January 1, 2010

Happy New Year, no Happy New Decade – but what decade are we in? –
A decade with no name – The Twenty-tens? The Deccies? The Tennies? The Onesies?

– The world’s financial markets are in the middle of the worse recession since the Twenties.

– Barack Obama is President of the US and Gordon Brown is Prime Minister of the UK.
Barack Obama

– Pamela Anderson suffers a “wardrobe malfunction” in Hollywood and David Tennant hands over Doctor Who’s screwdriver to Matt Smith. Stephen Fry (temporarily) quits Twitter.
Pamela Anderson

– Scientists at Kings College, London reveal that the G-spot doesn’t actually exist.

It’s not a great start to the decade but, as D:Ream sang 6 years earlier, things can only get better… can’t they? Read on…

Video of the Day –

Robbie Maddison New Years Eve jump 2009 in Las Vegas

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January 31, 2010

Top Story –
Lost in paradise –
The season premiere of Lost draws more than 10,000 fans greeted to Waikiki beach. Fans started queuing up 12 hours before the event hoping to get a glimpse of actors Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, Josh Holloway, Yunjin Kim and Michael Emerson. Sitting on beach towels and lawn chairs, they watched the episode that kicks off the sixth and final season of the castaway drama. See trailer below.

Brangelina back as a single ?

They were rumoured to have consulted lawyers over custody of their six children and dividing their £205million fortune. But last night, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie proved they were still very much an item as they attended the Directors Guild of America Awards in Los Angeles. While declining to pose together on the red carpet at the star-studded bash, the couple were seen being ‘extremely affectionate’ as they mingled with their peers. [Daily Mail]

Top Video –
Lost series 6 trailer

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February 6, 2010

Top News Stories –

UN to discuss Air Traffic Control for outer space –
An international air traffic control for outer space should be set up to prevent damage to satellites and spacecraft orbiting the Earth, according to proposal to be discussed at the United Nations next week. There are thought to be more than 19,000 pieces of debris larger than 4 inches across racing around the Earth at high speeds, while there are more than 500,000 bigger than a postage stamp. The number of particles smaller than this are thought to exceed tens of millions. Despite their relatively small size, most are travelling faster than 15,600mph and at these speeds a fleck of paint could do as much damage as a .22-calibre rifle bullet. [Daily Telegraph]

Treo the dog awarded animal VC –
A heroic military dog is to be honoured with the animal version of the Victoria Cross. Treo, an eight-year-old black Labrador, saved countless lives in Afghanistan last year by locating hidden roadside bombs. The search dog twice saved soldiers and civilians from catastrophe while out on patrol in Helmand province by sniffing out explosives which had been wired together in a daisy chain and hidden in the path. The medal was created by leading veterinary charity the PDSA and is recognised as the highest award an animal can receive for conspicuous gallantry or devotion to duty while serving in military conflict. (See List of the Day for human honours) [Daily Telegraph]

Cat owners ‘more educated than dog owners’ –
Cats have long been thought to be cleverer than dogs – and now it seems the same is true of their owners. People with cats are more likely to have university degrees than those with dogs, according to a scientific survey of pet ownership. The study also revealed that the combined cat and dog population of Britain is more than 20.8 million – 50 per cent higher than previously thought. Researchers at the University of Bristol say that the superior intelligence of cat owners is unlikely to be caused by their exposure to the famously cunning and selfish pets. Rather, more educated people tend to work longer hours and choose a pet to fit their lifestyles. Unlike dogs, cats require no walking and can manage with little human company.[Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

flight patterns from Charlie McCarthy on Vimeo.

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December 16, 2014

Top News Stories –

Sydney siege ends –
The siege in the Lindt Chocolat Cafe in Sydney is ended by Australian troops storming the building. The gunman, Man Haron Monis, and two of his hostages are killed.

Christmas back on in Delhi –
Delhi University has reversed the decision to rename Christmas Day ‘Good Governance Day’ by organising seminars and competitions on oratory.
But now, after a mass of complaints, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has asked colleges to organise the function without disturbing Christmas Day celebrations.

Unethical appeal –
FIFA ethics investigator Michael Garcia has lost his appeal against a statement by ethics judge Hans-Joachim Eckert on his report into bidding for the World Cups had contained “numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations of the facts and conclusions”. The appeal has been declared inadmissible by FIFA’s appeals committee, who said Eckert’s statement was not a legally-binding decision and therefore could not be appealed against.

Video of the Day –

SURFING @ 1000 FRAMES PER SECOND from Chris Bryan on Vimeo.

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December 17, 2014

Top News Stories –

US and Cuba talking again –
After 53 years of diplomatic estrangement, diplomatic relationships between the US and Cuba have been re-established. The deal was aided by a personal appeal from Pope Francis, who persuaded Cuba’s president, Raúl Castro, to agree to the freeing of the American aid worker Alan P. Gross. The pope, officials said, acted as a “guarantor” that both sides would live up to the terms of a deal reached in secret.
Alan P. Gross

Smelling the money –
Fragrances from stars such as Britney Spears, Beyoncé and Jay Z are outselling established fragrance brands such as Hugo Boss and Gucci in some UK stores. Britney’s perfumes outsell DKNY by three to one at UK store Superdrug, and Hugo Boss by two to one. Jay Z’s Gold is the best selling celebrity fragrance.
Britney Spears

Interview cancelled –
“The Interview” the film that is possibly the catalyst in the Sony Pictures hacking scandal has had its Christmas Day release cancelled after major cinema chains decided not to screen it in the US.

Michael Garcia resigns from FIFA –
Fifa’s independent ethics investigator Michael Garcia has quit in protest over the handling of his report into bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Garcia said he lost confidence in the independence of judge Hans-Joachim Eckert, an ethics committee colleague after his report was summarised.

Video of the Day –

Seat 22 — Trans-Siberian Odyssey from Stanislas Giroux on Vimeo.

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December 23, 2014

Top News Stories –

Tough to chew –
Netflix is to release a documentary film in 2015 which affirms that Michael Rockefeller, the youngest son of former Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, was eaten by cannibals in New Guinea in 1961.

Tornado chaos in south USA –
At least five tornadoes were reported in the southern United States, leading to four deaths and fifty people injured. The twisters also caused massive damage to homes, commercial buildings and vehicles. Mississippi was among the worst hit. If the tornadoes are confirmed, it will be the deadliest December tornado outbreak since 1953. [The Weather Channel]

Video of the Day –

Biolapse

Carnivora Gardinum from chris field on Vimeo.

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January 8, 2015

Top News Stories –

Who’s the daddy? –
A Cuban man convicted of spying in the US and committed to a double life sentence in 1998 has become a father a month after his release. Gerardo Hernandez, who was released last month by the US as part of a diplomatic thaw with Cuba, requested to have his wife artificially inseminated with his sperm while he was still in jail.

Imran bowled over –
Sportsman-turned-politician Imran Khan has married his fiance, Reham, at a small wedding ceremony at his home in Islamabad, Pakistan. Khan was Pakistan’s most successful cricket captain, playing for the Pakistani cricket team from 1971 to 1992 and leading them to victory at the 1992 Cricket World Cup.

Team Wiggo launched –
Former Tour de France champion and Sky Team member Sir Bradley Wiggins launches his own cycling team to help preparations for the Rio 2016 Olympics. The four-time Olympic champion will try to break the individual world hour record as part of his build-up to Rio2016. Team Wiggins will operate independently of British Cycling but the governing body has given its backing to the team.
Bradley Wiggins

App designers golden year –
Apple revealed today that app developers earned more than $10 billion in revenue in 2014, partly due to a 50 percent rise in billings. The App Store has grown to 1.4 million apps since launching in 2008, with 725,000 designed for the iPad.

Russia says drivers must not have ‘sex disorders’ –
The Russian government is tightening medical controls for drivers because the country “has too many road accidents”. Transsexual and transgender people are among those who will no longer qualify for driving licences and fetishism, exhibitionism and voyeurism are also included as “mental disorders” now barring people from driving.

Job for life but don’t turn up –
A.K. Verma, an executive engineer at the Central Public Works Department, India, was fired after last appearing for work in December 1990. Even after an inquiry found him guilty of “wilful absence from duty” in 1992, it took another 22 years and the intervention of a cabinet minister to remove him, the government said.

Video of the Day –

When you say you’re a swimmer –

“When You Say You’re a Swimmer” from Chris Shimojima on Vimeo.

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January 11, 2015

Top News Stories –

More than three million take part in French unity rallies –
Huge crowds have taken part in a rally in Paris to commemorate the 17 people who died in gun attacks in the city in 3 days of attacks earlier in the week. More than 40 world leaders joined the start of the unity march, linking arms in an act of solidarity and an estimated 1.6 million marched in the capital. The rally was led by relatives of the victims of last week’s attacks and began at the Place de la Republique. The French government said the rally turnout was the highest on record.

Boyhood wins Golden Globe Awards –
At the Golden Globe ceremony “Boyhood” won best drama movie with Patricia Arquette getting best supporting actress in the film.
Winners of all categories at the bottom of the post.
Patricia Arquette

Actress Anita Ekberg dies –
The actress Anita Ekberg,has died aged 83. A former Miss Sweden, she was branded a “sex goddess” for her performance in Federico Fellini’s 1960 movie La Dolce Vita. The scene where Ekberg walks through the waters of Rome’s Trevi Fountain in a black strapless dress is considered one of cinema’s most iconic scenes. A quote attibuted to her in her later years is: “I don’t know if paradise or hell exist, but I’m sure hell is more groovy.”

First woman president in Croatia –
In elections in Croatia, opposition challenger Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic has become the first female president of the country. The voting was extremely close with Grabar-Kitarovic receiving more than 50% of the vote for her Croatian Democratic Union party, with more than 49% for Ivo Josipovic who had been president since 2010.
Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic

Video of the Day –

Boyhood Trailer

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January 18, 2015

Top News Stories –

Pope takes Mass with 6 million people –
Pope Francis finishes his tour of the Philippines giving Mass in front of an estimated 6 million people in Rizal Park in the capital Manila. This appears to be a record attendance for a papal event eclipsing the 5 million who saw Pope John Paul II in Manila in 1995.

AB de Villers gets fastest ODI ton –
A new record for the fastest 100 in a one-day international (ODI) by South Africa batsman AB de Villiers who hit a century off 31 balls during an innings of 149 against the West Indies in Johannesburg. Including 8 fours and 10 sixes to beat the previous ODI record of 36 balls by New Zealand all-rounder Corey Anderson against West Indies on January 1st 2015 but doesn’t match Chris Gayle’s 100 from 30 balls in the Indian Premier League on April 23rd 2013. See List of the Day below.

Vonn’s record causes Tiger to lose a tooth –
American skier Lindsey Vonn (@lindseyvonn) has won her 63rd World Cup downhill title with a win in the super-G race in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy overtaking the record set by Austrian Annemarie Moser-Proell over 35 years ago. Vonn’s boyfriend is golfer Tiger Woods who surprised her by being at the podium after the event. In the media scrum to get pictures of the skier a hand-held camera knocked out one of Wood’s front teeth. She celebrated with this tweet:

Lindsey Vonn

Video of the Day –

Wetness from The Coastal Crew on Vimeo.

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February 22, 2015

February 21, 2015

Top News Story –

Razzies 2015 Winners: Cameron Diaz and Kirk Cameron Get Bashed at the 35th Annual Golden Raspberry Awards
Cameron Diaz

Video of the Day –

The Torch Tower, Dubai on fire –

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March 29, 2015

Top News Stories –

Cricket World Cup 2015: Australia crush New Zealand in final –
Australia overwhelmed New Zealand to win the World Cup for a fifth time at an ecstatic Melbourne Cricket Ground. New Zealand lost influential captain Brendon McCullum to the fifth ball of the match and were bowled out for 183. Grant Elliott resisted with 83, while Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson and James Faulkner shared eight wickets. Australia rarely looked troubled, sealing a seven-wicket win in 33.1 overs, with captain Michael Clarke scoring 74 and Steve Smith 56 not out. [BBC]

Jess Glynne scores UK number one –
Jess Glynne has topped the UK singles chart for the first time as a solo artist with her track Hold My Hand. The 25-year-old Londoner got two number ones last year as a guest vocalist on Clean Bandit’s Rather Be and Route 94’s My Love. “To get a number one in my own name is one of the most insane feelings,” she said. The singer outsold her nearest rival, James Bay’s Hold Back the River, by 40,000 copies. (See video of the day) [BBC]

Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel beats Lewis Hamilton to shock Malaysia win –
Sebastian Vettel took a sensational maiden victory for Ferrari as he won a straight fight with Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes at the Malaysian Grand Prix. Vettel, who joined Ferrari this year as Fernando Alonso’s replacement, won a strategic battle as Mercedes struggled with tyres in the tropical heat. Hamilton’s team-mate Nico Rosberg was third from Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen, who fought back from an early puncture. [BBC]
Sebastian Vettel

Video of the Day –

Jess Glynne – Hold My Hand

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April 24, 2015

Top News Stories –

Android peeing on Apple logo spotted on Google Maps –

Rivalry between Google and Apple has always been fierce, but now Google Maps appears to have been emblazoned with the image of the Android mascot urinating on an Apple logo. The image, discovered by a Hacker News user, appears on a patch of land just south of the city of Rawalpindi in Pakistan, at coordinates 33°30’52.5″N 73°03’33.2″E. The origin of the image is unclear. Some have suggested it could be Google’s idea of an Easter Egg (hidden joke), while others claim it was added by a user. The image is most likely a result of a user abusing Map Maker, the tool that allows users to contribute to Google Maps. One Hacker News user claims to have tracked down the culprit – a user called nitricboy. [Daily Telegraph]

