January 8, 2010

Top Stories –
Make it faster –
F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone in partnership with the Luxembourg-based private investment company, Genii Capital is making a bid to take over Sweden’s Saab motor company.
Bernie_EcclestoneBernie Ecclestone

Our multi-dimensional savior –
On the first day of CES in Las Vegas, TV manufacturers state that 3D could be the savior of the industry estimating around 3.4m 3D TV sets will be sold in the US this year.

Top Video –
555 KUBIK | facade projection

555 KUBIK | facade projection from URBANSCREEN on Vimeo.
CLICK TO SEE MORE STUFF FROM THIS DAY…

November 14, 2014

Top News Stories –

Comet probe Philae shuts down, but not before transmitting valuable secrets –
Controllers have powered down the comet probe Philae after its batteries fell to dangeously-low levels – though the craft still managed to transmit reams of crucial data. The comet probe Philae appears to have reached the end of its historic mission after its batteries ran out of power, but only after it managed to transmit a treasure-trove of scientific data back to Earth. Mission controllers put the European Space Agency (ESA) lander to sleep after the power in its solar-powered batteries fell to dangerously low levels following its landing at a spot in the shadow of a crater wall, shrouded in darkness. An ESA blog post said: “Philae has fallen into ‘idle mode’ – a possibly long silence. In this mode, all instruments and most systems on board are shut down.” [Daily Telegraph]

Rik Mayall ‘Bottom’ bench unveiled in Hammersmith –
A street bench like one that featured in the BBC sitcom Bottom has been officially unveiled in memory of comedy legend Rik Mayall. It followed an online campaign by more than 7,000 of his fans. Mayall, who starred in a string of TV comedies, said before his death, aged 56, in June that he had been saddened by the removal of the bench. It had appeared in the opening credits of Bottom, in which he starred with Adrian Edmondson. [Daily Telegraph]

Rik_Mayall_obit Rik Mayall

Unofficial_blue_plaque_to_Rik_Mayall_taken_in_Hammersmith,_London_June_2014

Video of the Day –

Animator vs. Animation IV from Alan Becker on Vimeo.

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1 JustinBieber #BreakTheInternet #ChildrenInNeed
2 #MeVendriaRePiola #FailedCharities #ThanksAlex
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5 #iloveashton2014 Kim K #BreakTheInternet
6 #SonraDedimKi 106 & Park Ched Evans
7 Happy Children’s Day #iloveashton2014 #snp14
8 #AdmitoQue #LouisYouSangGreat #WorldDiabetesDay
9 #BreakTheInternet Dumb and Dumber Jessica Ennis
10 #FailedCharities Too Many Cooks #CIN2014

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May 23, 2015

Top News Stories –

Sweden wins Eurovision Song Contest –
Unabashed commercial dance music triumphed over kitsch and politics, as Sweden swept to its sixth victory in Eurovision, making it the most successful country in Eurovision history behind Ireland. Måns Zelmerlöw, a leather trousered hunk, with his pop anthem Heroes, beat off stiff competition from Russian (bolstered by some neighbourly votes from Eastern European nations) and Italy. Sweden won 365 points, while Russia, in second, got 303. [Daily Telegraph] Unfortunately after Eurovision went off air it was revealed that two countries had been disqualified. Montengro and Macedonia’s voting results have been disqualified after it was discovered the two countries used votes from the televoting to account for 100% of the country’s votes, rather than 50% with 50% coming from a jury, as is required. [Daily Mirror] See Video of the Day and List of the Day
Måns_Zelmerlöw Måns_Zelmerlöw from Sweden

Ireland becomes first country to legalise same-sex marriage by popular vote –
Ireland has voted by a huge majority to legalise same-sex marriage, becoming the first country in the world to do so by popular vote in a move hailed as a social revolution and welcomed around the world. Some 62% of the Irish Republic’s electorate voted in favour of gay marriage. The result means that a republic once dominated by the Catholic church ignored the instructions of its cardinals and bishops. The huge Yes vote marks another milestone in Ireland’s journey towards a more liberal, secular society. Out of an electorate of more than 3 million, 1,201,607 backed gay marriage, while 734,300 voters said No. The result prompted a massive street party around the gay district of central Dublin close to the national count centre. [The Guardian]

