2015 - The 2010s

March 4, 2015

Top News Stories –

Blurred Lines makes $16.68m –
Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams made more than $5m (£3.26m) each from Blurred Lines, according to figures revealed during a copyright trial. Total profits for the biggest track of 2013 are $16.68m (£10.87m), with rapper TI getting a $704,000 (£459,000) share according to the Hollywood Reporter. The trio are being sued for copyright infringement by Marvin Gaye’s family, over similarities to Got to Give It Up. [BBC]

American footballers to donate brains to science –
Two American Football stars say they will donate their brains for medical research after their deaths. New York Giants punter Steve Weatherford and former Seattle Seahawks receiver Sidney Rice want to support studies into brain injuries. Many former players in the sport suffer degenerative brain disease. “There are a lot of issues that stem from brain injuries and it’s not just professional athletes. This affects everybody,” Weatherford said. Rice won the Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks last year before retiring – at the age of 27 – over fears for his long-term health after absorbing so many blows to the head. Both he and Weatherford said they hoped their commitment could persuade others to support research into brain injuries. [BBC]

Seattle Seahawks receiver Sidney Rice

Video of the Day –

NASA | Satellite Tracks Saharan Dust to Amazon in 3-D

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March 5, 2015

Top News Stories –

Harrison Ford crashes his plane for third time –
US actor Harrison Ford has been injured in a small plane crash in Los Angeles. The 72-year-old, star of the Indiana Jones and Star Wars films, reported engine failure and crash-landed his vintage plane on a Venice golf course. He was breathing and alert when medics arrived and took him to hospital in a “fair to moderate” condition, a fire department spokesman said. His son Ben, a chef in Los Angeles, later tweeted from the hospital: “Dad is OK. Battered but OK! [BBC]
Harrison Ford

Delta Aircraft slides off New York runway –
A passenger airliner has skidded off the runway at LaGuardia airport in New York City, as a major winter storm bears down on a large part of the US. Emergency officials helped 127 passengers and five crew off the plane just after 11:00 local time (16:00 GMT), but no one was seriously injured. Snow and freezing rain has been falling from Texas to New England over the past several hours. The flight, Delta 1086, was attempting to land at LaGuardia after flying from Atlanta. It veered to the left shortly after making contact with the runway, but avoided crashing into nearby Flushing Bay. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

“Treasures of Zakynthos”

Treasures of Zakynthos – A Timelapse Film from Maciej Tomków on Vimeo.
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March 6, 2015

Top News Stories –

China blocks pollution documentary –
The authorities in China have a removed from websites a popular documentary which highlights the country’s severe pollution problem. Under the Dome explains the social and health costs of pollution, and was watched by more than 100 million people online, sparking debates. It was removed just two days after Premier Li Keqiang called pollution a blight on people’s lives. [BBC]

NASA probe reaches Ceres –
The US space agency’s Dawn probe has gone into orbit around Ceres, the largest object in the Solar System between Mars and Jupiter. A signal from the satellite confirming its status was received by ground stations at 13:36 GMT. Ceres is the first of the dwarf planets to be visited by a spacecraft. Scientists hope to glean information from the object that can tell them about the Solar System’s beginnings, four and a half billion years ago. Dawn has taken 7.5 years to reach its destination. Its arrival has seen it pass behind the dwarf to its “dark side”. [BBC]
The Dawn probe (by NASA)

“25 0” licence plate sells for £518,000 –
When the auctioneer’s hammer came down, classic car dealer John Collins was looking at a bill of £518,000. But it was not a rare Ferrari that he had bought. It was a number plate. The registration plate “25 O” is the most expensive ever bought at a Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) auction. Even so, Mr Collins, who owns classic Ferrari dealer Talacrest, says he would have bid more at the auction for the plate which matches the 250 model. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Furious 7 trailer –

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March 7, 2015

Top News Stories –

Man arrested on roof of Houses of Parliament –
A 23-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and trespassing after a man spent several hours on the roof of Parliament. Negotiators were called to the scene after police were made aware of the incident at 21:15 GMT on Saturday. Scotland Yard said at this stage it was too early to know why the man had been on the roof. A man was detained at 05:00 GMT on Sunday and has been taken to a central London police station. [BBC]

#BlackOutDay a hit on social media –
#BlackOutDay launched as a social media campaign today celebrating black beauty and fighting against negative images and stereotypes perpetuated in the media. The campaign is supported by YouTube personality Frenchesca Ramsey. She said “”We’re asking black people to share pictures, videos and GIFs of themselves to celebrate our people coming from all different walks of life. It’s a celebration of black beauty and our individuality.” See Trending below [abc news]
Franchesca Ramsey

Parking’s fine for driver –
A driver who was trying to pay to park got a surprise £32 “windfall” when the ticket machine “cascaded” coins at her like a fruit machine jackpot payout. Stephanie Corder, from Rayleigh, Essex, was in the town’s Castle Road, where it costs £5 to park a car for a whole day. “I had to scoop the money up to stop it falling on the floor,” Ms Corder said. She took the cash to the police and Rochford District Council has rewarded her with a day’s free parking as a “little thank you” for her honesty. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Mysteries – Newly Thrown from Kris Moyes on Vimeo.

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March 8, 2015

Top News Stories –

Crufts dog dies after suspected poisoning –
A dog has died after competing at Crufts, amid claims he was poisoned. Three-year-old Thendara Satisfaction, known as Jagger, is understood to have collapsed and died after returning home to Belgium on Friday. Police in Belgium are investigating and a full toxicology report is expected next week. The husband of Jagger’s co-owner said: “I can only hope it wasn’t an act of jealousy by another competitor, but just a lunatic.” Jagger, who came second in his class at Birmingham’s NEC on Thursday, is owned by Belgian Aleksandra Lauwers and Leicester-based breeder Dee Milligan-Bott. [BBC] See List of the Day.

Solar plane takes of to fly round the world –
A record-breaking attempt to fly around the world in a solar-powered plane has got under way from Abu Dhabi. The aircraft – called Solar Impulse-2 – took off from the Emirate, heading east to Muscat in Oman. Over the next five months, it will skip from continent to continent, crossing both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans in the process. Andre Borschberg was at the controls of the single-seater vehicle as it took off at 07:12 local time (03:12 GMT). He will share the pilot duties in due course with fellow Swiss, Bertrand Piccard. See Video of the Day.