Native American actors walk off Adam Sandler film set over ‘insults’ –
Nearly a dozen Native American actors have walked off the set of a Hollywood film starring Adam Sandler complaining that the script was offensive to their culture. The actors had been hired to take part in filming of The Ridiculous Six, a satirical Western based on The Magnificent Seven. They said the script, which was co-written by Sandler, included offensive names for female Native American characters such as “No Bra”. [Daily Telegraph]
Adam Sandler

Drop Dead Sexy –
During this year’s Spring Festival holidays, a man surnamed Zhang watched a strip show somewhere he didn’t expect, at a funeral in his hometown in Cheng’an county, Hebei Province. “Two strippers wearing revealing clothes danced on a stage at a public square in our village at night on February 15. They first danced passionately and then took off their clothes piece by piece. Behind them, an electronic screen was displaying a picture of the deceased with elegiac couplets on either side.”Behind the stripper, an electronic screen hung from a backdrop showed a picture of the deceased. Text at the bottom of the screen read, “we offer profound condolences for the death of Mr Chang.” Zhang said that the show cost 3,000 yuan ($480) as it was held during the Spring Festival holidays, saying that the shows are cheaper at other times of the year. During the performance, the host also announced to the public that the show was sponsored by Chang’s daughter, “as a way to show off his large family,” said Zhang. [Global Times]

‘Embryologic twin’ tumour discovered in student’s brain –
Doctors in California have removed a tumour they have described as an “embryologic twin” deep inside the brain of a young woman. Yamini Karanam, 26, a PhD student in Indiana, had been experiencing difficulties with drowsiness, reading and concentration. The discovery was made when doctors performed a newly-developed form of surgery to remove the tumour. The growth, known as a teratoma, had bone and hair. Ms Karanam, a student at Indiana University, jokingly described the tumour to KNBC, a California TV station, as her “evil twin sister who’s been torturing me for the past 26 years”. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Five Stages of Watching A Marvel Movie – HISHE Features: OnlyLeigh

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May 22, 2015

Top News Stories –

One Direction, Robert Pattinson help out in first Red Nose Day in America –
One Direction, Benedict Cumberbatch and Robert Pattinson were among British stars who helped raise money for the first Red Nose Day in America.
The three-hour TV show opened with a monologue from host Seth Meyers. He announced his plans to trump the UK version of the fund-raising marathon.
“I don’t want the British doing anything in front of the cameras,” said the late night talk show host. “They are famously terrible actors so they are all working backstage.” Cameras cut to Simon Cowell in the director’s chair, Orlando Bloom at the sound board, Naomi Campbell operating a camera, Sir Ian McKellen working the teleprompter, Cumberbatch struggling with cue cards and Dame Helen Mirren making tea. Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne was left with the task of wishing people good luck while Pattinson struggled with valet parking and crashed the first car given to him.[BBC]
Highlight of the night was Cold Play creating a musical version of Game of Thrones with many of the cast appearing including John Snow (Kit Harrington). See Video of the Day.
Kit Harrington

Thousands of new words added to Scrabble dictionary –
Thousands of new words – including slang terms lolz, shizzle and obvs – have been added to the latest Scrabble word list, its publisher has said.
About 6,500 words have been added to the latest Collins Scrabble Word List, including a number of slang terms used on social media and in text messages. New words include twerking, emoji, bezzy and ridic – short for ridiculous. One the highest scoring new entries is quinzhee – an Inuit snow shelter – which scores 29 Scrabble points. Other new words now acceptable in the board game include onesie, devo – short for devolution – vape, and shootie, meaning a fashionable shoe that covers the ankle. [BBC]

Kim Jong-un’s ‘brat pack’ brother jets in to London for Eric Clapton concert –
Kim Jong-chol, allegedly passed over as heir to the North Korea regime because he has a weak character, was seen entering the Royal Albert Hall with a female companion and wearing a leather jacket. Wearing a leather jacket, T-shirt and sunglasses, Kim Jong-chol was caught on film by a camera crew from Japan’s TBS channel entering the venue with an unidentified woman. South Korean media reported that Kim was staying at The Chelsea Harbour Hotel and was scheduled to board a flight from London to Moscow on Friday. Rooms at the hotel cost up to £2,184 a night. Mr Kim, 33, was passed over by his father, Kim Jong-il, as heir to the North Korean regime because he has a weak character, according to South Korean intelligence reports. To compensate, he has taken on the mantle of the unofficial leader of the North’s “brat pack” of children of the regime’s elite.[Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Red Nose Day – Game of Thrones, Coldplay’s New Musical (Episode Highlight)

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#BuenViernes	#MemorialDayWeekend	#BankHolidayWeekend
2	#TeLoConfiesoAsiD1	#VoteYes	#FridayFeeling
3	#NoSoporto	#WhatWouldYouDoFor100dollars	Eric Pickles
4	#Vertigo	Mike Huckabee	#FarewellFearne
5	#تفجير_ارهابي_�…	#ItsNotADateIf	#KentEarthquake
6	#MeCambiaElDia	19 Kids and Counting	#VoteYes
7	Samid	#DisneyPrincessProblems	George Best
8	Hayırlı Cumalar	#WhyImATerribleCookIn5Words	#bbcqt
9	Harden	Hard Knocks	#MadMenFinale
10	#EuAdmitoQue	#AskTOP	#WhatWouldYouDoFor100dollars

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant captures the border crossing at Al Waleed (al-Tanf in Syria), the last remaining border crossing between Syriaand Iraq controlled by the Government of Syria. ISIL reportedly advances to within 40 km of Baghdad after their victory in Ramadi. (BBC)
A suicide bomber targeting Shiites at a mosque in Qatif, Saudi Arabia, has killed 19 and injured 28, per Red Crescent authorities. (Irish Independent)
Mexican Drug War
- At least 42 members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and two Federal Police officers are killed in a shootout in the state of Michoacán. The death toll is preliminary and is expected to rise. (Reuters)

Business

Li Hejun, formerly China’s richest man, loses an estimated US$14 billion when his energy shares plunge nearly 50%. (Forbes)

Disasters and accidents

Surrounding areas of Wembley Stadium, London, UK have been evacuated following the discovery by construction crews of a still-live World War II-era 50-kg (110-llb) conventional-explosive bomb, a remnant of the Blitz. (MSN)
The Myanmar Navy rescues two boats carrying 208 migrants as it faces growing international pressure to tackle the Rohingya migration crisis.(AFP via Yahoo! News)

Politics

Voters in Ireland go to the polls to vote on constitutional referendums, including one that would allow same-sex marriage. (BBC)
The Senate of the United States passes legislation to allow President Barack Obama to fast track trade negotiations with other countries. (AP via ABC News America)

Science

Science publishes a series of papers on biodiversity in the deep sea, including tens of thousands of single-celled organisms most of which had not been previously identified. (BBC)

Sports

In cricket, Pakistan plays a Twenty20 match against Zimbabwe at Lahore. This is the first time a test playing nation toured Pakistan for a cricket match since the 2009 attack on the Sri Lanka national cricket team. (IndiaTV)

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June 12, 2015

June 11, 2015

Top News Stories –

Sir Christopher Lee death announced –
In one of his final interviews, Sir Christopher Lee declared his intention never to retire. “When I die, I want to die with my boots on,” he said.
The actor remained true to his word. He was preparing for his latest film role – a drama called The 11th, co-starring Uma Thurman – when he died on Sunday morning [June 7, 2015] at London’s Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. Sir Christopher was one of the greats of the 20th century, but his career hit new heights in the last 15 years of his life. He will be best remembered by those of a certain age for playing Count Dracula in his Hammer Horror days, but to younger film fans he was a star of two of the biggest franchises ever made: Saruman in Lord of the Rings and Count Dooku in Star Wars. [Daily Telegraph] He appeared in over 200 films (See List of the Day)
Sir Christopher Lee (1922-2015)

Female scientists post ‘distractingly sexy’ photos –
Female scientists have been sharing “distractingly sexy” photos of themselves after a feminist website encouraged them to respond to comments by a Nobel laureate. Nobel Prize winner Tim Hunt was roundly criticised when he detailed his thoughts about the “trouble with girls” at a conference of science journalists. “Three things happen when they are in the lab,” he said, “you fall in love with them, they fall in love with you, and when you criticise them they cry.” He said his comments were meant to be “light-hearted, ironic comment”, but whatever the intention, it went over like a heavy metallic dirigible in a field with some widely acknowledged gender issues. Hunt has now resigned from his position at University College London. On Thursday the hashtag #DistractinglySexy began taking off, with more than 10,000 tweets in a matter of hours. [BBC Trending] See Top Twitter Trends (UK)

Video of the Day –

Saruman the White – from Lord of the Rings [from Youtube]

List of the Day –

Sir Christopher Lee film appearances (including voiceovers) [List from Wikipedia]

