December 22, 2014

Top News Stories –

Sunny smile –
Kent student Jess Smith reveals that she was the baby who played the sun on the Teletubbies, a BBC TV show in the 80s & 90s.

Joe Cocker dies –
Joe Cocker, famous for his version of the Beatles “With A Little Help From My Friends” which reached number one in 1968, has died from cancer.
Joe_CockerJoe Cocker

Total indulgence –
Costa Coffee in the UK is selling 100,000 sticky toffee latte a week during the festive season. The largest ‘massimo’ size has around 598 calories, contains up to 75g of sugar – nearly 19 teaspoons, or twice the amount in a can of Coke.
Costa-logo

Beep-beep –
Google launch the second version of their self-driving car which has been described a toy police car.

Tit-for-tat attack? –
North Korea internet shut down for 9 hours and just days after the state was accused of a major hack on Sony Pictures in the state. Speculation is that the US government caused the outage in retribution.

Video of the Day –

Joe Cocker – With A Little Help From My Friends

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October 15, 2015

Top News Stories –

Twitter goes down for 10 minutes, everybody panics –
Twitter went down for users in several parts of the world, causing widespread panic and much soul-searching across the UK, Japan and parts of America. The Twitter website, Tweetdeck – its service for power users, and its mobile apps were all down at 14:14 BST on Thursday. Service was restored roughly 10 minutes later. The website Down Detector, which registers reports of outages, registered a huge spike in queries for Twitter being down. Users in the UK, Japan, the US and the Middle East were among those affected. [Daily Telegraph]
Twitter downTwitter down notice

Russia ‘tried to cut off’ World Wide Web –
Russia has run large scale experiments to test the feasibility of cutting the country off the World Wide Web, a senior industry executive has claimed. The tests, which come amid mounting concern about a Kremlin campaign to clamp down on internet freedoms, have been described by experts as preparations for an information blackout in the event of a domestic political crisis. Andrei Semerikov, general director of a Russian service provider called Er Telecom, said Russia’s ministry of communications and Roskomnadzor, the national internet regulator, ordered communications hubs run by the main Russian internet providers to block traffic to foreign communications channels by using a traffic control system called DPI. The objective was to see whether the Runet – the informal name for the Russian internet – could continue to function in isolation from the global internet. The experiment, which took place in spring this year, failed because thousands of smaller service providers, which Roskomnadzor has little control over, continued to pass information out of the country, Mr Semerikov said. [Daily Telegraph]

Porn during lunch breaks is OK but smoking cannabis can get you sacked, Italy’s highest court rules –
Employees cannot be sacked for watching porn during their lunch breaks if it does not impact upon their ability to do their work, Italy’s highest court has ruled. According to Italian media reports, the Court of Cassation ruled against major car manufacturer Fiat after it sacked a factory worker in Termini Imerese, a town in Sicily. Bosses had caught the man watching adult films at work, but he argued that his viewing was limited to “catching a glimpse of a movie during his lunch break”. But it wasn’t all bad news for Fiat, as in a separate ruling on Wednesday the court found the carmaker was within its rights to sack a man caught smoking cannabis during his lunch break – presumably because its effects continued into his working hours. [The Independent]

Video of the Day –

Back To The Future In ACTUAL 2015 – by College Humor

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide USA UK
1 #ImPerfect #SpiritDay #SNP15
2 #FelizJueves #ProblemsTechnologyCantSolve #EducationDay
3 Primark Master P Die Hard
4 #EstariaNecesitando The Drone Papers Oscar Pistorius
5 #شخصيه_كويتيه_�… #OceanCelebs #kidscompany
6 #5SOSMNL Oscar Pistorius Fantastic Four
7 Oscar Pistorius #IDontMeanToScareYouBut #GlobalHandwashingDay
8 #Empire Theranos Boris Johnson
9 #DiaDoProfessor Fantastic Four Danny Ings
10 #曲名に無職だけど�… Evan Peters King Kong

