 10,000m of cable. The tree stands around 650m high and is topped by a shining comet star which can be seen for nearly 50km. The tree stays lit until 10th January.

Little girl gets big surprise

!4-year-old rock climbing extraordinaire

At just 14 years old, Ashima Shiraishi is  considered to be one of the best rock climbers in the world. The New York City-based school girl started playing around on Rat Rock in Central Park when she was seven, and was climbing routes many adults can't finish by the time she was eight. Now she's the only woman and the youngest person of any gender to climb a rock wall with a difficulty grade of 9a+ which is the third most difficult grade in existence. The film is courtesy of VICE Sports and YouTube.

You just can't beat the oldies (with a modern twang)

Enjoy this mashup of 66 (Old) movie dance scenes mashup (courtesy of Mark Ronson's Uptown Funk featuring Bruno Mars)

If you like this video, please support these film preservation charities:

The British Film Institute, http://www.bfi.org.uk/about-bfi/suppo...
The George Eastman Museum, http://eastman.org/donate

'No matter what hatred does, we will only shine brighter'

Support for Paris is flooding into France from around the world after the horrendous attacks on Paris.

In addition to condemnation from Western world leaders, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called the attack an 'inhuman crime'.

Buildings across the globe have been lit up in colours of the French flag to show support, including the spire on top of the new One World Trade Center, Sydney Opera House (see left) San Francisco’s City Hall, London Bridge and other towers and bridges in Canada, New Zealand and Mexico.

Supporters on social media have turned their profile photos into French flags, and photos of the Eiffel Tower grounds draped in the American stars and stripes in 2001 following 9/11 have reminded people of the solidarity that inevitably follows tragedy.

American Natasha McIntosh Westhoff wrote, “We know your sunrise Paris- the one where the dust is settling, and you are trying to make sense of the senseless… But we also know – it never lasts. Because no matter what hatred does in the dark of night… it didn’t stop the light… in the brightest city in the world… We know, you will only shine brighter.”