Top Stories – Virginia shootings –
Eight adults have been shot and killed by a lone gunman in the US state of Virginia. Police say seven bodies were found at one home, while an eighth shooting victim was found at the side of the road and died on the way to hospital. Officers say they have surrounded a suspect in woodland just outside the central town of Appomattox.
Take your tablets –
“Tens of millions” of tablet computers will be sold in 2010, according to technology analysts at Deloitte. A report says keyboard and mouse-free devices are likely to be a top trend among consumers and describes tablets as “the Goldilocks of devices (not too big, not too small)”. HP Tablet PC
Bell baits Bieber again –
The Justin Bieber vs Drake Bell fans battle moved up a gear today with Bell baiting one of Justin’s fans on Instagram with ‘You [sic] idol doesn’t even do anything but cause trouble anymore. No music no movies he’s just an idiot’. This one will run. Drake Bell
And the coolest brand is… –
Apple has been named the coolest brand in the UK for the third year running while Netflix broke into the Top 20 for the first time securing 10th place. The results are from a poll of over 2,000 British consumers and opinion including musicians Ella Eyre and models Jodie Kidd and Sophie Dahl. Ella Eyre CLICK TO SEE MORE STUFF FROM THIS DAY…
10 years since the tsunami –
Memorial services are being held to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami.
Bieber Bell battle continues –
The Justin Bieber v Drake Bell fans battle continued today with a Belieber hacking into Drake’s Instagram account. Retaliation for Bell baiting one of Justin’s fans Justin Bieber and Drake Bell
Shootings at Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris –
Gunmen have attacked the Paris offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo killing 12 and wounding 4. Witnesses report the gunmen shouted “we have avenged the Prophet. Editor-in-chief Stephane Charbonnier is among the dead. Stephane Charbonnier
Second shooting in Paris –
Possibly connected with the Charlie Hebdo attack, a gunmen has killed a policewoman and seriously injured a civilian in the south of Paris.
LA Galaxy get their man –
Los Angeles Galaxy have confirmed that Liverpool FC captain Steven Gerrard will the club in July 2015. The former England midfielder, 34, will play for the Major League Soccer club after his contract at Anfield expires. Gerrard, is the second England captain to join LA Galaxy, after David Beckham played for them between 2007 and 2012.
Fast charger –
A new kind of battery charger has been revealed by Israeli start-up Storedot CEO Doron Myersdorf at the CES exhibition in Las Vegas that can recharge a modern smartphone in less time than it takes to boil a kettle. However the phone needs to have a completely new type of battery, which contains specially synthesised organic molecules so existing phones cannot be used.
Russian planes buzz UK airspace –
Britain’s Foreign office have said that two Russian Tu-95 Bear H aircraft came within 25 miles of UK airspace in the last 24 hours. They travelled from the north, past the west coast of Ireland and to the English Channel before turning and going back the way they had come. British typhoon fighters were scrambled after the the bombers did not file a flight plan, did not have their transponders switched on and “weren’t talking to air traffic control”.
Taylor Swift trademarks lyrics –
Taylor Swift has trademarked phrases from her current album, 1989 in the United States. The phrases include “this sick beat” and “we never go out of style”, and the trademark ruling stops the use of the lyrics on merchandise. Rihanna successfully sued Topshop earlier this month for using her image on a t-shirt.
Murray’s girlfriend tells it like it is –
Tennis player Andy Murray’s fiancé Kim Sears is caught on camera apparently swearing about Murray’s semi-final opponent Tomas Berdych’s. Lip readers allege she said “Take that you flash Czech fucker”, when Murray won a crucial point. Murray later defended Sears, saying: “In the heat of the moment, you can say stuff that you regret.”
