Yearly Archives: 2016

July 6, 2016

Top News Stories –

Chilcot report: Tony Blair’s Iraq War case not justified –
Tony Blair overstated the threat posed by Saddam Hussein, sent ill-prepared troops into battle and had “wholly inadequate” plans for the aftermath, the UK’s Iraq War inquiry has said. Chairman Sir John Chilcot said the 2003 invasion was not the “last resort” action presented to MPs and the public. There was no “imminent threat” from Saddam – and the intelligence case was “not justified”, he said. Mr Blair apologised for any mistakes made but not the decision to go to war. Sir John, the ex-civil servant who chaired the inquiry, describes the Iraq War as an intervention that went “badly wrong” with consequences still being felt to this day – and he set out lessons to be learned for future conflicts. His report, which is 2.6 million words, does not make a judgement on whether Mr Blair or his ministers were in breach of international law. [BBC]
Tony_BlairTony Blair in 2014

Video of the Day –

Explore Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park in Two Minutes

List of the Day –

Chilcott Report – errors in political and military decision-making in going to war in Iraq:

  • UK military commanders made “over-optimistic assessments” of their capabilities which had led to “bad decisions”
  • There was “little time” to properly prepare three military brigades for deployment in Iraq. The risks were neither “properly identified nor fully exposed” to ministers, resulting in “equipment shortfalls”
  • Policy on the Iraq invasion was made on the basis of flawed intelligence assessments. It was not challenged, and should have been
  • Mr Blair overestimated his ability to influence US decisions on Iraq; and the UK’s relationship with the US does not require unconditional support

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
Business and economy
International relations
Law and crime
Politics and elections

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 7, 2016

Top News Stories –

Marion Bartoli: Former Wimbledon champion ‘fears for life’ over unknown virus –
Former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli says she “fears for her life” after contracting an unknown virus that has caused her dramatic weight loss. France’s Bartoli was barred from playing in an invitational event at Wimbledon this week after doctors expressed fears over her health. Bartoli, who insists she is not anorexic, says the virus is so rare medical experts have no name for it. “This is not life. I am just surviving,” said the 31-year-old. Bartoli says she can only eat organic salad leaves and cucumbers without skins, and has to wash with mineral water rather than tap water. [BBC]
Marion_BartoliMarion Bartoli

The final image sent by doomed Japanese Hitomi satellite –
A doomed Japanese satellite managed to capture a view of a galaxy cluster 250 million light years away just before it died, scientists have revealed. Launched in February, the Hitomi X-ray satellite began tumbling out of control in March when contact was finally lost. Just before its demise, scientists managed to extract data measuring X-ray activity in the Perseus galaxy cluster. Hitomi, which translates as the pupil of the eye in Japanese, was meant to spend years studying the formation of galaxy clusters and the warping of space and time around black holes. It cost more than a quarter of a billion dollars – the research was an international collaboration involving the American space agency Nasa, and teams in Japan and many other countries, including one at Cambridge University in the UK. Hitomi was lost thanks to a sensor incorrectly detecting a roll in the spacecraft. In trying to correct it, on-board systems sent the craft into a spin until finally the solar panels that powered it are thought to have broken off. [BBC]
Hitomi Perseus imageHitomi Perseus image [HITOMI COLLABORATION/JAXA, NASA, ESA, SRON, CSA]

Video of the Day –

Movie Credits from Alex Cline on Vimeo.

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
Business and economy
Disasters and accidents
International relations
Law and crime
Politics and elections
Science and technology
  • Scientists manage to extract one last image from the Hitomi x-ray spacecraft, which broke up last March while orbiting Earth. Before it died, the spacecraft captured an image which measured the X-ray activity of the Perseus cluster. (BBC)
Sport

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 8, 2016

Top News Stories –

Christina Estrada: Former supermodel wins £53m divorce settlement –
A former supermodel has been awarded a £53m ($69m) lump sum after a divorce battle with her billionaire ex-husband. Berkshire-based Christina Estrada, 54, had wanted £196m from Saudi businessman Sheikh Walid Juffali, 61, to meet her “needs” – including £1m a year on clothes – the High Court was told. The total settlement, which takes into account her own assets, is about £75m. Her lawyers said this makes it “by more than £50m, the largest needs award ever made by an English court”. Ms Estrada, who is is currently living at the matrimonial home bordering Windsor Great Park, had rejected an offer that, when added to her own assets, would have given her £37m to live on. Ms Estrada was cross-examined in court on her needs, which she said included:

  • £40,000 a year for fur coats
  • £109,000 a year for haute couture dresses
  • £21,000 a year on shoes
  • £60m to afford a luxury London home
  • A £4.4m countryside home in Henley-on-Thames
  • £495,000 for five cars – three in London and two in the US

[BBC]

Video of the Day –

If you couldn’t die, what would happen?

A G A I N from Nico Gao on Vimeo.

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
Disasters and accidents
Health and medicine
International relations
Law and crime
Politics and elections

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 9, 2016

Top News Stories –

Matador Victor Barrio killed by bull in Spain –
A matador has died after being gored by a bull in Spain – the first bullfighter to die in the ring in Spain this century. Victor Barrio, 29, a professional bullfighter, was killed when the bull’s horn pierced his chest. The fight, in the eastern town of Teruel, was being broadcast live on TV. Also on Saturday, a 28-year-old man died after being gored by a bull during a bull run through the village of Pedreguer, near Valencia. The last matador to die in a bullfight in Spain was Jose Cubero, or Yiyo, in 1985. Television footage shows the bull throwing Barrio into the air before goring him on the right-hand side of his chest and violently throwing him. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

BreakingPoint from Martin Lapp on Vimeo.

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
Disasters and accidents
International relations
Law and crime
Politics and elections
Sport

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 10, 2016

Top News Stories –

Andy Murray wins Wimbledon by beating Milos Raonic –
Britain’s Andy Murray became Wimbledon champion for the second time with a superb performance against Canadian sixth seed Milos Raonic in the final. The Scot, 29, dismantled the Raonic serve in a 6-4 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-2) victory to repeat his triumph of 2013 and claim a third Grand Slam title. Murray is the first British man to win multiple Wimbledon singles titles since Fred Perry in 1935. “I’m proud to have my hands on the trophy again,” said Murray. [BBC]
Andy_MurrayAndy Murray

Euro 2016: Portugal beats France 1-0 in extra-time through Eder wondergoal to claim first title –
A dramatic wondergoal from striker Eder has won Portugal its first European championship, breaking French hearts with a 1-0 win at the Stade de France. After a goalless 90 minutes, most notable for an early injury to Cristiano Ronaldo and the influx of moths that took over the stadium, Portugal began to take over the match in extra-time and substitute Eder proved the match-winner. After cutting inside past two French defenders, the Lille striker unleashed on his right boot past Hugo Lloris, stunning the vocal home crowd and sending the Portugal bench into euphoria.

Eder Eder (R)

Video of the Day –

NB Underground from New Balance Numeric on Vimeo.

