January 16, 2010

Top Stories –
Gale force wins –
BBC weather man Tomasz Schafernaker poses in shorts on the front cover of Attitude magazine showing of his warm front.
Image from Daily Mail

I’ve Bin Photoshopped –
The US government withdraws an age-enhanced image of Osama Bin Laden after admitting it was partly based on a photo of a Spanish politician found on Google.

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February 12, 2010

Top News Stories –

Australians puzzled as Queen reclaims ‘head of state’ title –
Buckingham Palace has raised eyebrows in Australia by referring to the Queen as the country’s “head of state” in an apparent break in convention. The title is usually given to the Australian Governor-General, Quentin Bryce, while the Queen is considered the country’s sovereign.
The difference is significant as the emerging role of the Governor-General has often been cited by pro-monarchists as evidence Australia does not need to become a republic. The trigger for the confusion was an announcement by Buckingham Palace that the Queen would be addressing the UN General Assembly in July. It arrived in a cable written by Gary Quinlan, Australia’s ambassador and permanent representative to the UN, headed: “United Nations: General Assembly – Address by Australian Head of State.” [Daily Telegraph]
Queen-Elizabeth-IIHer Majesty the Queen

Camera dropped in the ocean is returned by fisherman 18 months later –
A woman is to be reunited with a camera her husband dropped off the edge of the QM2 cruise ship after a fisherman caught it in his net and put the photographs online. Barbara and Dennis Gregory, 65, from Johannesburg, South Africa, thought they would never see the Nikon P90 again after it fell into the ocean en-route from New York to Southampton in 2008. But 16 months later Benito Estevez, a fisherman from Spain, found the camera in his nets with the photos still intact on the memory card. He decided to trace the owners and posted five pictures online which showed Mrs Gregory posing on the deck of the ship and her husband wearing a woolly tourist hat from Oxford. The story was picked up by the British media and Laura De Klein, a friend of the couple who lives in Chalgrove, Oxfordshire, recognised them and got in touch. [Daily Telegraph]

Chilean mint spells country’s name wrong on coins –
The general manager of the Chilean mint has been fired after thousands of coins were issued bearing a howling error. On the 2008 batch of 50 peso coins, which are worth about 6p, the country’s name was misspelt. Instead of C-H-I-L-E, the coins had C-H-I-I-E stamped on them, the BBC reports.
If that wasn’t bad enough, no one noticed the spelling mistake until late 2009. The coins have since become collectors’ items and the mint says it has no plans to take them out of circulation. Locals have even been hoarding the coins in the hope they will rise in value. However, the mistake has cost the mint’s general manager, Gregorio Iniguez, and several other employees, their jobs. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Colorama – Makeover from UPPER FIRST on Vimeo.

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November 10, 2015

Top News Stories –

Rowan Atkinson divorced in 65 seconds on grounds of his ‘unreasonable behaviour’ –
Actor Rowan Atkinson’s wife has been granted a divorce on the grounds of his “unreasonable behaviour” after he left her for a comedy actress half his age. The Mr Bean and Blackadder star was not present at the 65-second proceedings in central London. Estranged wife Sunetra was granted a decree nisi against the 60-year-old by a district judge at the Central Family Court. Atkinson married the make-up artist in 1990. He has been dating 32-year-old Louise Ford for 18 months. Listed as Atkinson S D v R S, the case was the fourth in a list of 26 before District Judge Stephen Alderson for decrees and orders to be made under the “quickie” procedure. The County Durham-born actor and his wife, who have two children, are reported to have split last year. [Daily Telegraph]
Rowan_AtkinsonRowan Atkinson

Jeb Bush says he would kill baby Hitler if he could time travel –
Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush says he once got an email asking whether he would kill the baby Adolf Hitler if it were possible. “It said, ‘If you could go back in time and kill baby Hitler, would you? I need to know,'” Mr Bush told a Huffington Post reporter on his campaign bus in New Hampshire last week. Mr Bush’s answer, according to the video clip: “Hell, yeah, I would. Look, you gotta step up man.” [Daily Telegraph]
Jeb BushJeb Bush