#	Year	Film	Role	Notes
1	1948	Corridor of Mirrors	Charles
2	1948	One Night with You	Pirelli’s Assistant
3	1948	Hamlet	Spear Carrier	Uncredited
4	1948	Penny and the Pownall Case	Jonathan Blair
5	1948	A Song for Tomorrow	Auguste
6	1948	My Brother’s Keeper	Second Constable	Deleted scenes
7	1948	Saraband for Dead Lovers	Bit Part	Uncredited
8	1948	Scott of the Antarctic	Bernard Day
9	1949	Trottie True	Bongo
10	1950	They Were Not Divided	Chris Lewis
11	1950	Prelude to Fame	Newsman
12	1951	Valley of Eagles	Det. Holt
13	1951	Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N.	Spanish Captain
14	1951	Quo Vadis	Chariot Driver	Uncredited^[1]
15	1952	The Crimson Pirate	Joseph (attache)
16	1952	Top Secret	Russian Agent	Uncredited
17	1952	Paul Temple Returns	Sir Felix Raybourne
18	1952	Babes in Bagdad	Slave Dealer
19	1952	Moulin Rouge	Georges Seurat
20	1953	Les vacances de Monsieur Hulot	Voice	Uncredited
21	1953	Innocents in Paris	Lieutenant Whitlock	Uncredited
22	1954	Destination Milan	Svenson
23	1955	Man in Demand
24	1955	Crossroads	Harry Cooper
25	1955	Final Column
26	1955	That Lady	Captain
27	1955	Police Dog	Johnny, a constable
28	1955	The Dark Avenger	French Patrol Captain at Tavern	Uncredited
29	1955	The Cockleshell Heroes	Submarine Commander
30	1955	Storm Over the Nile	Karaga Pasha
31	1956	Alias John Preston	John Preston
32	1956	Private’s Progress	Gen. von Linbeck’s aide	Uncredited
33	1956	Port Afrique	Franz Vermes
34	1956	Beyond Mombasa	Gil Rossi
35	1956	The Battle of the River Plate	Manolo
36	1957	Ill Met by Moonlight	German Officer at Dentists
37	1957	Fortune Is a Woman	Charles Highbury
38	1957	The Traitor	Dr. Neumann
39	1957	The Curse of Frankenstein	The Creature
40	1957	Manuela	Voice	Uncredited
41	1957	Bitter Victory	Sgt. Barney
42	1957	The Truth About Women	François
43	1958	A Tale of Two Cities	Marquis St. Evremonde
44	1958	Dracula	Count Dracula	Alternative title: Horror of Dracula
45	1958	Battle of the V-1	Labor Camp Captain, Men’s Section
46	1958	Corridors of Blood	Resurrection Joe
47	1959	The Hound of the Baskervilles	Sir Henry Baskerville
48	1959	The Man Who Could Cheat Death	Dr. Pierre Gerard
49	1959	The Treasure of San Teresa	Jaeger
50	1959	The Mummy	Kharis, the Mummy
51	1959	Uncle Was a Vampire	Baron Roderico da Frankurten
52	1960	Too Hot to Handle	Novak
53	1960	Beat Girl	Kenny
54	1960	The City of the Dead	Prof. Alan Driscoll	Alternative title: Horror Hotel
55	1960	The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll	Paul Allen
56	1960	The Hands of Orlac	Nero the magician
57	1961	The Terror of the Tongs	Chung King
58	1961	Taste of Fear	Doctor Pierre Gerrard
59	1961	The Devil’s Daffodil	Ling Chu
60	1961	Ercole al centro della terra	King Lico (Licos)	Alternative title: Hercules in the Haunted World
61	1962	Stranglehold
62	1962	The Puzzle of the Red Orchid	Captain Allerman
63	1962	The Pirates of Blood River	Captain LaRoche
64	1962	The Devil’s Agent	Baron von Staub
65	1962	Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace	Sherlock Holmes
66	1963	Katarsis	Mephistoles
67	1963	La vergine di Norimberga	Erich	Aka Castle of Terror and Virgin of Nuremberg
68	1963	La frusta e il corpo	Kurt Menliff	Aka The Whip and the Body and Night Is the Phantom
69	1964	Il castello dei morti vivi	Count Drago	Alternative title: Castle of the Living Dead
70	1964	La cripta e l’incubo	Count Ludwig Karnstein	Aka Crypt of the Vampire and Crypt of Horror
71	1964	The Devil-Ship Pirates	Captain Robeles
72	1964	The Gorgon	Prof. Karl Meister
73	1965	Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors	Franklyn Marsh
74	1965	She	Billali
75	1965	The Skull	Sir Matthew Phillips
76	1965	Ten Little Indians	Voice of “Mr. Owen”	Uncredited
77	1965	The Face of Fu Manchu	Dr. Fu Manchu / Lee Tao
78	1966	Theatre of Death	Philippe Darvas
79	1966	Dracula: Prince of Darkness	Count Dracula
80	1966	Rasputin, the Mad Monk	Grigori Rasputin
81	1966	Circus of Fear	Gregor	Alternative title: Psycho Circus
82	1966	The Brides of Fu Manchu	Fu Manchu
83	1967	The Vengeance of Fu Manchu	Dr. Fu Manchu
84	1967	Night of the Big Heat	Godfrey Hanson
85	1967	Five Golden Dragons	Dragon #4
86	1967	The Blood Demon	Count Frederic Regula, Graf von Andomai	Aka The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism and Castle of the Walking Dead
87	1968	Curse of the Crimson Altar	Morley
88	1968	The Devil Rides Out	Duc de Richleau
89	1968	Eve	Colonel Stuart	Alternative title: The Face of Eve
90	1968	The Blood of Fu Manchu	Fu Manchu
91	1968	Dracula Has Risen from the Grave	Count Dracula
92	1969	The Castle of Fu Manchu	Fu Manchu
93	1969	The Oblong Box	Dr. J. Neuhart
94	1969	The Magic Christian	Ship’s vampire
95	1970	Scream and Scream Again	Fremont
96	1970	Umbracle	The Man
97	1970	The Bloody Judge (es)	Lord George Jeffreys	Alternative title: Night of the Blood Monster
98	1970	Count Dracula	Count Dracula
99	1970	Taste the Blood of Dracula	Count Dracula
100	1970	One More Time	Count Dracula
101	1970	Julius Caesar	Artemidorus
102	1970	Eugenie	Dolmance	Aka Eugenie – The Story of Her Journey into Perversion
103	1970	The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes	Mycroft Holmes
104	1970	Scars of Dracula	Count Dracula
105	1971	The House That Dripped Blood	John Reid	Segment: “Sweets to the Sweet”
105	1971	Cuadecuc, vampir	Count Dracula/Himself
106	1971	I, Monster	Dr. Charles Marlowe/Edward Blake
107	1971	Hannie Caulder	Bailey
108	1972	Death Line	Stratton-Villiers, MI5	Alternative title: Raw Meat
109	1972	Nothing But the Night	Col. Charles Bingham
110	1972	Dracula A.D. 1972	Count Dracula
111	1973	Dark Places	Dr. Mandeville
112	1973	The Creeping Flesh	James Hildern
113	1973	The Satanic Rites of Dracula	Count Dracula
114	1973	Horror Express	Sir Alexander Saxton
115	1973	The Three Musketeers	Rochefort
116	1973	The Wicker Man	Lord Summerisle
117	1974	The Four Musketeers	Rochefort
118	1974	The Man with the Golden Gun	Francisco Scaramanga
119	1975	Diagnosis: Murder	Dr. Stephen Hayward
120	1975	Le boucher, la star et l’orpheline	Van Krig/Himself
121	1976	The Keeper	The Keeper
122	1976	Killer Force	Major Chilton	Alternative title: The Diamond Mercenaries
123	1976	To the Devil, A Daughter	Father Michael Rayner
124	1976	Dracula père et fils	Prince of Darkness	Alternative title: Dracula and Son
125	1976	Albino	Bill	Aka Whispering Death and Death in the Sun
126	1977	Airport ’77	Martin Wallace
127	1977	Meatcleaver Massacre	On-screen narrator	Aka Evil Force and Revenge of the Dead
128	1977	End of the World	Father Pergado / Zindar
129	1977	Starship Invasions	Captain Rameses
130	1978	Return from Witch Mountain	Dr. Victor Gannon
131	1978	Caravans	Sardar Khan
132	1978	Circle of Iron	Zetan	Alternative title: The Silent Flute
133	1979	The Passage	Gypsy
134	1979	Arabian Adventure	Alquazar
135	1979	Nutcracker Fantasy	Uncle Drosselmeyer / Street Singer / Watchmaker	Voice
136	1979	Jaguar Lives!	Adam Caine
137	1979	Bear Island	Lechinski
138	1979	1941	Capt. Wolfgang von Kleinschmidt
139	1979	Captain America II: Death Too Soon	Miguel
140	1980	Serial	Luckman Skull
141	1981	The Salamander	Prince Baldasar, the Director of Counterintelligence
142	1981	Desperate Moves	Dr. Carl Boxer
143	1981	An Eye for an Eye	Morgan Canfield
144	1982	Safari 3000	Count Borgia
145	1982	The Last Unicorn	King Haggard	Voice; also in German language version
146	1983	New Magic	Mr. Kellar
147	1983	The Return of Captain Invincible	Mr. Midnight
148	1983	House of the Long Shadows	Corrigan
149	1984	The Rosebud Beach Hotel	Mr. Clifford King
150	1985	Mask of Murder	Chief Supt. Jonathan Rich
151	1985	Howling II: Your Sister Is a Werewolf	Stefan Crosscoe
152	1986	The Girl	Peter Storm
153	1987	Jocks	President White
154	1987	Mio min Mio	Kato
155	1988	Dark Mission	Luis Morel
156	1989	Murder Story	Willard Hope
157	1989	La chute des aigles	Walter Strauss
158	1989	The Return of the Musketeers	Rochefort
159	1990	The Rainbow Thief	Uncle Rudolf
160	1990	L’avaro	Cardinale Spinosi
161	1990	Honeymoon Academy	Lazos
162	1990	Panga	–
163	1990	Gremlins 2: The New Batch	Doctor Catheter
164	1991	Curse III: Blood Sacrifice	Doctor Pearson
165	1992	Jackpot	Cedric
166	1992	Kabuto	King Philip
167	1994	Police Academy: Mission to Moscow	Cmndt. Alexandrei Nikolaivich Rakov
168	1994	Funny Man	Callum Chance
169	1994	Flesh and Blood	Narrator/Self	Last collaboration with Peter Cushing
170	1995	A Feast at Midnight	V. E. Longfellow, a.k.a. Raptor
171	1996	Welcome to the Discworld	Death
172	1996	The Stupids	Evil Sender
173	1998	Tale of the Mummy	Sir Richard Turkel
174	1998	Jinnah	Mohammed Ali Jinnah	Lee considers this to be his favourite role/most significant^[2]
175	1999	Sleepy Hollow	Burgomaster
176	2001	The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring	Saruman
177	2002	Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones	Count Dooku / Darth Tyranus
178	2002	The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers	Saruman
179	2003	The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King	Saruman	Extended Edition only
180	2004	Crimson Rivers II: Angels of the Apocalypse	Heinrich von Garten
181	2005	The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby	The Lord Provost
182	2005	Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith	Count Dooku / Darth Tyranus
183	2005	Charlie and the Chocolate Factory	Dr. Wilbur Wonka
184	2005	Corpse Bride	Pastor Galswells	Voice
185	2007	The Golden Compass	First High Councillor
186	2008	Star Wars: The Clone Wars	Count Dooku / Darth Tyranus	Voice
187	2009	Boogie Woogie	Alfred Rhinegold
188	2009	Triage	Joaquín Morales
189	2009	Glorious 39	Walter
190	2010	Alice in Wonderland	Jabberwocky	Voice
191	2010	Burke & Hare	Joseph
192	2010	The Heavy	Mr. Mason
193	2011	Season of the Witch	Cardinal D’Ambroise
194	2011	The Resident	August
195	2011	The Wicker Tree	Old Gentleman
196	2011	Grave Tales	Himself	Original version only
197	2011	Hugo	Monsieur Labisse
198	2012	The Hunting of the Snark	Narrator	Voice
199	2012	Dark Shadows	Silas Clarney
200	2012	The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey	Saruman
201	2013	Night Train to Lisbon	Father Bartolomeu
202	2013	Necessary Evil	Narrator	Voice
203	2013	The Girl from Nagasaki	Old Officer Pinkerton
204	2014	The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies	Saruman
205	2014	Extraordinary Tales		Voice
206	2015	Angels in Notting Hill	The Boss, Mr. President

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#LiamDay	NOT AVAILABLE	#MakeAMovieLessRomantic
2	#QueSeriaMiVidaSin	NOT AVAILABLE	#LiamDay
3	Marge y Homero	NOT AVAILABLE	Christopher Lee
4	Christopher Lee	NOT AVAILABLE	Ornette Coleman
5	#ConfiesoQue	NOT AVAILABLE	#SAScon
6	Perrie Malik	NOT AVAILABLE	#MyDadWouldAlwaysSay
7	#WorstChildhoodRumors	NOT AVAILABLE	#TimeToDeactivate
8	#RetoTelehit	NOT AVAILABLE	#distractinglysexy
9	Dusty Rhodes	NOT AVAILABLE	#VFintelligence
10	#BuenJueves	NOT AVAILABLE	#ROWYSOLiverpool

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Military intervention against ISIL
- A US citizen fighting alongside Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) against ISIL is killed in action near Kobani. (Today’s Zaman via AP)
Syrian Civil War
- Al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria, the Al-Nusra Front, shoots dead at least 20 Druze villagers in Idlib in what is being described as a “massacre”.(The Telegraph)
Boko Haram
- Residents of northeast Nigeria claim that Boko Haram has killed at least 43 people and burnt down three villages in recent attacks. (AFP via Yahoo! News)
Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel
- A rocket fired from the Gaza Strip towards the Ashkelon region fell short and did not land in Israel with Palestinian sources indicating it may have hit a house. There were no immediate reports of injuries, or claims of responsibility. (Times of Israel)

Arts and culture

Spain gives the late writer Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote, a formal burial at a Madrid convent nearly 400 years after his death in 1616. (AP)

Business and economics

After a poor 1st quarter earnings report, Twitter CEO Dick Costolo steps down with co-founder Jack Dorsey taking over as interim CEO effective July 1. (USA Today)
Rupert Murdoch will step aside as CEO of 21st Century Fox to be replaced by his son James Murdoch. (AFP via ABC Online)

Disasters and accidents

At least 41 people have been killed, 8 injured, and scores are missing in landslides in Nepal‘s Taplejung District caused by heavy rain. (The Hindu)

Health

Health officials in the United States are advising doctors to be on the lookout for MERS following an outbreak in South Korea. (AP via Washington Post)

International relations

NGO Save the Children
- Federal Interior Ministry of Pakistan has sealed the offices of the NGO Save the Children in Pakistan and issued order for its foreign staff to leave the country within 15 days on account of the NGO’s anti-Pakistan activities. (Express Tribune).
Nuclear program of Iran:
- A new version of the Israeli-linked malware Duqu is found at hotels hosting Iran nuclear talks by Kaspersky; Israel denies involvement. (The Guardian)

Law and crime

China‘s former security chief Zhou Yongkang is given a life sentence for bribery, leaking state secrets and abuse of power. (ABC News Australia)
Shooting of Tamir Rice
- A court in the American city of Cleveland, Ohio, finds probable cause that Cleveland Police Department officer Timothy Loehmann should face murder charges in relation to the shooting of Tamar Rice. (Cleveland.com)
King Felipe VI of Spain strips his sister Cristina of her titles after she is charged with tax evasion. (AFP via Yahoo!)
Authorities from the Marshal’s Service, the FBI, Customs, state and local police, and the Forest Police searching for 6 days in northeastern New York (about 25 miles south of the Canadian border, near Lake Champlain and Vermont, in the Adirondack Forest area, in Dannemora, New Yorkand Plattsburgh, New York) for two high-risk murderers who staged an elaborate escape from the high-security Clinton Correctional Facility– the first there- the night of Friday, June 5, 2015 (it was discovered the next morning), using bloodhounds, find a scent and leftover evidence that could be from the two, Richard Matt and David Sweat. (CNN)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

June 14, 2015

Top News Stories –

Philae comet lander wakes up, says European Space Agency –
The European Space Agency (Esa) says its comet lander, Philae, has woken up and contacted Earth. Philae, the first spacecraft to land on a comet, was dropped on to the surface of Comet 67P by its mothership, Rosetta, last November. It worked for 60 hours before its solar-powered battery ran flat. The comet has since moved nearer to the Sun and Philae has enough power to work again, says the BBC’s science correspondent Jonathan Amos. An account linked to the probe tweeted the message, “Hello Earth! Can you hear me?” On its blog, Esa said Philae had contacted Earth, via Rosetta, for 85 seconds on Saturday in the first contact since going into hibernation in November.