List of the Day –

Wimbledon Mens Champions in Open Era

Year Country Champion Country Runner-up Score in the final
1968  AUS Rod Laver  AUS Tony Roche 6–3, 6-4, 6–2
1969  AUS Rod Laver  AUS John Newcombe 6–4, 5–7, 6–4, 6–4
1970  AUS John Newcombe  AUS Ken Rosewall 5–7, 6–3, 6–2, 3–6, 6–1
1971  AUS John Newcombe  USA Stan Smith 6–3, 5–7, 2–6, 6–4, 6–4
1972  USA Stan Smith  ROU Ilie Năstase 4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 4–6, 7–5
1973  TCH Jan Kodeš  URS Alex Metreveli 6–1, 9–8(7–5), 6–3
1974  USA Jimmy Connors  AUS Ken Rosewall 6–1, 6–1, 6–4
1975  USA Arthur Ashe  USA Jimmy Connors 6–1, 6–1, 5–7, 6–4
1976  SWE Björn Borg  ROU Ilie Năstase 6–4, 6–2, 9–7
1977  SWE Björn Borg  USA Jimmy Connors 3–6, 6–2, 6–1, 5–7, 6–4
1978  SWE Björn Borg  USA Jimmy Connors 6–2, 6–2, 6–3
1979  SWE Björn Borg  USA Roscoe Tanner 6–7(4–7), 6–1, 3–6, 6–3, 6–4
1980  SWE Björn Borg  USA John McEnroe 1–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–7(16–18), 8–6
1981  USA John McEnroe  SWE Björn Borg 4–6, 7–6(7–1), 7–6(7–4), 6–4
1982  USA Jimmy Connors  USA John McEnroe 3–6, 6–3, 6–7(2–7), 7–6(7–5), 6–4
1983  USA John McEnroe  NZL Chris Lewis 6–2, 6–2, 6–2
1984  USA John McEnroe  USA Jimmy Connors 6–1, 6–1, 6–2
1985  FRG Boris Becker  ZAF Kevin Curren 6–3, 6–7(4–7), 7–6(7–3), 6–4
1986  FRG Boris Becker  TCH Ivan Lendl 6–4, 6–3, 7–5
1987  AUS Pat Cash  TCH Ivan Lendl 7–6(7–5), 6–2, 7–5
1988  SWE Stefan Edberg  FRG Boris Becker 4–6, 7–6(7–2), 6–4, 6–2
1989  FRG Boris Becker  SWE Stefan Edberg 6–0, 7–6(7–1), 6–4
1990  SWE Stefan Edberg  FRG Boris Becker 6–2, 6–2, 3–6, 3–6, 6–4
1991  GER Michael Stich  GER Boris Becker 6–4, 7–6(7–4), 6–4
1992  USA Andre Agassi  CRO Goran Ivanišević 6–7(8–10), 6–4, 6–4, 1–6, 6–4
1993  USA Pete Sampras  USA Jim Courier 7–6(7–3), 7–6(8–6), 3–6, 6–3
1994  USA Pete Sampras  CRO Goran Ivanišević 7–6(7–2), 7–6(7–5), 6–0
1995  USA Pete Sampras  GER Boris Becker 6–7(5–7), 6–2, 6–4, 6–2
1996  NED Richard Krajicek  USA MaliVai Washington 6–3, 6–4, 6–3
1997  USA Pete Sampras  FRA Cédric Pioline 6–4, 6–2, 6–4
1998  USA Pete Sampras  CRO Goran Ivanišević 6–7(2–7), 7–6(11–9), 6–4, 3–6, 6–2
1999  USA Pete Sampras  USA Andre Agassi 6–3, 6–4, 7–5
2000  USA Pete Sampras  AUS Patrick Rafter 6–7(10–12), 7–6(7–5), 6–4, 6–2
2001  CRO Goran Ivanišević  AUS Patrick Rafter 6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 2–6, 9–7
2002  AUS Lleyton Hewitt  ARG David Nalbandian 6–1, 6–3, 6–2
2003   SUI Roger Federer  AUS Mark Philippoussis 7–6(7–5), 6–2, 7–6(7–3)
2004   SUI Roger Federer  USA Andy Roddick 4–6, 7–5, 7–6(7–3), 6–4
2005   SUI Roger Federer  USA Andy Roddick 6–2, 7–6(7–2), 6–4
2006   SUI Roger Federer  ESP Rafael Nadal 6–0, 7–6(7–5), 6–7(2–7), 6–3
2007   SUI Roger Federer  ESP Rafael Nadal 7–6(9–7), 4–6, 7–6(7–3), 2–6, 6–2
2008  ESP Rafael Nadal   SUI Roger Federer 6–4, 6–4, 6–7(5–7), 6–7(8–10), 9–7
2009   SUI Roger Federer  USA Andy Roddick 5–7, 7–6(8–6), 7–6(7–5), 3–6, 16–14
2010  ESP Rafael Nadal  CZE Tomáš Berdych 6–3, 7–5, 6–4
2011  SRB Novak Djokovic  ESP Rafael Nadal 6–4, 6–1, 1–6, 6–3
2012   SUI Roger Federer  GBR Andy Murray 4–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–4
2013  GBR Andy Murray  SRB Novak Djokovic 6–4, 7–5, 6–4
2014  SRB Novak Djokovic   SUI Roger Federer 6–7(7–9), 6–4, 7–6(7–4), 5–7, 6–4
2015  SRB Novak Djokovic   SUI Roger Federer 7–6(7–1), 6–7(10–12), 6–4, 6–3
2016  GBR Andy Murray  CAN Milos Raonic 6–4, 7–6(7–3), 7–6(7–2)

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
Arts and culture
International relations
Law and crime
Politics and elections
Sport

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 11, 2016

Top News Stories –

Prime Minister-in-waiting Theresa May promises ‘a better Britain’ –
Theresa May promised to build a “better Britain” and to make the UK’s EU exit a “success” after she was announced as the new Tory leader and soon-to-be PM. Speaking outside Parliament, Mrs May said she was “honoured and humbled” to succeed David Cameron, after her only rival in the race withdrew on Monday. Mr Cameron will tender his resignation to the Queen after PMQs on Wednesday. Mr Cameron, who has been UK prime minister since 2010, decided to quit after the UK’s Brexit vote. It follows another day of dramatic developments in the political world, when Andrea Leadsom unexpectedly quit the two-way Conservative leadership contest, saying she did not have the support to build “a strong and stable government”. Her decision left Mrs May – the front runner – as the only candidate to take over leading the party and to therefore become prime minister. [BBC]
Theresa_MayTheresa May

Video of the Day –

The Foley Artist sees a master of sound at work on a fashion film. If you’ve ever wanted to see the chasm between the finished product and the extraordinary lengths taken to produce it, this short is for you.

The Foley Artist from Feast Films on Vimeo.

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
Arts and culture
Disasters and accidents
Law and crime
Politics and elections
Sport

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 12, 2016

Top News Stories –

Hitler house: Austria moves to stop Neo-Nazi ‘cult site’ –
Austria’s government is to seize the house where Adolf Hitler was born in 1889 to prevent it becoming a site of pilgrimage for neo-Nazis. The owner, a retired local woman, has refused repeated offers to buy the house in Braunau am Inn in the past. However, there is disagreement over what to do with the house next. The interior minister wants it demolished but others say a museum or even a supermarket would more effectively “depoliticise” it. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Vorticity (4K) from Mike Olbinski on Vimeo.