Spanish La Liga ends with Barcelona on top but Cristiano Ronaldo with 61 goals –
Cristiano Ronaldo finished with a season’s best goals tally of 61 as his first-half hat-trick helped Real Madrid end their season by hammering Getafe 7-1. The Portuguese forward’s haul is one more than the 60 he scored in 2011-12. Barcelona had already won the title and said adios to their captain Xavi Hernández who has won eight La Liga titles with the side after joing the club aged 11 in 1991. See List of the Day 2
XaviXavi Hernández

Banned number plates revealed: VA61ANA banned but PEN15 allowed –
The DVLA has revealed its entire catalogue of forbidden car number plates – including some amusing selections as well as surprising omissions. It seems motorists can drive a PEN15, but not a VA61ANA, and while BL03 JOB is forbidden ORG45M is fine. The list of personalised plates the DVLA believes to be in poor taste runs to 46 pages and includes religious or homophobic words. [Daily Telegraph]
Banned number platesBanned number plates – how they might look

Video of the Day –

Måns Zelmerlöw – Heroes (Sweden) – LIVE at Eurovision 2015 Grand Final

List of the day 1 –

Eurovision Song Contest 2015 results

  1. Sweden – 365 points
  2. Russia – 303 points
  3. Italy – 292 points
  4. Belgium – 217 points
  5. Australia – 196 points
  6. Latvia – 186 points
  7. Estonia – 106 points
  8. Norway – 102 points
  9. Israel – 97 points
  10. Serbia – 53 points
  11. Georgia – 51 points
  12. Azerbaijan – 49 points
  13. Montenegro – 44 points
  14. Slovenia – 39 points
  15. Romania – 35 points
  16. Armenia – 34 points
  17. Albania – 34 points
  18. Lithuania – 30 points
  19. Greece – 23 points
  20. Hungary – 19 points
  21. Spain – 15 points
  22. Cyprus – 11 points
  23. Poland – 10 points
  24. United Kingdom – 5 points
  25. France – 4 points
  26. Germany – 0 points
  27. Austria – 0 points

 

List of the day 2 –

2014-2015 Spanish La Liga final table

#
Team
GP
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
PTS
1
Barcelona
38
30
4
4
110
21
89
94
2
Real Madrid
38
30
2
6
118
38
80
92
3
Atlético Madrid
38
23
9
6
67
29
38
78
4
Valencia
38
22
11
5
70
32
38
77
5
Sevilla
38
23
7
8
71
45
26
76
6
Villarreal
38
16
12
10
48
37
11
60
7
Athletic
38
15
10
13
42
41
1
55
8
Celta Vigo
38
13
12
13
47
44
3
51
9
Málaga
38
14
8
16
42
48
-6
50
10
Espanyol
38
13
10
15
47
51
-4
49
11
Rayo
38
15
4
19
46
68
-22
49
12
Real Sociedad
38
11
13
14
44
51
-7
46
13
Elche
38
11
8
19
35
62
-27
41
14
Levante
38
9
10
19
34
67
-33
37
15
Getafe CF
38
10
7
21
33
64
-31
37
16
Deportivo
38
7
14
17
35
60
-25
35
17
Granada
38
7
14
17
29
64
-35
35
18
Eibar
38
9
8
21
34
55
-21
35
19
Almería
38
8
8
22
35
64
-29
32
20
Córdoba
38
3
11
24
22
68
-46
20

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4 Dream Concert Jeezy Grange Hill
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6 #اكتب_اسمك_وان�… #NashsNewVideo Southend
7 #EsteFindeLargoRePintaPara #NewTLCShows Fat Elvis
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June 13, 2015

Top News Stories –

Sweden royal wedding: Prince Carl Philip marries ex-reality star –
Sweden’s Prince Carl Philip has married a former reality-TV star and glamour model in a lavish ceremony in the chapel at Stockholm’s Royal Palace.
Sofia Hellqvist, 30, also worked as a topless model and a yoga instructor before helping to set up a charity. Her new husband, 36-year-old Carl Philip, is third in line to the throne. Thousands of well-wishers lined the streets for the event, despite polls suggesting the Swedish royal family’s popularity is waning. They cheered as Miss Hellqvist, a 30-year-old commoner, became a princess. [BBC]
Sofia-HellqvistSofia Hellqvist