Artist’s impression of the Philae lander

Jurassic World takes $511m in record opening weekend –
The fourth instalment in the Jurassic Park series has become the first film to take more than $500m at the box office on its opening weekend. Jurassic World was the most popular screening in all 66 countries where it was released. The film made $204.6m (£131.4m) in the US, according to the firm Exhibitor Relations. It took $100m in China and $29.6m (£19m) in the UK and Ireland as part of the record global total of $511.8m. The Universal Pictures release had the second-highest grossing opening weekend in the US. The record is held by Marvel’s The Avengers, which took $207.4m in 2012. [BBC] See Video of the Day

Video of the Day –

Jurassic World – Official Global Trailer

List of the Day –

Biggest Worldwide film openings since 2002 [from Wikipedia]

Rank	Film	Year	Opening (USD)^[1]
1	Jurassic World	2015	$511,800,000
2	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2	2011	$483,189,427
3	Furious 7	2015	$397,627,459
4	Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince	2009	$394,022,354
5	Marvel’s The Avengers	2012	$392,538,708
6	Avengers: Age of Ultron	2015	$392,471,109
7	Transformers: Dark of the Moon	2011	$382,425,000
8	Spider-Man 3	2007	$381,660,892
9	Iron Man 3	2013	$372,553,677
10	Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides	2011	$350,653,677
11	Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End	2007	$343,972,864
12	The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2	2012	$340,667,634
13	Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix	2007	$332,715,157
14	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1	2010	$330,017,372
15	Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith	2005	$303,949,700
16	Transformers: Age of Extinction	2014	$302,138,390
17	The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1	2011	$291,022,261
18	The Twilight Saga: New Moon	2009	$274,939,137
19	The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1	2014	$273,897,634
20	Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull	2008	$272,150,927
21	X-Men: Days of Future Past	2014	$262,866,321
22	The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King	2003	$250,000,534
23	The Dark Knight Rises	2012	$248,887,295
24	Avatar	2009	$241,571,046
25	The Da Vinci Code	2006	$232,074,037
26	2012	2009	$230,470,474
27	The Twilight Saga: Eclipse	2010	$228,893,465
28	The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey	2012	$222,617,303
29	Iron Man 2	2010	$220,766,270
30	Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen	2009	$219,921,171
31	Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs	2009	$218,430,064
32	The Hunger Games	2012	$211,785,747
33	Alice in Wonderland	2010	$210,101,023
34	The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug	2013	$209,845,197
35	Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban	2004	$207,197,367
36	War of the Worlds	2005	$203,061,125
37	Man of Steel	2013	$201,981,486
38	The Matrix Revolutions	2003	$201,390,000
39	Iron Man	2008	$201,174,140

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#ARGENTINARMY	Roc Nation	Toke
2	#AskRachel	#zayniscomingback	#GETWELLSOONCALUM
3	#ComoOdioAEsosQue	#FlagDay	Rolf Harris
4	Bolivia	#ICouldUseALittleMore	Snowden
5	Fede Bal	#NWC2015	#zayniscomingback
6	Jurassic World	#RedFlags	#UFC188
7	Dave Grohl	#MITB	#SLOvENG
8	#GoodForYou	Tbilisi	Michael
9	#AssistamTeuOlharFLY	Good Sunday	#HappyBirthdayJesy
10	Vuoso	#GETWELLSOONCALUM	Townsend

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
- War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
  - Fifteen Taliban militants, including the shadow governor for Kunar Province, are killed in a NATO airstrike. (IANS via Business Standard)
- Syrian Civil War
  - Thousands of Syrians flee into Turkey as Kurdish fighters come closer to capturing the border town of Tell Abyad from Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. (AP)
Disasters and accidents
- 2015 Tbilisi flood
  - Flooding in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, destroys animal enclosures at a zoo resulting in the release of potentially dangerous animals and the death of three zookeepers and six other people. (AP), (USA Today), (Reuters, DPA via WA Today)
Health
- 2015 Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak in South Korea
  - A South Korean man is hospitalised in the Slovak capital Bratislava with symptoms of MERS as the death toll in Korea rises to 15. (Sky News Australia), (Al-Jazeera)
International relations
- Save The Children
  - Ministry of Interior, Government of Pakistan has suspended its order against the NGO Save the Children for closure of its working and allowed the international aid agency to resume its operation in Pakistan. (Express Tribune) (ARY Digital )
- A South Korean official claims that North Korea is placing land mines in the Korean Demilitarized Zone to stop soldiers from defecting. The Korean DMZ already contains an estimated 1 million mines. (Yonhap)
Law and crime
- International Criminal Court investigation in Darfur
  - The International Criminal Court asks South Africa to arrest the President of Sudan Omar al-Bashir for alleged war crimes when he arrives at the African Union summit. (AFP via Straits-Times
  - The High Court in Pretoria grants an interim order preventing the President of Sudan Omar al-Bashir from leaving South Africa, and postpones the application for his arrest to Monday 15 June, 2015 to allow the government more time to prepare. (News24) (News24)
Politics and elections
- Thousands of people march in Hong Kong to demand the Legislative Council reject a China backed proposal for the naming of candidates forChief Executive be done by a nominating committee. (Bloomberg)
Science
- The European Space Agency‘s Philae spacecraft wakes up after six months in hibernation as comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko gets closer to the sun. (BBC)
Sport
- In motor sport, the Porsche 19 team of Earl Bamber, Nick Tandy and Nico Hulkenberg wins the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans. (Fox Sports)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 18, 2015

Top News Stories –

South Korea spy kills himself amid hacking scandal –
An employee of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) spying agency has been found dead in his car after apparently taking his own life on a mountain road, police say. His death comes as a scandal over phone-hacking gathers pace. The man left a suicide note admitting that he had deleted important information about the hacking. It has emerged that mobile phones were tracked and monitored just before the presidential election in 2012. [BBC]

North Korean elections – not too close to call –
Worker’s Party expected to fare well in polls this Sunday with only one name on ballot paper and punishment for anyone who fails to endorse Kim Jong-un’s policies. To indicate support for the approved candidate, the voter goes into a booth and carries out his democratic duty. Anyone who does not agree with the name on the ballot paper must go to a different booth and cross out the candidate’s name. With the every move closely scrutinised, it would be an act of extreme bravery in a nation that is not known for tolerating dissenting voices for that to happen. [Daily Telegraph]
Kim Jong-un (sketch)

Bratz are back after Barbie owner fails to kill franchise –
After almost a decade of a back-and-forth legal battle between Mattel and Bratz-owner MGA, the spunky dolls are back and ready to take on an already weak Barbie. Years before toys of Frozen characters knocked Barbie off her perennial perch, a gaggle of ethnically-diverse fashionistas known as Bratz temporarily toppled the word-famous doll – and now they’re back after winning a protracted legal battle with Barbie-owner Mattel.
Bratz, which first came to market in 2001, is relaunching this weekend with a revamped look, an extra character and new range of accessories in an attempt to regain its place at the top of toytown. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Chuck Jones – The Evolution of an Artist from Tony Zhou on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#ZaynAppreciationDay	McCain	#lyricsthatshouldbeshouted
2	Stereo Kicks	#UFCGlasgow	#ZaynAppreciationDay
3	#ArianaRESPECTLouis	#MandelaDay	Nazi
4	あなたの心の壁	#arianarespectlouis	#ImInWorkJeremy
5	#MeGustaCuando	#OTRAVancouver	#RIPJules
6	#RIPJules	#LyricsThatShouldBeShouted	Jules Bianchi
7	DEIXA ELE SOFRER MUSIC VIDEO	#GrowingUpWithSiblings	#UFCGlasgow
8	ICFES	Van Miller	#ArianaRESPECTLouis
9	#OTRAVancouver	#ROWYSOVegas	Stereo Kicks
10	jules bianchi	#LouisAppreciationDay	#DavisCup

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Terrorism in Pakistan
- In a failed suicide blast, a security guard intercepted a suicide bomber clad in female clothing attempting to enter Quetta’s Hazara town, who then detonated their device that contained 6 to 7 Kg of explosive material, killing themselves and the guard. (Dawn).
Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)
- The Kurdish‘s People’s Protection Units and independent monitors accuse ISIL of using poison gas while fighting in northern Syria late in June.(Reuters)
- Saudi Arabia arrests 431 people accused of links to Islamic State. (Al-Arabiyah)
- ISIL claims responsibility for kidnapping three African Christians in Libya. (Reuters via Trust)
War in Donbass, Timeline of the war in Donbass (July 2015–present)
- Three civilians have been killed in shelling in the Donbass town of Avdiivka. Despite being in government-held territory local residents claimed they were fired on by pro-Ukrainian forces. (Reuters)
Sinai insurgency
- Militants kill at least five soldiers in attacks on two Egyptian Army checkpoints. (AP via ABC America)

Disasters and accidents

At least four people are dead, seven injured and a girl trapped as a four story building collapses in West Delhi in India‘s National Capital Territory of Delhi. (NDTV)

2015 Cajon Pass wildfire
- The wildfire burning in San Bernardino County, California has burned over 3,500 acres, and destroyed 16 homes and other buildings. The fire has also burned over 60 passenger vehicles and tractor-trailers. (CBS-Los Angeles)

Law and crime

2015 Chattanooga shootings
- The sailor wounded in Thursday’s shooting at two military installations in Chattanooga, Tennessee, dies a little after 2 a.m. Saturday, bringing the death toll of the shooting to five. (Chattanooga Times-Free Press)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 29, 2015

Top News Stories –

Windows 10 launch: Microsoft releases new operating system –
Microsoft starts rolling out its new operating system, Windows 10, to customers around the world today, with members of its ‘Insider’ programme being the first to receive the free upgrade. Following a hostile reception to Windows 8, which launched in 2012 and introduced the concept of ‘live tiles’ for touch-based computing, Microsoft decided to bypass Windows 9 and jump straight to Windows 10, combining what it describes as the “best elements” of Windows 7 and Windows 8. Live tiles still feature in Windows 10, offering shortcuts to the user’s favourite applications, but are far less obtrusive than in Windows 8. Microsoft has also brought back the Start menu from Windows 7, allowing users to browse through a list of their most-used programs. [Daily Telegraph] See List of the Day

Gerard Depardieu banned from Ukraine for supporting Russia over Crimea –
Gerard Depardieu has been banned from Ukraine for five years for making public comments suggesting he supported Russia’s annexation of Crimea. The Ukrainian Security Service, the country’s main successor agency to the KGB, said the 66-year old French film star had been added to a blacklist of public figures considered hostile to Ukraine in its on-going confrontation with Russia. “The SBU has decided to ban Mr Depardieu for 5 years on the recommendation of the ministry of culture,” agency spokesman Elena Gitlyanskaya said. [Daily Telegraph]
Gerard Depardieu

Video of the Day –

1 Man + 12 Hairstyles

List of the Day –

Windows Operating Systems history [from Wikipedia]

Date	Title	Architecture
20 November 1985	Windows 1.0	x86 – 16-bit
9 December 1987	Windows 2.0	x86 – 16-bit
27 May 1988	Windows 2.10	x86 – 16-bit
13 March 1989	Windows 2.11	x86 – 16-bit
22 May 1990	Windows 3.0	x86 – 16-bit
20 October 1991	Windows 3.0 with Multimedia Extensions	x86 – 16-bit
6 April 1992	Windows 3.1	x86 – 16-bit
27 October 1992	Windows for Workgroups 3.1	x86 – 16-bit
27 July 1993	Windows NT 3.1	IA-32, DEC Alpha, MIPS
8 November 1993	Windows for Workgroups 3.11	x86 – 16-bit
21 September 1994	Windows NT 3.5	IA-32, DEC Alpha, MIPS
30 May 1995	Windows NT 3.51	IA-32, DEC Alpha, MIPS, PowerPC
24 August 1995	Windows 95	IA-32
24 August 1996	Windows NT 4.0	IA-32, DEC Alpha, MIPS, PowerPC
25 June 1998	Windows 98	IA-32
5 May 1999	Windows 98 SE	IA-32
17 February 2000	Windows 2000	IA-32
14 September 2000	Windows ME	IA-32
25 October 2001	Windows XP	IA-32
25 October 2001^[1]	Windows XP 64-Bit Edition (v2002)	Itanium
31 October 2002	Windows XP Media Center Edition	IA-32
28 March 2003^[2]	Windows XP 64-Bit Edition (v2003)	Itanium
24 April 2003	Windows Server 2003	IA-32, x64, Itanium
30 September 2003	Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004	IA-32
12 October 2004	Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005	IA-32
25 April 2005	Windows XP Professional x64 Edition	x64
6 December 2005	Windows Server 2003 R2	IA-32, x64, Itanium
8 July 2006	Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs	IA-32
8 November 2006	Windows Vista for Business use	IA-32, x64
30 January 2007	Windows Vista for Home use; released in fifty countries	IA-32, x64
7 November 2007	Windows Home Server	IA-32, x64
27 February 2008	Windows Server 2008	IA-32, x64
22 October 2009	Windows 7	IA-32, x64
22 October 2009	Windows Server 2008 R2	x64
6 April 2011	Windows Home Server 2011	x64
4 September 2012	Windows Server 2012	x64
26 October 2012	Windows 8	IA-32, x64
26 October 2012	Windows RT	ARM
18 October 2013	Windows 8.1	IA-32, x64
18 October 2013	Windows RT 8.1	ARM
18 October 2013	Windows Server 2012 R2	x64
29 July 2015	Windows 10	IA-32, x64, ARM

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	Nuno Silva	#ChangeTheWorldIn5Words	#Windows10
2	#BackToBack	#SamDubose	#RIPBuddy
3	#Windows10	Mullah Omar	#CaliforniaMusicVideo
4	#قبل_١٥_سنه	#DirtyPolitics	Sir Peter O’Sullevan
5	#OTRAKansasCity	#NationalLipstickDay	Calais
6	#MasterChefBR	Robert Kraft	#BackToBack
7	#RIPBuddy	#NationalChickenWingDay	#PLLChat
8	Mullah Omar	#BackToBack	#ChangeTheWorldIn5Words
9	Cristian Castro	#HarryPotterAMovie	#ManBooker2015
10	#SamDubose	#UnplannedParenthood	#HarryPotterAMovie

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
- The Afghan government claims that Taliban leader Mohammad Omar died in April 2013 in Pakistan of natural causes. (BBC) (Reuters)
War in North-West Pakistan
- Malik Ishaq, leader of the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, is killed during a shootout in which supporters of the group ambushed a prisoner convoy. The shootout killed 13 of the attackers, injured six police officers, and also killed two of Ishaq’s sons. (New York Times)

Disasters and accidents

The Wragg Fire in Northern California continues to burn at 80% containment with over 6,991 acres being destroyed and mandatory evacuations.(KQED)
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
- Debris found near the Indian Ocean island of Réunion is consistent with material from a Boeing 777 and is being examined to confirm whether it is from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. (CNN)
At least 27 people are killed and 149 injured after a out of control truck runs into a religious procession in the Mexican state of Zacatecas. (AP viaWashington Post)

Health

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia announces that 8-year old Zion Harvey became the first pediatric patient to receive a double hand transplant earlier this month. (ABC)

International relations

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari visits neighboring Cameroon to bolster support for a multinational army to fight Boko Haram. (AP viaWashington Post)

Law and crime

University of Cincinnati Police officer Ray Tensing is charged with murder for the July 19, 2015 shooting death of Samuel DuBose. (Yahoo News)
Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeffrey Rosell announces that Adrian Jerry Gonzalez, a 15-year-old will be tried as an adult in the murder of 8-year-old Madyson Middleton. (ABC News)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