Italian parking: £300,000 Ferrari destroyed by attendant –
A garage attendant in Italy accidentally rammed a £300,000 Ferrari 599 GTO into a shop front after mistaking the accelerator for the brake. The attendant was supposed to be delivering the rare supercar, which can accelerate from a standing start to 60mph in three seconds, to its owners, a Dutch couple who had taken part in a meeting of Ferrari enthusiasts in Anzio, south of Rome. The owners were staying just a few streets away from where the car was being stored. [Daily Telegraph] Ferrari 599 GTO
Justin Bieber’s New Album Leaked? Fans Freak Out Over New Music –
Justin Bieber lovers woke up to a very exciting surprise on April 1 — the pop star had released his first new album in nearly three years! #JustinYourAlbumLeaked immediately began trending on social media, but it didn’t take long for fans to figure out what was really going on.(See Top Twitter Trends) [HollywoodLife.com] Justin Bieber
India police seek cow ‘mugshots’ to enforce beef ban –
Police in a west Indian township have asked cattle owners to supply photographs of their animals to help enforce the state’s tough new ban on beef, an officer said yesterday. Nearly 100 farmers and other owners in Malegaon have so far complied with the request for mugshots along with a dossier on the cows, said Sunil Kadasne, additional superintendent of the city. “After the new law, commercial slaughter has largely stopped but this programme will help us to stop all killing by helping trace any animal thefts faster,” Mr Kadasne told AFP. The Maharashtra state government introduced a tough ban in March on killing and selling cows, while even possession of beef could land you in jail for five years. [AFP/Daily Telegraph]
CERN discovers Star Wars “The Force” but it is April 1st –
The Force – the mysterious energy field used by the Jedi in Star Wars – has been discovered by researchers at the Cern laboratory. The European research centre announced its spoof discovery with pictures showing its scientists using The Force in everyday life. It was one of many April Fools jokes seen on websites around the world. Smartphone maker Samsung produced a spoof page for a Blade edge version of its Galaxy smartphone that, it claimed, was designed for cooks. The limited edition handset incorporates a diamond-edged blade so the phone can also be used to chop food when it is not being used for calls, texts, or browsing the web.
HTC joined in with fake product pages for the Re-Sok – the “world’s first truly smart sock”. The technology-enhanced footwear is engineered with GPS so pairs of socks can easily find each other and have an automatic hole warning system to alert owners when their intelligent footwear is running thin. For its April Fools parody, Motorola went to the trouble of making a lavish video showing two craftsmen producing selfie-sticks out of wood and leather. New York-based footwear maker Miz Mooz joined in and produced a pair of shoes that have smartphone docking ports in each toe so each one can be used to take selfies.
Justin Bieber’s lawyers demand nude photos are removed from US news website –
Justin Bieber’s legal team is demanding that media websites who have published naked photos of the star remove them immediately. The Hollywood Reporter claims to have seen a lawyer’s letter sent to the New York Daily News, which originally published the pictures of the star on holiday in French Polynesia. The photos of the singer in Bora Bora are still live on the US website. Bieber’s legal team says the publication of the photos represent a breach of the singer’s publicity and privacy rights. The photos also, according to the letter, infringe Bieber’s trademarks. The legal document is demanding action within 12 hours of receipt. [BBC Newsbeat] Justin Bieber
One Direction announce new single “Perfect” and release date –
One Direction’s next Made in the A.M. single’s accidentally been announced as ‘Perfect’ thanks to a classic tweet-and-delete scenario from those crazy critters at Apple Music. Awkies. Yup – we already knew the Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson-penned tune had been registered; but now it looks like the track’s gonna be the second proper single off of the fifth album following ‘Drag Me Down.’ And ‘Infinity,’ if you wanna count that. [Sugarscape]
Video of the Day –
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES – Official UK Trailer #1 (2016)
United States suspends its 500 million dollar Syrian rebel training program. The new strategy will shift toward supplying military aid “to a select group of vetted leaders and their units so that over time they can make a concerted push into territory still controlled by ISIL,” a U.S. official said. (CNN)(ABC News)
Israel Defense Forces kill six Palestinian protesters and wound 60 at the Gaza Strip border, according to Gaza medics. The protesters attempted to destroy the “border” fence between Gaza and Israel and IDF soldiers “responded with fire on the main instigators in order to prevent them progressing and to disperse the riot,” according to the IDF. (Reuters)(CNN)