Gunman killed by police snipers after attack on Dallas police headquarters –
A police sniper has shot and killed an armed suspect in Texas hours after the gunman opened fire on Dallas police headquarters before fleeing in an armoured van. The getaway vehicle was pursued by police to a fast food restaurant parking lot in the nearby city of Hutchin, where officers disabled the vehicle, in the incident early on Saturday morning. Some hours later, police said the suspect was killed. Two explosive devices, including one described as a pipe bomb, were found earlier on outside the Dallas police building. They have both been cleared. One detonated when a bomb disposal robot attempted to move it, but nobody was injured. [Daily Telegraph]

Queen’s birthday honours list: knights outnumber dames five to one –
Men outnumber women by almost five to one in the highest honours announced for the Queen’s birthday, which sees knighthoods for comedian Lenny Henry, trade unionist Paul Kenny and singer-songwriter Van “the Man” Morrison. For only the second time in honours history, more women received awards – 51% of all recipients – but just seven are made dames, compared with 33 knighthoods for men, reflecting a gender imbalance at the highest levels of industry, business, politics and academia. [Guardian] See List of the Day

Video of the Day –

BEAT DOWN from Camp 4 Collective on Vimeo.

List of the Day –

The Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2015 – [For full list click here from the Metro]

KNIGHTS BACHELOR

Henry Angest. National Treasurer Conservative Party. For political service. (London)

Professor Harshad Kumar Dharamshi Bhadeshia F. R.S., Tata Steel Professor of Metallurgy, University of Cambridge. For services to Science and Technology. (Cambridgeshire)

The Rt Hon Simon Hugh McGuigan Burns. Member of Parliament for Chelmsford. For parliamentary and political service. (Essex)

Dr Philip Henry Montgomery Campbell. Editor in chief Nature. For services to Science. (London)

Dr Kevan Arthur Collins. Chief executive Education Endowment Foundation. For services to Education. (London)

Naim Eliahou Dangoor, CBE. Philanthropist. For charitable services. (London)

Michael Lawrence Davis. Chair Prime Minister’s Holocaust Commission. For services to Holocaust Commemoration and Education.

Ciaran Gearoid Devane. Chief executive Macmillan Cancer Support. For services to Cancer Patients. (London)

Professor Charles Peter Downes, OBE, FRSE. Principal and vice-Chancellor, University of Dundee. For services to Higher Education and Life Sciences. (Newport-on-Tay, Fife)

Gareth Owen Edwards, CBE. For services to Sport and for charitable services. (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan)

Bernard Peter Gray. Chief of Defence Materiel Ministry of Defence. For public service, particularly to Defence. (Oxfordshire)

Patrick Head. Director Williams Hybrid Power Ltd. For services to Motorsport. (London)

Lenworth George Henry, CBE. Actor and Comedian. For services to Drama and Charity. (London)

The Rt Hon Simon Henry Ward Hughes. Member of Parliament for Bermondsey and Old Southwark. For public and political service. (London)

Thomas Baird Jeffery, CB. Director general, Department for Education, Children’s Services and Departmental Strategy Directorate. For services to the Department for Education. (Lewes, East Sussex)

Dr Karl William Pamp Jenkins, CBE. Composer. For services to Composing and Crossing Musical Genres. (London)

Paul Stephen Kenny. General secretary GMB Union. For services to Trade Unions. (London)

Dr James Loy Macmillan, CBE. Composer and conductor. For services to Music. (Glasgow)

Francis McLoughlin, CBE. Principal, City and Islington College and Chair, Commission on Adult Vocational Teaching and Learning. For services to Further Education. (London)

Iain Macleod McMillan, CBE. For services to the Scottish Economy. (Falkirk, Stirling and Falkirk)

George Ivan Morrison, OBE. For services to the Music Industry and to Tourism in Northern Ireland. (Down)

Professor Stephen John Nickell, CBE, FBA. Economist. For services to Economics. (Banbury, Oxfordshire)