Pat Eddery: Former champion jockey dies aged 63 –
Eleven-time Flat racing champion jockey Pat Eddery has died at the age of 63. Eddery, who rode more than 4,600 winners and won 14 British classics in a 36-year career, is regarded as one of the greatest jockeys of all time. Among his most famous victories were the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe of 1986 on Dancing Brave. Ireland-born Eddery, who retired in 2003 and was awarded an OBE in 2005, had been suffering from ill health. Only Sir Gordon Richards has ridden more winners in Britain than Eddery. [BBC] See List of the Day

Modigliani’s Nu Couché sold for record £113 million –
Amedeo Modigliani’s Nu Couché has sold for $170.4 million (£113 million) at Christie’s, making it the second-highest auction price for any artwork. Nu Couché (Reclining Nude) was sold in New York on Monday night after a protracted bidding battle. It was bought by Liu Yiqian, a former taxi driver who has gained a reputation for breaking records in his pursuit of priceless artworks to display in his own museums in Shanghai. The highest price for any artwork was the $300 million paid for Paul Gauguin’s Nafea Faa Ipoipo (When Will You Marry?) in February 2015. [Daily Telegraph]
Modigliani_-_Nu_couchéModigliani -Nu couché

Video of the Day –

Skier Miraculously Survives 1,600 Foot Fall

Pro skiing veteran, Ian McIntosh, narrowly escapes with his life after what TGR Co Founder, Todd Jones, says “was the most terrifying crash I’ve ever seen.” While filming for Paradise Waits up in the Neacola range of AK, Mac dropped into a line he thought he had studied thoroughly enough, only to fall into an unseen five foot deep trench on one of his first turns. “From there, my slough took over and their was no way to stop,

List of the Day –

Pat Eddery information (from Wikipedia)

Born 18 March 1952
Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland
Died 10 November 2015 (aged 63)
Major racing wins
British Classic Race wins as jockey:
2000 Guineas (3)
1000 Guineas (1)
Epsom Derby (3)
Epsom Oaks (3)
St Leger Stakes (4)
Racing awards
British flat racing Champion Jockey 11 times (1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1996)
Honours
O.B.E.
Significant horses
Polygamy, Grundy, Scintillate, Detroit, Storm Bird, Kings Lake, Golden Fleece, Assert,Lomond, El Gran Senor, Rainbow Quest),Dancing Brave, Moon Madness, Warning,Zafonic, Quest for Fame, Toulon, Moonax,Bosra Sham, Lady Carla, Silver Patriarch

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide USA UK
1 冬のボーナス Tommy Hanson Finding Dory
2 ポッキーの日 #FightFor15 #1DonGrimmy
3 #10Kasım Finding Dory #FutureDecoded
4 #3DaysUntilMITAM #1dOnGrimmy Busted
5 빼빼로 #LoveYouGoodbye #3DaysTillPURPOSE
6 #1dOnGrimmy #BadThingsToTellAJudge Helmut Schmidt
7 Selamat Hari Pahlawan #SemperFi Allen Toussaint
8 #LoveYouGoodbye Allen Toussaint #UnderwearSongs
9 #5HGroupOfTheYear #UnderwearSongs #ImACeleb
10 #3DaysTillPURPOSE Shia LaBeouf Pat Eddery

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May 24, 2019

Top News Stories –

Theresa May quits: UK set for new PM by end of July

Theresa May has said she will quit as Conservative leader on 7 June, paving the way for a contest to decide a new prime minister.

In an emotional statement, she said she had done her best to deliver Brexit and it was a matter of “deep regret” that she had been unable to do so.

Mrs May said she would continue to serve as PM while a Conservative leadership contest took place.

The party said it hoped a new leader could be in place by the end of July.

It means Mrs May will still be prime minister when US President Donald Trump makes his state visit to the UK at the start of June.