Iraqi police officials say at least 35 people have been killed following a mortar bombardment of villages near the eastern city of Baqubah, capital of the Diyala Governorate. Officials did not speculate on who may be responsible for the attack, however theIslamic State group has claimed responsibility for several recent attacks in the volatile province. (AP via ABC News)
A new tally by the Associated Press places the death count from the Mina stampede at 1,453 killed making it the deadliest disaster ever to occur during the Hajj. (AP via MSN)
China says it will “not stand for violations of its territorial waters in the name of freedom of navigation“, following a statement from a Pentagon official, that the U.S. may consider sailing warships close to China’s disputed artificial islands in the South China Sea within the next two weeks. (Reuters)
One person is killed and another wounded, with a person in custody, in a shooting at an apartment complex near the Texas Southern University campus in southeast Houston, Texas. This is the second shooting involving TSU this week. A man is in serious, but stable, condition after being shot on the campus’s Tiger Walk on Tuesday. (Houston Chronicle)(Reuters)
The southern German state of Bavaria threatens to take the Federal German government to court if it fails to take immediate steps to limit the flow of migrants to Germany. Over 200,000 migrants are estimated to have entered Germany since the beginning of September, the vast majority over the Austrian border into Bavaria. (Reuters)
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China: Guangzhou warns zombies to stay off metro –
Halloween revellers are being urged to avoid the underground system in one southern Chinese city, in case they cause a panic. Transport police in Guangzhou say people in ghoulish fancy dress have been making other passengers nervous in recent days, and officers want travellers to report anyone they spot wearing spooky costumes. “Passengers’ strange behaviour may make some feel uneasy, cause onlookers to panic and could easily lead to security risks,” the force says in a statement posted on its Sina Weibo microblog account. “Therefore the subway does not encourage such acts.” [BBC]
Justin Bieber sorry for storming off stage after one song in Norway –
Justin Bieber’s been living up to the name of his new song Sorry by apologising to his fans for storming off stage in Norway. He said he was “done” and “I’m not doing the show” after performing one track during a TV recording in Oslo. In fan-filmed videos, Justin Bieber can be seen getting annoyed with people at the front of the stage while trying to wipe the floor. The singer later posted an apology on his Instagram account. [BBC]
Andrew Parker, head of British security agency MI5, states that ISIS terrorists are planning attacks in Great Britain and current terror threat levels are the highest he’s witnessed in his career. (The Telegraph)
Quebec-based Valeant Pharmaceuticals International cut all ties with Philidor Rx Services. This comes in the wake of recent revelations that Valeant was looking to acquire Philidor, a relationship that raised questions from various quarters. Valeant is the subject of U.S. federal investigations. (New York Times)
Greek prime ministerAlexis Tsipras lashes out at European “ineptness” in handling the continent’s massive immigration crisis. The Associated Press reports 31 more people — mostly children — drowned in shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea near the islands of Kalymnos and Rhodes. Turkey’s state-run agency says four children drowned and two others are missing after two new accidents with boats headed to Greece’s Lesbos and Samos islands. The death toll in the Aegean Sea over the past three days is at least 50. The Greek coast guard says they rescued 600 people in the past 24 hours, while thousands more made it safely from Turkey to Greece’s southeastern islands. (AP via Huffington Post)(Reuters)
Storms hit the American state of Texas causing at least two deaths with one person reported missing. Rivers overflowed as more than a foot of rain fell in some areas while tornadoes ripped through buildings outside San Antonio. (NBC News)(Reuters)
A Virginia (U.S.) school bus overturns after being struck by a van, sending 28 students to local hospitals with five seriously injured. (Inside Edition)
Indian Railways holds disabled recruitment drive on top floor – with no lifts –
A bid to recruit more disabled employees to work on India’s railways has ended in farce after test centres were set up on the top floors of buildings with no lifts or ramps. Many candidates who arrived at recruitment offices across India on Thursday either had to be carried or drag themselves up the stairs to their designated computers. Some were forced to abandon their applications entirely. [Daily Telegraph]
Vengeful surfer vows to eat the shark that bit him –