Dr Nicholas Beaver Penny, FBA. Director general, National Gallery. For services to the Arts. (London)

Professor Hussein Munir Pirmohamed. David Weatherall Chair of Medicine University of Liverpool. For services to Medicine. (West Kirby, Merseyside)

Andreas Whittam Smith, CBE. For public service particularly to the Church of England. (London)

Gary Keith Verity. Chief executive Welcome to Yorkshire. For services to Tourism and the Tour De France Grand Depart 2014. (North Yorkshire)

Professor Ian Vincent Derrick Weller. Emeritus Professor of Sexually Transmitted Diseases Department of Infection and Population Health, University College, London.

For services to HIV Research. (Grantham, Lincolnshire)

Nicholas John Weller. Executive Principal Dixons Academies, Bradford. For services to Education. (Leeds, West Yorkshire)

Adrian Edwin White, CBE, DL. For services to International Trade and Investment. (Dorking, Surrey)

 

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1 #AskRachel #DallasPDShooting #BirthdayHonours
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5 #AssistamTeuOlharFLY Uncle Jesse #SkypeREECEandCHARLIE
6 #ARGENTINARMY #GETWELLSOONMICHAEL Van Morrison
7 Bolivia #NoControlMusicVideo #TroopingTheColour
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  • A man opens fire at policemen outside the police headquarters in the Texan city of Dallas, while a bag containing a pipe bomb is also found. He was later shot dead by police snipers following a car chase and standoff. (AP), (CNN)
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July 5, 2015

Top News Stories –

Greece votes ‘No’ and gambles its future –
Greek voters have delivered a defiant response to Europe. Political leaders and heads of government had lined up to warn the Greeks that a “No” vote would be a vote to leave the euro. It did not deter them. Indeed many voters seemed to revel in their resistance. The European Project is now facing its gravest crisis. [BBC]

USA beat Japan 5-2 in Women’s FIFA World Cup Final –
Carli Lloyd scored an incredible 13-minute hat-trick as the United States thrashed Japan to win their third Women’s World Cup title. In a repeat of the 2011 final, which Japan won on penalties, the Nadeshiko could not live with their stronger and quicker opponents, who went 4-0 up when Lloyd scored an astonishing third from the halfway line. The pulsating finale to an entertaining tournament was the highest-scoring final in the tournament’s history, and matched the highest scoring men’s final, when Brazil defeated Sweden by the same scoreline in 1958. [BBC] See Video of the Day
Carli-Llyoyd Carli Lloyd

Video of the Day –

List of the Day –

FIFA Women’s World Cup results [from Wikipedia]

Year Host Champions Score Runners-up Third Place Score Fourth Place Teams
1991   China
United States
2–1
Norway

Sweden
4–0
Germany
12
1995   Sweden
Norway
2–0
Germany

United States
2–0
China PR
12
1999   United States
United States
0–0 a.e.t.
(5–4 pen)

China PR

Brazil
0–0 [A]
(5–4 pen)

Norway
16
2003   United States
Germany
2–1 asdet
Sweden

United States
3–1
Canada
16
2007   China
Germany
2–0
Brazil

United States
4–1
Norway
16
2011   Germany
Japan
2–2 a.e.t.
(3–1 pen)

United States

Sweden
2–1
France
16
2015   Canada
United States
5–2
Japan

England
1–0 a.e.t.
Germany
24

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September 10, 2015

Top News Stories –

New human-like species discovered in S Africa –

Scientists have discovered a new human-like species in a burial chamber deep in a cave system in South Africa. The discovery of 15 partial skeletons is the largest single discovery of its type in Africa. The researchers claim that the discovery will change ideas about our human ancestors. The studies which have been published in the journal Elife also indicate that these individuals were capable of ritual behaviour. The species, which has been named naledi, has been classified in the grouping, or genus,Homo, to which modern humans belong. [BBC] See List of the Day

Pope Francis emojis launched for US visit –
Pope Francis draws huge crowds wherever he goes and now his fans can share their admiration with papal emojis. A new keyboard app is being released to mark the Pope’s upcoming visit to America. You can have the Pope balancing a basketball or riding a taxi (although we suspect he’d prefer his Popemobile). They’re among 52 emojis and 14 GIFs in the app from Swyft Media, the company which created the first ginger emojis.
Pope emojis Pope emojis by Swyft Media