Asked about the prime minister’s announcement, Mr Trump said: “I feel badly for Theresa. I like her very much. She’s a good woman. She worked very hard. She’s very strong.” [BBC]

By Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office - https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/588948/The_United_Kingdoms_exit_from_and_partnership_with_the_EU_Web.pdf, OGL 3, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73109217

List of the Day –

British Prime Ministers since WW2

photograph

The Right Honourable
Neville Chamberlain
FRS
MP for Birmingham Edgbaston
(1869–1940)28 May
193710 May
1940—

ConservativeNational IV[84]Chamberlain War2 years and 349 days

photograph

The Right Honourable
Winston Churchill
CHTDFRS
MP for Epping (1940–1945) →
Woodford[‡] (1945)(1874–1965)10 May
194026 July
1945—

ConservativeChurchill War[85]Churchill Caretaker
(Con.L.Nat.)5 years and 78 days

photograph

The Right Honourable
Clement Attlee
CHFRS
MP for Limehouse (1945–1950) →
Walthamstow West[‡] (1950–1951)(1883–1967)26 July
194526 October
19511945

LabourAttlee I[86]1950Attlee II6 years and 93 days

photograph

The Right Honourable
Sir Winston Churchill
KGOMCHTDDLFRSRA
MP for Woodford
(1874–1965)26 October
19515 April
19551951

ConservativeChurchill III[87]3 years and 162 daysElizabeth II

Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom.svg

(1952–present)

photograph

The Right Honourable
Sir Anthony Eden
KGMC
MP for Warwick & Leamington
(1897–1977)6 April
19559 January
19571955

ConservativeEden[88]1 year and 279 days

photograph

The Right Honourable
Harold Macmillan
FRS
MP for Bromley
(1894–1986)10 January
195718 October
1963—

ConservativeMacmillan I[89]1959Macmillan II6 years and 282 days

photograph

The Right Honourable
Sir Alec Douglas-Home
KT
MP for Kinross & Western Perthshire[c]
(1903–1995)19 October
196316 October
1964—

Conservative
(Scot.U.)Douglas-Home[90]364 days

photograph

The Right Honourable
Harold Wilson
OBEFRSFSS
MP for Huyton
(1916–1995)16 October
196419 June
19701964

LabourWilson I[91]1966Wilson II5 years and 247 days

photograph

The Right Honourable
Edward Heath
MBE
MP for Bexley (1970–1974) →
Sidcup[‡] (1974)(1916–2005)19 June
19704 March
19741970

ConservativeHeath[92]3 years and 259 days

photograph

The Right Honourable
Harold Wilson
OBEFRSFSS
MP for Huyton
(1916–1995)4 March
19745 April
1976Feb.1974

LabourWilson III[91]Oct.1974Wilson IV2 years and 33 days

photograph

The Right Honourable
James Callaghan
MP for Cardiff South East
(1912–2005)5 April
19764 May
1979—

LabourCallaghan[93]3 years and 30 days

photograph

The Right Honourable
Margaret Thatcher
FRSHonFRSC
MP for Finchley
(1925–2013)See also § Main articles:3

ConservativeThatcher I[94]4 May
197928 November
199019791983Thatcher II1987Thatcher III11 years and 209 days

photograph

The Right Honourable
John Major
MP for Huntingdon
(born 1943)28 November
19902 May
1997—

ConservativeMajor I[95]1992Major II6 years and 156 days

photograph

The Right Honourable
Tony Blair
MP for Sedgefield
(born 1953)See also § Main articles:4

LabourBlair I[96]2 May
199727 June
200719972001Blair II2005Blair III10 years and 57 days

photograph

The Right Honourable
Gordon Brown
MP for Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath
(born 1951)See also § Main articles:5

LabourBrown[97]27 June
200711 May
2010—2 years and 319 days

photograph

The Right Honourable
David Cameron
MP for Witney
(born 1966)See also § Main articles:6

ConservativeCameron–Clegg
(Con.L.D.)[98]11 May
201013 July
201620102015Cameron II6 years and 64 days

photograph

The Right Honourable
Theresa May
MP for Maidenhead
(born 1956)See also § Main articles:7

ConservativeMay I[99]13 July
2016Incumbent2017May II2 years and 316 days

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