Don’t get on the wrong side of Allen Engelman – he has exacted the ultimate revenge on a shark that bit him. The Florida surfer was bitten by a shark, so the next day went out on a vengeful hunt. He killed a shark which he believes to be the same one that bit him. Not only did he kill it, but he now vows to eat it in order to punish the animal for the bite inflicted upon him. The surfer received 15 stitches, and from then on he was hell-bent on revenge. Him and his five-year-old son went back to the beach the following day and caught a shark with the same markings as the one which bit him. [Daily Telegraph]
New York follows UK in banning ‘hoverboards’ in public places –
New York has become the latest city to ban self-balancing scooters, known as “hoverboards”, warning that anyone caught riding them in public places could face a fine of up to $500. The two-wheeled electric vehicles, which use gyroscope technology to keep the rider upright, have exploded in popularity over the last few months – with celebrities including Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, Lily Allen and Jamie Foxx all spotted riding them. However, according to the the New York City Police Department, hoverboards are prohibited by New York state law since they are considered “motor vehicles that cannot be registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles”. [Daily Telegraph] October 21 2015 was the Back to the Future Day that featured real hoverboards
Officials report three people died in the Saint-Denis raid. The body of a second woman is found at the apartment where a woman and Paris attacks ringleader Abdelhamid Abaaoud were killed. (Sky News)
Fugitive ISIS gunman Salah Abdeslam called three friends saying he is hiding in the Brussels area and is desperately trying to get to ISIS territory in Syria. He said local ISIS members are unhappy with him since he failed to detonate his suicide vest. His brother Mohamed Abdeslam has publicly pleaded with Salah to turn himself in. (ABC News)
Sweden‘s national security service Säpo are questioning terrorist suspect Moder Mothama Magid, a 22-year-old Iraqi, who is accused of planning to launch a terror attack on the Swedish capital Stockholm. (Local)
The family of Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, who saved tens of thousands of Jews from the Holocaust only to languish in a Russian prison, have asked authorities to officially declare him dead. (Times of Israel)
The U.S. Justice Department files criminal charges against three individuals and three companies–Black Elk, Grand Isle Shipyard and oil field services company Wood Group–in connection with a 2012 oil platform incident in the Gulf of Mexico that left three workers dead. The charges range from manslaughter to violations of the federal Clean Water Act. (UPI)
USPlabs and S.K. Laboratory are indicted following a U.S. Department of Justice investigation finds synthetic ingredients manufactured in China were added to workout boosters and weight-loss products the firms claimed to be natural. Supplements from these companies were previously implicated in consumer illnesses and death. Several other defendants from the companies face additional charges. (Military Times)
The first stage of the voting process to potentially select a new flag of New Zealand starts. (BBC)
Science and technology
NASA orders its first commercial crew mission from private company SpaceX. (The Verge)
A jury in a Texas federal court finds for Apple Inc., in a lawsuit brought against Apple by a subsidiary of Pendrell Corporation. Pendrell has charged that Apple infringed patents on techniques that help restrict the use of web content to authorized persons, i.e.anti-piracy software. (Reuters)
Sport
Russianpole vaulterYelena Isinbayeva, who has two Olympic gold medals and 30 world records, told Sky News she is going to fight for what she believes to be her right to compete at the 2016 Olympics. She calls on the IAAF, at the world governing track and field organization’s annual meeting on 26 November, to rescind their ban on clean Russian athletes. (Sky News)
Igloo built in middle of downtown Chicago road stumps the internet –
An igloo built in the middle of a busy road in downtown Chicago has captivated the internet and left people passing by a little confused. Internet users speculated the 5ft-tall igloo home built under a streetlight near a busy intersection had been constructed by a homeless person. However the person who created the home from slabs of ice has been identified as local resident David Sudler. He built the chilly fort over two nights using the ice blocks and a milk crate to stack the slabs and create the roof. [Daily Telegraph] Adam Robinson Tweet
Facebook wants to kill off your phone number –
The days of the phone number are, quite literally numbered, thanks to the inexhorable rise of the company’s Messenger app, according to David Marcus, Facebook’s vice president of messaging products. “Think about it: SMS and texting came to the fore in the time of flip phones. Now, many of us can do so much more on our phones; we went from just making phone calls and sending basic text-only messages to having computers in our pockets,” Marcus wrote in a blog post. “With Messenger, we offer all the things that made texting so popular, but also so much more,” he said. “Yes, you can send text messages, but you can also send stickers, photos, videos, voice clips, GIFs, your location, and money to people. You can make video and voice calls while at the same time not needing to know someone’s phone number.” [Daily Telegraph]