Giant Lenin ‘head’ unearthed 24 years after burial in Berlin –
The giant head of a statue of Russian revolutionary Lenin has been unearthed, 24 years after it was buried in a German forest. Workers dug up the granite structure from woodland outside Berlin, following a campaign by historians. The head was once part of a 19m (62ft) monument to the communist leader, which towered over the east of the city. It was dismantled in 1991 after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the pieces were buried in a secluded forest. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

iPhone 6s – The Only Thing That’s Changed Is…

List of the Day –

Comparative table of Homo species
Species Temporal range Mya Habitat Adult height Adult mass Cranial capacity (cm³) Fossil record Discovery / publication of name
H. habilis 2.1 – 1.5[136] Africa 150 cm (4 ft 11 in) 33–55 kg (73–121 lb) 510–660 Many 1960/1964
H. erectus 1.9 – 0.07[137] Africa, Eurasia (Java, China, India, Caucasus) 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) 60 kg (130 lb) 850 (early) – 1,100 (late) Many[138] 1891/1892
H. rudolfensis
membership in Homo uncertain
1.9 Kenya 700 2 sites 1972/1986
H. gautengensis
also classified as H. habilis
1.9 – 0.6 South Africa 100 cm (3 ft 3 in) 3 individuals[139] 2010/2010
H. ergaster
also classified as H. erectus
1.8 – 1.3[140] Eastern and Southern Africa 700–850 Many 1975
H. antecessor
also classified as H. heidelbergensis
1.2 – 0.8 Spain 175 cm (5 ft 9 in) 90 kg (200 lb) 1,000 2 sites 1997
H. cepranensis
a single fossil, possibly H. erectus
0.9 – 0.35 Italy 1,000 1 skull cap 1994/2003
H. heidelbergensis 0.6 – 0.35[141] Europe, Africa, China 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) 90 kg (200 lb) 1,100–1,400 Many 1908
H. neanderthalensis
possibly a subspecies of H. sapiens
0.35 – 0.04[142] Europe, Western Asia 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) 55–70 kg (121–154 lb) (heavily built) 1,200–1,900 Many (1829)/1864
H. rhodesiensis
also classified as H. heidelbergensis
0.3 – 0.12 Zambia 1,300 Very few 1921
H. tsaichangensis
possibly H. erectus
0.25 – 0.2 Taiwan 1 individual pre-2008/2015
H. sapiens
(modern humans)
0.2[143] – present Worldwide 150 – 190 cm (4 ft 7 in – 6 ft 3 in) 50–100 kg (110–220 lb) 950–1,800 (extant) —/1758
H. floresiensis
classification uncertain
0.10 – 0.012 Indonesia 100 cm (3 ft 3 in) 25 kg (55 lb) 400 7 individuals 2003/2004
Denisova hominin
possible H. sapiens subspecies or hybrid
0.04 Russia 1 site 2010
Red Deer Cave people
possible H. sapiens subspecies or hybrid
0.0145–0.0115 China Very few 2012

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4 #ChamuyeCuandoDije Grace Jones Pokemon Go
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6 #MeCambiaLaCara #RejectedAppleProducts Bonang
7 #ZaynWeAreAlwaysHere #BieberTODAY #HomoNaledi
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October 12, 2015

Top News Stories –

Queen’s advisers strip Jeremy Corbyn of ‘Right Honourable’ title after Privy Council snub –
The Queen’s advisers told Parliament to strip Jeremy Corbyn of his “Right Honourable” status after Number 10 wrongly implied the Labour leader had joined the Privy Council, The Daily Telegraph can disclose. Mr Corbyn was described on Parliament’s website as “Right Honourable”, which denotes membership of the centuries-old Privy Council, until late last week. The Labour leader was also described as a “Right Honourable Gentleman” by Prime Minister David Cameron when they faced each other in the Commons last month, days after he was voted in as Labour leader. However, after Mr Corbyn failed to attend the first meeting of the Privy Council since the summer holidays with the Queen last Thursday, the “Rt Hon” title was removed from Mr Corbyn’s page on Parliament’s website. [Daily Telegraph]