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
Arts and culture
Business and economics
Disasters and accidents
International relations
Law and crime
Politics and elections

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 13, 2016

Top News Stories –

Theresa May becomes new British Prime Minister –
The former home secretary, 59, becomes the UK’s second female prime minister in the wake of David Cameron’s resignation after the EU referendum. She had previously served in the Home Office for more than six years. In her first cabinet she appointed David Davis to the new cabinet position of secretary of state for exiting the European Union – or “Brexit secretary”. David Davis has been appointed to the new cabinet position of secretary of state for exiting the European Union – or “Brexit secretary”. In the post of Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson succeeds Philip Hammond at the Foreign Office. [BBC] See List of the Day for full cabinet list
Theresa_MayTheresa May

Marvel kills off Hulk alter ego Bruce Banner –
Marvel has killed off The Hulk’s human alter ego Bruce Banner in its latest comic. The character is seen dying as a result of an arrow to the head from Hawkeye, his Avengers teammate, in the third issue of Civil War II. Banner has been the Hulk’s alter ego since the character’s creation in 1962. However, for the last year, readers have seen Banner medicating himself to keep his anger management issues under control. During that time, a Korean-American teenage genius named Amadeus Cho has taken over as the new human alter-ego of The Hulk. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

The Shore’s Second Coming from Scott Secco on Vimeo.

List of the Day –

Theresa May’s first cabinet [Wikipedia]

Cabinet of the United Kingdom 
Portfolio Minister Term
Cabinet ministers
Prime Minister
First Lord of the Treasury
Minister for the Civil Service		 The Rt Hon. Theresa May MP 2016–
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Second Lord of the Treasury		 The Rt Hon. Philip Hammond MP 2016–
Secretary of State for the Home Department The Rt Hon. Amber Rudd MP 2016–
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs The Rt Hon. Boris Johnson MP 2016–
Secretary of State for Defence The Rt Hon. Michael Fallon MP 2014–
Lord Chancellor
Secretary of State for Justice		 The Rt Hon. Elizabeth Truss MP 2016–
Secretary of State for Education
Minister for Women and Equalities		 The Rt Hon. Justine Greening MP 2016–
Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union The Rt Hon. David Davis MP 2016–
Secretary of State for International Trade
President of the Board of Trade		 The Rt Hon. Dr Liam Fox MP 2016–
Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy The Rt Hon. Greg Clark MP PhD 2016–
Secretary of State for Health The Rt Hon. Jeremy Hunt MP 2012–
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions The Rt Hon. Damian Green MP 2016–
Leader of the House of Lords
Lord Privy Seal		 The Rt Hon. The Baroness Evans of Bowes Park PC 2016–
Secretary of State for Transport The Rt Hon. Chris Grayling MP 2016–
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government The Rt Hon. Sajid Javid MP 2016–
Leader of the House of Commons
Lord President of the Council		 The Rt Hon. David Lidington MP PhD 2016–
Secretary of State for Scotland The Rt Hon. David Mundell MP 2015–
Secretary of State for Wales The Rt Hon. Alun Cairns MP 2016–
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland The Rt Hon. James Brokenshire MP 2016–
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs The Rt Hon. Andrea Leadsom MP 2016–
Secretary of State for International Development The Rt Hon. Priti Patel MP 2016–
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport The Rt Hon. Karen Bradley MP 2016–
Also attending cabinet meetings
Chief Secretary to the Treasury The Rt Hon. David Gauke MP 2016–
Minister for the Cabinet Office
Paymaster General		 The Rt Hon. Ben Gummer MP 2016–
Attorney General The Rt Hon. Jeremy Wright QC MP 2014–
Chief Whip in the House of Commons
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury		 The Rt Hon. Gavin Williamson MP 2016–
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Chairman of the Conservative Party (Unpaid)		 The Rt Hon. Patrick McLoughlin MP 2016–

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
Arts and culture
Disasters and accidents
International relations
Law and crime
Politics and elections
Sport

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 14, 2016

Top News Stories –

Terror fiend tricked police to get death truck onto busy Nice promenade, kill 84 –
Cars and trucks were barred from the Promenade des Anglais during Thursday’s Bastille Day festivities, but the terrorist who plowed a 19-ton truck into a mile-long crowd of revelers – killing at least 84 – reportedly got past police by telling them he had ice cream to hand out. Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, a 31-year-old divorced loner, petty criminal and Tunisian national began his route of carnage by slowly moving onto the packed, seaside walkway around 10:40 p.m. local time. Then, say witnesses, he gunned the engine and weaved through the horrified crowd for nearly a mile, leaving a wake of dead and broken bodies. Police killed him in a shootout minutes later. Bouhlel, who shot at revelers after driving through the crowd and was then killed by police, was reportedly known to police prior to the attack although his rap sheet included just one arrest, for a road rage incident in March French Justice Minister Jean-Jacques Urvoas said. [Fox News]

Video of the Day –

How to Make a Tennis Ball from Benedict Redgrove on Vimeo.

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
Arts and culture
International relations
  • The French government calls on former European Commission chief José Manuel Barroso not to take a job with investment bank Goldman Sachs, after some EU politicians demanded Barroso be sanctioned for accepting the new position that raises questions about the EU’s conflict of interest rules. (BBC)
Law and crime
Politics and elections

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

August 12, 2016

Top News Stories –

Frankie Dettori reaches 3,000 winners with victory at Newmarket on Predilection –
Jockey Frankie Dettori secured his 3,000th British winner at Newmarket on Friday. He brought up the landmark with his second winner of the night at his local track – on Predilection, trained by John Gosden. The 45-year-old Italian is the sixth jockey to reach the landmark in Flat racing. He follows Sir Gordon Richards, Doug Smith, Lester Piggott, Pat Eddery and Willie Carson. Three-time champion jockey Dettori, who earlier won on Ghayyar, said: “It’s special. I’m very emotional because my family are here as well. “I’m very pleased for it to have happened at Newmarket because this is where I landed 30 years ago. “It’s not a big meeting, it’s not a Royal Ascot – it’s a mundane Friday night with 20,000 people. I’m relieved and very humble.” [BBC]
Frankie_DettoriFrankie Dettori

Video of the Day –

An Aerial Perspective of Nordland from Michael Fletcher on Vimeo.

List of the Day –

Flat racing champions by year [Wikipedia]

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
Disasters and accidents
Health
Law and Crime
  • Brendan Dassey, the subject of Netflix‘s hit drama Making a Murderer is found to have been wrongly convicted of murdering the photographer Teresa Halbach. A federal judge orders that he must be released from prison within three months. (People)
Politics and elections
Science and technology
Sport

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

August 13, 2016

Top News Stories –

Gary Lineker pants: Match of the Day presenter keeps Twitter promise –
Gary Lineker kept his promise and introduced the opening Match of the Day of the new season in his underpants. Former England captain Lineker, 55, pledged to “do the first MOTD of next season in just my undies” if former club Leicester won the Premier League. The Foxes went on to win their first top-flight title by 10 points. “It is a one-off and a sporting miracle that has landed me in my underwear,” said Lineker, who scored 95 goals in 194 appearances for Leicester. “When I tweeted that silly bet back in December, I categorically knew there was zero chance of Leicester winning the league. Zero chance. It happened but it was magical, it was great.” Lineker managed to keep a straight face, while MOTD pundits Alan Shearer and Ian Wright giggled in the background, as he opened the programme. Lineker stayed in his underwear as Shearer and Wright analysed Leicester’s opening-day defeat by Hull. But as the programme moved on to the second match, he told viewers: “Enough of this nonsense – I’m going to get dressed!” [BBC]
Gary Lineker MOTD (BBC)Gary Lineker on MOTD with Alan Shearer and Ian Wright(BBC)

Video of the Day –

NEW YORK, NEW YORK from LMJ on Vimeo.