People’s Choice Music Award winners:
Favourite male artist: Ed Sheeran
Favourite female artist: Taylor Swift
Favourite group: Fifth Harmony
Favourite breakout artist: Shawn Mendes
Favourite male country artist: Blake Shelton
Favourite female country artist: Carrie Underwood
Favourite country group: Lady Antebellum
Favourite pop artist: Taylor Swift
Favourite hip-hop artist: Nicki Minaj
Favourite R&B artist: The Weeknd
Favourite album: Title by Meghan Trainor
Favourite song: What Do You Mean? by Justin Bieber
Favourite music icon: Madonna
Gunmen open fire on tourists at a hotel close to the Giza pyramids. There were no casualties in the attack, which caused some damage to the hotel, and the attackers were arrested shortly afterwards.(BBC)
Saudi-led coalition airstrikes today reportedly hit the presidential palace and a mountain military base to the south of Sana’a, causing children and teachers in several schools to flee. There were no immediate reports of casualties. (Reuters)
Tribal chair Charlotte Rodrique of the local Burns Paiute Tribe has joined in asking the occupiers to leave saying “The protesters have no claim to this land”. Charlotte further cites a treaty that was never ratified by the United States Congress giving ownership of the land to the tribe. (The Washington Post) via MSN)
French police shoot dead a knife-wielding man, who was shouting “Allahu Akbar”, outside a police station in Goutte d’Or, located in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. A piece of paper with an Islamic State flag and claim for the attack written in Arabic was found on his body. The incident is noted for taking place on the anniversary of last year’s Charlie Hebdo shooting. (BBC)
In the United States, a swarm of 30 (and counting) earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater struck Oklahoma from Wednesday evening through Thursday mid-afternoon. The biggest, a magnitude 4.8, happened yesterday at 10:27 p.m. CST, 32 kilometers (20 miles) northwest of Fairview, Oklahoma. (The Weather Channel)
Scotland Yard confirms that they are investigating a triple murder in relation to the death of British actress Sian Blake and her two sons after the discovery of their dead bodies on Tuesday. (AAP via News Limited)
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Taylor Swift disses Kanye West at the Grammy Awards during her acceptance speech –
Taylor Swift’s 1989 has won the coveted album of the year award at this year’s Grammys in Los Angeles. The singer – who is the first woman to win the award twice – also won best pop vocal album and best music video for her track Bad Blood. Swift dissed Kanye [West] during her acceptance speech at the Grammy Awards. She’s the first woman to win album of the year twice and said it was for “all the young women out there”. She said: “There are going to be people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame.” Her speech appears to be in response to Kanye West’s lyric from his new album where he claims to have made Taylor Swift famous. [BBC]
In January 2016 Swift won the Peoples Choice Award for best female artist. In November 2015 she was sued for allegedly stealing the lyrics for her song “Shake it off”. Also see List of the Day. Taylor Swift
Stephen Fry quits Twitter, saying ‘fun is over’ after Bafta spat –
Bafta show host Stephen Fry has confirmed he has left Twitter declaring “the fun is over”. He faced criticism online after comparing costume designer Jenny Beavan to a “bag lady” when she picked up her Bafta for Mad Max: Fury Road. The presenter later insisted Beavan was a “dear friend” and had “got” the joke. Fry said he has not “slammed the door” on Twitter but said the site had become a “stalking ground for the sanctimoniously self-righteous”. Writing on his official website, he said people needed to “grieve” for what Twitter had become, writing: “I like to believe I haven’t slammed the door, much less stalked off in a huff throwing my toys out of the pram as I go or however one should phrase it. “It’s quite simple really: the room had started to smell. Really quite bad.” [BBC]
In January 2015 Fry married his 27 year old partner Elliot Spencer Stephen Fry
Hollywood hospital held to ransom by hackers –
Ransomware is a growing menace for computer users – but when a hospital is targeted, it makes the disruption far more serious. Computer systems at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center have been offline for more than a week following a ransomware attack. According to local news sources, hackers were said to have demanded $3.4m (£2.4m) to provide the codes to unlock the stolen data. The hospital has confirmed the attack took place, but has not commented on the ransom. A voicemail message at the hospital reassures patients that medical records had not been accessed by the hackers. [BBC]
Video of the Day –
Indoor Snowstorm Prank!!
List of the Day –
Grammy Award winners 2016