Wheels come off epic plan –
Producers working on the remake of the Oscar-winning Ben Hur have been barred from shooting the epic chariot scene at the Circus Maximus. Filmmakers already on location in Rome and the southern city of Matera reportedly made a request to use the ancient stadium immortalised by the film in December. But it was feared the decision to bring hundreds of extras and heavy vehicles into a fragile archaeological site would lead to public outcry. [Daily Mail]

Video of the Day –

Launch of Solar Impulse

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March 9, 2015

Top News Stories –

French sports stars die in reality TV accident –
Prosecutors in France have opened a manslaughter investigation after two helicopters crashed in Argentina, killing eight French nationals. Three well-known French sports personalities were among those killed in the collision, which also claimed the lives of the two Argentine pilots. French President Francois Hollande said it was “a cause of immense sadness”. Both helicopters were involved in the filming of TV survival show Dropped, which airs on French channel TF1. On the show, celebrities are flown into rough terrain and filmed while they attempt to find food and shelter. Yachtswoman Florence Arthaud, Olympic swimmer Camille Muffat and Olympic boxer Alexis Vastine were the show’s celebrities on board at the time of the crash. They all died. [BBC]
Camille Muffat

Solar powered plane still on target –
Solar Impulse is back in the air on the second leg of its historic attempt to fly around the world. After the briefest of lay-overs, the prop-driven plane took off from Muscat in Oman at 06.35 (02:35 GMT). It is heading across the Arabian Sea to Ahmedabad in India. Project chairman, Bertrand Piccard, is now at the controls, having taken over from Andre Borschberg, who flew the first leg on Monday from Abu Dhabi to Muscat. The second leg will cover about 1,465km (791 nautical miles), and should take about 16 hours.

Video of the Day –

[BBC]

ALBAN ENDLOS – UMDA (A journey through India in 4 Minutes, colorgraded on a used VHS) from David Aufdembrinke on Vimeo.
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March 10, 2015

Top News Stories –

Top Gear Clarkson out for the count –
Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson has been suspended by the BBC after what it called a “fracas” with a producer. Sources said he was accused of hitting the producer in an incident last week, and the remaining three episodes of the current series might not be broadcast. The BBC confirmed one episode – due for broadcast on Sunday – would not be shown, but gave few further details. Clarkson, 54, has not commented, but has been joking on social media about films that could replace Sunday’s show. [BBC] Jeremy Clarkson

Berlusconi cleared of under-age sex –
Italy’s top court has confirmed the acquittal of Silvio Berlusconi on charges that he paid for sex with an under-age dancer and then abused his position as prime minister to cover it up. After nine hours of deliberations, the judges at the Court of Cassation delivered a ruling that brings to an end a lengthy legal saga centred on the billionaire media tycoon’s infamous “bunga bunga” sex parties. It also leaves the 78-year-old free to resume a central role in Italian politics. Berlusconi has just finished serving a community service order for tax fraud and remains embroiled in several other legal cases. [Daily Telegraph]Silvio Berlusconi

“Blurred Lines” was plagiarised from Marvin Gaye track –
Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams plagiarised their monster hit Blurred Lines from Marvin Gaye’s 1977 song Got to Give It Up and have been ordered by a court to pay $7.4 million to the late Motown singer’s children for infringement of copyright. The ruling followed a two week case at the The US District Court in Los Angeles and some experts said the outcome could have a detrimental effect on an industry in which many artists are heavily influenced by those who went before. Thicke, who performed the song, and its producer Williams, made Blurred Lines into the biggest song of 2013 in the US, where it stayed at number one for 12 weeks, and a familiar tune across the world. A jury of five women and three men decided unanimously that they had infringed copyright and must pay damages to Gaye’s children Nona, Frankie and Marvin Gaye III, who were in court. [Daily Telegraph]
Pharrell Williams

Video of the Day –

The most popular Top Gear Clip ever
Bugatti Veyron v Euro Fighter Typhoon: Drag Race

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March 11, 2015

Top News Stories –

Saudi student guilty of Drug-driving in a McLaren –
A rich Saudi playboy was caught by police driving his father’s £168,500 McLaren supercar while high on cannabis through Hyde Park. Mohammad Al-Sharif, 22, confessed to smoking the drug at 7.30am that morning and was unsteady on his feet with slurred speech when questioned by officers. He pleaded guilty to driving a McLaren MP4-12c 3.8 litre twin-turbo V8 Velocita Wind Edition in West Carriage Drive on December 11 last year while unfit to drive through drugs. Student Al-Sharif, who lives off a family allowance, was fined £400, with £85 costs and was ordered to pay an £85 victim surcharge. He was disqualified for twelve months. [Daily Telegraph]

McLaren MP4-12c

Highwaymen steal €9m jewels and art on motorway in France –
A manhunt is underway to catch a group of armed robbers who successfully trapped two armoured vans at a motorway toll booth in Burgundy, escaping with €9m (£6.3m) of jewels and art. French police said the heist was carried out by around 15 “heavily armed and battle-hardened” individuals, all masked, who arrived in four cars and surrounded the vans on the A6 motorway around 125 miles south east of Paris. “The group carried out the attack around midnight,” said Cristophe Crépin, a spokesman for the police, adding that the robbers had forced the drivers out, emptied the vans, and then set them on fire a short distance from the toll booth. A local prosecutor said no one had been hurt. The local newspaper said the men had made a getaway towards Paris, in four high-speed cars. [Daily Telegraph]

Google has opened its first-ever branded shop, choosing the Currys PC World on London’s Tottenham Court Road as the location. The store, to be called The Google shop, will sell the company’s range of Android phones and tablets, Chromebook laptops, and Chromecast TV services. The shop will hold tutorials showing consumers how to use the devices and hold demonstrations showing off key Google apps. It is the first time that Google has opened a shop under its own name and highlights how online companies are increasingly exploring ways to open physical stores. Amazon is thought to be considering opening a shop in a standalone location in New York. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Shake It Little Tina (feat. adamscarpenters) – Low Cut Connie from Adam Carpenter on Vimeo.

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March 12, 2015

Top News Stories –

Terry Pratchett, author of Discworld novels dies –
Sir Terry Pratchett, fantasy author and creator of the Discworld series, has died aged 66, eight years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. “The world has lost one of its brightest, sharpest minds,” said Larry Finlay of his publishers Transworld.The author died at home, surrounded by his family, “with his cat sleeping on his bed”, he added. Sir Terry wrote more than 70 books during his career and completed his final book last summer. His death was announced on his Twitter account with a tweet composed in capital letters – which was how the author portrayed the character of Death in his novels – read: “AT LAST, SIR TERRY, WE MUST WALK TOGETHER.” [BBC]

Terry Pratchett

Spider that can give men four-hour erections found in Tesco bananas –
A mother was scared stiff after opening a bunch of supermarket bananas and finding rare spiders whose bite can give a man a painful four-hour erection. Maria Layton, 43, spotted the arachnids after opening the bag of yellow fruit she bought from Tesco. She found the bananas, shipped from Costa Rica, were infested with eggs from the Brazilian Wandering Spider – the most deadly in the world. [Daily Telegraph]
The Brazilian Wandering Spider

Rumours are swirling in Moscow over the health of Vladimir Putin after the Russian president disappeared from view and put off a foreign visit.
Mr Putin has not been seen in public for a week and an official in Kazakhstan told reporters that he postponed a visit to the central Asian country on Wednesday because he had fallen ill. He will also not appear at an annual meeting of high-ranking officers from the Federal Security Service on Thursday, which he has attended in past years. Reporters last saw the president when he met Matteo Renzi, the Italian prime minister, on March 5.
Vladimir Putin

Video of the Day –

Primordial from PeterClark on Vimeo.