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
Disasters and accidents
Law and crime
Sport

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

August 14, 2016

Top News Stories –

Wayde van Niekerk wins Olympic 400m gold in a new world record! –
The South African produces an absolutely astonishing run to wrestle the Olympic title away from Kirani James, who comes second. Michael Johnson’s 17-year-old world record is finally beaten! He looked to have set out far too quickly but, incredibly, got faster around the top bend and then sustained that top speed down the final stretch. The 2008 Olympic champion, LaShawn Merritt, gets the bronze. To give you an idea of how incredible of an athlete Van Niekerk is; he’s the only athlete in history to run 100m under 10 secs, 200m under 20 secs, and 400m under 44 secs. [CNN] See List of the Day
Wayde_van_NiekerkWayde van Niekerk

Video of the Day –

Vocabulary 1 from Becky James on Vimeo.

List of the Day –

Time Athlete Nationality Location of race Date
43.86A Lee Evans  United States Mexico City, Mexico October 18, 1968[1]
43.29 Butch Reynolds  United States Zürich, Switzerland August 17, 1988[1]
43.18 Michael Johnson  United States Seville, Spain August 26, 1999[1]
43.03 Wayde van Niekerk  South Africa Rio de Janeiro, Brazil August 14, 2016[4]

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
Business and economy
Disasters and accidents
Law and crime
Science and technology
Sports

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

August 15, 2016

Top News Stories –

A marriage proposal at the Olympics medal ceremony –
Chinese diver He Zi had just received a silver medal for the women’s three-metre springboard at the Rio Olympics on Sunday. But she ended up with another prize when her boyfriend Qin Kai, in front of a global TV audience, went down on one knee. Luckily for Qin, who himself won bronze in the men’s three-metre synchronised springboard last week, He Zi said yes. “We’ve been dating for six years, but I didn’t expect him to propose today,” she said. “He said a lot of things, made a lot of promises, but I think the thing that touched me the most is I think this is the guy I can trust for the rest of my life.” [BBC]

Rio Olympics: Seven injured when aerial camera, cables fall in Olympic Park –
Seven people suffered minor injuries when an aerial camera and its cables fell about 65 feet in the Olympic Park on Monday afternoon. Flavio Oliveira was just getting out of a handball match with his nephew when he heard the wires come crashing to the ground. He said the cable whipped against two girls, hitting one of them in the neck. A statement from the Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), which provides TV feeds for countries around the world outside NBC, said, “According to local medical authorities, there were seven minor injuries that have received medical attention. A full investigation has been launched.” [USA Today]

Video of the Day –

Hot Wheels Road Trip

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
Disasters and accidents
Law and crime
Politics and elections

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

August 16, 2016

Top News Stories –

Chinese drivers fashion rat-proof car ‘skirts’ –
Residents of a city in southern China have been attaching “skirts” to their cars to protect them from rats. Locals in Nanning, in the Guangxi autonomous region, came up with the unusual solution after rodents were found to be clambering inside the vehicles and gnawing through the wiring. Parked cars have been spotted around the city sporting the makeshift, wraparound shields – dubbed “car maxi skirts” in the Chinese media – some fashioned from fabric and chicken wire, others using bamboo. Many social media users are amused by the curious sight, with one person writing on the popular NetEase web portal: “I like this elevated Guangxi humour.” Some share the locals’ frustrations, but others think they’re overreacting. “Are they preparing against a large-scale rodent invasion?” one user asks. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Procrastination

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
Arts and culture
Business and economy
Disasters and accidents
Law and crime

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

August 17, 2016

Top News Stories –

US ready to ‘hand over’ the internet’s naming system –
The US has confirmed it is finally ready to cede power of the internet’s naming system, ending the almost 20-year process to hand over a crucial part of the internet’s governance. The Domain Naming System, DNS, is one of the internet’s most important components. It pairs the easy-to-remember web addresses – like bbc.com – with their relevant servers. Without DNS, you’d only be able to access websites by typing in its IP address, a series of numbers such as “194.66.82.10”. More by circumstance than intention, the US has always had ultimate say over how the DNS is controlled – but not for much longer. It will give up its power fully to Icann – the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers – a non-profit organisation. The terms of the change were agreed upon in 2014, but it wasn’t until now that the US said it was finally satisfied that Icann was ready to make the change. Icann will get the “keys to the kingdom”, as one expert put it, on 1st October 2016. From that date, the US will lose its dominant voice – although Icann will remain in Los Angeles. Icann was created in 1998 to take over the task of assigning web addresses. Until that point, that job was handled by one man – Jon Postel. He was known to many as the “god of the internet”, a nod to his power over the internet, as well as his research work in creating some of the systems that underpin networking. [BBC]
Jon_PostelJon Postel in 2008

Video of the Day –

FURTHER – Seth Shostak from Stuart Langfield on Vimeo.

Other News Stories –

Business and economy
  • Cisco announces a cut of 5,500 jobs in their shift from switches to software. (Reuters)
International relations
Law and crime
Disasters and accidents

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

August 19, 2016

Top News Stories –

Zika in Florida: Pregnant women warned to avoid Miami Beach –
Pregnant women have been warned to avoid the international tourist destination Miami Beach, amid cases of the Zika virus. Authorities had previously thought the virus was limited to Wynwood, a small area west of Miami Beach. Health officials now say five people in Miami Beach have been infected. Florida health officials have been aggressively spraying pesticides there. Zika, often spread by mosquitoes, can cause life-threatening birth defects. [BBC]

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
Arts and culture
Law and crime
Politics and elections

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

August 18, 2016

Top News Stories –

Olympics 2016: Usain Bolt completes sprint double –
Usain Bolt completed a Rio 2016 sprint double by winning the 200m; he has already won the 100m in Rio. Bolt’s eighth Olympic title came in a time of 19.78 seconds, and the Jamaican has one final chance to win gold in Friday’s 4x100m relay final. Bolt, the overwhelming pre-race favourite, once again dominated a 200m Olympic final. The Jamaican has now won the Olympic sprint double three times, having repeated his exploits from Beijing in 2008 and London four years ago. Bolt said he was not happy with his time and added it was unlikely he would compete in the event at the World Championships in London next year – his career swansong. “I said it would be 100m and that’s it,” he told BBC Sport. “My coach has a way of trying to convince me, but personally I believe this is my last one.” [BBC] See List of the Day