Album of the year
Winner: 1989 – Taylor Swift
Sound & Color – Alabama Shakes
To Pimp A Butterfly – Kendrick Lamar
Traveller – Chris Stapleton
Beauty Behind The Madness – The Weeknd
Best new artist
Winner: Meghan Trainor
Courtney Barnett
James Bay
Sam Hunt
Tori Kelly
Best rock album
Winner: Drones – Muse
Chaos And The Calm – James Bay
Kintsugi – Death Cab For Cutie
Mister Asylum – Highly Suspect
.5: The Gray Chapter – Slipknot
Best rock performance
Winner: Don’t Wanna Fight – Alabama Shakes
What Kind Of Man – Florence & The Machine
Something From Nothing – Foo Fighters
Ex’s & Oh’s – Elle King
Moaning Lisa Smile – Wolf Alice
Record of the year
Winner: Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson Featuring Bruno Mars
Really Love – D’Angelo and the Vanguard
Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran
Blank Space – Taylor Swift
Can’t Feel My Face – The Weeknd
Song of the year
Winner: Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran & Amy Wadge
Alright – Kendrick Duckworth, Kawan Prather, Mark Anthony Spears & Pharrell Williams (Kendrick Lamar)
Blank Space – Max Martin, Shellback & Taylor Swift
Girl Crush – Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna & Liz Rose (Little Big Town)
See You Again – Andrew Cedar, Justin Franks, Charles Puth & Cameron Thomaz (Wiz Khalifa)
Best pop vocal album
Winner: 1989 – Taylor Swift
Piece By Piece – Kelly Clarkson
How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful – Florence & The Machine
Uptown Special – Mark Ronson
Before This World – James Taylor
Best pop solo performance
Winner: Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran
Heartbeat Song – Kelly Clarkson
Love Me Like You Do – Ellie Goulding
Blank Space – Taylor Swift
Can’t Feel My Face – The Weeknd
Best traditional pop vocal album
Winner: The Silver Lining: The Songs Of Jerome Kern – Tony Bennett & Bill Charlap
Shadows In The Night – Bob Dylan
Stages – Josh Groban
No One Ever Tells You – Seth MacFarlane
My Dream Duets – Barry Manilow
Best music video
Winner: Bad Blood – Taylor Swift Featuring Kendrick Lamar
LSD – ASAP Rocky
I Feel Love (Every Million Miles) – The Dead Weather
Alright – Kendrick Lamar
Freedom – Pharrell Williams
Best dance recording
Winner: Where Are U Now – Skrillex and Diplo with Justin Bieber
We’re All We Need – Above & Beyond Featuring Zoe Johnston
Go – The Chemical Brothers Featuring Q-Tip
Never Catch Me – Flying Lotus featuring Kendrick Lamar
Runaway (U & I) – Galantis
Best R&B performance
Winner: Earned It (Fifty Shades Of Grey) – The Weeknd
If I Don’t Have You – Tamar Braxton
Rise Up – Andra Day
Breathing Underwater – Hiatus Kaiyote
Planes – Jeremih Featuring J. Cole
Best R&B album
Winner: Black Messiah – D’Angelo And The Vanguard
Coming Home – Leon Bridges
Cheers To The Fall – Andra Day
Reality Show – Jazmine Sullivan
Forever Charlie – Charlie Wilson
Best urban contemporary album
Winner: Beauty Behind The Madness – The Weeknd
Ego Death – The Internet
You Should Be Here – Kehlani
Blood – Lianne La Havas
Wildheart – Miguel
Best country album
Winner: Traveller – Chris Stapleton
Montevallo – Sam Hunt
Pain Killer – Little Big Town
The Blade – Ashley Monroe
Pageant Material – Kacey Musgraves
Best country song
Winner: Girl Crush – Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna & Liz Rose (Little Big Town)
Chances Are – Hayes Carll (Lee Ann Womack)
Diamond Rings And Old Barstools – Barry Dean, Luke Laird & Jonathan Singleton (Tim McGraw)
Hold My Hand – Brandy Clark & Mark Stephen Jones
Traveller – Chris Stapleton
Best metal performance
Winner: Cirice – Ghost
Identity – August Burns Red
512 – Lamb Of God
Thank You – Sevendust
Custer – Slipknot
Best rap album
Winner: To Pimp A Butterfly – Kendrick Lamar
2014 Forest Hills Drive – J. Cole
Compton – Dr. Dre
If You’re Reading This Its Too Late – Drake
The Pinkprint – Nicki Minaj
Best music film
Winner: Amy – Amy Winehouse
Mr. Dynamite: The Rise Of James Brown – James Brown
Sonic Highways – Foo Fighters
What Happened, Miss Simone? – Nina Simone
The Wall – Roger Waters
Best song written for visual media
Winner: Glory – Lonnie Lynn, Che Smith & John Stephens (Common and John Legend)
Earned It (Fifty Shades Of Grey) – Ahmad Balshe, Stephan Moccio, Jason Quenneville & Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd)
Love Me Like You Do – Savan Kotecha, Max Martin, Tove Nilsson, Ali Payami & Ilya Salmanzadeh (Ellie Goulding)
See You Again – Andrew Cedar, Justin Franks, Charles Puth & Cameron Thomaz (Wiz Khalifa Featuring Charlie Puth)
Til It Happens To You – Lady Gaga & Diane Warren
Authorities in the Chinese city of Tianjin after an inquiry into the explosions last year found that the chemical plants were too close to residential areas. (AP)
Ukraine bans Russian cargo trucks from transiting its territory after Russia’s Ministry of Transport barred Ukrainian cargo trucks because armed groups had been blocking some Russian trucks from entering Ukraine. (Reuters)
Former Prime Minister of IsraelEhud Olmert starts a 19-month prison sentence for bribery and obstructing justice. In the last decade, he was found or admitted guilty in four different corruption investigations.(AP via Yahoo! News)