October 27, 2015

Top News Stories –

Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez announce divorce after two years of marriage –
Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry and her French actor husband, Olivier Martinez, said on Tuesday they are divorcing after two years of marriage. It is the third divorce for Berry, 49, who has a two-year-old son with Martinez. The couple cited irreconcilable differences, according to celebrity website TMZ.com. Berry in 2002 became the only black actress to win an Academy Award for a lead role, clinching the Oscar for her performance in Monster’s Ball. [Daily Telegraph]
Halle Berry

Darth Vader supporter Chewbacca arrested in Ukraine –
It’s a sentence we never thought we’d write, but here goes: Chewbacca has been arrested in Ukraine after police say they caught him campaigning for Darth Vader. A candidate, using the identity of the Star Wars Sith Lord has been running in local elections in the city of Odessa. It’s claimed the man dressed as Chewbacca had broken election day rules by campaigning on voting day. It’s being reported Chewbacca was fined the equivalent of a fiver. He’d arrived at a polling station along with the candidate when police stepped in. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Create & Explore 009 – Braden Lee x HWLS from Create & Explore on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#AMAs1D	#BlackCatDay	#BlackCatDay
2	#FelizMartes	#HappyBirthday1989	#AssaultAtSpringValleyHigh
3	#كلمه_تتحرك_في�…	#AMAs1D	#charitytuesday
4	Pujol	Don Lemon	Philip French
5	#شي_حلو_بحرف_ال…	Greenland Is Melting Away	Trigger
6	#TengoGanasDe	Halle Berry	#AMAs1D
7	Ravens	#AdviceForTeenagersIn4Words	Chris Grayling
8	처녀자리	Coke Zoo	#ScreamQueens
9	Bro Ocholla	#IWillOnlyDateYouIf	#3daysTilFocus
10	#UKVOTY1D	#IDontBelongToYou	#stateofthenorth

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
- A Yemeni hospital in Saada run by Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) is destroyed by several Saudi-led coalition airstrikes overnight. The director of the hospital, Ali Mughli, reported “The air raids resulted in the destruction of the entire hospital with all that was inside – devices and medical supplies – and the moderate wounding of several people”. Another airstrike hit a nearby girls school and damaged several civilian homes according to local media. UNICEF said the Saada hospital was the 39th health center hit in Yemen since March. The Saudi-led coalition denies that its planes had hit the hospital. (Reuters)
Syrian Civil War, Destruction of cultural heritage by ISIL
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports the Islamic State, on Sunday, executed three detainees in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra by strapping them to pillars and blowing them up with the antiquities. ISIL has yet to tell locals the identities of the three individuals or say why they had been killed. (BBC) (USA Today)
American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–present), American-led intervention in Syria
- United States Defense Secretary Ashton Carter says the U.S. will begin “direct action on the ground” against the ISIL forces in Iraq and Syria, aiming to intensify pressure on the militants as progress against the militants remains elusive. The U.S. has done some special operations raids in Syria, e.g., last week’s rescue operation with Kurdish forces in northern Iraq to free hostages held by ISIL. Carter also said the U.S. would intensify the air campaign against ISIL with heavier airstrikes and will focus on Raqqa, the group’s declared capital in Syria. (NBC News) (Al Jazeera) (AP via Boston Globe)
Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- A Libyan helicopter carrying cash for a local bank on the way out and returning to Tripoli with passengers is shot down near the coastal Almaya area west of the capital city, killing at least 14 of its 23 passengers including senior officers Hosein Bodaya and Duhain Al-Rammah, officials with Libya’s Dawn militias. (AP via ABC News) (BBC) (UPI)
Israeli-Palestinian conflict (2015)
- Three Palestinians are shot dead after attacking Israeli soldiers with knives in the occupied West Bank. Jerusalem’s Hadassah Hospital reports that 76-year old American-Israeli Richard Lakin, who was critically injured in a bus attack on October 13, 2015, died of his injuries. (Reuters) (Israel Hayom)
War in North-West Pakistan
- Pakistan says seven of its soldiers have been killed in the South Waziristan tribal region by fire from across the border with Afghanistan. The soldiers belonged to the Frontier Corps; the attack targeted a checkpoint northeast of the border village ofAngoor Adda. (UPI) (BBC)

Business and economics

In a plea bargain with U.S. federal prosecutors, Rohit Bansal, a former Goldman Sachs banker accused of using private information leaked by source inside the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, has agreed to plead guilty. The leaked information was said to have given Goldman an undue advantage regarding client advisement. Goldman also faces fines from the New York State’s Department of Financial Services. (New York Times)
Walgreens Boots Alliance agrees to buy Rite Aid for US$9.4 billion in a move which will create a retail pharmaceutical giant with 13,000 stores. (Dow Jones via Fox Business)
Northrop Grumman, the developer of the Air Force’s current bomber, the B-2, beats out the Boeing–Lockheed Martin team and is awarded the Pentagon contract to build a fleet of stealthy planes known as the Long Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B).(Washington Post) (CNN)

Disasters and accidents

2015 Hindu Kush earthquake
- Rescuers continue a search for survivors of the earthquake in Afghanistan and Pakistan including in areas controlled by the Taliban. The death toll from the earthquake is 339 with many thousands injured. (AFP via ABC News) (Himalayan Times)
- The Taliban, which effectively controls some of the worst-affected areas across multiple provinces, urged charity organizations not to hold back in delivering aid to Afghan victims of the quake, saying militants in the affected areas were ordered to provide “complete help.” (Reuters) (Daily Star)
2015 Southeast Asian haze
- Raging Indonesian forest fires have advanced into dense forest on Borneo and now threaten one third of the world’s remaining wild orangutans, say conservationists. (South China Morning Post) (ABC news)

International relations

Territorial disputes in the South China Sea, China–United States relations
- A United States Navy ship, the USS Lassen, sails near the Spratly Islands, challenging Beijing‘s claim that the islands are Chinese territory. China‘s Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the actions of the United States in the South China Sea, saying “China will firmly react to this deliberate provocation”. (Wall Street Journal) (NPR) (The New York Times)
- Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui summons US ambassador Max Baucus to protest a US naval patrol close to Beijing’s man-made islands in the South China Sea. Zhang called the US patrol “extremely irresponsible” and urged Washington to cease actions that harm China’s sovereignty and security. (Hong Kong Standard) (The Guardian)
- Greg Poling, a director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, says the U.S. operation was aimed at testing control of the seas, not sovereignty over the disputed islands, to force a clarification of China’s claims. Undermaritime law, artificial islands were not usually afforded the 12-mile territorial zone, and that the U.S. Navy deliberately chose to send the destroyer near Subi Reef for this reason. (CNN)
Humanitarian International Services Group, an NGO founded by evangelical Christian Kay Miramine, was part of a secret Pentagon program devised by Lt. Gen. William Boykin used to spy on North Korea, according to an investigation by the online publication The Intercept. The program, which started in 2004, was shut down in 2012 by now-retired Admiral William McRaven, concerned with pushback if this became public. Some current and former American NGO staff with experience in North Korea have expressed doubts about key claims in the report. (The Intercept) (Christian Post) (NK News)
Syrian Civil War
- Iran is invited to attend the next round of talks over Syria’s future, along with the representatives from the United States, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Britain, France, Germany, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Nations mediator forSyria, Staffan de Mistura. The next round of the “Vienna II” meeting is expected to start tomorrow and continue Friday in Vienna, Austria. (Irish Examiner) (Reuters) (Sputnik News) (New York Times)
- United Nations humanitarian chief Stephen O’Brien tells the Security Council the worsening conflict in Syria has left 13.5 million people in need of aid and some form of protection, including more than six million children. (AP) (Arab News)
The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly condemns the U.S. embargo of Cuba in its first vote on the matter since the start of normalization of relations between the two countries. The largely symbolic tally on the unenforceable resolution was 191 to 2 (U.S., Israel). (UPI) (AP via ABC News)

Law and crime

Guatemala arrests 11 in a public hospital, medicine-buying kickback scheme. Two others remain at large, including Gustavo Alejos Cambara, the former private secretary to ex-President Álvaro Colom. A U.N. commission set up to tackle criminal networks in Guatemala participated in the investigation. (AP)

Politics and elections

Britain is reviewing the powers of the House of Lords after the unelected peers stalled legislation yesterday that would have eliminated some tax allowances for the nation’s poor. Senior Conservatives say the upper chamber of Parliament stepped out of their usual roles as technical overseers of legislation. However, Conservative MP David Davis warned that such a move was “bully politics” that would “disgust” the public. (BBC) (AP via Washington Post)
Ivorian presidential election, 2015
- Partial results from Sunday’s election give Ivory Coast’s President Alassane Ouattara an overwhelming lead (83.18 percent) on the way to a second five-year term. This weekend’s vote was judged to be peaceful and transparent by observers, making it the first in Côte d’Ivoire’s history not to be marred by serious rights violations or irregularities. (Reuters) (Financial Times) (Abidjan.net)

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January 13, 2016

Top News Stories –

Winning tickets in the nearly $1.6-billion Powerball lottery were sold in California, Florida and Tennessee, officials said on Thursday, leaving at least three people to split the record-setting jackpot. California Lottery officials confirmed that the winning six numbers had been purchased at a convenience store outside Los Angeles, as well as at locations in Florida and Tennessee. The identity of the winners was not yet known. Lottery officials said it could be several hours before it is known whether there are other winners in the 44 states, Washington, D.C. and two U.S. territories where Powerball is played. In Chino Hills, a suburb east of Los Angeles, crowds descended on a 7-Eleven store where the winning ticket had been bought, snapping pictures and congratulating staff. The store will receive a $1-million bonus for selling the ticket. The odds of picking a winning combination were 1 in 292 million. [Daily Mail]

Video of the Day –

Prison Da Vinci No. 1 Painting With Skittles from TCOLondon on Vimeo.

List of the Day –

The final 100 Sexiest Women List from FHM Magazine (closing after 30 years)

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#QuartaSnapDetremuraSdv	#MakeAPromise	#WednesdayWisdom
2	#FelizMiercoles	#WednesdayWisdom	#NationalAnthem
3	#زد_رصيدك61	#1lineWed	#SOTU
4	#WednesdayWisdom	#BigBlockOfCheeseDay	#BenefitsLobby
5	#ALDUBTheBAEisBACK	#DST1913	#MakeAPromise
6	#كيف_تعرف_انه_ا…	#FriendsReunion	#StargazingLive
7	#ذكري_بيعه_الم�…	#IfIWonPowerball	#wifm16
8	#MeAgarraUnAtaqueSi	#NYSOS	Tiffany
9	#kamervoorzitter	Deltas	#PLLChat
10	#AnittaLugarDeGemerÉNaCama	Hump Day	#DerrenBrown

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Terrorism in Pakistan
- At least 15 people are killed and dozens injured after a bomb explodes near a polio centre near the Pakistani city of Quetta. (Samaa)
Korean border incidents
- South Korean soldiers fire warning shots at a suspected North Korean drone near the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The “unidentified flying object” was spotted around 29 miles north of Seoul, near South Korea’s Dora Observation Post. (Sky News)
War in Afghanistan
- Islamic State militants attack Pakistan’s consulate in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, killing 9 people and injuring 12 more. (NDTV)
Syrian Civil War
- Following the death of its leader, Zahran Alloush, Jaysh al-Islam names Essam al-Buwaydhani as its new leader. (The News Hub)
2016 Istanbul bombing
- Turkish Interior Minister Efkan Ala says yesterday’s ISIS suicide bomber had registered with Turkish immigration authorities but was not on any known militant suspects list. (Reuters)
- Turkish police arrest three people with Russian citizenship in the southern province of Adana on suspicion of belonging to ISIS. (ABC News) (Leader Call)

Arts and culture

Three winning Powerball lottery tickets are sold in the U.S. states of California, Florida, and Tennessee. Each will share the estimated jackpot of US $1.6 billion dollars, the largest lottery jackpot in world history. (ABC News)

Business and economy

Al Jazeera America announces that it will close in April due to poor ratings. (The New York Times)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Atlantic hurricane season
- Subtropical Storm Alex is located 785 miles (1,260 km) south-southwest of the Azores. Alex is one of just four tropical or subtropical storms to occur in January since 1851, the first year records were kept. The hurricane season begins on June 1 of each year. Alex is expected to hit the Azores on Friday with average rain accumulations of 3 to 5 inches. (The Washington Post) (NHC)
An avalanche kills three and injures one at the Les Deux Alpes ski resort in Isère département of the French Alps. Officials are searching for other possible victims. (CNN)

International relations

Iran–United States relations
- Iran claims that it has interrogated ten United States Navy personnel that it captured allegedly in its territorial waters. (Sky News Australia)
- All 10 U.S. sailors are freed by Iran and are in U.S. custody. The U.S. Naval Forces Central Command says, “There are no indications that the sailors were harmed during their brief detention.” (The Washington Post)
Israel–Sweden relations
- Israel says Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström is no longer welcome in the country after she called for investigations into “suspected extrajudicial executions” of Palestinians by the Israeli army. Sweden has for many years financed NGOs such as B’Tselem and Breaking the Silence operating in Israel. (Breaking Israel News)
Cuba–United States relations
- A major indication that relations between Cuba and the U.S. are increasingly normalized will be the island nation’s participation later this month at an annual Caribbean security conference in Jamaica, according to the outgoing head of the United States Southern Command, General John F. Kelly. (Military Times)

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January 19, 2016

Top News Stories –

North Korea claims to invent ‘alcohol which doesn’t give you hangover’ –
They already claim to have cured cancer, Aids and Ebola with a miracle drug produced from ginseng root.
Now North Korean scientists seem to have scaled new heights of greatness with their latest invention – a special blend of liquor which doesn’t give you a hangover. According to the state-controlled newspaper Pyongyang Times, the drink also relies on ginseng root for its medicinal qualities and has been hailed as a “national scientific and technological hit.” The recipe replaces sugar with burnt rice, supposedly eliminating the liquor’s bitter taste along with any risks of a hangover. The drink “is suave and causes no hangovers”, claimed the Pyongyang Times piece, which was entitled: “Liquor wins quality medal for preserving national smack.” It is the latest in a string of outlandish claims made by North Korea’s state media, which once congratulated its supreme commander for learning to drive at the age of three. [Daily Telegraph]