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
Business and economy
International relations
  • Vietnam says a Chinese vessel rammed into and sank one of its fishing boats near disputed islands in the South China Sea. More than 20 Vietnamese fishing boats have been attacked by Chinese vessels this year causing tensions between both countries.(AP via Yahoo)
Disasters and accidents
Law and crime
Politics and elections
Science
  • Astronomers say they have observed bizarre light patterns using the Kepler Space Telescope from a star that appears old, but is shrouded in debris like a much younger star, roughly 1,500 light-years away. This has led to speculation that these are an “artificial extraterrestrial mega-structure”, orbiting the star known as KIC 8462852 in the Cygnus constellation. KIC 8462852 lies just above the Milky Way between the constellations Cygnus and Lyra. It first attracted the attention of astronomers in 2009 when the Kepler Space Telescope identified it as a candidate for having orbiting Earth-like planets. (Independent) (Discovery News)
Sports

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October 16, 2015

Top News Stories –

Santa Claus is elected to North Pole City Council in Alaska –
Mr Claus, who is 68 years old, has a white beard and is often seen in his hometown wearing red. Admittedly this North Pole is actually in Alaska, not the one every associates with Christmas. And Mr Claus actually changed his name from Thomas Patrick O’Connor about 10 years ago. “I’m fairly well known. I think people are pleased with it. We’ll see. Time will tell,” he said. “I have three years to make a positive impression so hopefully I will get off on the right foot later this month.” North Pole, Alaska, is home to about 2,200 people. Their new city councillor will take his seat later this month. Mr Claus, who was living in Nevada when he changed his name, says he tries to help at-risk children and improve the lives of young people. [BBC Newsbeat]

China home to more billionaires than the US –
China has eclipsed the United States as home to the world’s highest number of billionaires, according to a new report. Despite China’s economy cooling in recent months, the number of billionaires within its borders rose this year by 242, bringing the total to 596. The US, in contrast, is currently home to 537 billionaires, according to The Hurun Report, which monitors the wealthy in China. The list reflects a power shift in China’s economy, with the surge in the number of super rich fuelled by the growth of the nation’s IT and manufacturing industries. [Daily Telegraph]

Yahoo Mail does away with passwords –
One of the biggest pains of the digital age is having to memorise multiple lengthy and appropriately unguessable passwords. Now, Yahoo has done away with the password altogether in its new Yahoo Mail app, instead asking users to sign in via push notification. The new app uses new sign-in method Yahoo Account Key, which sends a notification to the smartphone you’ve chosen to link to the account asking ‘Are you trying to sign in?’ and the option to select yes or no. Yahoo claims the feature is more secure than a traditional password due to the second step of phone verification, but without the need to input a code. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Tesla’s Autopilot System Is Creepy And Wonderful

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide USA UK
1 #ItsPerfectDay #PreOrderPURPOSE #FridayFeeling
2 #PreOrderPURPOSE #ItsPerfectDay #WorldFoodDay
3 #HeyEverybodyMusicVideo #HeyEverybodyMusicVideo #PreOrderPURPOSE
4 Hayırlı Cumalar Malia Obama #HeyEverybodyMusicVideo
5 Oscar Wilde #RememberWhenPeopleActually #MercuryPrize
6 Falcons Ann Coulter #ItsPerfectDay
7 Irene Lozano #NationalBossDay Cook
8 BuyPurposeOnITunes #WorldFoodDay #bbcqt
9 #BuenViernes Joseph’s Tomb Falcons
10 #ادخل_وكتب_دعو�… #CrapperBooks Joe Cole

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January 21, 2016

Top News Stories –

President Putin ‘probably’ approved Litvinenko murder –
The murder of ex-Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in 2006 in the UK was ‘probably’ approved by President Vladimir Putin, an inquiry has found. Mr Putin is likely to have signed off the poisoning of Mr Litvinenko with polonium-210 in part due to personal “antagonism” between the pair, it said. Home Secretary Theresa May said the murder was a “blatant and unacceptable” breach of international law. But the Russian Foreign Ministry said the public inquiry was “politicised”. Litvinenko aged 43 in London in 2006, days after drinking tea poisoned with the radioactive substance. The former Russian spy – who is believed to have later worked for MI6 – had been a fierce critic of the Kremlin. [BBC]