Jeremy Clarkson apologises to Top Gear producer Oisin Tymon –
Jeremy Clarkson has apologised to the Top Gear producer he punched after settling a £100,000 racial discrimination and injury claim. Oisin Tymon launched the action against the presenter and the BBC after a “fracas” last March that left Mr Tymon with a bloody lip. “I would like to say sorry, once again, to Oisin Tymon for the incident and its regrettable aftermath,” Clarkson said. The presenter was dropped by the BBC following the assault. Clarkson, 55, added: “I want to reiterate that none of this was in any way his fault. Mr Tymon’s lawyers said the case had been settled but did not give details of the settlement. It is understood to be in excess of £100,000 ($140,000), an amount to which both Clarkson and the BBC contributed. [BBC]
In October 2015 Clarkson was threatened with three years in jail as Argentina reopened Falklands row probe. Jeremy Clarkson
Brit Awards 2016: Adele dominates with four awards –
Adele has been crowned Queen of the Brits, winning four prizes including best British female and best album. “To come back after so long away and be so warmly received means so much,” she said. One Direction’s victory in the fan-voted best video category robbed Adele of the opportunity to become the most-garlanded artist in a single Brits ceremony. As it stands, her total of four awards is equalled only by Blur, who won the same number in 1995 for their album Parklife. Adele became more emotional as the ceremony continued, bursting into tears after accepting the global success prize – which recognises success overseas. “I got really lost for a while and I didn’t know if I’d ever come back,” she said, referencing the writer’s block that delayed her much-anticipated third album. [BBC] See List of the Day
Sepp Blatter & Michel Platini lose Fifa appeals but bans reduced –
Outgoing Fifa president Sepp Blatter and suspended Uefa boss Michel Platini have had bans from all football-related activities upheld. But the suspensions have been reduced from eight to six years by Fifa’s appeals committee. Both were found guilty of breaches surrounding a £1.3m ($2m) “disloyal payment” to Platini. They both deny any wrongdoing and have said they will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Blatter and Platini said the payment honoured a verbal or gentleman’s agreement made in 1998 for work carried out by the Frenchman when he was a technical advisor for Blatter. Blatter, 79, added in a statement that he was “very disappointed by the appeal committee of Fifa”. Platini, 60, said it was “insulting and shameful” and a “political decision”. The committee said “activities and services rendered to Fifa, Uefa and football” was a mitigating factor. [BBC]
In September 2015, the Swiss Police launched an investigation into Blatter over criminal mismanagement or misappropriation over a TV rights deal. Michel Platini
British male solo artist James Bay
Aphex Twin
Calvin Harris
Jamie xx
Mark Ronson
British female solo artist Adele
Amy Winehouse
Florence + the Machine
Jess Glynne
Laura Marling
British group Coldplay
Blur
Foals
One Direction
Years & Years
British breakthrough act Catfish and the Bottlemen
James Bay
Jess Glynne
Wolf Alice
Years & Years
Critics’ choice
Jack Garratt
Izzy Bizu
Frances
Brits global success award Adele
British single Adele – Hello
Calvin Harris & Disciples – How Deep Is Your Love
Ed Sheeran & Rudimental- Bloodstream
Ellie Goulding – Love Me Like You Do
James Bay – Hold Back The River
Jess Glynne – Hold My Hand
Little Mix – Black Magic
Olly Murs ft Demi Lovato – Up
Philip George – Wish You Were Mine
Years & Years – King
British album of the year Adele – 25
Coldplay – A Head Full of Dreams
Florence + the Machine – How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
James Bay – Chaos and the Calm
Jamie xx – In Colour
British producer of the year
Charlie Andrew – winner
Mark Ronson
Mike Crossey
Tom Dalgety
British artist video of the year One Direction – Drag Me Down
Calvin Harris & Disciples – How Deep Is Your Love
Ed Sheeran – Photograph
Ellie Goulding – Love Me Like You Do
Jessie J – Flashlight
Little Mix – Black Magic
Naughty Boy ft Beyonce & Arrow Benjamin – Runnin’ (Lose It All)
Adele – Hello
Sam Smith – Writing’s On The Wall
Years & Years – King
International male solo artist Justin Bieber
Father John Misty
Drake
Kendrick Lamar
The Weeknd
International female solo artist Bjork
Ariana Grande
Courtney Barnett
Lana Del Rey
Meghan Trainor
International group Tame Impala
Eagles of Death Metal
Major Lazer
Alabama Shakes
U2
A report by two Israeli human rights groups, B’Tselem and HaMoked, states dozens of Palestinian detainees at the Shin Bet’sShikma interrogation facility in Ashkelon have been subjected to mistreatment, and in some cases torture. The report examined affidavits and personal accounts from 116 Palestinians held for security reasons at the facility between August 2013 and March 2014. (AP via San Francisco Chronicle)(Jurist)
A family of five falls victim to a murder-suicide in Phoenix, Arizona. 26-year-old Alex Buckner is identified by Phoenix police as the shooter, who was killed in a gunfight with police. (AZCentral)