Twitter down in global outage –
Twitter went offline on Tuesday morning for users of both its website and mobile apps. Visitors to the social network were met with a “Something is technically wrong” message on a blue background. Twitter’s status page said: “Some users are currently experiencing problems accessing Twitter. We are aware of the issue and are working towards a resolution.” “Something is technically wrong,” a notice on the Twitter website said. “Thanks for noticing – we’re going to fix it up and have things back to normal soon.” At around 10am service resumed as usual, although was down again shortly before midday and at various times over Tuesday afternoon. [Daily Telegraph] The social network later said an “internal code change” had led to the problem, which lasted six hours 10 minutes. “We reverted the change, which fixed the issue,” it added.
Twitter error page

Video of the Day –

NYC Gifathon from James Curran on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#TercaDetremuraSdv	#NationalPopcornDay	#LHHNY
2	#FelizMartes	Sarah Palin	#NationalPopcornDay
3	#زد_رصيدك67	#TravelTuesday	#CharityTuesday
4	#ALDUBFirstCondition	#HowIStaySaneInMyWorkspace	#ThingsThatShouldBeIllegal
5	#كلمه_تعور_قلبي	#BeliebersDay	#universitychallenge
6	조경태	#1YearOfWorthIt	#BlueMonday
7	#CorridaMalucaNoClubeSDV	#twitterdown	#TheUndateables
8	#HrantDink	Edgar Allan Poe	Aunt Viv
9	#BeliebersDay	#MISOTS16	Angie
10	#NationalPopcornDay	#InequalityIs	Glenn Frey

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in North-West Pakistan
- At least 9 people are killed and 35 injured after a suicide bomber strikes near a security checkpoint near Peshawar, Pakistan. (Geo TV), (AFP via RTE)
Syrian Civil War
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claims that scores of Syrian Army troops have been killed in fighting with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant over the past few days with the fiercest battles near the city of Deir ez-Zor. (Jerusalem Post)
Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- The United Nations Commission on Human Rights releases a report stating that at least 18,802 civilians have been killed and another 36,245 wounded between 1 January 2014 and 31 October 2015 with approximately half the deaths occuring in Baghdad. (United Nations)

Arts and culture

Pakistan lifts a three year ban on YouTube after Google launches a local version that allows the government to demand removal of material it considers to be offensive. (Reuters via Youtube)

Business and economy

The price of oil drops below $28 a barrel, the lowest since 2003. (The Huffington Post via MSN)

Disasters and accidents

The roof of the renovated Hôtel Ritz in Paris is damaged by fire just weeks before the planned re-opening. (BBC) (Reuters)

International relations

OIC and Iran-Saudi relations
- Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister has left Tehran for Saudi Arabia for participation in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation ministerial meeting in Jeddah which was called for by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to discuss the consequence of attack at Saudi Embassy in Tehran following the execution of Shia Muslim cleric Sheikh Nimr. (IRIB World Service) (OIC)

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February 13, 2016

Top News Stories –

Bill Murray hurled fans phones of a rooftop –
Bill Murray is accused of going all Naomi Campbell on some fans who tried to take his photo in the tranquil seaside town of Carmel, CA … and now cops are investigating. Bill was hanging out at the Vesuvio rooftop lounge, a popular watering hole for celebs playing in the annual Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tourney. It’s going on now, and Bill is playing. The owner of the restaurant, Scott Pepe, tells us Bill wasn’t drinking … he just got really pissed when a few patrons got starstruck and took his pic. The fans were pretty obvious, with flashes going off only 10 feet away from Bill, according to Scott. He says Bill got so angry he got up and chucked their phones off the 2nd story rooftop. Police spoke to the star of Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day but decided not to press charges. Instead, the owners of the phones were happy to be compensated. [TMZ]
Bill Murray

Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2016/02/12/bill-murray-throws-phones-carmel-restaurant/#ixzz40F2rItkn
This painting is ‘too obscene’ for Facebook –
This image is of the painting Ice Cream which was created in 1964 by one of the world’s first pop artists, Evelyne Axell. It was uploaded last week by the Philadelphia Museum of Art however censors removed it shortly afterwards. The museum says Facebook told them it shows “excessive amounts of skin or suggestive content”. Far from obscene, experts at the museum described the painting as “challenging typical standards by showing women…and their playful characteristics”. [BBC Newsbeat]
Phila Museum of Art tweet

Video of the Day –

InFrame – Zun Lee from InFrame on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#InternetFriendsDay	#InternetFriendsDay	#WALvSCO
2	#اشياء_تحب_ريح�…	#MakeAnUnromanticFilmRomantic	#InternetFriendsDay
3	#SabadoDetremuraSdv	#ILoveNewYork	#FirstDates
4	#DiaMundialDeLaRadio	#ShamelessGreetingCards	#FENTYxPUMA
5	SEU DENTE É FALSO	#toyfair2016	#GrahamNorton
6	#FelizSabado	#MSC2016	#LarriesDeserveRespect
7	#ماذا_ستفعل_با�…	#edcampiowa	#MrSelfridge
8	#WorldRadioDay	#LA2016	#MakeAnUnromanticFilmRomantic
9	#ALDUBValentinesDate	#TTLSummit	#TeamTylerAndKorey
10	#LittleMixMelhorQ5H	Michigan Legionnaires	#WorldRadioDay

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- Saudi Arabia is sending troops and fighter jets to Turkey‘s Incirlik Air Base ahead of a planned ground invasion of Syria. Turkey’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu confirmed the deployment inAdana near the Syria–Turkey border, but said the numbers had not been confirmed. (The Independent)
- Turkey says its military shelled Kurdish PYD positions in Azaz, in northern Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports the Menagh Military Airbase and a nearby village, recently captured by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces group, were also hit. (Reuters)
- Syrian government forces, backed by Russian air strikes, capture another rebel-held village near Aleppo, according to a Russian source. In the last two days, the Syrian Army captured positions at theHama and Raqqa provincial border, and is set to move against the Islamic State in the Raqqa Governorate, according to a Syrian military source. (Reuters) (AP via Observer–Reporter}
- Asked to assess the chances of the ceasefire deal succeeding, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says 49 percent while German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier says 51 percent (Reuters)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- Several Sangin security force members are killed by Taliban suicide attacks, using captured military Humvee vehicles, in the southern Afghan province of Helmand. (Reuters)
Northern Mali conflict
- Ansar Dine, a militant Islamist group linked to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claims responsibility for yesterday’s attack on a United Nations base in Kidal, northern Mali, that killed six UN peacekeepers, all from neighboring Guinea. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Taiwan earthquake
- The death toll from the earthquake rises to 113 with four people still in the rubble of the Weiguan Golden Dragon high-rise tower in Tainan. (AP via Philly News)
A huge fire engulfs the under-construction Abu Dhabi Plaza in Astana, Kazakhstan. (RT)
A dangerous cold snap hits the northeastern United States with the city of Boston, Massachusetts, to face its coldest Valentine’s Day in four decades. (Reuters)
At least three people are killed and more than 50 hospitalized from a 50-plus-car pileup amid strong winds and a whiteout along, the now closed, I-78 near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in the U.S. More than 70 people are in a shelter at Jonestown Fire Station. (NBC News) (Philadelphia Inquirer)
The U.S. Geological Survey reports a magnitude 5.1 earthquake strike in Oklahoma, the state’s third strongest quake, northwest of Oklahoma City. No damage or injuries are reported. Oklahoma has recently experienced a surge in seismic activity, leading to calls for the governor to make changes to oil- and gas-drilling regulations. (Reuters) (USGS)

International relations

Cold War II
- At the 52nd Munich Security Conference in Germany, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says that NATO and Russia are “not in a cold-war situation but also not in the partnership that we established at the end of the Cold War” while the Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev says tensions between Russia and NATO have sent the world spiralling into a “new Cold War“, blaming U.S. and European leaders for the souring of relations with Russia. He also rejected accusations that Russian warplanes have bombed civilians in Syria, saying it is “just not true”. (Sky News), (BBC)
India–United States relations
- India summons the U.S. Ambassador to India Richard Verma over the U.S. decision to sell more F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan. (The Hindu)

Law and crime

United States Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia dies at age 79. (The Guardian), (My San Antonio)

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March 3, 2016

Top News Stories –

Italian parliament bar clamps down on bill-dodging –
The bar inside Italy’s lower house of parliament has deployed “receipt inspectors” to ensure that MPs pay their bills, it’s reported. The establishment at Palazzo Montecitorio, home to the Chamber of Deputies, has lost a significant chunk of revenue because some politicians have been failing to settle up, Corriere della Sera reports. The company that took over running the bar last year noticed that takings were 30% lower than expected. Staff have now been told that customers must pay for their order and show their receipt to the barista before actually being served any refreshments – something that is done in some Italian bars. They’ll be backed up by a team of receipt-checkers, whose job will involve being “discreet, but inflexible”, observing patrons and intervening if anyone fails to pay up, the paper says. [BBC]
Palazzo Montecitorio, Rome

Spain’s Princess Cristina denies role in tax fraud at ‘trusted’ husband’s company –
Princess Cristina of Spain denied any involvement in tax fraud on Thursday when she gave evidence in the first criminal trial held in the country with members of the royal family among the accused. King Felipe’s sister said that she had been completely unaware of the business operations at a company she owned jointly with her husband, Iñaki Urdangarin, who is accused of a series of crimes including embezzlement of public funds and money laundering. Asked by her defence lawyer why she became the co-proprietor of the company called Aizoon, Princess Cristina it had been Mr Urdangarin’s idea and she had agreed: “Out of trust. He asked me and I accepted.” The 50-year-old princess, who has been stripped of her aristocratic title of Duchess of Palma by King Felipe, said that Aizoon existed “to channel my husband’s income”. “He was the administrator and he took the decisions”, she added. The public prosecutor has requested a 19.5-year jail sentence for Mr Urdangarin, who, along with his business partner, is accused of diverting €4.5 million of public money from a non-profit organisation to private accounts. [Daily Telegraph]
Infanta Cristina Duchess of Palma de Mallorca

Video of the Day –

KEN BLOCK’S GYMKHANA EIGHT: ULTIMATE EXOTIC PLAYGROUND; DUBAI

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#QuintaFeiraNoClubeSDV	#WorldBookDay	#WorldBookDay
2	#GIFparty	#GIFparty	#GIFparty
3	#FelizJueves	#HappyBirthdayCamila	Martin Crowe
4	#AnaPaulaNaoDesiste	Marvin Harrison	#5liveaside
5	#WorldBookDay	#ThingsHillarySupportersThink	#NHFCOMMS16
6	#HappyBirthdayCamilaFromBr…	#CPAC2016	#bccconf
7	#الباث_معلق	#BadJobIn5Words	#EconPride
8	#FrasesSabias	Mitt Romney	#StopYouthViolence
9	#NicomaineAt21	#303Day	#UniMentalHealthDay
10	#SocialismoConstructor	#Ghostbusters	#ntsummit

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

DHKP/C insurgency in Turkey
- Istanbul police, after a standoff, shoot and kill two women from the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Army-Front suspected of ambushing a riot police station in the Bayrampaşa neighborhood on the city’sEuropean side. Two policemen were injured. (The Washington Post)

Disasters and accidents

A nationwide power outage hits Syria. The Syrian government says shortly before the power outage, militants had hit part of a power-generating station with rockets in the city of Hama, though it hasn’t said whether this damage was linked to the nationwide outage. Also, it isn’t clear how many people are affected by the power outage as many cities outside of the government’s control already weren’t being served by the government-run power grid. (CNN)
At least 31 people are killed in Kwekwe, Zimbabwe, when a bus, with a blown front tire, switches lanes and slams into an oncoming public transport minibus. (AP ia Fox News)

International relations

North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- South Korea claims that North Korea has launched several short range missiles into the Sea of Japan. (Yonhap) (AFP via Yahoo! News)
- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un orders nuclear weapons to be ready for use at any time. (Sky News)
Taliban insurgency
- Sartaj Aziz, a top foreign affairs adviser for Pakistan, publicly admits for the first time that the Afghan Taliban‘s leadership is living in the country and that Islamabad has “considerable influence” over them.(Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Russian military intervention in Ukraine (2014–present)
- The United States extends sanctions against Russia over its military intervention in Ukraine. (ABC News)
Jordan–United States relations
- The United States delivers eight UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters to Jordan to help the Jordanian Armed Forces defend the country from the threat of ISIL. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Honduran indigenous environmental activist Berta Cáceres is assassinated in her home in La Esperanza in Intibucá Department. (Telesur)
A riot at a prison in Guyana‘s capital Georgetown leaves at least 16 people dead. The riot began when inmates angered by a search that led to the confiscation of mobile phones set fires in one part of the prison. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

New Zealand flag debate
- Voting begins for the second stage of New Zealand‘s flag referendum with the current flag going up against the design chosen on the first stage of the referendum. Voting will end on March 23 with polling showing the current flag is favoured to win. (BBC) (CNN)
2014–16 Venezuelan protests
- Violence breaks out in in the Venezuelan city of San Cristóbal between students and police after a supreme court ruling curtailed the power of the opposition-controlled National Assembly to review government appointments of Supreme Court justices. (BBC)
Republican Party presidential debates, 2016
- The eleventh Republican Party presidential debate of the election cycle takes place at the Fox Theatre in downtown Detroit, Michigan, airing live on Fox News Channel. The debate features four Republican candidates, Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and John Kasich. Ben Carson was also invited to the debate but he said that he would not be attending. An estimated 16.9 million viewers watched the debate, 5.5 million of them adults aged 25-54, making it the most watched debate since December 2015. (Fox News) (CBS Local) (Hollywood Reporter)

Science and technology

Astronomers use the Hubble Space Telescope to discover GN-z11, the remotest galaxy yet discovered. (ABC News)

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March 14, 2016

March 13, 2016

Top News Stories –

Paris St-Germain score 9 as they win French title –
Paris St-Germain were crowned French champions with two months to spare as Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored four in a 9-0 demolition of bottom side Troyes. Edinson Cavani, Javier Pastore and Adrien Rabiot put them 3-0 up inside 19 minutes before Ibrahimovic struck three within 10 minutes in the second half. Matthieu Saunier scored an own goal and Cavani made it 8-0 before Ibrahimovic added his fourth. [BBC]

Paris St-Germain won the league with 62 days and eight games to spare, a record for any of Europe’s ‘big five’ domestic leagues.
In 115 appearances in Ligue 1, Zlatan Ibrahimovic now has 102 goals and 35 assists.
This win was the sixth time this season that PSG have scored four goals or more in a Ligue 1 game.
This title is PSG’s sixth overall and their fourth in a row

Zlatan_Ibrahimovic

Video of the Day –

Jailbreak from HouseSpecial on Vimeo.