Norwegian in underwear clings to car roof to stop thief –
A man clad only in boxer shorts stopped a thief from stealing his car in southern Norway – by clinging on to the roof in a hair-raising ride at -17C. Police say the owner was left “pretty bloody” after the car crashed into a safety barrier on a bridge. A suspect has been taken into police custody. The owner, 25, woke up in Kristiansand in the early hours of Wednesday when he heard his car engine firing up. He raced out, grabbed a car door-handle and refused to let go. The thief drove the car at up to 90km/h (56 mph), he said, but the owner managed to smash the back window with his knee and grappled with the thief before the car hit the safety barrier. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

SEAN PETTIT | Full Part 2015 from SUPER PROOF on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide USA UK
1 #MeGustaCuando #NationalHugDay #SquirrelAppreciationDay
2 #quintaupcomoclubesdv #SquirrelAppreciationDay #NationalHugDay
3 #NationalHugDay #BeAnEngineer #specialtiesin6words
4 #FelizJueves #DanielHoltzclaw #Litvinenko
5 #زد_رصيدك69 #RIPBelieberLinda #RIPBelieberLinda
6 the 100 today #ToTheGirls2016 #hsm10
7 #تويتر_بلا_بنات #DumbWaysIHurtMyself #FishHipHop
8 #nosvanadarperobien #CitizensUnited #NTAs
9 #aldub27thweeksary #BlizzardWatch kevin nolan
10 #Lauren4KODE #favoritethrowbackcouple #thevampstruthordare

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April 27, 2016

Top News Stories –

Facebook profits up almost 200% to $1.51 billion –
Facebook has revealed stronger-than-expected results for its first quarter, helped by a growing number of users and higher advertising revenue. The social network reported earnings of $1.51 billion, or 52 cents per share, up from $512 million, or 18 cents per share, in the same period a year earlier, and over 1.65 billion users now use the social network, with the average users visiting for 15 minutes a day. The results are in stark contrast to Apple and Twitter, who posted poor results yesterday, with Apple shares falling 7% today. Separately, Facebook also announced that it will create a new class of non-voting stock, known as ‘Class C capital stock,’ designated to let CEO Mark Zuckerberg keep tight reins on the company even as it issues more shares to compensate employees and investors. [Daily Mail]
Mark_ZuckerbergMark Zuckerberg

Video of the Day –

Reebok 25,915 Days

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide USA
#ProjectHomeLouisDay #ProjectHomeLouisDay
#QuartaDetremuraSdv #WednesdayWisdom
#727WorldTour #1linewed
#WednesdayWisdom #YoFirmoYoRevoco
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#FelizMiercoles #womancard
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#السكن_ليس_حق_ل… #DenimDay
#BringBackTheGloryAteneo Cod 4
#YoFirmoYoRevoco #RoadToRio

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January 1, 2017

Top News Stories –

Mariah Carey stormed out of 2016 with a technical meltdown –
Mariah Carey had a very public and very embarrassing end to 2016. She had a massive technical meltdown during her performance at a New Year’s Eve party. And it wasn’t exactly an intimate gig – it was the New Year’s Eve party in Times Square in New York. Thousands of people watched there, millions more saw it on American TV. She said: “We’re missing some of these vocals, but it is what it is. “We didn’t have a sound check, but it’s New Year’s baby. That’s ok.” It didn’t look ok though. She half-heartedly mimed a few bars and then decided not to bother. “I’m going to let the audience sing, OK?” she said. Her male dancers carried on, as she diva-strutted across the stage. At one stage she asked “I wanted a holiday too, can I not have one?” As the song ended, she said “That was…. amazing.” Finally, she told the audience: “It just don’t get any better”, and walked off stage. [BBC]
Mariah_CareyMariah Carey

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Armed conflicts and attacks
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International relations
Law and crime
  • Campinas massacre
  • Spanish and Moroccan authorities clash with migrants on the Moroccan-Spanish border along Ceuta, as they attempt to climb and rush the border fence. (Express UK)
  • Police arrest Anthony K. Boisvert after a foot chase in Lebanon, New Hampshire, charging him in the setting a fire which destroyed an abandoned building on January 2016, and two other fires, one which destroyed the historic First Baptist Church on December 2016 and stabbing two at a condominium complex December 29. (The New Hampshire Union Leader)
  • Authorities seek three men after they rob $6 million on New Year’s Eve from the offices of high-end jewelry designer Gregg Ruth in New York City. (ABC NYC)
Politics and elections

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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

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