Twitter celebrates 10 years of tweets and hashtags –
Since the first tweet was sent in 2006, Twitter has become the go-to social network for finding out about everything from global events to celebrity gossip. On its tenth birthday, Twitter has 320 million users including celebrities such as Harry Styles, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and Adele, all of whom have tens of millions of followers.Over the decade, the social network has changed its logo and name – from Twttr to Twitter – as well as notching up 250 billion likes. Users create 500 million tweets per day and 200 billion tweets every year, with users sharing hashtags to discuss global moments, such as the terrible terrorist attacks in Paris, using #JeSuisParis. [Daily Mail] See Video of the Day and List of the Day
Hatton Garden ‘Guv’nor’ Brian Reader jailed for six years –
The mastermind of the £14 million Hatton Garden jewellery raid has been jailed for six years and three months. Brian Reader, 77- the oldest member of the gang – suffered a stroke in Belmarsh Prison following what was the biggest burglary in English history. Appearing via video link at Woolwich Crown Court, Reader, who the court was told now uses a walking frame, was sentenced to six years and three months by Judge Christopher Kinch QC. James Scobie QC, Reader’s defence barrister, previously said: “He has a history of prostate cancer, which may return. He has a mass in his face being tested for possible cancer. He has had a stroke and is blind in one eye.” [Daily Telegraph]
This real life cat burglar keeps stealing men’s underwear –
A cat-owner from New Zealand has posted an apologetic note online after her pet cat went on a months-long crime spree, pinching various items of men’s clothing from around her neighbourhood. Brigit, a six-year-old tonkinese cat, has been going out at night on the streets of Hamilton and entering into strangers’ homes, where she’ll pick up some socks or underwear and take it away with her. Brigit then brings the clothes home, often leaving them on her owner Sarah Nathan’s bed. In the past couple of months Brigit has pinched around than a dozen pairs of men’s pants and around 60 single socks. [Daily Telegraph]
Video of the Day –
INCREDIBLE Facts You Never Knew About Twitter!-Facts in 5
List of the Day –
Twitter in numbers – the top 10 most popular tweets, likes and hashtags [Metro]
1) Most retweeted tweet – Oscars selfie
2) Most followed person – Katy Perry
3) Most mentioned person – Justin Bieber
4) Most tweeted emoji – Face with tears of joy emoji
(Picture: Myles Goode/Metro)
5) Most geo-tagged city – São Paulo
6) Most tweeted hashtag tradition – #FF
7) Total number of likes – 250 billion
8) Tweets per minute event record – FA World Cup Final – 618,725 tweets per minute
9) Fastest tor reach one million followers – Caitlyn Jenner – 4 hours and 3 minutes.
10) Number of times ‘love’ was shared on Twitter [tweets with the word “love” in them] – 34.8 billion mentions
Gunmen attack a European Union military training operation housed in a converted hotel in the Mali capital, Bamako. There are no casualties among the mission personnel. One suspect is killed and two are arrested. No group has claimed responsibility. (Reuters)
A Catalan official says the 13 exchange students killed in Sunday’s accident were 19-to-25-year-old women, seven from Italy, two Germans, an Austrian, a woman from France, a Romanian and an Uzbek. Twenty-four people are being treated in hospital with one student in critical condition, and six people, including the driver, in serious condition. Reports from officials indicate the driver lost control of the coach and crashed to the other side before running into an oncoming car. The bus driver, who passed alcohol and drug tests, is being investigated for possible negligent homicide as police seek to determine the cause of the crash. (AP via the Washington Post)(AFP via Yahoo! News)
At a 55-minute joint press conference, following their two-hour closed door meeting, United States PresidentBarrack Obama and Cuban PresidentRaúl Castro agreed this “new day” of openness between the two countries benefits the entire hemisphere as well. Each acknowledged more needs to be done. Obama said he spoke frankly about human rights, free expression, and democracy; Castro said the U.S. needs to remove the military base at Guantanamo Bay, and completely end the U.S. embargo. Obama’s experience gave him an advantage when journalists delved into sensitive areas. (The Washington Post)(The New York Times)
New Zealand Prime MinisterJohn Key settles a defamation case with freelance cameraman Bradley Ambrose, acknowledging comments he made about the man caused him professional and personal harm. (AP)
Myanmar‘s new parliament, in its first legislative act, votes (611-3) to eliminate 15 government ministries. President-elect Htin Kyaw says by eliminating the ministers’ salaries, the nation will save $4 million over five years. No civil servants will lose their jobs. (AP)
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