List of the Day –

French Ligue 1 title winners

Year	Winner^[2]^[21]^[22]	Runner-up	Third place
2015–16	Paris Saint-Germain
2014–15	Paris Saint-Germain	Lyon	AS Monaco
2013–14	Paris Saint-Germain	AS Monaco	Lille
2012–13	Paris Saint-Germain	Marseille	Lyon
2011–12	Montpellier	Paris Saint-Germain	Lille
2010–11	Lille	Marseille	Lyon
2009–10	Marseille	Lyon	Auxerre
2008–09	Bordeaux	Marseille	Lyon
2007–08	Lyon	Bordeaux	Marseille
2006–07	Lyon	Marseille	Toulouse
2005–06	Lyon	Bordeaux	Lille
2004–05	Lyon	Lille	AS Monaco
2003–04	Lyon	Paris Saint-Germain	AS Monaco
2002–03	Lyon	AS Monaco	Marseille
2001–02	Lyon	Lens	Auxerre
2000–01	Nantes	Lyon	Lille
1999–2000	AS Monaco	Paris Saint-Germain	Lyon
1998–99	Bordeaux	Marseille	Lyon
1997–98	Lens	Metz	AS Monaco
1996–97	AS Monaco	Paris Saint-Germain	Nantes
1995–96	Auxerre	Paris Saint-Germain	AS Monaco
1994–95	Nantes	Lyon	Paris Saint-Germain
1993–94	Paris Saint-Germain	Marseille	Auxerre
1992–93	— ^{[nb 3]}	Paris Saint-Germain	AS Monaco
1991–92	Marseille	AS Monaco	Paris Saint-Germain
1990–91	Marseille	AS Monaco	Auxerre
1989–90	Marseille	Bordeaux	AS Monaco
1988–89	Marseille	Paris Saint-Germain	AS Monaco
1987–88	AS Monaco	Bordeaux	Montpellier
1986–87	Bordeaux	Marseille	Toulouse
1985–86	Paris Saint-Germain	Nantes	Bordeaux
1984–85	Bordeaux	Nantes	AS Monaco
1983–84	Bordeaux	AS Monaco	Auxerre
1982–83	Nantes	Bordeaux	Paris Saint-Germain
1981–82	AS Monaco	Saint-Étienne	Sochaux
1980–81	Saint-Étienne	Nantes	Bordeaux
1979–80	Nantes	Sochaux	Saint-Étienne
1978–79	Strasbourg	Nantes	Saint-Étienne
1977–78	AS Monaco	Nantes	Strasbourg
1976–77	Nantes	Lens	Bastia
1975–76	Saint-Étienne	Nice	Sochaux
1974–75	Saint-Étienne	Marseille	Lyon
1973–74	Saint-Étienne	Nantes	Lyon
1972–73	Nantes	Nice	Marseille
1971–72	Marseille	Nîmes	Sochaux
1970–71	Marseille	Saint-Étienne	Nantes
1969–70	Saint-Étienne	Marseille	Sedan
1968–69	Saint-Étienne	Bordeaux	Metz
1967–68	Saint-Étienne	Nice	Sochaux
1966–67	Saint-Étienne	Nantes	Angers
1965–66	Nantes	Bordeaux	Valenciennes
1964–65	Nantes	Bordeaux	Valenciennes
1963–64	Saint-Étienne	AS Monaco	Lens
1962–63	AS Monaco	Stade Reims	Sedan
1961–62	Stade Reims	RCF Paris	Nîmes
1960–61	AS Monaco	RCF Paris	Stade Reims
1959–60	Stade Reims	Nîmes	RCF Paris
1958–59	Nice	Nîmes	RCF Paris
1957–58	Stade Reims	Nîmes	AS Monaco
1956–57	Saint-Étienne	Lens	Stade Reims
1955–56	Nice	Lens	AS Monaco
1954–55	Stade Reims	Toulouse	Lens
1953–54	Lille	Stade Reims	Bordeaux
1952–53	Stade Reims	Sochaux	Bordeaux
1951–52	Nice	Bordeaux	Lille
1950–51	Nice	Lille	Le Havre
1949–50	Bordeaux	Lille	Stade Reims
1948–49	Stade Reims	Lille	Marseille
1947–48	Marseille	Lille	Stade Reims
1946–47	Roubaix–Tourcoing	Stade Reims	Strasbourg
1945–46	Lille	Saint-Étienne	RC Roubaix
1939–45	Suspended due to World War II
1938–39	Sète	Marseille	RCF Paris
1937–38	Sochaux	Marseille	Sète
1936–37	Marseille	Sochaux	RCF Paris
1935–36	RCF Paris	Lille	Strasbourg
1934–35	Sochaux	Strasbourg	RCF Paris
1933–34	Sète	Fives	Marseille
1932–33	Olympique Lillois	Cannes	—

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#FelizDomingo	#WeNeedMusicBecause	Bonkaz
2	#13MValencia	#DaylightSavingTime	#WeNeedMusicBecause
3	#GetWeirdTourCardiff	Proud of Obama’s Presidency	#GetWeirdTourCardiff
4	#احب_اشوف_سناب�…	#GetWeirdTourCardiff	#ldconf
5	#VemPraRuaBrasil	#SelectionSunday	#WhyIDidntGetIntoHeaven
6	#나한테_평소에_못��…	Someone Will Die	#ArianaOnSNL
7	#DaylightSavingTime	#GoodSam500	#WWERoadblock
8	#هل_تتزوجين_ولد	#NASPA16	#TheVoiceUK
9	#DomingoDetremuraSdv	#WhyIDidntGetIntoHeaven	#bathhalf
10	#لا_تتزوج_معلمه	#ArianaOnSNL	Lukaku

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

March 2016 Ankara bombing
- An explosion occurs in central Ankara, Turkey, with at least 34 people killed and 125 wounded. (The Independent) (The Telegraph)
Turkey–PKK conflict (2015–present)
- Turkey declares a curfew in the town of Yüksekova on the border with Iran as Turkish forces prepare an offensive against the PKK. (AP)
2016 Grand-Bassam shootings
- Gunmen attack two hotels in the Ivory Coast town of Grand-Bassam. At least 15 people are reportedly killed. Witnesses claim the attackers shouted “Allahu Akbar” (“God is [the] greatest”) during the gunfire. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claim responsibility for the attack. (CNN) (The Telegraph) (Daily Nation)
Syrian Civil War
- The al-Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda affiliate, assaults the Free Syrian Army’s 13th Division in Maarrat al-Nu’man, killing seven FSA fighters with 40 captured. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says Nusra seized anti-tank missiles, armored vehicles, a tank, and other arms from the U.S.-backed division. (AP via ABC News)

Disasters and accidents

Five people are dead after a building collapses in the Indian city of Meerut caused by heavy rain. (India Today)
Heavy rain in Pakistan has led to fifteen deaths in two days including at least eight deaths in a coal mine collapse in the Orakzai Tribal Area. (AP via Fox News)
Six people have been killed in Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma, with two Mississippi fishermen missing, in this week’s flooding in the America’s Deep South. More than 24 inches of rain has fallen in some of the hardest-hit areas with more rain today that is expected to lead to additional flooding later this week. (Fox News) (UPI)
A Pacific Northwest windstorm strikes Western Washington, killing at least one person, leaving 300,000 residents without power, and closing several bridges. (KING-TV)
A six-seat Cessna 206 crashes into a market in the Beni Department of northeastern Bolivia, killing all four aboard the plane and injuring three others. (Another report states seven were killed with 15 injured). The plane was flying from Santa Ana del Yacuma to Trinidad, Bolivia. (AP via ABC News) (Reuters via Hindustan Times)

International relations

Malaysia bans the recruitment of foreign workers after protests over plans to recruit 1.5 million people from Bangladesh. (Economic Times)
China–Pakistan relations
- China‘s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) will be deployed in Pakistan to protect the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor that connects the Chinese-operated Gwadar Port in Balochistan, Pakistan to China’sXinjiang region. Neighboring India has voiced concern about the planned move. (NDTV)
United States officials say North Korea has apparently lost contact with one of its submarines. The U.S. was watching the sub off North Korea’s eastern coast when it vanished earlier this week. Officials are unsure whether the missing vessel is adrift or has sunk. (STV) (The Guardian)
Israel–Palestine relations
- The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs says Israel prevented Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi from entering the West Bank to meet with Palestinian officials. The Israeli spokesman would not comment. Israel and Indonesia do not have formal diplomatic relations. (AP via The Washington Post) (AFP via Business Standard)

Law and crime

Israeli–Palestinian conflict

- Israeli Defence Forces arrest 15 Palestinian suspects overnight. (Jerusalem Post)
Authorities in Belarus detain prominent businessman Yury Chyzh, once a close adviser to Alexander Lukashenko and included in the EU’s sanctions list, on suspicion of large-scale tax evasion. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

Politics and elections

Elections in Germany
- Regional elections take place in the German states of Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt with the governing Christian Democratic Union performing poorly, the centre-left Social Democratic Party of Germany winning in Rhineland-Palatinate, and the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany performing well in all three states. (BBC), (AP via International Business Times)
Hundreds of thousands in Brazil’s major cities, some estimates say more than 3 million people, protest the weak economy and political corruption, and call for President Dilma Rousseff’s impeachment.(Reuters) (Bloomberg) (Bloomberg Business)

Sports

2016 Six Nations Championship
- Scotland’s win over France gives England the title. (The Guardian)
2015–16 Ligue 1
- Paris Saint-Germain win the title with eight games to spare, after a 9–0 win at Troyes. (BBC Sport)
2015–16 NCAA Division I men’s basketball season
- The field of 68 teams for the NCAA Tournament is announced. Kansas is the top overall seed, with North Carolina, Oregon, and Virginia rounding out the #1 seeds. In a minor controversy, the brackets for the South and West regions are leaked several minutes before being officially announced. (ESPN, overall field) (ESPN, bracket leak)

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March 30, 2016

Top News Stories –

Europe’s largest floating solar farm to open –
The biggest floating solar farm in Europe is being constructed on a reservoir. More than 23,000 solar photovoltaic panels are being laid on the surface of the Queen Elizabeth II reservoir near Walton-on-Thames, Surrey. The farm, which will be the size of eight football pitches, is expected to generate 5.8 million kilowatt hours of electricity in a year. The energy will be used to part power a nearby water treatment works. Thames Water said construction of the solar farm, which is about eight miles (13 km) from Heathrow airport, will be completed by the end of March. The floating pontoon will be 57,500 sq m in size. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

The Largest Floating Solar Farm In Europe

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#MeHaceMuyFeliz	D’Angelo Russell	#WednesdayWisdom
2	#QuartaHumildeNoClubeSDV	#WednesdayWisdom	#AcademicHipster
3	#شيي_جميل_بحرف_…	#1lineWed	Jean Charles de Menezes
4	D’Angelo Russell	#Every66Seconds	#architecturemw
5	#FelizMiercoles	#WorldBipolarDay	5SOS DAY
6	#architectureMW	#ModernCollectiveNouns	#GBBOCreme
7	#MalecKiss	#JamarClark	#ENGHOL
8	#あなたが失ってし�…	#Empire	#newsnight
9	#WednesdayWisdom	#RightsCon	#ModernCollectiveNouns
10	#كل_مغرد_يوصف_ن…	#NationalDoctorsDay	#MurderedByMyFather

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- Blasts and gunfire are reported in Tripoli. (Reuters)
Naxalite–Maoist insurgency
- At least seven Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel are killed in an IED attack on their vehicle in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh‘s Dantewada district. Naxalite insurgents are suspected to have been behind the attack. (International Business Times)

Business and economy

Taiwanese electronics company Foxconn agrees to buy 60% of the Japanese Sharp Corporation for 389 billion yen ($3.5 billion). (Bloomberg)

Disasters and accidents

Thailand and neighbouring countries suffer from the worst drought in decades as an El Niño-induced water shortage reduces reservoirs to critical levels. (Al Jazeera)
At least nine people are injured in severe storms that spawned multiple tornado touchdowns in northeastern Oklahoma and sections of the Southwestern United States. One patient is in critical condition; the others suffered serious injuries, according to the Emergency Medical Services Authority. Parts of Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas are also impacted. A flash flood watch has been issued through Thursday evening. Two (2) to 4 inches of rain is expected, with perhaps 6 inches in some locations. (AP)