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March 13, 2015

Top News Stories –

Vladimir Putin’s ‘girlfriend has given birth’ –
Rumours continued to swirl on Friday over the whereabouts of Vladimir Putin, with one newspaper claiming that the Russian president had fathered a child with his long-term girlfriend. Citing local residents, Switzerland’s Bick tabloid said on Friday that Mr Putin flew to Switzerland to be with Alina Kabaeva, his rumoured lover, as she went into labour at the private Clinic Sant’Anna near Lugano earlier this week. Miss Kabaeva, 31, has been rumoured to be in a relationship with Mr Putin for several years, but the Kremlin has never acknowledged any link between the pair. [Daily Telegraph]
Alina Kabaeva [attribute www.kremlin.ru]

Dermot O’Leary dances for 24 hours straight –
The X-Factor UK presenter Dermot O’Leary has danced for 24 hours straight in aid of Comic Relief, and raised a staggering £643,336. The 41-year-old completed his epic challenge in aid of Red Nose Day, at 7.20pm on Friday after showing off his moves outside BBC Broadcasting House in London for his Day of Dance. The X Factor presenter fought tiredness and pain to boogie his way to the finish life with help from celebrity pals along the way.
[Daily Mail]
Dermot O’Leary

World’s first successful penis transplant carried out in South Africa –
South African scientists have announced the world’s first successful penis transplant, helping a 21-year-old who suffered an amputation following a botched traditional circumcision three years ago. Professor Andre van der Merwe, head of Stellenbosch University’s Division of Urology, announced details of the “ground-breaking” operation at Tygerberg Hospital in Bellville, Cape Town. The nine-hour operation, which involved the attachment of a penis taken from a donor who had died, was carried out in December. The results were announced on Friday after doctors confirmed that the recipient of the donor organ has made a full recovery and is sexually active. [Daily Telegraph]

Mums offer breast milk after formula scare –
Nw Zealand mothers have offered to supply breast milk after letters were sent to a national farming body and the dairy giant Fonterra threatening to contaminate formula with a pesticide. About 30 women in the Northland region, on New Zealand’s North Island, say they’d be happy to contribute, and some women have already started expressing their milk for babies who are ordinarily fed formula. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Muse – Psycho

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March 14, 2015

Top News Stories –

BBC Comic Relief raises £78 million –
A record-breaking £78million was raised for Comic Relief by the end of Red Nose Day 2015. The total was revealed during the live television spectacular on BBC One. The charity also revealed that more than a billion pounds has been raised for Comic Relief since the charity was set up 30 years ago. Comic Relief founder Richard Curtis said he was “enormously proud” of the charity’s achievements. Rowan Atkinson brought back Mr Bean. Dawn French starred in one-off Vicar of Dibley special. Bond stars Daniel Craig and Roger Moore teamed up for a special 007 sketch, while Professor Stephen Hawking appeared in Little Britain. Victoria Wood triumphed in the celebrity Bake-Off. Star-studded sketch saw Liam Gallagher named a national treasure. [BBC]

Putin missing mystery magnifests –
The mystery over the whereabouts of Vladimir Putin deepened on Saturday as Russian state media broadcast – then retracted – reports that he had hosted an official visit from the President of Kyrgyzstan. Mr Putin has remained hidden from public view for nine days. Levels of fear and uncertainty in Moscow have been rising as rumours fly over what could be behind Putin’s lengthy disappearance.The Kremlin has repeatedly denied that there is anything amiss with the Russian leader, batting away suggestions that he is ill, dead, victim of a palace coup or in Switzerland to be by his girlfriend’s side as she gives birth. [Daily Telegraph]
Vladimir Putin

Massive cyclone hits island of Vanuatu –
Dozens are feared dead after a ferocious tropical cyclone suddenly switched direction and smashed through the Pacific nation of Vanuatu, causing landslides, flooding and sea surges and widespread destruction. Cyclone Pam, one of the worst recorded in the southern hemisphere, is believed to have destroyed entire villages as it swept across the Pacific archipelago with winds of more than 200 miles an hour. Aid workers warned of “complete annihilation” in Port Vila, the capital, where some observers estimated 90 per cent of houses had been destroyed. “It felt like the world was going to end,” Alice Clements, from Unicef, told ABC News. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

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March 15, 2015

Top News Stories –

US tycoon murder suspect Durst says he ‘killed them all’ –
US tycoon Robert Durst has been arrested on a murder charge just before the finale of a TV show investigating the alleged crime. He was detained in New Orleans after a warrant was issued by Los Angeles police investigating the murder of mobster’s daughter Susan Berman. Mr Durst has always maintained his innocence in the murder in 2000. But HBO’s The Jinx catches him on tape apparently confessing to three killings, saying “[I] killed them all”. The show suggested in a previous episode that Mr Durst had written a letter only Ms Berman’s killer could have sent. [BBC]

Sir Elton John boycotts Dolce & Gabbana after row over same-sex families –
Sir Elton John has called for a boycott of fashion label Dolce & Gabbana after the legendary designers criticised same-sex families. In a scathing post on picture sharing site Instagram, the furious singer branded Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana “judgmental” and “archaic”. It followed an interview with the designers in Italy’s Panorama magazine in which the pair said: “We oppose gay adoptions. The only family is the traditional one. No chemical offsprings and rented uterus: life has a natural flow, there are things that should not be changed.”
In response to their latest comments, Sir Elton, who married his long-term civil partner David Furnish in December 2014, wrote: “How dare you refer to my beautiful children as ‘synthetic’. “And shame on you for wagging your judgemental little fingers at IVF – a miracle that has allowed legions of loving people, both straight and gay, to fulfil their dream of having children. [Daily Telegraph]
Sir Elton John

British Airways flight to Dubai forced to return to Heathrow due to ‘smelly poo in toilet’ –
A British Airways flight to Dubai was forced to return to Heathrow Airport when a “smelly poo in the toilet” became unbearable for passengers.
The pilot announced that the long haul flight had to be aborted, after cabin crew were unable to prevent the pungent odour emanating from an overflowing toilet. Around 30 minutes in the seven-hour flight, the plane returned to London amid health and safety concerns.
Hertsmere councillor Abhishek Sachdev, who represents Potters Bar Parkfield was on the plane and said it was “insane” that passengers had to wait 15 hours for another flight due to a “smelly poo in the toilet”.