Swedish police called on a beard club because they were mistaken for Isil –
The police in Sweden were shocked to receive a call from a passer-by that alerted them to a possible Isil warrior group, north of the city Jönköping. When they arrived, they “had a good laugh” – the group mistaken for Isil was actually a beard club called the Bearded Villians. They had stopped in the area in order to take a photo together, posing with a sign which, from a distance, could be mistaken for the Isil flag. [Daily Telegraph]

Bearded-Villains
Bearded Villains

Video of the Day –

Apollo Missions from harrisonicus on Vimeo.

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5 #كلمه_تختصر_في�… Happy Thanksgiving Julian Assange
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November 4, 2015

Top News Stories –

Brazilian prison inmates using a mouse to courier drugs –
As prison guards in one of Brazil’s notoriously overcrowded and chaotic jails, the officers in Barra da Grota prison probably thought they had seen it all. But last week they saw something that shocked even their hardened heads: a mouse, they noticed, was being used by inmates to courier drugs. The animal was seen scurrying along the corridor with tiny bags of drugs tied to its tail, running between the cells. Gean Carlos Gomes, director of the central Brazil prison, 1,100 miles inland from Recife, said the mouse was being used as a “bridge” between cells. “They attached a hook to the mouse’s tail and then used it to carry the drugs and other goods from one cell to another,” he said. “When the animal arrived at its destination, the prisoner took the mouse and removed the hook from its tail.” [Daily Telegraph]

Vladimir Putin is Forbes magazine’s most powerful person in the world –
Vladimir Putin has been named the world’s most powerful person for the second year running by Forbes magazine. Of the 73 listed, 28 are billionaires. Thirty of the individuals are Americans. And only nine are women – the same number as last year. The 63-year-old Russian president has, unsurprisingly, retained his position at the top of the Forbes ranking of the world’s most powerful people. Forbes says the decision is made on the amount of money they control; the number of people they impact; their total spheres of influence; and how actively they wield their power. And in all areas Mr Putin has triumphed; he dominates one of the world’s largest countries, and his actions in Ukraine and Syria are changing the course of history. [Daily Telegraph] See List of the Day
Vladimir_PutinVladimir Putin

WARNING: Do Not Post Your Winning Ticket On Social Media –
Chantelle from Perth won $900 [Australian] by betting on 100-to-1 shot Prince Of Penzance in the Melbourne Cup yesterday… Like many punters around the country Chantelle celebrated the win by posting a selfie with her victorious ticket on Facebook. Little did Chantelle know, the photo of the barcode could be used at an automated machine to claim the cash – which is exactly what someone did. “To the low life who is obviously my friend on Facebook and used my photo to claim our winnings. You’re a massive dick. You ruined my day,” Chantelle wrote on Facebook. Chantelle told Triple M that police were able to track where the money was claimed and are confident of finding the person responsible. [Triple M]
Chantelle winning ticket Facebook postChantelle winning ticket Facebook post

Video of the Day –

Emirates: #HelloJetman
Armed with unguarded ambition and the vision to push boundaries beyond the unthinkable, Jetman Dubai and Emirates A380 take to the skies of Dubai for an exceptional formation flight.

List of the Day –

Forbes Most Powerful People Top Ten 2015 [Forbes]

Rank Name Organization Age
#1 Vladimir Putin Russia 63
#2 Angela Merkel Germany 61
#3 Barack Obama United States 54
#4 Pope Francis Roman Catholic Church 78
#5 Xi Jinping China 62
#6 Bill Gates Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation 60
#7 Janet Yellen Washington, United States 69
#8 David Cameron United Kingdom 49
#9 Narendra Modi India 65
#10 Larry Page Google 42