Health and medicine

A new study by researchers at McGill University and the University of California, Los Angeles, finds that each additional month a woman has paid maternity leave is associated with decreased infant mortalityby more than 10 percent. Researchers noted that paid maternity leave reduces stress because of the guarantee of income and job security, increases the chances for breastfeeding and other infant care, and allows a mother to seek more medical attention for herself. (UPI) (PLOS Medicine)
The United States Food and Drug Administration announces it has relaxed its official requirements regarding the use of the abortion drug Mifeprex (RU-486). The current guidelines were based on 1990s medical evidence. Changes include reducing the number of physician visits required by abortion-seeking women, reducing drug dosage, and allowing women to take the drug for three weeks longer — now a total of 70 days. (UPI)
Air pollution in Mexico City
- Mexico City, facing the capital’s worst air-quality crisis in over a decade, issues a temporary order that all cars remain idle one day a week. Today, authorities report a pollution index of 108 (bad) after low readings during Holy Week. Vehicles will also be forced from the roads one Saturday a month. The measure will begin next Tuesday, April 5, and run until Thursday, June 30, 2016. Starting July 1, improved technology will be in place at smog-check centers where all vehicles must be tested every six months. (AP via Fox News)

International relations

The Wallenberg family files an application to formally declare Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg (born in 1912) to be dead. Wallenberg saved the lives of thousands of Jews in World War II only to disappear at the hands of the Soviet forces. (Times of Israel)
Russia–Ukraine relations
- The Ukrainian parliament votes to ban all Russian films released after January 1, 2014, saying the move is aimed at improving “national security”; more than 430 Russian films and TV series fall under the new measures. Last month, the State Committee in Television and Radio-broadcasting in Ukraine removed 15 Russian TV channels from being broadcast in Ukraine. (RT)
U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron, at the upcoming Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, D.C., will announce a three-way deal with the United States and Euratom, the European Union nuclear agency, to turn nuclear waste into medical isotopes to help fight cancer. (Bloomberg)

Law and crime

A Bangladesh Court issues an arrest warrant, the second one so far, for former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and 27 opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party members over political violence, mostly petrol-bomb attacks, that occurred during anti-government protests last year that killed at least 120 people. (Al Jazeera)
EgyptAir Flight 181
- A Larnaca, Cyprus, court orders that 59-year-old Seif Eddin Mustafa, who was arrested by Cypriot police yesterday, remain in local police custody for eight days to assist Cyprus’s own investigation. Mustafa faces charges of hijacking, illegal possession of explosives, kidnapping, and threats to commit violence. It’s unclear if Mustafa had any explosives; the bomb belt he wore was fake, and officials are waiting for testing results on unidentified liquids found among his possessions. (AP via The Daily Courier)
- Egypt General Prosecutor Nabil Sadek formally requests Mustafa’s extradition from Cyprus. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

United States presidential election, 2016:
- The National Border Patrol Council (NBPC), which organizes some 16,500 border patrol agents, endorses Donald Trump for President of the United States, NBPC’s first-ever endorsement in a presidential election. (CNN)
Myanmar general election, 2015
- In Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw, Htin Kyaw is sworn in by House Speaker Mahn Win Khaing Than as the first civilian president in 54 years. Htin Kyaw, a close aide to Aung San Suu Kyi, takes power from former general Thein Sein. (Daily Mail)
The government of Pakistan warns that it will push to clear the Islamist protests occurring in Islamabad. Protests have broken out in the capital and other cities ever since Mumtaz Qadri was executed last February for his role in killing Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer in 2011 because he opposed Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- The United Nations-backed Libyan Presidential Council arrives in Tripoli despite warnings by hardliners opposed to any unity government that they will attempt to keep them out of the city. (The Guardian)
The opposition controlled National Assembly of Venezuela passes an amnesty bill that could potentially free over 70 opposition leaders and activists jailed during protests last year, including prominent leaderLeopoldo López. (BBC)
- Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro vows to veto this amnesty bill. The opposition can override the veto since it holds a supermajority in the National Assembly. Maduro can also send the bill to theSupreme Tribunal to determine its constitutionality. (UPI)
- The opposition plans to generate a recall referendum that would ask voters if President Maduro should be removed from office. The Constitution states a recall referendum can be held once the president has served half of his six-year term (Maduro became President on April 19, 2013) and at least 20 percent of registered voters sign the petition. (UPI²)

Sports

Two Russian cyclists, former world champion Anastasia Chulkova and Pavel Yakushevskiy, test positive for meldonium. (AP)
Three-time Kentucky Derby winning jockey Calvin Borel announces his retirement. (Louisville Courier-Journal)

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July 3, 2016

Top News Stories –

New Zealand record cocaine seizure in horse’s head –
New Zealand police say they have made their biggest ever seizure of cocaine, hidden inside a novel kind of drug mule. They intercepted the $10m (£7.6m) worth of cocaine inside a huge diamante-encrusted statue of a horse’s head. The shipment of 35kg (77lb) bricks was air-freighted from Mexico to the city of Auckland in May. An American and two Mexicans were arrested over the weekend following a six-week investigation. The horse’s head weighed 365kg and was 1m (3ft) tall, the New Zealand Herald reported. “This is a significant win for New Zealand,” said Det Supt Virginia Le Bas. “We should proud to have detected it at the earliest of stages.” [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Auto from Conner Griffith on Vimeo.

Other News Stories –

Armed attacks and conflicts

Iraqi Civil War
- Twin bombings in a pair of crowded commercial areas in Baghdad kill at least 125 people. ISIL claims responsibility. (AP) (The Independent) (BBC)

Business and economics

Libya‘s National Oil Corporation agrees to merge with the rival company of the same name in the east of the country after being split by the two rival governments. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

At least 31 people are killed and several more remain missing after flash floods ravage the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. (Al Jazeera)
Rescue workings in Russia‘s Irkutsk Oblast discover the remains of a Ilyushin Il-76 cargo plane which went missing last Friday after going on a firefighting mission. Six people have been killed in the crash.(Reuters)

International relations

Switzerland–European Union relations
- The European Union warns Switzerland that it will lose access to its single market if it goes through with its plan to impose restrictions on the free movement of EU citizens. In a referendum held back in February 9, 2014, Swiss voters approved limiting the movement of economic migrants from the EU in the country. Current laws allow migrants to enter Switzerland without visas. (The Guardian)

Law and crime

Human rights in the Philippines; Philippine Drug War
- Ten people are killed by the Philippine National Police within a week after Rodrigo Duterte took office as president and made statements encouraging the murder of illegal drug addicts. (Channel News Asia)

Politics and elections

French presidential election, 2017
- Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy resigns as leader of The Republicans party and announces his candidacy for President again. (The Guardian)

Sport

2016 Formula One season
- Lewis Hamilton wins the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria. (BBC)
2016 Summer Olympics
- The Russian Olympic Committee appeals the ban of its track and field team from participating in the upcoming summer Olympics by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), because of large scale doping, with the Court of Arbitration for Sport. A hearing on the case will take place on July 19. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

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October 6, 2016

Top News Stories –

Recruitment agency criticised for job ads specifying bra size –
A recruitment agency has been criticised for advertising jobs only for “attractive women”, as well as specifying bra size. Matching Models in London describes itself as “an international temp agency for beautiful and talented people”. It advertised for a personal assistant with “a classic look, brown long hair with b-c cup”. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) called it “appalling, unlawful and demeaning to women”. The agency’s founder Nathalie Jansen said: “Our clients are important to us – and looks are important.” Another job advert on the agency’s website asks a “sexy female driver” to drive a Porsche Cayenne two days a week for between £40,000 and £50,000-a-year for a Knightsbridge-based businessman and polo team owner. [BBC]

Hurricane Matthew: At least 100 people killed in Haiti devastation –
Hurricane Matthew has left at least 108 people dead in Haiti, the country’s interior minister says. Some 50 people were reported to have died in the southern town of Roche-a-Bateau alone. New images from remote and cut off areas in the south-west of the country show scenes of devastation. The hurricane has again been upgraded to a Category Four storm, the second highest hurricane classification, as it heads for the US state of Florida. [BBC]

Hurricane Matthew image by NASA

Video of the Day –

Underwater Explosions at 120,000fps – The Slow Mo Guys

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Somalia (2009–present)
- An al-Shabaab attack on a village near the Kenyan town of Mandera results in six deaths. (Reuters), (Capital FM Kenya)
A bombing in rebel controlled Atme, Idlib Governorate, near the Syria–Turkey border, kills at least 29 people, mostly rebel fighters, and injures dozens more. ISIL claims responsibility. (BBC), (Scroll.in)
A motorcycle bomb in the Yenibosna neighborhood of Istanbul, Turkey, injures 10 civilians. (Reuters)
Unknown assailants attack a refugee camp near the village of Tassalit, in Niger‘s Tahoua Region, killing at least 22 soldiers. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Atlantic hurricane season
- Hurricane Matthew moves towards the United States with hundreds of thousands of people being evacuated from the states of Florida and South Carolina. (USA Today)
- Matthew gains strength and again becomes a Category 4 storm with 140 mph (220 km/h) maximum sustained winds. (AP via Philly.com), (The National Hurricane Center)
- The death toll is at least 140 people with 136 in Haiti. (Reuters)
- President Barack Obama declares a state of emergency for Florida, freeing up federal money and personnel to protect lives and property. (The Miami Herald)
- The eye of the hurricane moves over the western end of Grand Bahama, the northernmost island in The Bahama Archipelago. (The National Hurricane Center)

Law and crime

Pakistan‘s government removes a loophole allowing those behind so-called honor killings to go free with the new legislation instead requiring a mandatory life sentence. (BBC)

Politics and elections

An altercation with a fellow UKIP MEP inside the European Parliament leaves UK Independence Party, Member of the European Parliament, and current UKIP party leadership favorite Steven Woolfehospitalized. (The Daily Telegraph)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

January 8, 2017

Top News Stories –

Meryl Streep rallies Hollywood while ‘La La Land’ scores big at the 2017 Golden Globes –

The 74th Golden Globe Awards were held Sunday and “La La Land” was the top winner in the motion picture categories, while “The Night Manager,” “The Crown” and “Atlanta” claimed top awards on the television side. One of the evening’s most memorable moments was Meryl Streep rallying her colleagues during her very political speech when accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement. “Take your broken heart, make it into art,” she said, quoting Carrie Fisher. [Los Angeles Times]
Meryl Streep

List of the Day –

Golden Globe winners [Daily Telegraph] –

Film

Best motion picture (drama) – Moonlight
Best motion picture – (musical or comedy) – La La Land
Best performance by an actor in a motion picture – Casey Affleck – Manchester By The Sea
Best performance by an actress in a motion picture – Isabelle Huppert – Elle
Best performance by an actor in a motion picture – (musical or comedy) – Ryan Gosling – La La Land
Best performance by an actress in a motion picture – (musical or comedy) – Emma Stone – La La Land
Best performance by an actor in a supporting role in a motion picture – Aaron Taylor-Johnson – Nocturnal Animals
Best performance by an actress in a supporting role in a motion picture – Viola Davis – Fences
Best director – Damien Chazelle – La La Land
Best original screenplay – La La Land
Best motion picture – foreign language – Elle – France
Best motion picture – animated – Zootopia
Best original song – City Of Stars – La La Land
Best original score – Justin Hurwitz – La La Land

Television

Best television series – drama – The Crown
Best television series – musical or comedy – Atlanta
Best performance by an actor in a television series – Billy Bob Thornton – Goliath
Best performance by an actress in a television series – Claire Foy – The Crown
Best performance by an actor in a television series – musical or comedy – Donald Glover – Atlanta
Best performance by an actress in a television series – musical or comedy – Tracee Ellis-Ross – Black-ish
Best performance by an actor in a limited series or motion picture made for television – Tom Hiddleston – The Night Manager
Best performance by an actress in a limited series or motion picture made for television – Sarah Paulson – The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story
Best performance by an actress in a supporting role in a series, limited series or motion picture made for television – Olivia Colman – The Night Manager
Best performance by an actor in a supporting role in a series, limited series or motion picture made for television – Hugh Laurie – The Night Manager

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

January 2017 Jerusalem vehicular attack
- A truck rams into a group of Israeli soldiers in a deliberate attack in East Jerusalem, killing four and wounding 21. The perpetrator was previously convicted of terrorism and was jailed for 10 years. (CNN)(The Guardian)
Iraqi Civil War
- Two suicide bombings, one using a car bomb and another with an explosive belt, take place in vegetable markets in eastern Baghdad, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 50. The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant claims responsibility. (Reuters AP via ABC Australia) (AP via The Daily Mail) (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

The 74th Golden Globe Awards are held in Hollywood. (News Limited)
- The Crown wins the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama. (Variety)
- La La Land wins the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy while Moonlight wins the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama. (Los Angeles Times)
- La La Land becomes the single most winning film in Golden Globes history, winning all seven awards out of its seven nominations and becomes the seventh film to achieve all the awards it was nominated for, the others being Doctor Zhivago (1966), Love Story (1971), The Godfather (1973), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1976), A Star is Born (1977) and Midnight Express (1979). (Golden Globes) (Los Angeles Times)

Politics and elections

Israel–United Kingdom relations
- Several British MPs demand an investigation into a recent scandal in which an Israeli embassy official in London had conspired to damage the reputation of several British politicians in response to the recent United Nations Security Council resolution. (Al Jazeera)
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, former President of Iran, dies at the age of 82. (Reuters) (BBC) (Al-Jazeera)
Pakistan has decided to impose official prohibition on Jundallah and splinter groups that claim responsibility for terror attacks. (The News) (Daily Times)

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The 2010s

The story of a decade

Tag Archives: Pakistan

January 1, 2010

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January 8, 2015

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February 21, 2015

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April 24, 2015

May 22, 2015

June 11, 2015

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October 27, 2015

January 13, 2016

January 19, 2016

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March 3, 2016

March 13, 2016

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January 8, 2017

Film

Television