Usain-BoltUsain Bolt

Rio Olympics 2016: USA’s Ryan Crouser breaks 28-year record to win shot put gold –
Ryan Crouser broke a 28-year Olympic record to win gold for the United States in the men’s shot put final. Crouser, 23, threw 22.52m with his fifth throw to break East German Ulf Timmermann’s record of 22.47m set in Seoul in 1988. Joe Kovacs, the 2015 world champion, made it a USA one-two with a best throw of 21.78m, as New Zealand’s Tomas Walsh took bronze with 21.36m. Poland’s Tomasz Majewski, who won gold in 2012, finished sixth with 20.72m. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Man solves Rubik’s Cube faster than Usain Bolt can win 100 meter race

List of the Day –

Usain Bolt International competitions results [Wikipedia]

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
2001 World Youth Championships Debrecen, Hungary 5th (semis) 200 metres 21.73
2002 World Junior Championships Kingston, Jamaica 1st 200 metres 20.61 (wind: +0.9 m/s)
2nd 4×100 metres relay 39.15 NJR
2nd 4×400 metres relay 3:04.06 NJR
2003 World Youth Championships Sherbrooke, Canada 1st 200 metres 20.40
Pan American Junior Championships Bridgetown, Barbados 1st 200 metres 20.13 WYB
2nd 4×100 metres relay 39.40
2004 CARIFTA Games Hamilton, Bermuda 1st 200 metres 19.93 WJR
Olympic Games Athens, Greece 5th (heats) 200 metres 21.05
2005 Central American and Caribbean Championships Nassau, Bahamas 1st 200 metres 20.03
2006 World Athletics Final Stuttgart, Germany 3rd 200 metres 20.10
IAAF World Cup Athens, Greece 2nd 200 metres 19.96
2007 World Championships Osaka, Japan 2nd 200 metres 19.91
2nd 4×100 metres relay 37.89
2008 Olympic Games Beijing, China 1st 100 metres 9.69 WR OR
1st 200 metres 19.30 WR OR
1st 4×100 metres relay 37.10 WR OR
2009 World Championships Berlin, Germany 1st 100 metres 9.58 WR
1st 200 metres 19.19 WR
1st 4×100 metres relay 37.31 CR
2011 World Championships Daegu, South Korea DSQ[260] 100 metres —
1st 200 metres 19.40 WL
1st 4×100 metres relay 37.04 WR
2012 Olympic Games London, United Kingdom 1st 100 metres 9.63 OR
1st 200 metres 19.32
1st 4×100 metres relay 36.84 WR
2013 World Championships Moscow, Russia 1st 100 metres 9.77
1st 200 metres 19.66
1st 4×100 metres relay 37.36
2014 Commonwealth Games Glasgow, Scotland 1st 4×100 metres relay 37.58 GR
2015 World Relay Championships Nassau, Bahamas 2nd 4×100 metres relay 37.68
World Championships Beijing, China 1st 100 metres 9.79
1st 200 metres 19.55 WL
1st 4 × 100 metres relay 37.36 WL
2016 Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 1st 100 metres 9.81
1st 200 metres 19.78

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
  • Three bombings targeting police and military kill at least 120 people and wound 2190 in Turkey’s southeast. (BBC)
Law and crime
Politics and elections
  • The Obama Administration will phase out the use of privately-owned federal prisons. The move will affect private prisons which house 220,660 federal inmates, out of a total of nearly 2,000,000. (BBC)
Science and technology
  • Twitter announces 2,035,000 terror-linked accounts have been suspended over the past six months amid increasing pressure on tech companies from the White House to censor extremists from groups likeISIL. (CBS News)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

August 20, 2016

Top News Stories –

Glass bridge: China opens world’s highest and longest –
The much-heralded “world’s highest and longest” glass-bottomed bridge has opened to visitors in central China. It connects two mountain cliffs in what are known as the Avatar mountains (the film was shot here) in Zhangjiajie, Hunan province. Completed in December, the 430m-long bridge cost $3.4m (£2.6m) to build and stands 300m above ground, state news agency Xinhua reported. It has been paved with 99 panes of three-layered transparent glass. And according to officials, the 6m-wide bridge – designed by Israeli architect Haim Dotan – has already set world records for its architecture and construction. [BBC]

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
Business and economy
Law and crime
  • Derrick Dearman a 27-year-old Mississippi man kills five people in the U.S. town of Citronelle, Alabama then kidnaps his pregnant ex-girlfriend from among the victims. Nearby, the Greene County, MississippiSheriff’s office takes the surrender and confession of the suspect. (Reuters)
Sports

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

August 21, 2016

Top News Stories –

Rio Olympics 2016: Team GB beat China to finish second in medal table –
Great Britain have finished second in the medal table at the 2016 Olympics – above sporting powerhouse China. One of the event’s dominant nations, China have won more than 200 golds since returning to the Games in 1984. Britain ended the Rio Games with 27 golds from 15 sports, one ahead of China, as they finished with a total of 67 from 19 sports, beating the 65 at London 2012. Since the modern Olympic era began in 1896, no country has increased its medal tally at the summer Games immediately following one it hosted. GB have also smashed their pre-Games target of at least 48 medals, which was set by UK Sport. That means Rio 2016 is the nation’s most successful ‘away’ Games in history. China, with a population of 1.357bn to Britain’s 64.1m, have amassed more medals (70) than Team GB in Brazil, achieving notable success in table tennis, diving and weightlifting. However, GB are ahead on golds, which is what the rankings are based on. [BBC] See List of the day