Video of the Day –

INSANE Toilet Paper PRANK!! by Roman Atwood

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March 16, 2015

Top News Stories –

Ronaldo has most Facebook likes after going ahead of Shakira –
Real Madrid footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has overtaken Shakira to become the most followed person on Facebook. The 30-year-old star now has 107,096,356 likes compared to 107,087,100 for the Colombian singer. Ronaldo became the first sportsman to cross 100 million likes last October after joining the site in 2009. He also has 34 million followers on Twitter but is only 13th on that list with Katy Perry leading on 66.6 million followers. [BBC]
Christiano Ronaldo

Flintoff wins Australia’s I’m A Celebrity –
Andrew Flintoff has been crowned Australia’s king of the jungle after winning their version of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! Flintoff beat Australian Football League player Barry Hall and TV personality Chrissie Swan to the title in the South African jungle. After winning, Freddie said: “As an Englishman winning something in Australia, it’s unheard of.” On the show he ate a rat’s tail and was covered in elephant manure. He also drank fermented milk laced with cockroaches and flies and fell out of a helicopter. [BBC]
Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff

Vladimir Putin reappears in public for first time in 10 days –
President Vladimir Putin has made his first public appearance for over ten days, scotching rumours of a Kremlin coup and even his own death. All eyes were on the Russian city of Saint Petersburg on Monday as Mr Putin met with the President of Kyrgyzstan, Almazbek Atambayev, for talks as planned. Commenting on suggestions that he had been forced to lie low because of ill health, Mr Putin said that life without rumours would be boring. “It would be boring without gossip,” Mr Putin, 62, said in his first public appearance since March 5. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Breaking Rules from BIBI LOU on Vimeo.

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March 17, 2015

Top News Stories –

Judges sacked for watching porn in office –
Three judges have been sacked for viewing pornographic material via their official IT accounts, the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office has said.
The pornography was not illegal in content, a spokesman added. However the Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice concluded it was an “inexcusable misuse” of their official accounts and “wholly unacceptable conduct for a judicial office holder”. District Judge Timothy Bowles, Immigration Judge Warren Grant and Deputy District Judge and Recorder Peter Bullock have been removed from office. [BBC]

Swiss plan for Europe’s tallest skyscraper… in ski-resort –
Plans are being drawn up to build the tallest skyscraper in Europe at a remote spa resort high in the Swiss Alps. The proposed 1,250-feet high building would tower over London’s Shard, which measures a mere 1,015 feet. Developers want to build it on the outskirts of Vals, a tiny spa town of just 1,000 people, nestled 4,000 feet up in the Swiss Alps. It is a proposed luxury hotel, aimed at guests from the Middle East and Asia. The proposed tower will reportedly contain around 100 suites, with the cheapest priced at around 1,000 Swiss francs (£675) a night, and the most expensive at an eye-watering 25,000 Swiss francs (£16,000). [Daily Telegraph] See List of the Day.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud Party has won a surprise victory in Israel’s election. Exit polls had forecast a dead heat but with almost all votes counted, results give Likud a clear lead over its main rival, the centre-left Zionist Union. The outcome gives Mr Netanyahu a strong chance of forming a right-wing coalition government. It puts the incumbent on course to clinch a fourth term and become Israel’s longest-serving prime minster. [BBC]
Benjamin Netanyahu

Never slip on ice again with glass shard shoes –
Slipping on ice need never happen again after scientists invented a new type of rubber sole for shoes which allows the wearer to walk easily, even up treacherous slopes. Canadian researchers have developed a new material which contains microscopic glass fibres which act as tiny spikes, gripping the ground in even the most nerve-jangling icy weather. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Leonard in Slow Motion from Peter Livolsi on Vimeo.

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March 18, 2015

Top News Stories –

30 Years of Neighbours –

On 18 March 1985, Neighbours was first broadcast in Australia. Thirty years on it’s still going strong and broadcast to more than 50 countries around the world.
Kylie Minogue

Boris’ Dad bets on him being next PM –
Boris Johnson’s father has bet £20 on his son becoming the next prime minister. Stanley Johnson, 74, said his son is the “best man for the job” and predicted he would beat other rivals to become the next Tory leader. Bookies would have to pay out if the London Mayor entered Number 10 after Mr Cameron steps doing – potentially as early as 2017 – following an election victory next May. “Next Prime Minster After Cameron. Boris Johnson. 5/1,” read the betting slip seen by The Sun. [Daily Telegraph]
Boris Johnson

Video of the Day –

Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite.

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March 19, 2015

Top News Stories –

Top Gear France smashes channel ratings in first episode as critics give it the thumbs up –
Around a million viewers tuned in to Top Gear France – the best ever rating for the channel broadcasting the show, made by BBC Worldwide France reportedly for up to €400,000 per programme. The Gallic version features comic actor Philippe Lellouche, driving ace Bruce Jouanny and car expert Yann Larret-Menezo and The Stig. [Daily Telegraph] See Video of the Day.
Philippe Lellouche

Zayn Malik leaves One Direction tour after being signed off with stress –
Zayn Malik has left One Direction’s tour of Asia and has returned to the UK after being signed off with stress. A statement said: “Zayn has been signed off with stress and is flying back to the UK to recuperate. “The band wish him well and will continue with their performances in Manila and Jakarta.” On Wednesday the singer declared his love for his fiancee, Little Mix star Perrie Edwards, after photos emerged of him with his arm around another woman. [BBC]
Zayn Malik

Russia: Gold found in roadside socks lands man in court
A Russian man has been found guilty of illegally possessing more than a dozen pieces of gold he found in some socks by the roadside, it’s been reported. Bagaudin Estermirov, from the Amur Region in Russia’s Far East, found 18 ingots of gold worth 10.5 million rubles ($171,000; £116,184), wrapped in three black jersey socks in bushes in the town of Zeya last October. A Russian district court on 17 March handed down a two-year suspended sentence for “illegal possession of a precious metal” after Estermirov fully admitted his guilt. The gold, which weighed about 8kg, was handed over to the state. [BBC]

Charlie Sheen hurls racist Twitter rant at Barack Obama –
Charlie Sheen, once the highest paid actor on US television before his career unravelled because of his drug addiction, has launched an attack on Barack Obama. The son of Martin Sheen and former star of Two and a Half Men, posted a garbled attack on the US president in the early hours of the morning on Twitter. “Barry Satera Kenya u won’t attend a soldier’s funeral uhkros da street that u kild yet u hav time 4 brackets? s a d.” Sheen’s anger appeared to be a reference to the funeral of Major General Harold Greene, a two-star general killed in Afghanistan. [Daily Telegraph]

Tag Heuer teams up with Google and Intel for Android watch –
Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer has announced it is to build an Android Wear-powered smartwatch. The firm – which is part of the luxury goods-maker LVMH Group – is forming a partnership with Google and the chipmaker Intel to create the device. Switzerland dominates the high-end watch sector. This marks the first of its companies to join Google’s wearable tech ecosystem. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Top Gear France Trailer

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March 20, 2015

Top News Stories –

America’s longest-serving innocent prisoner receives $1m for 39 years in jail –
An Ohio man freed last year after spending 39 years in jail for a murder he did not commit will receive more than $1 million from the state for his wrongful imprisonment. Ricky Jackson, the longest-held US prisoner to be cleared of a crime, will receive just over $1 million (£680,000) following an order from an Ohio Court of Claims judge on Thursday. The 39 years Mr Jackson spent in jail was the longest time a prisoner had been held before being exonerated. [Daily Telegraph]

‘Breathtaking’ solar eclipse witnessed by millions –
Millions of people in the UK and northern Europe have glimpsed the best solar eclipse in years. A great swathe of the Earth’s surface was plunged into darkness as the Moon came between us and the Sun. From an aeroplane above the Faroe Islands, a BBC camera crew captured startling footage of the event reaching totality at 09:41 GMT. The deep shadow formed first in the North Atlantic and then swept up into the Arctic, ending at the North Pole. See video of the day [BBC]

Martin Guptill hits highest World Cup score in New Zealand victory –
New Zealand’s Martin Guptill smashed the highest score in World Cup history with 237 not out against West Indies to send his team into the semi-finals. The 28-year-old’s 163-ball innings featured 11 sixes and 24 fours and beat the 215 made by West Indies’ Chris Gayle earlier in the tournament. Guptill hit 137 from his last 52 balls to help his side post 393-6. Trent Boult then took four early wickets as New Zealand bowled out the Windies for 250 to seal a 143-run win. [BBC]
Martin Guptill

Video of the Day –

UK Solar Eclipse [Daily Telegraph]

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March 21, 2015

Top News Stories –

Australia unveils 35-year plan to save Great Barrier Reef –
Australia has released a long-term blueprint to try to stem the decline of the Great Barrier Reef following warnings that the famous 1,500-mile stretch of delicate coral reefs could be wiped out by extreme weather and pollution. The 35-year plan is designed to improve the poor water quality and prevent the loss of coral cover in the area, which received a world heritage listing in 1981 and is regularly listed as one of the seven wonders of the natural world. But the area’s deterioration has worried scientists and led to warnings by the United Nations heritage body that it may downgrade the reef’s heritage status to “in danger”. [Daily Telegraph]

Photoshop disaster over a disappearing umbrella in Burma –
Ridicule is raining down on government spin doctors in Burma after they released a publicity shot of a top government minister in which an umbrella had been photoshopped out but a telling shadow gave away their dastardly intervention. The picture is question showed Su Su Hlaing, the country’s deputy minister, disembarking from a plane on Tuesday afternoon at Kaw Thaung airport in the country’s south. It was posted on the Ministry of Information’s official Facebook page in an apparent attempt to boost the minister’s profile. However, internet users almost immediately spotted a glaring mistake. An umbrella-shaped shadow around the minister’s toes suggested she had been standing in the shade of a parasol, yet there was no parasol to be seen in the photograph. The reason for the deletion of an apparently harmless umbrella was not immediately clear. However, the most likely explanation was that a man shielding a woman with his umbrella was something “considered embarrassing for the former in male-dominated Burmese culture,” the The Irrawaddy website speculated. [Daily Telegraph]
‏@JonahFisherBBC

Six Nations 2015: Ireland title glory delights coach Joe Schmidt –
Ireland coach Joe Schmidt said he is “delighted and relieved” after his side retained the Six Nations title. A 40-10 win over Scotland gave Ireland the title on points difference ahead of England and Wales on a thrilling final day of the championship. Wales briefly led the Six Nations standings after hammering Italy 60-21 in Rome, resulting in Ireland needing to defeat the Scots by 21 points to go top. England required a 26-point winning margin over France to deny the Irish back-to-back titles for the first time since 1949, but they came up just short in a 55-35 victory to complete a dramatic triple-bill of action. See List of the Day. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron – TV Spot 2

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March 22, 2015

Top News Stories –

Drone carrying drugs and weapons crashes into prison in smuggling bid –
A plot to smuggle drugs, mobile phones and weapons into a prison by flying them in on a drone failed after the operator crashed the remote-controlled aircraft into a jail wall. The device was spotted by guards at HMP Bedford after it crash landed into razor wire on top of the prison walls in the first incident of its kind. Guards quickly removed the drone – a DJI Phantom 2, which costs up to £900 – and found a package attached containing class A drugs, a knife, screwdriver and mobile phones. [Daily Telegraph]

Italian Job’s legendary Lamborghini discovered after almost half a century, now worth £1m –
It has a starring role in the classic movie The Italian Job – in one of the most memorable opening sequences in cinema history. A stunning orange supercar races through the Alps, before disappearing into a tunnel. Then, in a heartbreaking moment for car fans, the Lamborghini Miura crashes in a ball of flames. The smashed up wreckage is dragged out of the tunnel by the mafia and pushed into a ravine by a bulldozer – followed by a wreath for the driver. The millions who have seen the iconic film since it was made in 1969 must have assumed the car was an irrecoverable write-off, never to be driven again. The car’s new co-owner, Iain Tyrrell, received a tip-off at Christmas that the Miura had resurfaced.He said: ‘I was initially sceptical because no one had seen it for 46 years. But my source was a credible one so I started to pursue it.’ He was invited to see it – but given just three hours to verify the vehicle as the genuine article. ‘It was all very James Bond-ish – I had to go to Paris to inspect the car in a secret underground car park,’ he said. See Video of the Day. [Mail on Sunday]

Steven Gerrard sent off 38 seconds after coming on –
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard was sent off 38 seconds after coming on as a half-time substitute as Manchester United retained their grip on a top-four place with a vital win at Anfield. Gerrard was introduced for Adam Lallana at the start of the second half with United deservedly leading through Juan Mata’s early goal – but was gone almost as quickly after following up a thunderous tackle on the goalscorer with a reckless reaction to a challenge with a clear stamp on Ander Herrera. See List of The Day. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

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March 23, 2015

Top News Stories –

Taylor Swift buys .porn and .adult web domain names –
Taylor Swift has bought the web domain names TaylorSwift.porn and TaylorSwift.adult. The addresses are part of a public sale by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). The web domain names go on sale to the public on 1 June but some stars and companies are being given the opportunity to buy them ahead of then. Microsoft Office has registered Office.porn and Office.adult. Domains can cost up to $2,500 (£1,674). However, .porn and .adult are $99 (£66). In January Taylor Swift applied to trademark five phrases from her latest album 1989 with the US government. [BBC]

Chinese state company agrees to buy Italy’s Pirelli –
China’s biggest state-owned chemical company said Monday it plans to buy Italian tire manufacturer Pirelli, adding to a string of high-profile Chinese corporate purchases in Europe. ChemChina said it has agreed to buy a 26.2 percent stake in Pirelli Tyre S.p.A. from its biggest shareholder, Camfin S.p.A., which is controlled by the family of Pirelli chairman Marco Tronchetti Provera. The company said it would offer to buy the remaining outstanding shares. [AP] The fate of the famous Pirelli calendar is unknown.
Pirelli Calendar November 2015 – Gigi Hadid [From Vogue.com]

French businessman awarded compensation after police mistook soap for cocaine –
Spain’s Ministry of Justice has awarded a French businessman €8,400 (£6,136) in compensation for doing jail time after Spanish police mistook his van-load of soap for a cocaine shipment. Jacques Benoit Fiocconi spent more than two months in a Spanish prison waiting for forensic scientists to correctly identify the fragrant cargo and clear his name. Mr Fiocconi had asked the Spanish Ministry of Justice for €83,000 to cover financial losses and moral damages resulting from his incarceration. The Corsica-based cosmetics entrepreneur was arrested in November 2012 when driving along the AP-7 motorway in Catalonia with his father, Laurent Fiocconi, himself a former drug trafficker who was at one time associated with Pablo Escobar. [Daily Telegraph]

Vin Diesel reveals he has named his daughter after Paul Walker –
Vin Diesel has named his new daughter after Paul Walker, his co-star in The Fast and the Furious series of action films, who died in a car crash in 2013. Diesel told Natalie Morales on the US programme, The TODAY Show: “I named her Pauline. There’s no other person that I was thinking about as I was cutting the umbilical cord. I knew he was there.” [Daily Telegraph]

Largest-ever meteorite crater found in Australian outback –
Scientists have discovered two deep scars in the earth’s crust in outback Australia that are believed to mark the remains of a meteorite crater with a 250-mile diameter – the largest ever found.The scars are each more than 120 miles in diameter and are believed to mark the spot where a meteorite split into two, moments before it slammed into earth. The impact is believed to have occurred more than 300 million years ago. Scientists discovered a scar from the meteorite five years ago – it was then thought to be from the third largest crater ever found – but now say there are two sets of remains. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Lego Matrix Lobby Fight Scene

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March 24, 2015

Top News Stories –

Germanwings plane 4U 9525 crashes in French Alps – no survivors –
A Germanwings plane carrying 150 people has crashed in the French Alps on its way from Barcelona to Duesseldorf. The Airbus A320 – flight 4U 9525 – went down between Digne and Barcelonnette. There are no survivors, officials say. The “black box” flight recorder has been found, the French interior minister says. The cause of the crash is not known and the plane did not send a distress signal. Among the passengers were 16 German pupils returning from an exchange trip. [BBC]
Germanwings A319 plane

Nash Grier offer ignites Twitter –
Nash Grier asks for selfies to be posted on his Twitter feed with the hashtag #BartAndNashsContest for a chance to be in his next Vine video. Result is top trending for the hashtag. (see Top Twitter Trends).
Nash Grier Twitter

Jaguar Launches the XF on a high wire –
The new lightweight Jaguar XF tackles a London water crossing via a 28mm wide high-wire suspended 18 metres above the city. Movie stuntman, Jim Dowdall was at the wheel in an attempt at the world’s longest high-wire water crossing by car. (See Video of The Day)

China orders square dancers to walk the line –
Chinese officials say they will introduce guidelines to regulate square-dancing in the country. The dance is wildly popular with elderly Chinese women and is performed en masse at night in public squares. However, Chinese authorities say the “over-enthusiasm of participants has dealt it a harmful blow, with disputes over noise and venues”. Fitness authorities plan to introduce 12 authorised routines and also permissible times and music volume. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

The Jaguar #NewXF performs the world’s longest high-wire water crossing –

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March 25, 2015

Top News Stories –

Jeremy Clarkson dropped from Top Gear, BBC confirms –
Jeremy Clarkson’s contract will not be renewed after an “unprovoked physical attack” on a Top Gear producer, the BBC’s director general has confirmed. Tony Hall said he had “not taken this decision lightly” and recognised it would “divide opinion”. However, he added “a line has been crossed” and he “cannot condone what has happened on this occasion”. Clarkson was suspended on 10 March, following what was called a “fracas” with Top Gear producer Oisin Tymon. The row, which took place in a Yorkshire hotel, was said to have occurred because no hot food was provided following a day’s filming. An internal investigation found that Mr Tymon took himself to hospital after he was subject to an “unprovoked physical and verbal attack”. [BBC]
Jeremy Clarkson changed his Twitter profile from “Presenter on the BBC2 motoring show,Top Gear” to “I used to be a presenter on the BBC2 motoring show,Top Gear”

Zayn Malik is leaving One Direction and group continues as four-piece –
Zayn Malik has left One Direction, the band said in a statement today. They will continue as a four-piece for their world tour and to record their fifth album later this year. Malik said: “My life with One Direction has been more than I could ever have imagined. But, after five years, I feel like it is now the right time for me to leave the band. “I’d like to apologise to the fans if I’ve let anyone down, but I have to do what feels right.” Malik quit the band’s world tour last week after being signed off with stress. [BBC]
Zayn Malik

Video of the Day –

The Bucket Board

THE BUCKET BOARD from mac premo on Vimeo.

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March 26, 2015

Top News Stories –

Zayn Malik departure dominates Twitter –
Zayn Malik’s decision to leave One Direction 20 years after Robbie Williams left Take That dominates Twitter with #AlwaysInOurHeartsZaynMalik being tweeted 884,400 times and retweeted 3,907,000 times today. (See Top Twitter Trends)
Zayn Malik

Germanwings plane crash: Co-pilot ‘wanted to destroy plane’ –
The co-pilot of the Germanwings flight that crashed in the French Alps, named as Andreas Lubitz, appeared to want to “destroy the plane”, officials said. Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin, citing information from the “black box” voice recorder, said the co-pilot was alone in the cockpit.
He intentionally started a descent while the pilot was locked out. Mr Robin said there was “absolute silence in the cockpit” as the pilot fought to re-enter it. He said air traffic controllers made repeated attempts to contact the aircraft, but to no avail. Passengers could be heard screaming just before the crash, he added. Details are emerging of the German co-pilot’s past – although his apparent motives for causing the crash remain a mystery. [BBC]

Russian army TV channel invites Jeremy Clarkson to present motoring show –
Russia’s army TV channel has issued an offer to Jeremy Clarkson to present a motoring show, noting his interest in tanks, aircraft carriers and other hardware. The official military television station of the Russian Armed Forces, Zvezda (Star), said it had invited the axed BBC celebrity to visit Russia to discuss the proposal next month. “Dear Jeremy, the Russian Armed Forces Broadcasting company Zvezda expresses deep honour to you and kindly asks for cooperation,” the channel said in the text of an email it said it had sent to Clarkson, published on its website. [Daily Telegraph]
Jeremy Clarkson

King Richard III laid to rest at Leicester Cathedral –
A service to mark the reburial of King Richard III has taken place at Leicester Cathedral. The Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Rev Justin Welby, presided over the service with local senior clergy and representatives of world faiths. Sophie, Countess of Wessex and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester were among the guests.
Sophie, Countess of Wessex

Twitter launches live-streaming video app Periscope –
Twitter has launched its own live-streaming video app for iOS, on the same day that similar service Meerkat received $12m (£8m) in venture capital funding. Once you have installed Periscope you can begin live-streaming video footage from your camera to anyone who wishes to view it online.
As soon as you start a broadcast an optional alert can be sent to all of your Twitter followers. They can then watch your video live, comment on it and send “hearts”. It is also possible to “lock” a broadcast so that only certain people are able to view it.

Video of the Day –

Where is Scandinavia?