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November 21, 2015

Top News Stories –

Ban bathtubs, says Sweden’s ‘green king’ –
The king of Sweden wants to ban all bath-tubs in an effort to save water. King Carl XVI Gustaf, who in recent years has put past scandals relating to his reputation as a lothario behind him to become better known as a dedicated environmentalist, has given a frank interview to describe his determination to turn the royal palace in Stockholm green. He also suggested that having given up taking baths himself his people should follow where he has led. “We should ban all baths, imagine that,” he said when asked about his suggestions for everyday energy saving. The question arose when he confessed he had recently been forced to run himself a bath when staying somewhere that lacked showers. “That’s when it hit me how much water and energy it used,” he said. “I thought ‘I can’t believe I’m having to do this’. I felt quite ashamed.” [Daily Telegraph]
King_Carl_XVI_GustafKing Carl Gustaf

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Fire Tornado in Slow Motion – The Slow Mo Guys

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1 #2016IsZaynsYear Justin and Selena Red Cadeaux
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November 24, 2015

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Angry Cheryl Fernandez-Versini takes legal action over ‘white powder’ bathroom picture –
Cheryl Fernandez-Versini has taken legal action to prevent the publication of a photograph in which she is seen next to a white powdery substance in a public lavatory. The X Factor judge was photographed by a fashion journalist who posted the picture on Instagram after the 2015 British Fashion Awards at the London Coliseum on Monday night. The image was later deleted, but lawyers for the Girls Aloud singer have sent a warning letter to media companies not to use the picture. Taken in the reflection of a mirror, the picture shows Mrs Fernandez-Versini washing her hands with other women either side of her, with three lines of a white powder on a glass shelf in front and slightly to the side of her. [Daily Telegraph]
Cheryl Fernandez-VersiniCheryl Fernandez-Versini

Jeff Bezos’ space company does world first in landing reusable rocket –
[As promised in September 2015] Jeff Bezos’ privately-funded space company Blue Origin announced a historic first today – it successfully landed a fired rocket back on Earth after an unmanned flight to space. Bezos announced the compelling test flight video on Twitter – the first time he has ever tweeted – calling the achievement the “rarest of beasts.” In this test flight, the rocket separated itself from the New Shepard vehicle, which flew to an altitude of 93km on Monday, at almost 4 times the speed of sound. Usually, the rocket would have fallen back to Earth and been unable to complete any more flights. “Rockets have always been expendable,” Bezos wrote in blog post about the landing. “Not anymore.” In this case, it was guided towards a launchpad on Earth where it slowed down and landed, intact. This means the rocket can be re-used for subsequent flights, which companies like Blue Origin claim will make spaceflight far less expensive. [Daily Telegraph] See Video of the Day
Jeff_BezosJeff Bezos

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Historic Rocket Landing

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7 Turquía David Canary #Trident
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February 29, 2016

Leap Day – one of only two in this decade.

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Peter Rabbit to feature on 50p coin to mark Beatrix Potter anniversary, Royal Mint announces –
Beatrix Potter’s mischievous Peter Rabbit is to become the first children’s literary character to appear on a UK coin. In a move certain to infuriate Mr McGregor, the anthropomorphic vegetable thief will feature on a silver 50p released to mark the 150th anniversary of the author’s birth in 1866. The Royal Mint said three more Potter characters will feature on special edition coins released later in the year to complete a four-piece set. [Daily Telegraph]
Peter Rabbit 50pPeter Rabbit 50p

Blossom fans break into Chinese prison grounds –
A Chinese prison compound has been attracting hordes of visitors keen to see the site’s blossoming trees in full bloom – with some scaling walls in order to get in, it’s reported.
Members of the public had previously been allowed onto the site, in the southern city of Guilin, to wander among a huge grove of peach trees planted in an area housing jail staff. Guards say in past years they’ve only seen a trickle of visitors, but this year’s spectacular display means thousands have turned up, forcing prison authorities to limit access to people visiting inmates or staff, the local Nanguo Zaobao newspaper reports. [BBC]

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How leap year works

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Leap Day Events [from Wikipedia]

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  • China says it expects to lay off 1.8 million state workers in the coal and steel sectors, or about 15 percent of the industries’ workforce, as part of efforts to reduce industrial overcapacity. (Reuters)
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March 23, 2016

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Foo Fighters singer Dave Grohl backs teenage metal band in Cornwall noise row –
US rocker Dave Grohl has leapt to the defence of a teenage heavy metal band from Cornwall – after their local council said they were too loud. The Black Leaves of Envy were told they would have to stop practising in a family garage after noise complaints from neighbours. Foo Fighters frontman Grohl penned an open letter to the authority after the band reached out to him. He asked Cornwall Council to “reconsider the restrictions”. In the open letter, former Nirvana drummer Grohl says he started out practising in a garage and says music is a “wonderful, creative outlet for kids”. Grohl also penned a separate letter to the band, giving them advice on soundproofing. He advised the group to fill the garage walls with sand and cover the floor in gym mats. Band member Adam Jones, 17, said: “It’s just been surreal – I’m speechless.” “Seeing the Foo Fighters tag you in a post on Facebook was just incredible,” he said. [BBC] Grohl famously broke his leg when he fell off the stage at a gig in Gothenburg, Sweden in June 2015 but returned to finish the concert.
Dave_GrohlDave Gohl

Formula 1 drivers warn success of sport could be jeopardised –
Formula 1 drivers have demanded change at the top of the sport, saying its decision-making process is “obsolete and ill-structured”. Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) directors Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel and Alex Wurz have written a letter on behalf of the drivers. It “urges the owners and stakeholders of F1 to restructure its governance”. Many issues can be traced back to F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, but the letter does not mention the 85-year-old. Some recent decisions are “disruptive”, avoid “the bigger issues” and “could jeopardise F1’s success”, it adds. Writing the letter is an extraordinary step by the drivers, which reflects the strength of their feelings on the matter.
Jenson_ButtonJenson Button

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iPhone SE (parody)

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5 #ObamaEnArgentina #1linewed Suzanne Evans
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May 14, 2016

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Barcelona pip rivals Real Madrid to the La Liga title on last day –
Barcelona pipped bitter rivals Real Madrid to the La Liga title thanks to a Luis Suarez hat-trick at Granada. Barca’s fifth victory in a row ensured they won the league by one point from Real, who beat Deportivo La Coruna 2-0. Suarez tapped in, powered home a header and slotted Neymar’s pass to give him La Liga’s golden boot with 40 goals. [BBC]
Luis_SuarezLuis_Suarez

Eurovision Song Contest: Ukraine’s Jamala wins competition –
Ukraine’s Jamala has won this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, held in Stockholm, Sweden.
The country scored 534 points with its song 1944, about the deportation of Crimean Tatars under Josef Stalin. Australia finished second with 511 points, while Russia – which was the favourite going into the competition – was third with 491 points. Jamala is the first ever Crimean Tatar to perform at the contest and caused controversy ahead of the show over her political song. The song references the year when Stalin deported almost all of the ethnic group from its native region of Crimea in what was then Soviet Russia (later to become part of Ukraine). [BBC]
Jamala

Video of the Day –

Recap of all the Eurovision Song Contest finalists

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Spanish BBVA La Liga Table 2015-16

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Barcelona 38 29 4 5 112 29 +83 91
2 Real Madrid 38 28 6 4 110 34 +76 90
3 Atlético Madrid 38 28 4 6 63 18 +45 88
4 Villarreal 37 18 10 9 44 33 +11 64
5 Athletic Bilbao 38 18 8 12 58 45 +13 62
6 Celta Vigo 38 17 9 12 50 58 −8 60
7 Sevilla 38 14 10 14 51 50 +1 52
8 Real Sociedad 38 13 9 16 45 48 −3 48
9 Málaga 37 11 12 14 34 34 0 45
10 Las Palmas 37 12 8 17 44 49 −5 44
11 Valencia 38 11 11 16 46 48 −2 44
12 Eibar 37 11 10 16 47 57 −10 43
13 Deportivo La Coruña 38 8 18 12 45 62 −17 42
14 Real Betis 37 10 12 15 31 50 −19 42
15 Espanyol 37 11 7 19 36 72 −36 40
16 Granada 38 10 9 19 46 68 −22 39
17 Getafe 37 9 9 19 36 65 −29 36
18 Sporting Gijón 37 9 9 19 38 62 −24 36
19 Rayo Vallecano 37 8 11 18 49 72 −23 35
20 Levante 37 8 8 21 36 67 −31 32

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