List of the Day –

2016 Summer Olympics Medals Table [Wikipedia]

2016 Summer Olympics medal table
 Rank NOC Gold Silver Bronze Total
1  United States (USA) 46 37 38 121
2  Great Britain (GBR) 27 23 17 67
3  China (CHN) 26 18 26 70
4  Russia (RUS) 19 18 19 56
5  Germany (GER) 17 10 15 42
6  Japan (JPN) 12 8 21 41
7  France (FRA) 10 18 14 42
8  South Korea (KOR) 9 3 9 21
9  Italy (ITA) 8 12 8 28
10  Australia (AUS) 8 11 10 29
11  Netherlands (NED) 8 7 4 19
12  Hungary (HUN) 8 3 4 15
13  Brazil (BRA) 7 6 6 19
14  Spain (ESP) 7 4 6 17
15  Kenya (KEN) 6 6 1 13
16  Jamaica (JAM) 6 3 2 11
17  Croatia (CRO) 5 3 2 10
18  Cuba (CUB) 5 2 4 11
19  New Zealand (NZL) 4 9 5 18
20  Canada (CAN) 4 3 15 22
21  Uzbekistan (UZB) 4 2 7 13
22  Kazakhstan (KAZ) 3 5 9 17
23  Colombia (COL) 3 2 3 8
24  Switzerland (SUI) 3 2 2 7
25  Iran (IRI) 3 1 4 8
26  Greece (GRE) 3 1 2 6
27  Argentina (ARG) 3 1 0 4
28  Denmark (DEN) 2 6 7 15
29  Sweden (SWE) 2 6 3 11
30  South Africa (RSA) 2 6 2 10
31  Ukraine (UKR) 2 5 4 11
32  Serbia (SRB) 2 4 2 8
33  Poland (POL) 2 3 6 11
34  North Korea (PRK) 2 3 2 7
35  Belgium (BEL) 2 2 2 6
 Thailand (THA) 2 2 2 6
37  Slovakia (SVK) 2 2 0 4
38  Georgia (GEO) 2 1 4 7
39  Azerbaijan (AZE) 1 7 10 18
40  Belarus (BLR) 1 4 4 9
41  Turkey (TUR) 1 3 4 8
42  Armenia (ARM) 1 3 0 4
43  Czech Republic (CZE) 1 2 7 10
44  Ethiopia (ETH) 1 2 5 8
45  Slovenia (SLO) 1 2 1 4
46  Indonesia (INA) 1 2 0 3
47  Romania (ROU) 1 1 3 5
48  Bahrain (BRN) 1 1 0 2
 Vietnam (VIE) 1 1 0 2
50  Chinese Taipei (TPE) 1 0 2 3
51  Bahamas (BAH) 1 0 1 2
 Ivory Coast (CIV) 1 0 1 2
 Independent Olympic Athletes (IOA) 1 0 1 2
54  Fiji (FIJ) 1 0 0 1
 Jordan (JOR) 1 0 0 1
 Kosovo (KOS) 1 0 0 1
 Puerto Rico (PUR) 1 0 0 1
 Singapore (SIN) 1 0 0 1
 Tajikistan (TJK) 1 0 0 1
60  Malaysia (MAS) 0 4 1 5
61  Mexico (MEX) 0 3 2 5
62  Algeria (ALG) 0 2 0 2
 Ireland (IRL) 0 2 0 2
64  Lithuania (LTU) 0 1 3 4
65  Bulgaria (BUL) 0 1 2 3
 Venezuela (VEN) 0 1 2 3
67  India (IND) 0 1 1 2
 Mongolia (MGL) 0 1 1 2
69  Burundi (BDI) 0 1 0 1
 Grenada (GRN) 0 1 0 1
 Niger (NIG) 0 1 0 1
 Philippines (PHI) 0 1 0 1
 Qatar (QAT) 0 1 0 1
74  Norway (NOR) 0 0 4 4
75  Egypt (EGY) 0 0 3 3
 Tunisia (TUN) 0 0 3 3
77  Israel (ISR) 0 0 2 2
78  Austria (AUT) 0 0 1 1
 Dominican Republic (DOM) 0 0 1 1
 Estonia (EST) 0 0 1 1
 Finland (FIN) 0 0 1 1
 Morocco (MAR) 0 0 1 1
 Moldova (MDA) 0 0 1 1
 Nigeria (NGR) 0 0 1 1
 Portugal (POR) 0 0 1 1
 Trinidad and Tobago (TTO) 0 0 1 1
 United Arab Emirates (UAE) 0 0 1 1
Total (87 NOCs) 307 307 360 974

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
International relations
Law and crime
Politics and elections

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

August 22, 2016

Top News Stories –

Windows 10 update stops webcams working –
A Windows 10 update has stopped many popular webcams from working. The update, released earlier this month, stops many cameras being used for Skype or to broadcast and stream footage. The cause seems to be a change in the way Windows 10 handles video so it can be used by more than one program at a time. Microsoft said it was working on a fix but has not given any date for when the patch will be available. Soon after Windows Update 1607 was distributed in early August, many people started reporting webcam problems to Microsoft via its support site. The trouble affected both webcams connected via USB cables or on the same network and meant either that footage could not be streamed, or that images froze after a while. The problems even affected webcams working with Skype and Lync – both companies owned by Microsoft. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Never celebrate too early (Compilation)

Other News Stories –

Disasters and accidents
International relations
Law and crime
Politics and elections
Science and technology

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

August 23, 2016

Top News Stories –

Virgin challenges Jeremy Corbyn train footage –
Virgin Trains has questioned footage showing Jeremy Corbyn sitting on the floor of a “ram-packed” service. In a film shown on The Guardian, the Labour leader said he was experiencing a problem “many passengers face every day” on the London to Newcastle train. But Virgin said CCTV showed Mr Corbyn and his team walking past available seating before starting filming. It says the crew helped him to a carriage where seats were available and he sat for the rest of his journey. On one level, this is a story that appears trivial – about whether a politician could find a seat on a train. But it is fast developing into a political row between the leader of the opposition and one of Britain’s biggest rail firms. [BBC]
Jeremy_CorbynJeremy_Corbyn

Video of the Day –

“DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION” — A Bad Lip Reading

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
Arts and culture
  • Philippine officials believe they may have recovered biggest natural giant clam pearl in the world — weighing 34kg. Officials are awaiting confirmation from gemologists that the find is indeed the world’s largest pearl. If confirmed, it will beat the current record holder, the Pearl of Lao Tzu, which weighs 6.4kg. (BBC)
Business and economy
Health
International relations
Law and crime
Politics and elections
Sports

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

August 24, 2016

Top News Stories –

Italy earthquake: Death toll rises to at least 159 –
At least 159 people have been killed and 368 injured in an earthquake that hit a mountainous area of central Italy, civil protection officials say. The magnitude-6.2 quake struck at 03:36 (01:36 GMT), 100km (65 miles) north-east of Rome, not far from Perugia. At least 86 of the dead were in the historic town of Amatrice, where the mayor said three-quarters of the town was destroyed, and in nearby Accumoli.
Many people are still believed to be buried under rubble. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Markus Kayser – Solar Sinter Project from Markus Kayser on Vimeo.

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
Disasters and accidents
International relations
Law and crime
  • A police officer from Bethel, Alaska, will be sentenced to prison for charges related to police brutality in a 2014 case involving an intoxicated man. The charges followed an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigations civil rights division. The former officer, Andrew Reid, was found to have used excessive force and lying on official police reports. The victim suffered a separated shoulder and other injuries.(Alaska Dispatch News)
Politics and elections
Science and technology

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

October 6, 2016

Top News Stories –

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

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

hurricane-matthew-nasa-image Hurricane Matthew image by NASA

Video of the Day –

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

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
Disasters and accidents
Law and crime
  • Pakistan‘s government removes a loophole allowing those behind so-called honor killings to go free with the new legislation instead requiring a mandatory life sentence. (BBC)
Politics and elections

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

October 2, 2016

Top News Stories –

Americans finally break through to end Ryder Cup frustration –
This was not eight years in the making. It was two decades. Two decades worth of frustration was pent up inside the American team room when it arrived to Hazeltine National this week for the 41st Ryder Cup. And two decades worth of relief was released with the force of popping champagne corks when the Americans put the finishing touches on a 17-11 rout of the Europeans Sunday, capturing the Ryder Cup for the first time since 2008 and only the third time since 1999. After eight losses in the last 10 Ryder Cups, including the last three, the Americans decided enough was enough. [New York Post] [See list of the day]

 

Video of the Day –

OFFICIAL “PANTSUIT POWER” FLASH MOB FOR HILLARY from Celia & Mia for HRC on Vimeo.