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March 27, 2015

Top News Stories –

George Clooney wants 12-seater cinema at his country estate by the Thames –
George Clooney wants to add a 12-seater home cinema and luxurious swimming pool to his 17th century country estate in Sonning-on-Thames, plans submitted on Friday revealed. A new pool house, pergola and hot tub will be built onto the back of the existing riverside boat house, allowing George and his new wife Amal to luxuriate by the estuaries of the River Thames. Plans have been submitted to South Oxfordshire District Council’s planning department to extend an annexe of Clooney’s countryside mansion in Sonning Eye, Berkshire. [Daily Telegraph]
George Clooney

Facebook completes first drone flight above UK, Mark Zuckerberg confirms –
Solar powered drones which provide internet access to rural and remote areas have been trialled in UK for first time by Facebook. They “have a wingspan greater than a Boeing 737 but will weigh less than a car”, according to the social network’s chief Mark Zuckerberg. The drones, developed by Somerset-based company Ascenta which Facebook bought last March, will beam down laser-guided internet signals to those below. Solar panels attached to the wings of the drones mean that they will be able to keep going at altitudes of 60,000 ft for months at a time.
Mark Zuckerberg

Dermot O’Leary quits the X Factor –
After eight years, Dermot O’Leary has announced through Twitter he is stepping down as presenter of the long-running talent show, and is now joint favourite to replace Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear – bookmakers William Hill currently has O’Leary joint with Jodie Kidd as the 4/1 favourite. O’Leary recently danced continuously for 24 hours to raise money for Comic Relief.

Dermot O’Leary

Italy court clears Knox and Sollecito –
Italy’s top appeals court has overturned the convictions of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito for the murder of UK student Meredith Kercher.
The decision is the final ruling in the long-running case. The pair were found guilty in 2009, then freed in 2011 after the convictions were overturned. Their convictions were reinstated by another court last year. Ms Kercher was found dead in 2007 in a flat she shared with Ms Knox.
The couple had always maintained their innocence and the decision by the Court of Cassation puts an end to their long legal battle. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

SUNDAYS from PostPanic on Vimeo.

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March 28, 2015

Top News Stories –

Zoella turns 25 and Lady Gaga hits 29 –
Zoe Sugg gets a surprise cake party for her 25th birthday and tops the UK Twitter trend chart with #HappyBirthdayZoe. She shares her birthday with Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, better known as Lady Gaga who is 29 today.

Zoella birthday party
Lady Gaga

Eiffel Tower goes dark in symbolic move for Earth Hour
The Eiffel Tower has gone dark briefly to mark Earth Hour, the campaign to raise awareness about climate change.The five-minute dark-out on Saturday night was a symbolic gesture in the City of Light. Cities around the world also marked the event, with other landmarks like the Kremlin and the Empire State Building going dark.France has been preparing for months to host an international climate conference in Paris at the end of the year, pressing nations to set attainable goals for reducing greenhouse gases and mobilizing international finances to fight climate change. [Daily Mail]

Andreas Lubitz planned spectacular gesture that would go down in history, claims ex-girlfriend –
Airbus crash pilot Andreas Lubitz had been planning a spectacular gesture to make everyone “remember” who he was, it has been claimed. An ex-girlfriend of the Germanwings pilot who crashed his plane in the French Alps, killing all 149 others on board, described him as “tormented” and able to hide secrets. Maria, 26 (not her real name), told Bild newspaper that when she heard about the crash she remembered that he had said he was going do something “that would change the system” and “make everyone remember” him. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Southpaw Trailer

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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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March 30, 2015

Top News Stories –

Jay Z promotes ‘artist-owned’ music streaming brand –
Some of the biggest names in entertainment have re-launched the music subscription service Tidal, which they are billing as the first artist-owned platform for music and video. At an event in New York on Monday, Madonna, Beyonce, Kanye West, and 13 other performers announced they had become co-owners of Tidal. The service launched last October, but was recently bought by rapper Jay Z. It is hoping to compete with the likes of Spotify, Deezer and Google Play. Jay Z recently bought Aspiro a Scandinavian music streaming company. #TIDALforALL topped the USA and UK Twitter trends charts (see Video of the day and Top Twitter Trends below) [BBC]
Jay Z

Girl, 4, refuses to eat anything other than Petits Filous –
A four-year-old girl who has refused to eat anything other than Petits Filous fromage frais for her entire life has baffled doctors.
Emilie-Lea Hayward eats 30 pots every day and will only eat the raspberry and strawberry flavour. She refuses to eat any solid food and becomes hysterical every time mother Naomi, 32, offers her anything other than Petits Filous. The youngster won’t touch chocolate, sweets or ice cream and even bursts into tears if she is offered an alternative brand. Each 47g pot of Petits Filous contains around a teaspoon of sugar, meaning Emilie-Lea is consuming 30 teaspoons a day – more than twice the recommended adult intake. [Daily Telegraph]

Are these the most beautiful faces in the world? –
Scientists have used e-fits to create portraits of the most beautiful man and woman in the world – and say David Gandy and Natalie Portman are the closest real life examples. A computer programme usually used to draw up e-fits of wanted criminals has been used to create the faces of the most beautiful man and woman in the world. The pictures are the result of a two-month-long study led by Dr Chris Solomon, a world expert in facial mapping, that asked people to put together a composite of the perfect face using the EFIT-V PhotoFit software used by UK police. [Daily Telegraph]
The idealised faces (according to those living in the UK)

Video of the Day –

Launch of TIDAL

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March 31, 2015

Top News Stories –

Zayn Malik solo track taken down after angry response from One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson –
A song featuring Zayn Malik without the rest of One Direction has been taken down, less than a day after it was shared on Twitter. Producer Naughty Boy posted a link to the track early on Tuesday, with the words “let the music do the talking”. It came less than a week after Zayn confirmed he was quitting 1D. Earlier on, the band’s Louis Tomlinson accused Naughty Boy of being “inconsiderate” to fans after he retweeted a video about Zayn. [BBC]
Louis’ tweet

Top Gear: Richard Hammond and James May no longer work for the BBC –
James May and Richard Hammond are out of contract with the BBC from midnight, after declining to sign new deals to present the next series of Top Gear. The pair are now free agents, meaning rival broadcasters can approach them with job offers. Hammond has tweeted that he is “not ready for retirement”. May does not seem in a great hurry to find new employment, he is making a shepherds pie. [Daily Telegraph]

Google Maps launches PacMan on real streets –
Google has launched an April Fool’s Day version of Google Maps that allows users to play the classic arcade game Pac-Man on real streets. Google Map users can access the Pac-Man version by clicking on the icon in the bottom corner of the screen and then using their keyboard to play the game. The game is accessible on desktop computers and on the Google Maps app. It allows users to play the famous game around the world’s most recognisable streets or your own neighbourhood. At some famous locations, such as the area around the Taj Mahal and the Arc de Triomphe, Google has added a Pac-Man marker that also launches the game because the areas appear perfectly matched to the original Pac-Man layout. [Daily Telegraph]