List of the Day –

Ryder Cup matches
Year Winners Score Runners-up Host country Venue GBI/Europe captain United States captain
1927  United States 9½–2½  Great Britain United States Worcester Country Club, Massachusetts Jersey Ted Ray Walter Hagen
1929  Great Britain 7–5  United States England Moortown Golf Club, Yorkshire Scotland George Duncan Walter Hagen
1931  United States 9–3  Great Britain United States Scioto Country Club, Columbus, Ohio England Charles Whitcombe Walter Hagen
1933  Great Britain 6½–5½  United States England Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club, Lancashire England John Henry Taylor Walter Hagen
1935  United States 9–3  Great Britain United States Ridgewood Country Club, Paramus, New Jersey England Charles Whitcombe Walter Hagen
1937  United States 8–4  Great Britain England Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club, Lancashire England Charles Whitcombe Walter Hagen
1947  United States 11–1  Great Britain United States Portland Golf Club, Portland, Oregon England Henry Cotton Ben Hogan
1949  United States 7–5  Great Britain England Ganton Golf Club, Scarborough, Yorkshire England Charles Whitcombe Ben Hogan
1951  United States 9½–2½  Great Britain United States Pinehurst Resort Course No. 2, North Carolina England Arthur Lacey Sam Snead
1953  United States 6½–5½  Great Britain England Wentworth Club, Virginia Water, Surrey England Henry Cotton Lloyd Mangrum
1955  United States 8–4  Great Britain United States Thunderbird Country Club, Rancho Mirage, California Wales Dai Rees Chick Harbert
1957  Great Britain 7½–4½  United States England Lindrick Golf Club, West Riding of Yorkshire Wales Dai Rees Jack Burke, Jr.
1959  United States 8½–3½  Great Britain United States Eldorado Golf Club, Indian Wells, California Wales Dai Rees Sam Snead
1961  United States 14½–9½  Great Britain England Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club, Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire Wales Dai Rees Jerry Barber
1963  United States 23–9  Great Britain United States East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, Georgia Scotland John Fallon Arnold Palmer
1965  United States 19½–12½  Great Britain England Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport, Lancashire England Harry Weetman Byron Nelson
1967  United States 23½–8½  Great Britain United States Champions Golf Club, Houston, Texas Wales Dai Rees Ben Hogan
1969  United States [A] 16–16Match was tied  Great Britain England Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport, Lancashire Scotland Eric Brown Sam Snead
1971  United States 18½–13½  Great Britain United States Old Warson Country Club, St. Louis, Missouri Scotland Eric Brown Jay Hebert
1973  United States 19–13 United Kingdom Republic of Ireland Great Britain & Ireland Scotland Muirfield, Gullane, East Lothian England Bernard Hunt Jack Burke, Jr.
1975  United States 21–11 United Kingdom Republic of Ireland Great Britain & Ireland United States Laurel Valley Golf Club, Ligonier, Pennsylvania England Bernard Hunt Arnold Palmer
1977  United States 12½–7½ United Kingdom Republic of Ireland Great Britain & Ireland England Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club, Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire Wales Brian Huggett Dow Finsterwald
1979  United States 17–11  Europe United States The Greenbrier, The Greenbrier Course, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia England John Jacobs Billy Casper
1981  United States 18½–9½  Europe England Walton Heath Golf Club, Walton-on-the-Hill, Surrey England John Jacobs Dave Marr
1983  United States 14½–13½  Europe United States PGA National Golf Club, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida England Tony Jacklin Jack Nicklaus
1985  Europe 16½–11½  United States England The Belfry, Brabazon Course, Wishaw, Warwickshire England Tony Jacklin Lee Trevino
1987  Europe 15–13  United States United States Muirfield Village, Dublin, Ohio England Tony Jacklin Jack Nicklaus
1989  Europe[A] 14–14Match was tied  United States England The Belfry, Brabazon Course, Wishaw, Warwickshire England Tony Jacklin Raymond Floyd
1991  United States 14½–13½  Europe United States Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Ocean Course, Kiawah Island, South Carolina Scotland Bernard Gallacher Dave Stockton
1993  United States 15–13  Europe England The Belfry, Brabazon Course, Wishaw, Warwickshire Scotland Bernard Gallacher Tom Watson
1995  Europe 14½–13½  United States United States Oak Hill Country Club, East Course, Rochester, New York Scotland Bernard Gallacher Lanny Wadkins
1997  Europe 14½–13½  United States Spain Valderrama Golf Club, Sotogrande, Andalusia Spain Seve Ballesteros Tom Kite
1999  United States 14½–13½  Europe United States The Country Club, Composite Course, Brookline, Massachusetts England Mark James Ben Crenshaw
2002  Europe 15½–12½  United States England The Belfry, Brabazon Course, Wishaw, Warwickshire Scotland Sam Torrance Curtis Strange
2004  Europe 18½–9½  United States United States Oakland Hills Country Club, South Course, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan Germany Bernhard Langer Hal Sutton
2006  Europe 18½–9½  United States Republic of Ireland K Club, Palmer Course, Straffan, County Kildare Wales Ian Woosnam Tom Lehman
2008  United States 16½–11½  Europe United States Valhalla Golf Club, Louisville, Kentucky England Nick Faldo Paul Azinger
2010  Europe 14½–13½  United States Wales Celtic Manor Resort, Twenty Ten Course, Newport Scotland Colin Montgomerie Corey Pavin
2012  Europe 14½–13½  United States United States Medinah Country Club, Course 3, Medinah, Illinois Spain José María Olazábal Davis Love III
2014  Europe 16½–11½  United States Scotland Gleneagles, PGA Centenary Course, Perth & Kinross Republic of Ireland Paul McGinley Tom Watson
2016  United States 17–11  Europe United States Hazeltine National Golf Club, Chaska, Minnesota Northern Ireland Darren Clarke Davis Love III

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
Disasters and accidents
International relations
Law and crime
Politics and elections
Sports

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

November 7, 2016

Top News Stories –

Designs unveiled to light London bridges on River Thames –
Six teams have been shortlisted for a design competition to permanently light up 17 of London’s bridges along the River Thames. The Illuminated River project will see the pedestrian, road and rail crossings between Albert and Tower Bridge lit. More than 100 international groups entered the competition which has raised £10m so far in private funding. The designs are on display at the Royal Festival Hall during November with the winner announced on 8 December. According to the organisers, the Illuminated River Foundation, the project will be funded “from private and philanthropic sources rather than the public purse”. The project has been backed by Sadiq Khan who said it would be a “wonderful celebration” of the river and “a major contribution to the growing importance of London’s night-time economy”. The foundation said they hoped to install the winning design in 2018 depending on whether they could raise more funds and following consultation with local councils and the people who own the bridges. [BBC] See List of the Day
Jubilee BridgeThe Jubilee Bridge by London Timelapse

Video of the Day –

UNSATISFYING from PARALLEL STUDIO on Vimeo.