Elon Musk’s $1bn tweet: news of secret product line sees Tesla shares soar –
Elon Musk, the billionaire technology entrepreneur, has announced a “major” new Tesla product line that is “not a car”, in a cryptic tweet which has left millions guessing. The CEO’s news sparked the hashtag #TeslaNewProductGuesses, with guesses ranging from a time machine to a real-life Iron Man suit. Shares in the electric car jumped to nearly 4 percent in just 10 minutes – adding a staggering $900 million (£600 million) to the company’s market cap in just 115 characters. The tweet went out to his 1.9 million followers and had thousands of retweets within an hour. [Daily Telegraph]

Elon Musk

Video of the Day –

David Beckham and James Corden’s New Underwear Line

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April 1, 2015

Top News Stories –

Italian parking: £300,000 Ferrari destroyed by attendant –
A garage attendant in Italy accidentally rammed a £300,000 Ferrari 599 GTO into a shop front after mistaking the accelerator for the brake. The attendant was supposed to be delivering the rare supercar, which can accelerate from a standing start to 60mph in three seconds, to its owners, a Dutch couple who had taken part in a meeting of Ferrari enthusiasts in Anzio, south of Rome. The owners were staying just a few streets away from where the car was being stored. [Daily Telegraph]
Ferrari 599 GTO

Justin Bieber’s New Album Leaked? Fans Freak Out Over New Music –
Justin Bieber lovers woke up to a very exciting surprise on April 1 — the pop star had released his first new album in nearly three years! #JustinYourAlbumLeaked immediately began trending on social media, but it didn’t take long for fans to figure out what was really going on.(See Top Twitter Trends) [HollywoodLife.com]
Justin Bieber

India police seek cow ‘mugshots’ to enforce beef ban –
Police in a west Indian township have asked cattle owners to supply photographs of their animals to help enforce the state’s tough new ban on beef, an officer said yesterday. Nearly 100 farmers and other owners in Malegaon have so far complied with the request for mugshots along with a dossier on the cows, said Sunil Kadasne, additional superintendent of the city. “After the new law, commercial slaughter has largely stopped but this programme will help us to stop all killing by helping trace any animal thefts faster,” Mr Kadasne told AFP. The Maharashtra state government introduced a tough ban in March on killing and selling cows, while even possession of beef could land you in jail for five years. [AFP/Daily Telegraph]

CERN discovers Star Wars “The Force” but it is April 1st –
The Force – the mysterious energy field used by the Jedi in Star Wars – has been discovered by researchers at the Cern laboratory. The European research centre announced its spoof discovery with pictures showing its scientists using The Force in everyday life. It was one of many April Fools jokes seen on websites around the world. Smartphone maker Samsung produced a spoof page for a Blade edge version of its Galaxy smartphone that, it claimed, was designed for cooks. The limited edition handset incorporates a diamond-edged blade so the phone can also be used to chop food when it is not being used for calls, texts, or browsing the web.

HTC joined in with fake product pages for the Re-Sok – the “world’s first truly smart sock”. The technology-enhanced footwear is engineered with GPS so pairs of socks can easily find each other and have an automatic hole warning system to alert owners when their intelligent footwear is running thin. For its April Fools parody, Motorola went to the trouble of making a lavish video showing two craftsmen producing selfie-sticks out of wood and leather. New York-based footwear maker Miz Mooz joined in and produced a pair of shoes that have smartphone docking ports in each toe so each one can be used to take selfies.

Other parodies included cab-calling firm Hailo introducing piggy-back rides around cities; Domino’s pizza introducing a driverless pizza delivery systemusing autonomous scooters; BMW making the ultimate rugby mouth guard and Sony making a wearable add-on for the PlayStation so players can take part in games when they are swimming. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Ken Block’s Gymkhana Seven: Wild in the streets of Los Angeles

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April 2, 2015

Top News Stories –

Al-Shabab Islamist militants attack on Kenya university –
The death toll in the attack by al-Shabab Islamist militants on a university in north-eastern Kenya has risen to 147, Kenyan government officials say. They added that the operation to secure the the Garissa University College campus was now over, with all four attackers killed.
The evacuation of surviving students is now under way. An overnight curfew is being implemented in parts of the country. [BBC]

Oxford v Cambridge: RNLI rescue Oxford women’s boat crew –
Oxford University’s women’s boat crew have been rescued by an RNLI lifeboat in choppy waters in the Thames during training for the Boat Race.
The eight rowers and cox were discovered by the Chiswick RNLI crew while it was out on exercise. RNLI helmsman Ian Owen said: “We’ve rescued quite a number of rowers, but it is the first time I’ve been involved in helping such a prestigious team.” [BBC]

US sailor rescued after 66 days lost at sea –
The U.S. Coast Guard says a man missing in the Atlantic Ocean for the past two months survived by drinking rain water and eating raw fish. He was found off Cape Hatteras this afternoon. The Coast Guard says a German tanker ship spotted Louis Jordan and his 35-foot sailboat approximately 200 miles east of Cape Hatteras around 1:30 p.m. The 37-year-old Jordan was reported missing by his father on January 29th. Chief Petty Officer Ryan Doss from the Coast Guard in Miami tells WITN that Jordan had been surviving off of raw fish and rain water. [WITN]

Video of the Day –

The stunts on Fast and Furious 7 –

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April 3, 2015

Top News Stories –

Chelsea Manning begins tweeting from prison –
Former army intelligence analyst, serving a 35-year sentence for leaking US secrets, says she will be dictating tweets by telephone. Chelsea Manning, the US soldier serving a 35-year prison sentence for passing a trove of secret documents to WikiLeaks, started posting on Twitter on Friday, with help from supporters. Within minutes of her first tweets, Ms Manning had recruited more than 5,000 followers under the handle @xychelsea. In her initial tweets, Ms Manning acknowledged she had no Internet access behind bars and that she was dictating comments to a communications company by telephone. [Daily Telegraph]

Gadget which turns all traffic lights green trialled in UK –
The pioneering technology is being tested ahead of trials of driverless vehicles. A device which switches all red traffic lights to green has been launched in Newcastle to prevent cars from ever needing to stop. The pioneering technology is being tested ahead of trials of driverless vehicles, which would be linked to traffic lights so that fully-automated convoys could pass quickly through urban areas. The new gadget, which attaches to the windscreen like a Sat Nav, detects traffic lights from around 100 metres away and requests priority so that they switch to green as soon as the car arrives. It also tells drivers of the speed they should be driving to make sure they always hit a green light in the event of traffic. [Daily Telegraph]

Paris aims to become ‘world bike capital’ –
Paris’s mayor has announced plans to double the number of cycle lanes. Paris is to double the number of cycling lanes by 2020 as part of its Socialist mayor’s push to turn the city into “the world’s bike capital”. The 150 million-euro project will increase the number of safe bike lanes from the current 700 kilometres (435 miles) to 1,400 kilometres within five years. Paris town hall hopes the new lanes will help triple the number of journeys made on a bike from five per cent to 15 per cent in that time.

Video of the Day –

"The Heist" Short Film from Thomas Hefferon on Vimeo.

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