List of the Day –

From west to east, the 17 London bridges and the years they were opened:

  • Albert Bridge – 1873
  • Chelsea Bridge – 1937
  • Grosvenor Bridge – 1859
  • Nine Elms Bridge (in development)
  • Vauxhall Bridge – 1906
  • Lambeth Bridge – 1932
  • Westminster Bridge – 1862
  • Hungerford Bridge – 1864 and Jubilee Bridge in 2002
  • Waterloo Bridge – 1945
  • The Garden Bridge (in development)
  • Blackfriars Bridge – 1869
  • Blackfriars Railway Bridge – 1886
  • Millennium Bridge – 2002
  • Southwark Bridge – 1921
  • Cannon Street Railway Bridge – 1866/1982
  • London Bridge – 1973
  • Tower Bridge – 1894

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
Disasters and accidents
International relations
Law and crime
Politics and elections

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

November 8, 2016

Top News Stories –

Toblerone triangle change upsets fans –
A decision to space out the distinctive triangular chocolate chunks in two Toblerone bars sold in the UK has upset fans who say that they do mind the gap. The product’s makers, US-based Mondelez International, said it had changed the design to reduce the weight of what were 400g and 170g bars. Some consumers have described the move as “the wrong decision” and said the bigger spaces looked “stupid”. Mondelez said the move was down to a rise in the cost of ingredients. In a statement on the Toblerone Facebook page, the company said it had to make a decision between changing the look of the bars or raising the price. [BBC]
TobleroneThe old shaped Toblerone

Video of the Day –

The Flying Frenchies Surf and BASE Jump From a Zipline

List of the Day –

How many peaks in a bar of Toblerone?
According to Schott’s Food & Drink Miscellany the sizes and number of peaks for Toblerones are as follows:

Size Tiny Mini 35 g 50 g 75 g 100 g 200 g 400 g 750 g 4.5 kg
Peaks 3 3 8 11 11 12 15 15 17 12

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
Business and economy
  • India abolishes larger banknotes in a bold and unexpected move to curb circulation of counterfeit notes and to fight black money. (BBC)(NDTV)
Politics and elections

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

November 9, 2016

Top News Stories –

US election 2016 result: Trump beats Clinton to take White House –
Donald Trump will become the 45th US president after a stunning victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton. The Republican nominee’s victory came down to a handful of key swing states, despite months of polling that favoured Mrs Clinton. The battlegrounds of Florida, Ohio and North Carolina cleared the way for his Brexit-style upset. Global markets plummeted, with the US dollar diving and gold prices surging. Mr Trump’s shock victory in Wisconsin put him over the 270 out of 538 electoral college votes needed to win the White House, after a gruelling and rancorous campaign. The US president-elect took to the stage with his family at his victory rally in a New York hotel ballroom and said: “I just received a call from Secretary Clinton. She congratulated us on our victory.” [BBC]
Donald_Trump President elect Donald Trump

Video of the Day –

Donald Trumps acceptance speech

List of the Day –

Popular vote results in US election

Trump

58,212,712 votes

47.8%

Clinton

57,755,468 votes

47.4%

Others

5,837,383 votes

4.8%

After 94.0% of voting districts

Senate

100 seats, 34 up for election

Republicans

51 seats

Democrats

45 seats

Independents

2 seats

House of Representatives

435 seats, all up for election

Republicans

236 seats

Democrats

192 seats

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
Disasters and accidents
International relations
Law and crime
Politics and elections

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

November 10, 2016

Top News Stories –

Cuba announces military exercises following Trump’s win –
The Cuban government has announced it will hold five days of nationwide military exercises to prepare for “a range of enemy action”. Cuba did not link the exercises to the victory of Republican candidate Donald Trump in the US presidential election. But analysts say such exercises have in the past been held at times of tension or to send a signal to the US. During his campaign, Mr Trump said he would reverse the recent thaw in relations between Cuba and the US. Cuba’s Ministry of Defence announced the move in the government-run newspaper Granma. [BBC]

Stolen statue of beloved Istanbul cat returned –
A statue honouring one of Istanbul’s most famous felines which went missing earlier this week has been returned after a social media outcry. The bronze sculpture is of Tombili, a tubby cat who became the subject of countless internet memes when a photo of him reclining on the pavement went viral. The statue immortalising his famous pose vanished on Monday night, only a month after being unveiled. Perhaps the guilt was too much for whoever took it, as on Thursday the statue reappeared. Sculptor Seval Sahin shared a photo of herself with it, thanking everyone on social media and the press and TV coverage which she says helped bring about the happy ending. [BBC]
tombili-cat-sculptureThe Tombili cat sculpture

Video of the Day –

GoPro: Epic Lines: Speedflying with Jamie Lee — Line 1

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
Arts and culture
Business and economy
  • Siemens AG announces that it plans to spin off its US$15 billion health care division, making it its own independent company. (Bloomberg)
Politics and elections

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

November 11, 2016

Top News Stories –

New Balance trainer wearers bin and burn their shoes over Trump –
New Balance wearers are binning and burning their trainers after the company’s vice president appeared to praise Donald Trump’s trade plans. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal Matt LeBretton said Barack Obama had “turned a deaf ear” to US business. “Frankly, with President-elect Trump, we feel things are going to move in the right direction,” he said. Since then some Americans have been filmed setting their shoes on fire. Others have been returning used trainers to New Balance shops. [BBC Newsbeat]
burnt-new-balance-shoesBurnt New Balance Shoews (@milftears twitter)

Video of the Day –

John Lewis Christmas Advert 2016 – #BusterTheBoxer

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
Disasters and accidents
Science and technology

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

November 13, 2016

Top News Stories –

New Zealand earthquake: Two dead following powerful tremor –
A powerful magnitude-7.8 earthquake has struck New Zealand’s South Island, killing at least two people. The quake hit just after midnight on Monday (11:02 GMT on Sunday), north-east of Christchurch. It was felt as far afield as the capital Wellington on the North Island, 120 miles (200km) away. A tsunami arrived about two hours later. Officials warned everyone along the eastern coast to head inland or for higher ground. Police said one person died in the town of Kaikoura on the eastern coast, which has been cut off by road and where electric power is out and phones are down. Another died in Mount Lyford, a ski resort nearby. It is not yet clear how they were killed. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

160 Characters from Victoria Mapplebeck on Vimeo.

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
Business and economics
Disasters and accidents
International relations
Law and crime
Politics and elections

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

November 19, 2016

Top News Stories –

‘Fart’ in parliament: Row blows up in Canada –
A row has blown up in the Canadian parliament – over the word “fart”. When Conservative MP Michelle Rempel accused the government of treating the province of “Alberta like a fart in the room” over jobs, Green Party leader Elizabeth May took exception. However, it was not the accusations of inaction which riled Ms May. “I heard her say a word I know is distinctly unparliamentary, and I think she may want to withdraw it,” the shocked Ms May said. “The word was f-a-r-t,” she continued, spelling it out clearly so as not to repeat the offending term. Ms Rempel, who has represented Calgary Nose Hill since 2011, became equally incensed. “Is my colleague actually serious? I just gave an impassioned speech about Alberta jobs, and that’s what the leader of a political party has to say? No, I don’t withdraw it.” Ms May was not letting it go, however. “Decorum is important, and respect is important in this place,” she scolded. Unsurprisingly, the row has caused great hilarity on social media – especially in light of the political upheaval taking place just across the border. “With all eyes on Trump’s destruction of US politics and civil society, a silent but deadly political scandal in Canada,” tweeted Josh Greenberg, director of one of Canada’s leading journalism schools. [BBC]
josh-greenberg-tweetJosh Greenberg tweet

Video of the Day –

STOMP makes rhythm with the Harlem Globetrotters –

Eight performers from the international sensation STOMP took to an outdoor basketball court in New York City’s Greenwich Village with four stars from the world famous Harlem Globetrotters to celebrate the team’s 90th year.

Other News Stories 

Armed conflicts and attacks
Business and economics
Disasters and accidents
Politics and elections
Science and technology
Sports

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource