January 3, 2019

Top News Stories –

China says it has successfully landed a robotic spacecraft on the far side of the Moon, the first ever such attempt and landing.

At 10:26 Beijing time (02:26 GMT), the un-crewed Chang’e-4 (Chinese: 嫦娥四号; pinyin: Cháng’é Sìhào; literally: ‘Chang’e No. 4′) probe touched down in the South Pole-Aitken Basin, state media said.

It is carrying instruments to analyse the unexplored region’s geology, as well to conduct biological experiments.

The landing is being seen as a major milestone in space exploration.

There have been numerous missions to the Moon in recent years, but the vast majority have been to orbit, fly by or impact. The last crewed landing was Apollo 17 in 1972. [BBC

List of the Day –

Manned moon landings:

Mission name	Lunar lander	Lunar landing date	Lunar liftoff date	Lunar landing site	Duration on lunar surface (DD:HH:MM)	Crew	Number of EVAs	Total EVA Time (HH:MM)
Apollo 11	Eagle	20 July 1969	21 July 1969	Sea of Tranquility	0:21:31	Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin	1	2:31
Apollo 12	Intrepid	19 November 1969	21 November 1969	Ocean of Storms	1:07:31	Charles “Pete” Conrad, Alan Bean	2	7:45
Apollo 14	Antares	5 February 1971	6 February 1971	Fra Mauro	1:09:30	Alan B. Shepard, Edgar Mitchell	2	9:21
Apollo 15	Falcon	30 July 1971	2 August 1971	Hadley Rille	2:18:55	David Scott, James Irwin	3	18:33
Apollo 16	Orion	21 April 1972	24 April 1972	Descartes Highlands	2:23:02	John Young, Charles Duke	3	20:14
Apollo 17	Challenger	11 December 1972	14 December 1972	Taurus–Littrow	3:02:59	Eugene Cernan, Harrison “Jack” Schmitt	3	22:04

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from USA

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Syrian state media say that a U.S.-led coalition aerial attack killed 11 civilians in Deir ez-Zor Governorate. (EFE via La Vanguardia) (SANA)

Business and economy

Corporate acquisitions and mergers
- Pharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb proposes the takeover of cancer drug company Celgene for US$95 billion, including debt, the biggest biopharma deal ever. (Reuters)
The Dow Jones Industrial Average drops 660 points following a warning from Apple on weak demand and trade relations between the United States and China. (TheStreet)

Disasters and accidents

2018 Magnitogorsk building collapse
- The death toll of an explosion caused by a gas leak that devastated a block of flats in Magnitogorsk, Russia, rises to 39. Rescuers end their search efforts at the collapse site as there are no more missing people. (The Moscow Times)
European migrant crisis
- The mayor of Naples offers to berth a NGO-operated ship with 32 migrants who were rescued on 22 December off the coast of Libya. (Reuters)
The Dutch Coast Guard says 270 containers fell off MSC Zoe in heavy seas near the German island of Borkum and floated towards the Netherlands. Treasure hunters revel on the West Frisian islands of Terschelling and Vlieland. Three containers containing hazardous materials are still missing and ships are warned for floating containers. (Reuters via NDTV) (World Maritime News)
Seven people are killed after a crash and diesel fuel spill sparked a massive fire on Interstate 75 in Gainesville, Florida, United States. (AOL News)
14th Street Tunnel shutdown
- New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announces that a complete shutdown of the 14th Street Tunnel in New York City, proposed to allow for subway repairs caused by damage from Hurricane Sandy, has been halted. Cuomo says that engineers will use a new technology from Europe to make critical repairs to the tunnel without having to close it entirely. The complete shutdown would have closed the tunnel, which is used by nearly 225,000 people each weekday, for an expected 15 months. (New York Times)

International relations

Somalia expels Nicholas Haysom, the most senior United Nations diplomat in the country, after accusing him of “acting like the country’s ruler”. (BBC)
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani demands clarification after U.S. President Donald Trump said yesterday that the Soviet Union was “right to be there”, referring to the 1979–1989 Soviet–Afghan War. (The Washington Post)
Mexico-United States barrier
- The Department of Homeland Security requests more American troops be deployed to the Mexico-United States border in order to add 160 miles of concertina wire alongside existing border fencing. (Jerusalem Post)

Law and crime

China executes serial killer Gao Chengyong, who murdered eleven girls and women between 1988 and 2002. (BBC)
The Prosecutor General of Russia Yury Chaika says that France today extradited Alexei Viktorovich Kuznetsov [ru], a former Finance Minister of the Moscow Region who is accused of fraud and embezzlement amounting to 14 billion Russian rubles (US$200 million). (TASS)
A man shoots three children to death and wounds a woman in Texas City, Texas, United States. The suspect has not been apprehended. (USA Today)

Politics and elections

Iran’s health minister Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi resigns in protest against a medical budget. His resignation was accepted by President Hassan Rouhani. (PressTV)
The 116th United States Congress, which contains a record number of women and minorities, is sworn in at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. Democrat Nancy Pelosi becomes the Speaker of the House of Representatives for the second time, the first being from 2007–2011. (CBS News)
United States federal government shutdown of 2018–2019
- The newly sworn U.S. House of Representatives passes a major spending bill to fund most shuttered departments and agencies through September 30 and a stop-gap measure to restart the Department of Homeland Security. The proposals will now move on to the Senate which has indicated they will not take up any spending bills that aren’t supported by President Trump. (The New York Times)

Science and technology

Chinese Lunar Exploration Program
- China National Space Administration‘s robotic lander Chang’e 4 successfully lands at the Von Kármán lunar crater on the far side of the Moon. (BBC)

Sports

Oman–United Arab Emirates relations
- Saoud al-Mohannadi, vice president of the Asian Football Confederation, is banned from traveling to the United Arab Emirates from Oman. (The New York Times)
In women’s college basketball, Baylor defeats top-ranked Connecticut 68–57, handing the Huskies their first regular-season loss since November 2014 and ending their NCAA-record regular-season winning streak at 126 games. (AP via ESPN)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

April 29, 2019

Top News Story –

R.I.P. to the Top 10 Failed Social Media Sites

There’s no doubt social media has changed so many lives – not just in America, but throughout the entire world.

Communication, no matter how far away someone else may be (as long as they have a decent internet connection 😊), has become easier than ever.

Marketing has evolved in ways few people expected it to, too.

And yet, social media platforms continue to come and go.

Here is a list of the 10 most legendary social media sites to go by the wayside since the web began.

10. DailyBooth

9. FriendFeed

8. iTunes Ping

7. Google Wave & Google Buzz

6. Meerkat

5. Friendster

4. Yik Yak

3. Vine

2. Google Plus

1. MySpace

Full article here

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from UK

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

A propaganda video featuring Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is released, in which he references the 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings, indicating that he is still alive and that the video was shot very recently. It is the first time he’s been seen on video since July 2014, when he addressed a crowd at the now destroyed Great Mosque of al-Nuri in Mosul. (Al Jazeera)
Syrian Civil War
- Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militants assault several Syrian Army positions in the northern Aleppo Governorate, killing 17 soldiers and wounding 30 others. HTS say the attacks were in response to recent Syrian government and Russian airstrikes on rebel-held areas. (Al Jazeera)
Terrorism in the United States
- A US Army veteran was planning to bomb a white nationalist rally in retribution for the shooting in New Zealand. He was also planning attacks on Jews. (BBC) (CNN)

Arts and culture

Avengers: Endgame breaks numerous box office records, including the biggest opening weekend in cinematic history, grossing over $1 billion worldwide. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

Cyclone Kenneth
- The death toll in cyclone-hit northern Mozambique has risen to 38, as aid workers struggle to reach the worst-affected areas. Seven people were also killed by the cyclone in Comoros. (BBC) (ReliefWeb)
Floods sparked by torrential rains have killed 31 people in Indonesia while 13 others are missing. (Bangkok Post)
North Carolina authorities have ordered evacuations covering a half-mile radius because of air quality, possibly including harmful sulfuric acid, from a massive fire at a metal recycling plant in Mooresboro. Officials say the blaze has been extinguished, as of 7:15 a.m. (BBC)
A minibus carrying Turkish Süper Lig Alanyaspor football players crashes near Alanya, Turkey, resulting in the death of Czech Republic national football team international Josef Šural, while several other players are seriously injured. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has decided to relocate the nation’s capital from Jakarta, on the northwest coast of Java island. The new location and timing are not yet known. Jakarta, home to over 10 million people, is sinking at one of the fastest rates in the world; almost half of its area is below sea level. (BBC) (NPR)
U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announces he will resign, effective May 11. (The Washington Post)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

May 24, 2019

Top News Stories –

Theresa May quits: UK set for new PM by end of July

Theresa May has said she will quit as Conservative leader on 7 June, paving the way for a contest to decide a new prime minister.

In an emotional statement, she said she had done her best to deliver Brexit and it was a matter of “deep regret” that she had been unable to do so.

Mrs May said she would continue to serve as PM while a Conservative leadership contest took place.

The party said it hoped a new leader could be in place by the end of July.

It means Mrs May will still be prime minister when US President Donald Trump makes his state visit to the UK at the start of June.

Asked about the prime minister’s announcement, Mr Trump said: “I feel badly for Theresa. I like her very much. She’s a good woman. She worked very hard. She’s very strong.” [BBC]

By Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office - https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/588948/The_United_Kingdoms_exit_from_and_partnership_with_the_EU_Web.pdf, OGL 3, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73109217

List of the Day –

British Prime Ministers since WW2

The Right Honourable
Neville Chamberlain
FRSMP for Birmingham Edgbaston
(1869–1940)28 May
193710 May
1940—

Conservative National IV^[84]Chamberlain War2 years and 349 days

The Right Honourable
Winston Churchill
CHTDFRSMP for Epping (1940–1945) →
Woodford_[‡] (1945)(1874–1965)10 May
194026 July
1945—

First Lord of the Treasury
Nominal leader of the House of Commons (1940–1942)
Minister of Defence

Conservative Churchill War^[85]Churchill Caretaker
(Con.–L.Nat.)5 years and 78 days

The Right Honourable
Clement Attlee
CHFRSMP for Limehouse (1945–1950) →
Walthamstow West_[‡] (1950–1951)(1883–1967)26 July
194526 October
19511945

First Lord of the Treasury
Minister of Defence (1945–1946)

Labour Attlee I^[86]1950 Attlee II6 years and 93 days

The Right Honourable
Sir Winston Churchill
KGOMCHTDDLFRSRAMP for Woodford
(1874–1965)26 October
19515 April
19551951

First Lord of the Treasury
Minister of Defence (1951–1952)

Conservative Churchill III^[87]3 years and 162 daysElizabeth II

(1952–present)

The Right Honourable
Sir Anthony Eden
KGMCMP for Warwick & Leamington
(1897–1977)6 April
19559 January
19571955

First Lord of the Treasury

Conservative Eden^[88]1 year and 279 days

The Right Honourable
Harold Macmillan
FRSMP for Bromley
(1894–1986)10 January
195718 October
1963—

First Lord of the Treasury

Conservative Macmillan I^[89]1959 Macmillan II6 years and 282 days

The Right Honourable
Sir Alec Douglas-Home
KTMP for Kinross & Western Perthshire^[c]
(1903–1995)19 October
196316 October
1964—

First Lord of the Treasury

Conservative
(Scot.U.)Douglas-Home^[90]364 days

The Right Honourable
Harold Wilson
OBEFRSFSSMP for Huyton
(1916–1995)16 October
196419 June
19701964

First Lord of the Treasury
Minister for the Civil Service(1968–1970)

Labour Wilson I^[91]1966 Wilson II5 years and 247 days

The Right Honourable
Edward Heath
MBEMP for Bexley (1970–1974) →
Sidcup_[‡] (1974)(1916–2005)19 June
19704 March
19741970

Conservative Heath^[92]3 years and 259 days

The Right Honourable
Harold Wilson
OBEFRSFSSMP for Huyton
(1916–1995)4 March
19745 April
1976^Feb.1974

Labour Wilson III^[91]^Oct.1974 Wilson IV2 years and 33 days

The Right Honourable
James CallaghanMP for Cardiff South East
(1912–2005)5 April
19764 May
1979—

Labour Callaghan^[93]3 years and 30 days

The Right Honourable
Margaret Thatcher
FRSHonFRSCMP for Finchley
(1925–2013)See also § Main articles:3

Conservative Thatcher I^[94]4 May
197928 November
19901979 1983 Thatcher II 1987 Thatcher III11 years and 209 days

The Right Honourable
John MajorMP for Huntingdon
(born 1943)28 November
19902 May
1997—

Conservative Major I^[95]1992 Major II6 years and 156 days

The Right Honourable
Tony BlairMP for Sedgefield
(born 1953)See also § Main articles:4

Labour Blair I^[96]2 May
199727 June
20071997 2001 Blair II 2005 Blair III10 years and 57 days

The Right Honourable
Gordon BrownMP for Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath
(born 1951)See also § Main articles:5

Labour Brown^[97]27 June
200711 May
2010—2 years and 319 days

The Right Honourable
David CameronMP for Witney
(born 1966)See also § Main articles:6

Conservative Cameron–Clegg
(Con.–L.D.)^[98]11 May
201013 July
20162010 2015 Cameron II6 years and 64 days

The Right Honourable
Theresa MayMP for Maidenhead
(born 1956)See also § Main articles:7

Conservative May I^[99]13 July
2016Incumbent—2017 May II2 years and 316 days

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from USA

Other News Stories –

Armed conflict and attacks

Iran–United States relations
- U.S. President Donald Trump orders 1,500 troops to the Middle East as tensions remain high with Iran. The military is heading to the Persian Gulf. (CBS)
Multiple people are injured in Lyon, France, by a bomb filled with bolts. (CNN)
A bombing at a mosque in the Pakistani city of Quetta, the capital of the restive province of Balochistan, kills three people, including the prayer leader, and wounds at least 28 worshippers. (Al Jazeera)
Three people, including a senior Muslim preacher, are killed and at least 20 wounded after an explosion in a mosque during Friday prayers in the Afghan capital, Kabul. (Al Jazeera)
2019 Portuguesa, Venezuela prison uprising
- At least 23 prisoners are killed during a prison riot in Acarigua, Portuguesa, Venezuela. (TIME) (Washington Post)

Disasters and accidents

2019 Surat fire
- Twenty children die in a fire in Surat, India. (India Today)
2017–2019 eruptions of Mount Agung
- Mount Agung in Bali, Indonesia, erupts. (ABC)

Law and crime

Shiregreen child deaths
- During a police raid, six children are found unconscious inside a residential property in the Shiregreen suburb of Sheffield, England. The eldest two children, aged 13 and 14, subsequently died at Sheffield Children’s Hospital; the other four children remain hospitalised. (BBC)
- Two people – a 37-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman – have been arrested under suspicion of murder at the property in Sheffield where six children were found. They remain in police custody. A murder investigation has been opened. (Evening Standard)
LGBT rights in Taiwan, Legal status of same-sex marriage
- Same-sex marriage becomes legal in Taiwan, making Taiwan the first nation in Asia to recognize same-sex marriage. (The Telegraph)
LGBT rights in Kenya
- The High Court of Kenya rules against a bid to strike down Section 162 and 165 of the Kenyan Penal Code, a sodomy law. The plaintiffs plan to appeal to the Court of Appeal. (Daily Nation) (The Guardian)
Aftermath of the kidnapping of Jayme Closs
- In the U.S. state of Wisconsin, Jake Thomas Patterson is sentenced to life in prison for the kidnapping of Jayme Closs and the murders of her parents. (NPR)
Human Life Protection Act
- A federal lawsuit is filed to block Alabama’s abortion ban. (ABC News)

Politics and elections

2019 European Parliament election
- Voters in Ireland and the Czech Republic head to the polls to vote for their country’s representatives in the European Parliament. (European Parliament)
2019 UK Conservative Party leadership election
- United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May announces her resignation as leader of the Conservative Party, effective June 7. She will remain Prime Minister until a successor is elected. (The Guardian)
The U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocks the redrawing of Ohio and Michigan electoral maps while it prepares to rule on whether or not partisan gerrymandering is constitutional. Lower federal courtsordered Michigan and Ohio electoral maps to be redrawn before the 2020 United States presidential election. (Reuters) (Los Angeles Times)

Science and technology

Twitter suspensions
- Twitter bans Brian and Ed Krassenstein, two anti-Trump brothers, for allegedly using fake accounts. (The Daily Beast) (The Hill)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 1, 2019

Top News Story –

Cori Gauff, 15, beats Venus Williams

Though Cori Gauff is only 15, tennis people in the know have been speaking in hushed tones about her talent for years.

With her precocious blend of power, athleticism, court savvy and competitive drive, Gauff was the youngest United States Open junior girls finalist in history at age 13 and the second youngest French Open junior girls champion at age 14.

But even if potential is abundantly clear, it is never clear how a teenager will handle the moment when she takes the court at the highest level against an established champion.

On Monday, tennis got an emphatic answer as Gauff, displaying remarkable poise, upset Venus Williams, 6-4, 6-4, in the first round of Wimbledon.

It was the first Grand Slam singles match of Gauff’s career, and it made quite an impression on those who watched from near and far, including Williams, a five-time Wimbledon singles champion. Two of those titles came before Gauff was born on March 13, 2004, in Delray Beach, Fla.

“I think the sky’s the limit, it really is,” said Williams, who was unseeded at age 39.

Later, she also thanked the Wimbledon organizers, who offered her a wild card into the qualifying tournament despite her world ranking of 313th at the time. She and her father and coach, Corey, got word of the offer by phone when they were on their way to southern France to train during Wimbledon at the academy near Nice operated by Patrick Mouratoglou, Serena Williams’s coach.

(NY Times)

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from USA

Other News Stories –

Armed conflict and attacks

War in Afghanistan; 1 July 2019 Kabul attack
- 40 people are killed and over 100 injured by a car bombing and shooting in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Taliban claims responsibility and loses five gunmen. (New York Times)
- Taliban militants overran the Qush Tepa district of Jowzjan Province, resulting in the deaths of over 50 Afghan soldiers. Many others were captured. (ATNNews)
Iran–Israel conflict during the Syrian Civil War
- Israel strikes multiple Iranian and Syrian military targets outside Damascus and Homs, killing 16 people and wounding 21. (Haaretz)
- A stray Syrian S-200 missile fired in response to the Israeli strikes crashes and explodes on a mountain near Vouno in Northern Cyprus, located 20 km (12 miles) northeast of Nicosia, causing no injuries but starting a fire. (Reuters)
Iranian intervention in Iraq (2014–present), Iran–Iraq relations
- Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi signs a decree ordering all Iranian-backed Shia militias to integrate into the Iraqi Armed Forces by the end of July. The decree will change the names of the militias such as the Popular Mobilization Forces to new divisions and brigades within the military. (Reuters) (Rudaw)
Nine people were injured in a Houthi drone attack on Saudi Abha International Airport. (Haaretz)

Business and economy

Whaling in Japan
- Japan resumes commercial whaling after 30 years following the country’s withdrawal from the International Whaling Commission. At least 227 whales are expected to be killed through to December. (The Guardian)
Phase-out of lightweight plastic bags
- A ban on single-use plastic shopping bags comes into force in New Zealand. Businesses that break the ban will face fines of up to $100,000NZD. (Gulf Today)

Disasters and accidents

At least 16 people are killed and 45 injured when a bus rolls over on a road in Tucumán Province, Argentina. (Clarín)
In Lower Saxony, Germany, a Bundeswehr helicopter crashes, killing one of the pilots. (DW)
In Mexico, a storm drops over a metre of hail over parts of Guadalajara, damaging hundreds of houses. (CBC)

International relations

Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Nuclear program of Iran
- Iran announces that it has enriched more than 300 kilograms (660 lb) of uranium to 3.67%, contrary to previous agreement. This is still highly insufficient to produce one nuclear weapon. (Deutsche Welle)
Japan–United States relations, Japan–North Korea relations, 2018–19 Korean peace process
- After speaking by phone with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Japanese Foreign Minister Tarō Kōno says “he hopes the meeting adds momentum to efforts toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula“. Kōno also says that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe “wants to meet Kim Jong-un to solve the issue of North Korean abductions of Japanese citizens“. (Japan Today)
Libya–Turkey relations
- After political pressure from Turkey, six Turkish sailors are released from detention by the Libyan National Army under general Khalifa Haftar. (The Guardian)

Law and crime

France’s interior minister, Christophe Castaner, has asked the Paris police chief to provide explanations about a video that went viral on social media, where law enforcement officers are seen spraying with pepper spray and dragging protesters from the Extinction Rebellion anti-climate change movement. Although the police needed to evict the protesters, who obstructed a transit route, the mechanisms that they used generated negative reactions. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

2019 Hong Kong anti-extradition bill protests
- Hong Kong anti-extradition bill protesters briefly break into the Legislative Council Complex, which houses the local parliament. (The Guardian)
LGBT rights in Japan
- Ibaraki Prefecture becomes the first in Japan to recognize same-sex partnerships. (Japan Today)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 2, 2019

Top News Story –

Climate change: Heatwave made ‘at least’ five times more likely by warming

Last week’s record breaking heatwave across much of Europe was made “at least five times” more likely to happen by climate change, say scientists.

Their rapid attribution study says that rising temperatures “super-charged” the event, making it more likely to happen than through natural variability alone.

Heatwaves in June are now about 4C hotter than they used to be, the researchers said.

Globally, the average temperature for June was the highest on record.

The immediate cause of the heatwave was the weather, with hot air drawn in from northern Africa, caused by high pressure over central Europe and a storm stalling over the Atlantic.

By lucky coincidence, the authors of this new study happened to be in Toulouse, France, at a conference on climate change and extreme events.

The researchers, members of the World Weather Attribution Group decided to use the opportunity to analyse the link between human-induced climate change and the heatwave.

They defined the heatwave as the highest three-day averaged daily mean temperature in June, arguing that this is a better indicator of health impacts than maximums or minimums.

The researchers compared the observations of temperatures recorded during the month of June with climate models that can show how the world would be without the human influence on the climate.

They found that, over France, the probability of having a heatwave had increased by at least a factor of five. However, the researchers say that this influence could be much higher still, by a factor of 100 or more.

“We are very confident that this lower boundary of factor five is valid – but we are not confident we can say much more than that,” said Dr Geert Jan van Oldenborgh, senior researcher at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute.

“The reason we are fairly careful is because we found fairly large discrepancies between the modelled properties of heatwaves and the observed properties of heatwaves. They all show stronger heatwaves but the trend in the observations is much larger than in the trends in the model.”

According to those involved with this study, this trend in heatwaves is likely to get worse.

“We experienced a heatwave whose intensity could become the norm in the middle of the century,” said Dr Robert Vautard, Senior Scientist, CNRS, France.

“The new record of 45.9C set in France last Friday is one more step to confirmation that, without urgent climate mitigation actions, temperatures in France could potentially rise to about 50°C or more in France by the end of the century.”

The researchers believe that if global warming continues to the 2C level envisioned in the Paris climate agreement, heatwaves like the one experienced last week will become the norm in June.

(BBC)

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from USA

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Islamist militants attack a Niger Armed Forces base in the village of Inates, near the border with Mali, with two car bombs and gunmen, killing 18 soldiers. They also kidnapped four Nigerien soldiers and stole dozens of vehicles. (BBC)
Second Libyan Civil War
- A Libyan National Army airstrike on a suburb of Tripoli hits a detention centre for illegal migrants, killing at least 53 people and injuring 80 people. (Reuters), (CNN)

Disasters and accidents

A fire on the Russian Navy‘s Losharik submarine kills 14 crew members while the vessel conducts tests in Russian territorial waters. (Sky News) (RFERL)
At least 18 people have died and more than a dozen are still missing in devastating floods that swept southeastern Siberia, Russia. (The Japan Times)

International relations

Iran–Saudi Arabia relations, Japan–Saudi Arabia relations
- Saudi Arabia’s minister of state for foreign affairs Adel al-Jubeir says his country will work with Japan and other nations to come up with a plan to ensure that ships can safely transit the Persian Gulfregion. Jubeir also calls for “action” on Iran. (NHK)
China–United Kingdom relations, Hong Kong–United Kingdom relations, 2019 Hong Kong anti-extradition bill protests, Aftermath of the Handover of Hong Kong
- China warns the United Kingdom that “no country has the right to intervene on the issue of mass protests in Hong Kong“, as it considers the problems of this self-governed city an “internal problem”. For China, the agreement by which the United Kingdom returned Hong Kong is nothing more than “a historical document of no practical importance” and “that European country no longer has any responsibility over Hong Kong”. The British chancellery, for its part, dismissed the Chinese opinion, and has said that “it is the right and obligation of the United Kingdom to work to enforce the agreement”, which, in theory, guarantees a high degree of autonomy for Hong Kong for 50 years until 2047 without Chinese interference. (Sky News)

Politics and elections

2020 United States Presidential election
- There has been a shake-up within the campaign organization of former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, which includes the departure of the manager of Hickenlooper’s presidential campaign, Bradley Komar. Komar and other departing staffers reportedly believe that Hickenlooper should quit the race as he has no realistic prospect of victory. (Reuters).
Education in Argentina, Argentina–Cuba relations
- Argentine Education Minister Alejandro Finocchiaro, who strongly condemned a school in Chaco Province for displaying a Cuban flag and displaying pictures of Che Guevara, says the school “has no supervision” and that they are “indoctrinating children with communism and totalitarian and populist governments”. He also added in an interview on state TV that the school will be reviewed. (La Nación) (Clarín)
The Fidesz supermajority of Hungary’s National Assembly passes a bill, which takes the entire research network away from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and hands them to a new government-backed organisation. (Index)
Tax returns of Donald Trump
- The U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means sues U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin and Commissioner of Internal Revenue Charles Rettig to obtain six years of U.S. President Donald Trump‘s tax returns. (NPR)
2019 European Parliament election
- The Ninth European Parliament starts its term. (BBC)
- Fugitive Catalan independence leaders Carles Puigdemont and Toni Comín, together with imprisoned Oriol Junqueras, are not allowed to take office as MEPs by the Supreme Court of Spain and Court of Justice of the European Union, while a pro-independence demonstration takes place in Strasbourg. (Reuters)
- The European Council nominates German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen to replace Jean-Claude Juncker as President of the European Commission. If confirmed by the European Parliament, she will be the first woman to hold the position. The Council also nominates Charles Michel of Belgium as President of the European Council, Josep Borrell of Spain as High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Christine Lagarde of France as President of the European Central Bank. (BBC)
2020 United States Census
- The U.S. Departments of Justice and Commerce announce that the Trump administration will not implement a proposed citizenship question in the 2020 Census, and will perform the census without the question. This follows the U.S. Supreme Court rejecting the administration’s rationale for the question in the case Department of Commerce v. New York. (The Washington Post)
Following the fatal shooting of a young Ethiopian–Israeli man on June 30, countrywide riots in Israel result in more than 80 injuries. (The Jerusalem Post)

Science and technology

Solar eclipse of July 2, 2019
- A total solar eclipse is visible from parts of Chile and Argentina, and a large remote stretch of the southern Pacific.
Ascent Abort-2
- NASA carries out a successful in-flight test of the launch abort system of its new Orion spacecraft, a milestone in the development of the Artemis program to resume human exploration beyond low Earth orbit. (Space.com)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 3, 2019

Top News Story –

Jim Beam Warehouse Fire Destroys 45,000 Barrels

A fire in Kentucky destroyed a warehouse containing about 45,000 barrels of Jim Beam bourbon after officials let the blaze run its course to avoid ethanol contamination in a nearby creek that runs into the Kentucky River.

The fire started around 11 p.m. in Woodford County on Tuesday and was completely out by noon on Wednesday, fire officials said. No injuries were reported.

“The biggest issue we are dealing with is the environmental aspect,” said Drew Chandler, the Woodford County emergency management director. “If we put the fire out, we are going to dump a lot of water on it and that water will be contaminated.”

He said fire officials did not know what had caused the fire, but a spokeswoman for Jim Beam said she believed lightning had sparked it.

(NY Times)

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from USA

Other News Stories –

Armed conflict and attacks

Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir
- Five Pakistani soldiers are killed and one is injured by a bomb blast in Jammu and Kashmir. (Economic Times)
Syrian Civil War
- A mass grave containing over 200 bodies is discovered in Raqqa, Syria. The victims, who were shackled and shot in the head, are believed to have been killed by ISIL militants. (Al Jazeera)

Disasters and accidents

Over one million people in the Japanese prefectures of Miyazaki and Kagoshima are ordered to evacuate their homes due to torrential rainfall. An elderly woman in Kagoshima city died after a mudslide hit her home. (BBC)
One tourist is killed and several injured when Mt. Stromboli in Italy erupts. (BBC)
At least 26 people have died after a fishing boat capsized off the coast of Honduras. (BBC)
At least six people are killed and 190 injured after a tornado hits the city of Kaiyuan in Liaoning Province, China. (Global News)

Law and crime

Death of Otto Warmbier, North Korea–United States relations
- The parents of Otto Warmbier, an American student who died in North Korean custody after allegedly being tortured, file a claim for a seized North Korean cargo ship in an attempt to collect on a $501 million judgment they received after suing the country. (Associated Press)

Politics and elections

Ninth European Parliament
- David Sassoli of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats is elected President of the European Parliament. (DW)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 4, 2019

Top News Story –

Tutankhamun: Bust Egypt says was ‘stolen’ sells for £4.7m

A 3,000-year-old Tutankhamun bust that Egypt claims was stolen has fetched £4.7m ($6m) at auction.

Egypt earlier called on auction house Christie’s to cancel the sale of the relic depicting ancient boy-king Tutankhamun.

The country’s foreign ministry says that the bust was probably stolen from an Egyptian temple during the 1970s.

Christie’s says Egypt has not expressed concern about the bust in the past, despite it being exhibited publicly.

The brown quartzite, 28cm (11in) relic comes from a private collection of ancient art that Christie’s last sold for £3m in 2016.

In a statement, Christie’s said: “The object is not, and has not been, the subject of an investigation.” The auction house said it would never auction an object over which there were legitimate concerns.

Christie’s also published a chronology of the relic’s owners for the past 50 years. The bust is understood to have been acquired from German aristocrat Prinz Wilhelm von Thurn between 1973 and 1974.

The auction house also said that the bust’s existence had been known for a considerable time and it had been on display for a number of years.

Egypt’s former antiquities minister Zahi Hawass told AFP news agency: “We think it left Egypt after 1970 because in that time other artefacts were stolen from Karnak Temple.”

Egypt introduced laws in 1983 banning the removal of artefacts from the country.

Tutankhamun died over 3,000 years ago aged 19. His remains were found in 1922.

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from USA

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Sanctions against Iran
- Royal Marines seize control of an oil tanker off the coast of Gibraltar that was en route to Baniyas in Syria, suspected of breaching EU sanctions against Syria, carrying Iranian crude oil. The United Kingdom’s Ambassador to Iran, Robert Macaire, is summoned in Tehran over the incident, which Iran describes as an “illegal seizure”. (BBC)

Art and culture

Salute to America
- A major holiday celebration and military parade is held in Washington, D.C., United States, by President Donald Trump to commemorate the Fourth of July/Independence Day. (CNN) (NBC)

Business and Economics

Lightsource BP, a solar energy developer headquartered in London, has announced that it will acquire utility-scale solar projects in Brazil, 1.9 gigawatts of projects, for an undisclosed sum. This is a major expansion for Lightsource, which is 43% owned by the energy giant BP. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2019 Ridgecrest earthquakes
- An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.4 with scores of foreshocks and aftershocks hits Southern California, 150 miles (240 km) north of Los Angeles near the city of Ridgecrest. No injuries are reported. The earthquake is the largest in Southern California since October 1999. (CNN) (USGS) (USGS)
European migrant crisis
- More than 80 people are missing after a migrant boat capsizes off the coast of Tunisia, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). (The Guardian)

International relations

Australia–North Korea relations
- An Australian student who had been detained in North Korea on June 25 is freed thanks to diplomatic talks between Australia and North Korea via Swedish officials. (Reuters)
Kosovo–Serbia relations
- Amid a deterioration in relations, Kosovo bans all Serbian officials from entering the country, in response to “constant propaganda and false news about the country and our citizens” from Belgrade. (RFERL)

Law and crime

Crime in Virginia
- A 20-year-old man is charged with stabbing three in a machete attack in a plasma center in Petersburg, Virginia. (Yahoo News)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 5, 2019

Top News Story –

New Melania Trump statue in Slovenia gets mixed reviews

A tongue-in-cheek statue of US First Lady Melania Trump has appeared on the outskirts of her Slovenian hometown.

US artist Brad Downey hired a local chainsaw artisan, Ales Zupevc, to carve the likeness out of a tree trunk outside the town of Sevnica.

The result was a wooden rendering of Mrs Trump dressed in a blue coat with a club-like hand gesturing to the sky.

Some residents described it as “a disgrace”, a “Smurfette”, saying “it doesn’t look anything like Melania”.

Downey told Reuters news agency he wanted to “have a dialogue” with the US political situation.

The artist has an exhibition in Slovenia’s capital Ljubljana until late August. The gallery reportedly suggested the statue “might only be a slapstick prank” in a leaflet.

Downey’s previous works include Wisdom Testicles and Cactus Hand.

Sevnica has become a tourist magnet ever since Donald Trump was elected US president in 2016, and Ms Trump – a famous former resident – became the first lady.

(BBC)

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from USA

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

2019 Reyhanlı car bombing
- A car bomb explodes in the Turkish city of Reyhanlı. The blast kills three Syrian citizens who were inside the car. (Daily Sabah)
War in Afghanistan
- Fourteen civilians are killed and 45 injured in mortar attacks in Faryab Province. Taliban insurgents claim responsibility for the attack. (TOLOnews)
- A bomb hits a mosque in Ghazni, Afghanistan, killing two and wounding over 40. (Tolo News)

Arts and culture

Hijab by country
- Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed announces that the niqab will be banned in public institutions effective immediately, citing security concerns following a pair of suicide bombings on June 27. (Al-Jazeera)

Disasters and accidents

2019 Ridgecrest earthquakes
- A magnitude 7.1 earthquake hits Southern California just a day after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake in the same area. (USGS)
Seven Americans, including coal billionaire Chris Cline, are found dead in a helicopter crash in the Bahamas. (Los Angeles Times)

Politics and elections

Operation Car Wash
- New text messages between Brazilian judge Sérgio Moro and Operation Car Wash’s prosecutors are leaked by The Intercept Brasil and Veja. In the messages, Judge Moro illegally advises the prosecutors in including pieces of evidence against defendants of cases presided by him and suggests dates for Federal Police operations. The messages also suggest that Moro withheld evidence to prevent cases being transferred out of his jurisdiction to the Supreme Federal Court. (Veja)
Sudanese protests
- The Sudanese military and representatives of civil groups agree on a deal to share power for a transition period. (DW)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 6, 2019

Top News Story –

California earthquake: Power ‘restored to most’ after 7.1-magnitude quake

A 7.1 magnitude earthquake has rattled parts of Southern California, the biggest tremor to strike in 20 years.

It struck at the shallow depth of 0.9km (0.6 miles) and its epicentre was near the city of Ridgecrest, about 240km north-east of Los Angeles.

A 6.4-magnitude quake hit the same area on Thursday at a depth of nearly 11km.

Emergency officials say the damage is not as bad as they initially feared, with power restored to most who had lost it and food stores trading again.

All of the roads that were damaged by the quake have also now been reopened, they say, but add that crews are still assessing the aftermath.

It’s thought about 3,000 people in Ridgecrest and the surrounding area were left without power.

California Governor Gavin Newsom offered his “heartfelt support” to all those affected, and requested a Presidential Emergency Declaration and federal aid to help.

He later added that there were a number of “minor to moderate level” injuries, and said there were “no reports of any fatalities, so I think we’re very lucky there”.

(BBC)

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from USA

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Islamist insurgency in Mozambique
- ISIL claims responsibility for a Wednesday attack in Nangade District in Mozambique, which killed seven people. (Business Standards)
Five soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces are injured in a vehicle-ramming attack in Hizma, Palestine. The suspect is still at large. (The Jerusalem Post)
Syrian Civil War
- The SNHR says at least 544 civilians (including 130 children) have been killed, and another 2,117 people injured since a Russian-led Syrian government assault on the last rebel bastion in northwestern Syria began two months prior. (Al Jazeera) (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Plantation explosion
- 23 people are injured in a gas explosion at a shopping mall in Plantation, Florida. (WPLG), (CNN)
Monotaro Imamura explosion
- At least 2 company employees are confirmed killed and two more are critically injured in the explosion at the industrial waste processing plant owned by Monotaro due improper handling of spray cans.(nikkei.com)

Law and crime

American billionaire Jeffrey Epstein is arrested and faces new charges related to alleged sex crimes involving minors. (ABC News)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 7, 2019

Top News Story –

U.S. Wins Record Fourth Womens World Cup Soccer Title

Dominating yet another opponent in yet another final, the United States women’s soccer team claimed its fourth Women’s World Cup title on Sunday, beating the Netherlands, 2-0, in Lyon, France, to repeat as world champions.

Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle scored second-half goals for the United States, which needed more than an hour to solve a tenacious Netherlands defense but eventually, rush after rush, found a way through. Rapinoe broke the dam with a penalty kick in the 61st minute, and Lavelle sealed the victory with a driving run up the center in the 69th.

“It’s surreal,” said Rapinoe, who was named the tournament’s outstanding player. “I don’t know how to feel. It’s ridiculous.”

Megan Rapinoe

It was the second straight World Cup title for a dozen of the American players, who claimed their first championship in Canada four years ago. It also cemented their status as the gold standard in women’s soccer, even as Europe — led by teams like the Netherlands — mounts a sustained assault on their crown.

“They put their heart and soul into this journey, and I can’t thank them enough,” United States Coach Jill Ellis, hoarse and on the verge of tears herself, said minutes after the game. Ellis became the first coach to win consecutive Women’s World Cup titles; her team has not lost a game in the event since 2011 (13-0-1), and will be favored to reclaim its Olympic championship next summer in Tokyo.

NY Times

List of the Day –

FIFA Wome’s World Cup Tournament Hosts and Results

Edition	Year	Hosts		Champions	Score and venue
1	1991	China	United States	2–1 Tianhe Stadium, Guangzhou	Norway
2	1995	Sweden	Norway	2–0 Råsunda Stadium, Solna	Germany
3	1999	United States	United States	0–0 (a.e.t.) (5–4 p) Rose Bowl, Pasadena	China PR
4	2003	United States	Germany	2–1 (a.e.t.) Home Depot Center, Carson	Sweden
5	2007	China	Germany	2–0 Hongkou Stadium, Shanghai	Brazil
6	2011	Germany	Japan	2–2 (a.e.t.) (3–1 p) Commerzbank-Arena,Frankfurt	United States
7	2015	Canada	United States	5–2 BC Place, Vancouver	Japan
8	2019	France	United States	2–0 Parc Olympique Lyonnais,Lyon	Netherlands

(Wikipedia)

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from USA

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan, 2019 Ghazni bombing
- Fourteen people are killed and nearly 200 are injured in a suicide car bombing by the Taliban in Ghazni, Afghanistan. (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

The Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire, United Kingdom, the ancient ruins of Babylon in Babil Governorate, Iraq, among other sites are designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. (BBC) (The Independent)

International relations

Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Nuclear program of Iran
- Iran announces plans to begin enriching uranium beyond the limit set in its 2015 nuclear deal, with world powers pressing Europe to salvage the accord after the United States withdrew from it last year. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

2019 Greek legislative election
- Citizens of Greece go to the polls to vote for the next members of the Hellenic Parliament. (BBC News)
- Leader of the Opposition Kyriakos Mitsotakis, from New Democracy, wins an absolute majority and is expected to be sworn in Prime Minister as incumbent Alexis Tsipras falls to second place. Far-right Golden Dawn loses all the seats they had in the Parliament. (The New York Times)
Operation Car Wash, Foreign relations of Venezuela, Foreign relations of Brazil
- New leaked messages between Brazilian judge Sérgio Moro and prosecutors of Operation Car Wash show that Moro suggested they leak confidential information concerning Odebrecht‘s activities in Venezuela to members of the Venezuelan opposition. Some prosecutors even entertained the possibility of provoking a civil war in Venezuela over the leaks. (The Intercept Brasil)

Sports

2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup
- In the final match of the 2019 Women’s World Cup, the United States wins 2–0 over the Netherlands. Golden Boot winner Megan Rapinoe scored on a penalty kick, followed by Rose Lavelle‘s strike in the 69th minute. (The New York Times)
2019 Copa América
- Hosts Brazil defeat Peru 3–1 in the final match of the Copa América at the Estádio do Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro. It is their ninth title and first since 2007. (The Guardian)
2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup
- Mexico wins their eighth Gold Cup, defeating the United States 1–0 in the final match in Chicago. (The Washington Post)
FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2019
- Spain wins its fourth title of the Eurobasket competition after defeating France in the final match. (El Mundo)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 8, 2019

Top News Story –

Deutsche Bank’s painful self-help plan begins

The troubled German lender unveiled its long-awaited reorganization plan yesterday, which involves eliminating thousands of jobs and severely reducing its global ambitions. But is it too little, too late?

The bank plans to cut 18,000 jobs and shrink its global equities business. Top executives will leave, including its investment banking chief, and $300 billion worth of assets will be hived off in a “bad bank” to be sold off over time. The layoffs have already begun.

The firm will refocus its efforts on serving European companies and retail-banking customers, pulling back from nearly two decades of trying to compete with Wall Street giants. But its C.E.O., Christian Sewing, said this morning that the U.S. remains a core market for the bank.

The plan will cost the lender 7.4 billion euros, or $8.3 billion, in severance payments and other expenses through 2022. Dividends will be suspended for 2019 and 2020.

But experts are unsure whether it will work. Shrinking means reduced revenue, potentially creating a vicious circle of declining income and profits. Mohamed El-Erian of the German insurer Allianz tweeted, “Big question that’s now on the table is whether DB can shrink itself to heightened competitiveness and sustainable profitability without a merger of some sort.”

(NY Times)

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from USA

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
- The United Arab Emirates announces a partial withdrawal of its forces from Yemen as part of a “strategic redeployment”. (CNN)

Disasters and accidents

Flash flooding in Washington, D.C. delivers a month’s worth of rain on the local area in the span of an hour. The torrential rain leaves commuters stranded on car rooftops, floods several metro stations and causes flooding in the White House. (CNET)

International relations

African Continental Free Trade Agreement
- African leaders agree on a continent-wide free trade zone, which encompasses all African nations except for Eritrea and Somaliland. The various European territories located in Africa are also excluded. It will be the largest free trade zone since the creation of the World Trade Organization. (DW)

Law and crime

The International Criminal Court declares Bosco Ntaganda guilty of having committed war crimes during the Ituri conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (DW)

Politics and elections

2019 Greek legislative election
- Winner of the general election Kyriakos Mitsotakis is sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Greece, succeeding Alexis Tsipras. (Reuters)
Tax returns of Donald Trump
- New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signs a bill that will allow congressional committees to access President Donald Trump‘s state tax returns. (The New York Times)
Pope Francis names for first time in Vatican history female members of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. (Catholic News Agency)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 9, 2019

Top News Story –

Earliest modern human found outside Africa

Researchers have found the earliest example of our species (modern humans) outside Africa.

A skull unearthed in Greece has been dated to 210,000 years ago, at a time when Europe was occupied by the Neanderthals.

The sensational discovery adds to evidence of an earlier migration of people from Africa that left no trace in the DNA of people alive today.

The findings are published in the journal Nature.

Researchers uncovered two significant fossils in Apidima Cave in Greece in the 1970s.

One was very distorted and the other incomplete, however, and it took computed tomography scanning and uranium-series dating to unravel their secrets.

The more complete skull appears to be a Neanderthal. But the other shows clear characteristics, such as a rounded back to the skull, diagnostic of modern humans.

(BBC)

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from USA

Other News Stories –

International relations

Argentina–Lebanon relations
- Argentine President Mauricio Macri issues a decree declaring Hezbollah a “terrorist organization”. (La Nación)

Politics and elections

2020 United States presidential election, 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries
- U.S. billionaire Tom Steyer announces his run for nomination by the United States Democratic Party in the 2020 United States presidential election. (CNN)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 10, 2019

Top News Story –

USWNT, Morgan take home top honors at ESPYS

The U.S. women’s national soccer team’s day started with a parade through New York City’s Canyon of Heroes, included a flight to Los Angeles and then saw Alex Morgan and the USWNT shine as the big winners at The ESPYS on Wednesday at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

Morgan earned the ESPY for best female athlete, beating overall women’s World Cup Alpine skiing champion Mikaela Shiffrin, Breanna Stewart of the WNBA’s Seattle Storm and gymnast Simone Biles.

The USWNT then won best team, topping the World Series champion Boston Red Sox, the College Football Playoff-winning Clemson Tigers, the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, the NBA champion Toronto Raptors, the NCAA women’s college basketball champion Baylor Bears and the NCAA men’s basketball champion Virginia Cavaliers.

The two ESPYS wins were the latest reasons for the USWNT to celebrate after it captured its second consecutive World Cup title by beating the Netherlands 2-0 on Sunday.

Morgan joked that her ESPY for best female athlete was the second-best trophy she earned this week.

(ESPN)

List of the day –

Winners of Best Female Athlete ESPY Award

Year	Athlete	Nation represented	Sport	Ref(s)
1993	Monica Seles	Yugoslavia	Tennis	^[3]
1994	Julie Krone	United States	Thoroughbred horse racing	^[4]
1995	Bonnie Blair	United States	Speed skating	^[5]
1996	Rebecca Lobo	United States	Basketball	^[6]
1997	Amy Van Dyken	United States	Swimming	^[7]
1998	Mia Hamm	United States	Soccer	^[8]
1999	Chamique Holdsclaw	United States	Basketball	^[9]
2000	Mia Hamm (2)	United States	Soccer	^[10]
2001	Marion Jones	United States	Track and field	^[11]
2002	Venus Williams	United States	Tennis	^[12]
2003	Serena Williams	United States	Tennis	^[13]
2004	Diana Taurasi	United States	Basketball	^[14]
2005	Annika Sörenstam	Sweden	Golf	^[15]
2006	Annika Sörenstam (2)	Sweden	Golf	^[15]
2007	Taryne Mowatt	United States	Softball	^[16]
2008	Candace Parker	United States	Basketball	^[17]
2009	Nastia Liukin	United States	Gymnastics	^[18]
2010	Lindsey Vonn	United States	Alpine skiing	^[19]
2011	Lindsey Vonn (2)	United States	Alpine skiing	^[20]
2012	Brittney Griner	United States	Basketball	^[21]
2013	Serena Williams (2)	United States	Tennis	^[22]
2014	Ronda Rousey	United States	Mixed martial arts	^[23]
2015	Ronda Rousey (2)	United States	Mixed martial arts	^[24]
2016	Breanna Stewart	United States	Basketball	^[25]
2017	Simone Biles	United States	Gymnastics	^[1]
2018	Chloe Kim	United States	Snowboarding	^[26]
2019	Alex Morgan	United States	Soccer	^[27]

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from USA

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Assailants raid a village in Papua New Guinea‘s Hela province, killing and dismembering 16 women and children, and burning buildings. (The Guardian)
Three or five of Iran‘s IRGC Navy gunboats unsuccessfully attempt to seize control of British oil tanker British Heritage in the Persian Gulf, according to UK’s Ministry of Defense as well as two anonymous U.S. officials. The Royal Navy‘s HMS Montrose reportedly warns the boats to back away from the BP Shipping-owned tanker, which they do. The incident is allegedly captured on a U.S. aircraft’s camera. (CNN)

Business and economy

Three large shipbuilders in the People’s Republic of China announce that they are in talks to merge. This is part of an ongoing shake-up and consolidation of that industry in the face of high operational costs and sluggish new orders. (Caixin Eng.)

Disasters and accidents

An unexpected violent storm hits the Greek region of Halkidiki with heavy rain, hail, and strong winds, killing six foreign tourists. (BBC)

International relations

United Kingdom–United States relations
- Sir Kim Darroch, the United Kingdom’s ambassador to the United States, resigns his appointment amid public disagreements with U.S. President Donald Trump initiated by a series of leaked diplomatic cables in which the ambassador criticized the president, and will leave the post upon the appointment of his successor. (BBC)
Kosovo–Serbia relations
- Serbian Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin is banned from entering Kosovo. (ABC News)

Law and crime

List of lawsuits involving Donald Trump
- The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit dismisses a lawsuit by the state of Maryland and the District of Columbia against President Donald Trump, citing lack of legal standing in challenging payments to President Trump’s private properties by foreign customers. (CNBC) (Politico)

Science and technology

2019 in archaeology
- Researchers announce, through the Nature journal, that a human skull (Apidima 1) discovered inside a cave in Greece, is dated to 210,000 years ago, making it the oldest known Homo sapiensindividual found outside of Africa. (BBC) (Nature)

Sports

2019 Cricket World Cup
- New Zealand defeats India in the first semi-final of the Cricket World Cup. (The Independent)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 11, 2019

Top News Story –

Siberian lake loved by Instagrammers is toxic, power plant says

A turquoise lake in Siberia where people have been taking selfies is actually a power plant’s ash dump.

The lake, nicknamed the “Novosibirsk Maldives” because of how tropical it looks, has provided the perfect backdrop to people’s Instagram posts.

But the reason for its colour is less appealing – calcium salts and other metal oxides from the plant.

Responding to the selfies, the Russian power company that runs the plant urged people not to go near the water.

But its stern warning seems to have only made people even more determined to visit.

(BBC)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BzekxiqFmcy/?utm_source=ig_embed

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from USA

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- Four people are killed and over 30 injured in a car bomb attack at a funeral for a senior Libyan National Army commander in Benghazi. (Reuters)
Syrian Civil War
- A car bomb detonates in a Turkey-backed rebel city, Afrin, near the entrance, killing 11 and injuring over 30 badly. (Reuters)
- Another car bomb detonates in the city of Qamishli near a church, injuring 11. The Islamic State claimed responsibility. (Rudaw)

Disasters and accidents

Tropical Storm Barry (2019)
- Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards declares a state of emergency as Tropical Storm Barry makes unprecedented levels of rainfall on Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the western Florida Panhandle. (CNN) (CNN²)
Seven people, including six foreign tourists, are killed and 100 others injured during a violent storm that swept across Thessaloniki, Greece. (BBC)

Law and crime

British right-wing activist Tommy Robinson is sentenced to nine months in prison for contempt of court — minus time served equals about another 10 weeks in prison. Supporters attacked police and journalists following the court proceedings. Police say no new arrests were made. (BBC)
American R&B singer R. Kelly is arrested in Chicago on federal sex crime charges. (NBC News)

Science and technology

JAXA‘s Hayabusa2 space probe makes its second successful and final landing on Apollo asteroid 162173 Ryugu. (The Guardian)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 12, 2019

Top News Story –

Facebook ‘to be fined $5bn over Cambridge Analytica scandal’

US regulators have approved a record $5bn (£4bn) fine on Facebook to settle an investigation into data privacy violations, reports in US media say.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been investigating allegations that political consultancy Cambridge Analytica improperly obtained the data of up to 87 million Facebook users.

The settlement was approved by the FTC in a 3-2 vote, sources told US media.

Facebook and the FTC told the BBC they had no comment on the reports.

The consumer protection agency the FTC began investigating Facebook in March 2018 following reports that Cambridge Analytica had accessed the data of tens of millions of its users.

The investigation focused on whether Facebook had violated a 2011 agreement under which it was required to clearly notify users and gain “express consent” to share their data.

The $5bn fine was approved by the FTC in a 3-2 vote which broke along party lines, with Republican commissioners in favour and Democrats opposed.

(BBC)

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from USA#

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Asasey Hotel attack
- A car bomb and a gun attack kill at least 26, including two prominent journalists and nine foreigners, in Kismayo, Somalia. (BBC)
War in Afghanistan
- A suicide bomber kills nine people and injures 40 others at a wedding in the Nangarhar Province in Afghanistan. The bomber is believed to be a minor. (BBC) (Reuters)
2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis
- The Venezuelan government arrests two members of disputed Interim President Juan Guaidó‘s personal security. The government claims that the pair were trying to sell weapons stolen from the national army and organising the failed coup attempt on 30 April. The opposition denies the weapons charges. (Reuters)

International relations

Russia–Turkey relations
- Turkey receives its first shipment of the S-400 missile system from Russia, defying U.S. and NATO calls to cancel the deal. (BBC)

Law and crime

Oulu child sexual exploitation scandal
- Oulu District Court hands down the last sentences concerning the cases involving eight foreign-born men who abused the same girl victim. (Yle)

Politics and elections

U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta announces his resignation from office amid growing public criticism over his past role in securing a 2008 plea deal for former financier Jeffrey Epstein, after Epstein was arrested and charged with sex trafficking of minors. He is to be replaced by Acting Secretary Patrick Pizzella effective July 19. (NBC News)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 13, 2019

Top News Story –

New York’s power is coming back after Manhattan spent hours in the dark

Power was starting to come back to parts of New York on a warm Saturday night as ConEdison restored electrical service on the west side of Manhattan after widespread power outages canceled shows and sent tens of thousands of people onto darkened streets, officials said.

There were 16,000 customers without power in Midtown Manhattan and the Upper West Side, utility company ConEdison said.

At its peak, the number was about 72,000, it said. The company estimated most customers will have power restored by midnight. As he spoke to reporters, the lights came on in buildings behind him and the crowd cheered loudly.

Just before the lights and air conditioners began to come back on, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the numbers of customers without power had soared from 20,000 right after the blackout started because transformers kept tripping.

(CNN)

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from USA

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan
- Taliban gunmen storm a hotel in Badghis Province, killing four soldiers and two civilians. Three of the five gunmen are killed and two are arrested. (RFE/RadioLiberty)
- A U.S. soldier is also killed in a separate bombing in Wardak Province. (Al Jazeera)
Terrorism in the United States
- Four policemen kill a suspect attempting to attack an ICE immigrant detention center in Tacoma, Washington. The perpetrator was armed with a rifle and incendiary devices, and had left a three-page manifesto advocating political violence (BBC) (Heavy)

Disasters and accidents

Monsoon of South Asia

Three days of heavy rain in Nepal trigger floods and landslides resulting in at least 67 deaths. India was also affected by heavy floods, resulting in the death of 34 people, while 29 others died in Bangladesh. (BBC)

Tropical Storm Barry increases to 121 kilometers per hour (75 miles per hour), becoming the first hurricane of the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season.

Politics and elections

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence says the conditions under which asylum seekers are being held in facilities along the U.S. border with Mexico are unacceptable, after visiting two federal detention centers in Texas, remaining the highest-ranking member of the Trump administration to say so. He calls upon the U.S. Congress to act. (CNN)

Sports

2019 Wimbledon Championships
- Simona Halep defeats Serena Williams (6–2, 6–2) to win the 2019 Wimbledon women’s singles championship, her first Wimbledon victory and her second Grand Slam singles title. Williams was attempting to equal Margaret Court‘s all-time record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles. (The Guardian)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 14, 2019

Top News Story –

Epic final tied, Super Over tied, England win World Cricket Cup on boundary count

New Zealand 241 for 8 (Nicholls 55, Woakes 3-37) tied with England 241 (Stokes 84*, Buttler 59, Neesham 3-43)
Super over England 15 beat New Zealand 15 on boundaries scored

It was never going to be easy, was it? Two teams without a World Cup title between them in 44 years of the men’s competition. After 100 overs, the last couple of which contained almost as much drama as a few previous finals in their entirety, nothing could separate England and New Zealand. For the first time in World Cup history, a Super Over was required to determine the winner.

Asked to score 16 from six balls, Jimmy Neesham coolly struck Jofra Archer‘s second legitimate delivery way back into the Mound Stand, making the equation seven off four. A brace of twos followed, before Archer’s bumper took Neesham off strike. Martin Guptill, at the end of a tournament of personal trial, needing to hit two more otherwise England would take the trophy on boundaries scored. Archer found a yorker, Guptill found deep midwicket and Jason Roy’s throw found Guptill short; Jos Buttler completed the run-out at full stretch to end all those years of hurt and an afternoon of exquisite agony.

(ESPN)

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from UK

Other News Stories –

Disasters and accidents

A GippsAero GA8 Airvan sky diving operation plane crashes on an island outside Umeå, Sweden, killing all nine people onboard. (The Guardian)

International relations

Argentina–Brazil relations
- Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro renews his support for the re-election of Argentine President Mauricio Macri. “We’re brothers, and I want prosperity for our nations,” he concludes in an interview. (Clarín)

Science and technology

The European Union‘s Galileo satellite navigation system suffers a major outage due to a “technical incident related to its ground infrastructure,” taking all active Galileo satellites offline. (BBC)

Sports

2019 Wimbledon Championships
- In the men’s singles final match, Serbian Novak Djokovic beats Swiss Roger Federer in five sets for his 16th Grand Slam title win in a match that lasted four hours and 56 minutes. It was the longest Wimbledon final of all time, and also the first men’s singles final in any of the four Grand Slam events that went to a fifth-set tiebreaker. (Wimbledon) (ESPN)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 15, 2019

Top News Story –

Anorexia stems from body as well as mind – study

The origins of the eating disorder anorexia nervosa are in both the mind and the body, according to an international study.

Anorexia is seen as a serious psychiatric disease.

But doctors at King’s College London showed changes hardwired into some people’s DNA altered the way they processed fats and sugars and may make it easier to starve their bodies.

The eating disorder charity Beat said the findings were groundbreaking.

The researchers looked at 16,992 people with anorexia and 55,525 people without the disease, from 17 countries.

All their DNA – the blueprint for the human body – was analysed to find mutations in genetic instructions that were more common in anorexia patients.

The study, published in Nature Genetics, found some mutations also presented in other psychiatric disorders such obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, and schizophrenia.

But they also found mutations in the instructions that control the body’s metabolism, particularly those involving blood sugar levels and body fat.

“There is something in those systems that has gone awry,” Prof Janet Treasure, from the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London, told BBC News.

(BBC)

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from USA

Other News Stories –

Law and crime

A police raid on a neo-Nazi group in northern Italy results in the arrest of three people. Sophisticated weaponry, including a Matra Super 530F air-to-air missile, are seized during the operation. (BBC)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 16, 2019

Top News Story –

ESA confirms asteroid will miss Earth in 2019

Asteroid 2006 QV89, a small object 20 to 50 metres in diameter, was in the news lately because of a very small, one-in-7000 chance of impact with Earth on 9 September 2019.

In the first known case of ruling out an asteroid impact through a “non-detection,” ESA and the European Southern Observatory have concluded that asteroid 2006 QV89 is not on a collision course this year—and the chance of any future impact is extremely remote.

Asteroids come and go, quite literally, often frustrating astronomers. You can catch sight of a hurtling space rock, take some measurements to narrow down its orbit, and days later it’s gone—potentially remaining unobservable for decades.

In general, when an asteroid is found to have even a tiny chance of impacting Earth, further observations and measurements are taken. These “astrometric” data refine our understanding of the asteroid’s path, improving our understanding of the risk it poses and often excluding any chance of collision altogether.

However, the case of asteroid 2006 QV89 is peculiar. The object was discovered in August 2006 and then observed for only ten days. These observations suggested it had a 1-in-7000 chance of impacting Earth on 9 September 2019.

(phys.org)

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from USA

Other News Stories –

Disasters and accidents

2018–19 Kivu Ebola epidemic
- The World Health Organisation declares the most recent Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. (The Guardian)
A national emergency is declared in the Philippines after more than 100,000 people contract dengue fever. (Fox News)

International relations

Turkey–United States relations
- The United States removes NATO ally Turkey from the Joint Strike Fighter program, following the country’s acquisition of the Russian S-400 missile system. Turkey had planned to buy 100 F-35 Lightning II jets. (BBC)

Law and crime

AMIA bombing
- At the request of Israel and the United States, Argentina officially declares Hezbollah a terrorist organization, freezing assets and expelling all members of the organization from the country. It also holds it responsible for the 1994 attack against AMIA. (Clarín) (Perfil) (TN)
Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán is sentenced to life in prison plus thirty years, and is ordered to forfeit US$12.6 billion. He accused the U.S. government of “torture and corruption” during his sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, New York. He will likely be sent to ADX Florence in Colorado to serve his sentence. (CNBC)
Pakistan arrests Hafiz Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, which has been blamed by the United States and India for the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that left more than 160 people dead. (CBS News)
A shooting in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, leaves two dead, including a Turkish diplomat. (DW)

Politics and elections

President-elect of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen resigns from her position as Federal Minister of Defence of Germany. Chancellor Angela Merkel appoints Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, the leader of the ruling CDU, as her successor. (Deutsche Welle)
2018–19 Sudanese protests
- Representatives of Sudan‘s military and the civil opposition sign the first of two parts of a power-sharing deal which is supposed to last until free elections in 2022. (DW)
The U.S. House of Representatives votes 332–95 to table an impeachment-related measure against U.S. President Donald Trump. (CNN)
During a campaign rally, U.S. President Donald Trump says “Squad” members “hate our country”. In light of recent statements made by Trump deemed as racist, the crowd of Trump supporters started chanting “send her back” in regards to Representative Ilhan Omar. (USA Today)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 17, 2019

Top News Stories –

Trump Twitter row: US House condemns ‘racist comments’

The row over US President Donald Trump’s tweets attacking four Democratic congresswomen shows little sign of abating. The House of Representatives has passed a motion denouncing “racist comments that have legitimised fear and hatred of New Americans and people of colour”.

The motion got through the Democrat-controlled House by 240 votes to 187. It follows Mr Trump tweeting that Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib – who are all US citizens – should “go back” to their own countries.

After the House’s decision, the president has come out fighting on Twitter again, writing that there is not “a racist bone in my body”.

BBC

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from USA

Other News Stories –

Disasters and accidents

2018–19 Kivu Ebola epidemic
- The World Health Organisation declares the most recent Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. (The Guardian)
A national emergency is declared in the Philippines after more than 100,000 people contract dengue fever. (Fox News)

International relations

Turkey–United States relations
- The United States removes NATO ally Turkey from the Joint Strike Fighter program, following the country’s acquisition of the Russian S-400 missile system. Turkey had planned to buy 100 F-35 Lightning II jets. (BBC)

Law and crime

AMIA bombing
- At the request of Israel and the United States, Argentina officially declares Hezbollah a terrorist organization, freezing assets and expelling all members of the organization from the country. It also holds it responsible for the 1994 attack against AMIA. (Clarín) (Perfil) (TN)
Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán is sentenced to life in prison plus thirty years, and is ordered to forfeit US$12.6 billion. He accused the U.S. government of “torture and corruption” during his sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, New York. He will likely be sent to ADX Florence in Colorado to serve his sentence. (CNBC)
Pakistan arrests Hafiz Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, which has been blamed by the United States and India for the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that left more than 160 people dead. (CBS News)
A shooting in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, leaves two dead, including a Turkish diplomat. (DW)

Politics and elections

President-elect of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen resigns from her position as Federal Minister of Defence of Germany. Chancellor Angela Merkel appoints Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, the leader of the ruling CDU, as her successor. (Deutsche Welle)
2018–19 Sudanese protests
- Representatives of Sudan‘s military and the civil opposition sign the first of two parts of a power-sharing deal which is supposed to last until free elections in 2022. (DW)
The U.S. House of Representatives votes 332–95 to table an impeachment-related measure against U.S. President Donald Trump. (CNN)
During a campaign rally, U.S. President Donald Trump says “Squad” members “hate our country”. In light of recent statements made by Trump deemed as racist, the crowd of Trump supporters started chanting “send her back” in regards to Representative Ilhan Omar. (USA Today)

Science and technology

Astronomers rule out the chances of ~30-meter asteroid 2006 QV89‘s impacting Earth in September 2019 by eliminating the possibility of its passing through an area where it would have to be if it were on an impacting orbit. Prior to this, the asteroid had been given a one-in-7,000 chance of impacting Earth. (phys.org)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 18, 2019

Top News Stories –

UK would have to ‘face the consequences’ of no-deal Brexit

The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier says British counterparts “never” told him during negotiations that the UK might opt to leave without a deal.

One senior EU figure describes the realisation of this in Brussels: “Oh my God, they haven’t got a plan… it’s like Lance Corporal Jones.”

Nato chief calls on Russia to save missile treaty

We have to be prepared for a world… with more Russian missiles.” So says Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who tells the BBC that time is running out to save the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty, signed by the US and USSR in 1987, which bans short and medium-range missiles. Both the US and Russia have suspended their obligations under the treaty, amid concern over Moscow’s plans for new weapons systems. Mr Stoltenberg says the Russian missiles are in “clear violation of the treaty”, being nuclear capable, mobile, very hard to detect, and able to reach European cities within a few minutes.

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from USA

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan
- Twelve people are killed and over 80 injured by two car bombs at a gate outside police headquarters in Kandahar, Afghanistan. (Reuters)
Sinai insurgency
- A suicide bombing kills two people in northern Sinai a day after four bodies were found decapitated. (Al Jazeera)
President Donald Trump reports the United States Navy‘s USS Boxer “destroys” an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) drone in a “defensive action”, in the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian drone reportedly came within 1,000 yards (3,000 ft) of the U.S. vessel and ignored multiple calls to stand down. (CNBC)

International relations

Iran confirms its seizure of a Panamanian-flagged oil tanker traveling from the United Arab Emirates, and its 12 crewmembers, in the Persian Gulf last week. The tanker is being held at Qeshm Island, and is accused by Iran of smuggling oil. The United Arab Emirates denies owning or operating the tanker. (USA Today)
Argentina–Iran relations
- Argentine Justice and Human Rights Minister Germán Garavano says that all countries are responsible to extradite the Iranian accused of the AMIA bombing to Argentina in case they ever set foot on their soil. (Perspectiva Sur)

Law and crime

Kyoto Animation arson attack
- A 41-year old man sets fire to the main offices of Kyoto Animation, an animation studio based in Kyoto, Japan. At least 34 people are confirmed dead and 35 injured. Many of the victims are in their 20s and 30s, as well as being mostly female. (The Guardian)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 19, 2019

Top News Story –

Dangerous heatwave starts hitting US and Canada

Extremely hot weather has started to hit most of the United States, with temperatures set to peak over the weekend, meteorologists say.

The heatwave could affect about 200 million people in major cities like New York, Washington and Boston in the East Coast, and the Midwest region too.

In some places, temperatures could be close to or exceed 100F (38C). Parts of Canada are also being hit.

Experts link more frequent heatwaves in recent years to climate change.

The world experienced its hottest June on record this year, with an average temperature worldwide of 61.6F (16.4C), according to new data. (BBC)

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from USA

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Iran–United Kingdom relations

Iranian Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps captures British tanker Stena Impero and temporarily seizes British-operated and Liberian-flagged tanker Mesdar in the Persian Gulf. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt says there will be “serious consequences” if Iran does not release the tanker. (CNN) (Yahoo) (BBC)

Iran–United States relations

Iran denies that one of its drones was shot down by the United States on July 18, saying all of their drones “returned to their bases.” (USA Today)

Disasters and accidents

Skydive Umeå Gippsland GA8 Airvan crash
- The Gippsland GA8 Airvan is grounded in Australia, New Zealand and the European Union following a fatal crash on July 14. (The Guardian) (New Zealand Herald)

Politics and elections

Ramush Haradinaj, Prime Minister of Kosovo, resigns after receiving a summons from the Kosovo Specialist Prosecutor’s Office as a war crimes suspect. (DW)

Sports

2019 Africa Cup of Nations
- Algeria defeats Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations Final, winning their second continental championship. (The Guardian)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 20, 2019

Top News Story –

‘Avengers: Endgame’ passes ‘Avatar’ to become the highest-grossing film ever

“Avengers: Endgame,” the Disney and Marvel blockbuster, will move past “Avatar” on the list of all-time highest grossing films on Sunday in its 13th weekend of release, Disney reported Saturday night.”Avatar,” James Cameron’s science fiction film set on the planet of Pandora, held the record for 10 years.

The latest “Avengers” film, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans, has made more than $2.789 billion worldwide.”A huge congratulations to the Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Studios teams, and thank you to the fans around the world who lifted ‘Avengers: Endgame’ to these historic heights,” Alan Horn, co-chairman and chief creative officer of The Walt Disney Studios, said in a statement.

To get to the top spot, “Endgame” passed some of the biggest blockbusters in film history such as “Titanic,” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and its predecessor, “Avengers: Infinity War.””

‘Endgame’ has cemented the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a cornerstone of modern mythos that will be passed down to generations of fans,” Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at Boxoffice.com, told CNN Business. “That would have been true regardless of its monetary position relative to ‘Avatar.'”Robbins added that the title of highest-grossing film of all time is “the cherry on top for Marvel’s first decade.”

(CNN)

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from USA

Other News Stories –

Business and economy

British Airways halts flights to Cairo for at least seven days, citing security concerns. Lufthansa also halts all flights, although only for one day. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

An explosion at a gas factory in China‘s Henan Province kills at least 15 people and leaves 256 injured. (DW)

Sports

Manny Pacquiao vs. Keith Thurman
- In boxing, Manny Pacquiao defeats Keith Thurman via split decision held in MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada. (ABS-CBN News)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 21, 2019

Top News Story –

Ireland’s Lowry breezes to victory at The Open

PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — Shane Lowry made the 68 years between Open Championships in Northern Ireland worth the wait.

The silver claret jug is staying on the Emerald Isle.

Lowry, the 32-year-old Irishman with stout nerves and a soft touch around the greens, endured the worst weather of the week and the Sunday pressure of a sellout crowd cheering him along to win The Open by six shots at Royal Portrush.

Even as the rain stopped, the tears began flowing.

“I can’t believe this is me standing here,” Lowry said as he cradled golf’s oldest trophy. “I can’t believe this is mine.”

It was never really in doubt.

Lowry closed with a 1-over 72, the first time since 1996 the Open champion was over par in the final round, and it was no less impressive. More difficult than the rain was wind strong enough to break an umbrella. Lowry began making bogeys in the middle of the round without losing ground. No one from the last 12 groups broke par.

(ESPN)

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from USA

Other News Stories –

Business and economy

German airline Lufthansa resumes flights between Cairo and Frankfurt and Munich, while British Airways flights to Cairo remain cancelled for six more days. The UK Foreign Office warns against “all travel” to certain parts of Egypt, but its standard advice for Cairo is for passengers to check for changes. (BBC) (UK Foreign Office)

International relations

United States–Venezuela relations
- The Venezuelan military reports that on Friday, an American Naval reconnaissance plane entered its national airspace, threatening flights to Maiquetia Airport; the United States asserts that their aircraft was over international waters in the Caribbean on an approved mission. The US plane was followed for a prolonged time by a Venezuelan fighter. (Bloomberg) (The Guardian)
Foreign relations of Argentina
- President Mauricio Macri and Justice and Human Rights Minister of Argentina Germán Garavano say that Argentina will start to receive reports of human rights abuses and criminal accusations against the Venezuelan government. Macri also reiterates his support for Juan Guaidó. (TN)

Law and crime

Taiwan Customs officers discover 9800 cartons of cigarettes worth more than 200,000 USD smuggled in five trucks of presidential motorade when President Tsai Ing-wen has returned from an official trip to the Caribbean and leaves the airport via a VIP lane. A security agent of National Security Bureau within Tsai’s entourage allegedly pre-ordered the cigarettes duty-free from China Airlines and stored them at a warehouse of the airline’s catering company at Taoyuan International Airport. National Security Bureau Director-General Peng Sheng-chu resigns over the scandal on the following day. (Taiwan News)(CNA)(Taipei Times)
2019 Hong Kong anti-extradition bill protests
- A mob of suspected masked triad members dressed in white and armed with batons attack commuters indiscriminately at Yuen Long station, injuring 45, including a pro-democracy legislator and a pregnant woman. Hong Kong police have been accused of allowing the violence to happen due to their delayed response and decision to limit emergency services in the area. (The Guardian) (SCMP)
- Pro-Beijing legislator Junius Ho applauds the assailants for their actions, saying they should be “pardoned for defending their homes” and calling them his “heroes”. (HKFP) (SCMP)
A former Venezuelan state oil executive at PDVSA, Juan Carlos Márquez Cabrera, is found hanged in an apartment in Madrid during a trial for which he was testifying of corruption in PDVSA and money laundering of the former Spanish ambassador. (BBC)

Politics and elections

2019 Japanese House of Councillors election
- Japanese citizens head to the polls to elect one half of the members of the country’s House of Councillors. (Japan Times)
- The Liberal Democratic Party of Japan, led by Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, wins a clear, but reduced, majority of the seats but falls short on gaining the two-thirds supermajority needed to start the pursued process of amending the constitution. (Reuters)
2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election
- Ukrainian citizens vote for the new members of the Verkhovna Rada, following its dissolution by President Volodymyr Zelensky in May. (DW)
- Servant of the People, President Zelensky’s party, wins most of the seats with a comfortable majority. (The Guardian)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 22, 2019

Top News Stories –

Marvel Phase 4: A new era for diversity in Hollywood?

Comic book fans have been left giddy with anticipation by the bumper crop of superhero offerings unveiled by Marvel Studios at this year’s Comic Con.

Details of Marvel’s so-called “Phase 4” have also raised hopes about a real step forward for diversity in Hollywood.

The next stage of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will feature its first deaf superhero, its first Asian-American superhero and an openly gay superhero.

It will also see more women than ever taking the directorial reins.

The casting of deaf actress Lauren Ridloff as superhero Makkari in 2020 release Eternals has been particularly applauded on social media.

Other social media users praised Marvel for casting the black actress as a character who has always been depicted as a white male in its comic books.

On Saturday, Ridloff herself expressed delight at the prospect of co-starring with Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden and others under Chloe Zhao’s direction.

Meanwhile, Hawaiian director Destin Daniel Cretton revealed that Canadian star Simu Liu will play the MCU’s first Asian-American superhero, in Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings.

(BBC)

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from UK

Other News Stories –

Arts and culture

2019 in American music
- Billboard reports that Lil Nas X has tied the all-time record on the Billboard Hot 100 with his song “Old Town Road“, as it spends its sixteenth week atop the chart; the other record-holders are Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men with “One Sweet Day“, and Luis Fonsi with “Despacito” featuring Daddy Yankee. (Billboard)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Second Libyan Civil War, Libya–Tunisia relations
- Tunisia‘s Ministry of Defence says a pilot has been arrested after a damaged Libyan warplane, reported to be a L-39 Albatros, makes an emergency landing on a road near the southern town of Beni Khadash. (Reuters)

International relations

Iran–United States relations
- The Iranian government announces the arrest of 17 citizens in the last months who are accused of spying in favour of the CIA. (DW)

Science and technology

The Indian Space Research Organisation successfully launches Chandrayaan-2 to survey lunar water from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, India‘s second lunar exploration mission. If successful, Chandrayaan-2 will become the first spacecraft to land on the lunar south pole. (BBC)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 23, 2019

Top News Story –

Boris Johnson wins race to be Tory leader and PM

Boris Johnson has been elected new Conservative leader in a ballot of party members and will become the next UK prime minister.

He beat Jeremy Hunt comfortably, winning 92,153 votes to his rival’s 46,656.

The former London mayor takes over from Theresa May on Wednesday.

In his victory speech, Mr Johnson promised he would “deliver Brexit, unite the country and defeat Jeremy Corbyn”.

Speaking at the Queen Elizabeth II centre in London, he said: “We are going to energise the country.

“We are going to get Brexit done on 31 October and take advantage of all the opportunities it will bring with a new spirit of can do.

“We are once again going to believe in ourselves, and like some slumbering giant we are going to rise and ping off the guy ropes of self doubt and negativity.”

(BBC)

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from UK

Hyperloop test pod sets speed record

A competition helping to drive development of the futuristic hyperloop transport system has been won by engineering students from Munich.

The hyperloop idea involves passengers in pods travelling at very high speeds down sealed tunnels.

The team’s pod hit 457km/h (290mph) on a 1.2km (0.75 mile) test track.

Run by the SpaceX aerospace company, the competition aims to refine the technologies that could underpin the super-fast transport system.

The win is the third in a row for the Technical University of Munich team.

The competition saw student teams from universities around the world gather in California to put their prototype pods through their paces.

The idea for hyperloop, which would see pods speed through a sealed tunnel to reduce friction or air resistance, has been around for decades and was fleshed out by technology entrepreneur Elon Musk in 2012.

He suggested that pods could travel along the system’s tunnels at speeds in excess of 1,000km/h.

Critics have voiced concerns about the potential cost of building a large hyperloop and whether its technical demands can be met.

Mr Musk’s SpaceX company has run a series of competitions to drive development of the concept.

In the latest round of the competition, the Munich team, Warr Hyperloop, outpaced rival capsules, which could manage speeds of only 88mph (Delft University) and 55mph (EPF Loop, from Switzerland), to beat its own record speed, 323km/h, set in the second competition, in September 2017.

(BBC)

Other News Stories –

International relations

Foreign relations of Venezuela
- Through Argentine Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Faurie, the Lima Group say that “the use of force in Venezuela will be implemented when required”. (El Nacional)
Hezbollah foreign relations
- Hezbollah condemns Argentina over its designation of their group as a “terrorist organization”, saying Argentina did so under “United States pressure”. (Itón Gadol)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 24, 2019

Top News Story –

Climate crisis blamed as temperature records broken in three nations

Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands have recorded their highest ever temperatures as the second extreme heatwave in as many months to be linked by scientists to the climate emergency grips the continent.

The Dutch meteorological service, KNMI, said the temperature reached 39.2C(102.5F) at the Gilze-Rijen airbase near Breda on Wednesday afternoon, exceeding the previous high of 38.6C set in August 1944.

In Belgium, the temperature in Kleine-Brogel hit 38.9C on Wednesday afternoon, fractionally higher than the previous record of 38.8C set in June 1947, and then subsequently rose to 39.9C. Forecasters said temperatures could climb further on Thursday.

Germany’s national weather service, DWD, said it believed a new all-time national high of 40.5C – 0.2C higher than the record – had been set in the town of Geilenkirchen near the Dutch and Belgian borders, but had still to confirm it.

“The most extreme heat will build from central and northern France into Belgium, the Netherlands and far western Germany into Thursday,” said Eric Leister of the forecasting group AccuWeather.

The latest heatwave, caused by an “omega block” – a high-pressure pattern that blocks and diverts the jet stream, allowing a mass of hot air to flow up from northern Africa and the Iberian peninsula – follows a similar extreme weather event last month that made it the hottest June on record.

(Guardian)

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from UK

Other News Stories –

Armed attacks and conflicts

Somali Civil War
- A suicide bomber detonates inside the office of Mogadishu‘s mayor Abdirahman Abdi Osman, killing six government officials. Osman is seriously injured in the attack and his condition is critical. (BBC)

Business and economy

Boeing 737 MAX groundings
- Boeing reports its largest-ever quarterly loss, of US$2.9 billion, as a result of the grounding of its 737 MAX series, with the company saying that it could halt its production. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

Premiership of Theresa May, Premiership of Boris Johnson
- Theresa May visits Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace to officially resign and recommend her replacement as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. (Royal Communications)
- Greenpeace protesters block The Mall, the drive to Buckingham Palace, holding up Prime Minister-designate Boris Johnson on his way to visit the Queen. (The Guardian)
- Johnson is asked by the Queen to form a government, making him the 55th Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. (BBC)
- Multiple cabinet members resign on the day of Johnson’s ascension to premiership, or in the days preceding it, in response to Johnson’s politics and views on Brexit, including Philip Hammond, Jeremy Hunt, David Gauke, Sir Alan Duncan, Rory Stewart, Anne Milton, and David Lidington. (The Guardian), (Financial Times), (The Times)
Secretary-General of the European Commission Martin Selmayr is appointed as EC representative in Austria from November 1 on. (Politico) (Deutsche Welle)
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer is sworn in as German defence minister. (Deutsche Welle)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 25, 2019

Top News Story –

Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac face carjacking gang

Two Premier League footballers have been involved in a carjacking attempt by an armed gang in a London street.

Arsenal players Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac were targeted, the club confirmed, but both escaped uninjured.

Footage on social media appears to show Kolasinac chasing the robbers in Platts Lane, near Golders Green, at about 17:00 BST.

Arsenal said in a statement: “We have been in contact with both players and they are fine.”

(BBC)

Mesut Özil

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from UK

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Japan–North Korea relations
- North Korea tests two new missiles that land in the Sea of Japan, though not within Japanese territory. Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya condemns the testing as “extremely regrettable”. (Al Jazeera) (DW)

Health and environment

July 2019 European heat wave
- Paris reaches a new all-time high temperature of 42.6 °C (108.7 °F). (Accuweather) (The Guardian)
- The Netherlands also reaches an all-time highest recorded temperature, 40.7 °C (105.3 °F), recorded in Gilze en Rijen.
- The United Kingdom records its second-highest temperature reading of 38.1 °C (100.6 °F) in Cambridge.

Law and crime

Capital punishment in the United States
- U.S. Attorney General William Barr resumes the federal usage of the death penalty. Five inmates are expected to be executed between December 2019 and January 2020. If carried out, these would be the first federal executions in the United States in sixteen years. (CNBC) (The New York Times)
At least four people are killed and two wounded in a shooting spree that spread across multiple Los Angeles neighborhoods. Police tackled and arrested the suspect, Gerry Zaragoza, after a 12-hour manhunt. (CNN) (Reuters via AOL.com)

Politics and elections

The 92-year-old and first freely elected President of Tunisia, Beji Caid Essebsi, dies. Tunisian parliament President Mohamed Ennaceur takes the role of interim president. (Associated Press), (BBC News)
2019 Algerian protests
- Algerian interim president Abdelkader Bensalah appoints a six-member panel to set a presidential election date. The previous date of July 4 was cancelled due to lack of candidates amid mass protests. (Reuters)

Sports

Outfielder Stevie Wilkerson of the Baltimore Orioles becomes the first position player in Major League Baseball history to record a save, doing so in a 10–8 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. (CBS)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 26, 2019

Top News Story –

US Supreme Court gives go-ahead for Trump wall funding

The US Supreme Court has said that President Donald Trump can use $2.5bn (£2bn) of Pentagon funds for a section of wall on the southern border.

The court ruled by five votes to four to block a ruling by a federal judge in California that barred the president from spending the money on the wall.

The wall, dividing the US and Mexico, was Mr Trump’s major campaign promise during the 2016 election.

It is fiercely opposed by Democrats.

The decision by the Supreme Court means that the money will be used for wall projects in California, Arizona and New Mexico.

The court in California had argued that Congress had not specifically authorised the funds to be used for constructing the wall.

In a tweet, Mr Trump described the ruling as a “big victory”.

Twitter post by @realDonaldTrump: Wow! Big VICTORY on the Wall. The United States Supreme Court overturns lower court injunction, allows Southern Border Wall to proceed. Big WIN for Border Security and the Rule of Law!

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from USA

Other News Stories –

Business and economy

The U.S. Department of Justice approves a $26 billion merger between T-Mobile and Sprint. If finalized, they will become the third-largest mobile network operator in the nation. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Heavy rains in Al Haouz Province, Morocco, trigger a landslide, resulting in the deaths of 15 people. (The New York Times) (Morocco World News)
Two people die and more than 17 are injured when an internal balcony collapses at a nightclub in the South Korean city of Gwangju. (BBC)
At least nine people are killed and 60 others injured when two earthquakes strike the province of Batanes in the Philippines. (InquirerNet)

Health and environment

Saudi Arabia suspends visas for Hajj pilgrims arriving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, amid safety concerns regarding the ongoing Ebola epidemic in Kivu. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

A man from the Bronx, New York City, is arrested for attempting to join the Taliban. (ABC News)
Sixteen American marines are arrested at Camp Pendleton, California, on suspicion of aiding human smuggling and drug charges. (CBS News)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 27, 2019

Top News Story –

‘Mass brawl’ breaks out on P&O cruise ship Britannia

Plates and furniture were reportedly used as weapons after a mass brawl broke out on a British cruise ship.

Six people were hurt as P&O’s Britannia sailed to Southampton after a week-long trip to Norway’s fjords, police said.

A man, 43, and a 41-year-old woman have been arrested on suspicion of assault.

Good Morning Britain journalist Richard Gaisford, who was on board, said an emergency tannoy summoned security staff to the ship’s restaurant in the early hours of Friday.

Writing on Twitter, he said: “Witnesses told me they were so frightened they had to hide, as family groups fought,” he said.

A police spokeswoman said: “The incident took place during the early hours of Friday, 26 July, on board P&O’s Britannia while it was en route to Southampton from Bergen.”

She said three men and three women were assaulted, with their injuries including significant bruising and cuts.

The man and the woman arrested, both from Chigwell, Essex, are in police custody.

(BBC)

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from USA

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Japan–North Korea relations
- Japan warns on Saturday that the new North Korean projectiles have trajectories that are not typical for conventional ballistic missiles, making them difficult or impossible to intercept en route to Japan. (Al-Manar)
Boko Haram insurgency
- At least 65 people are killed and 10 injured in an attack by Boko Haram at a funeral in Maiduguri, Nigeria. (CNN)

Law and crime

Two American teenagers are arrested in Rome for extortion and murder of an Italian military officer. (The New York Times)

Politics and elections

President Félix Tshisekedi and the Congolese parliament, controlled by a rival party, agree to form a new government following negotiations, six months after he replaced Joseph Kabila during the 2018 DR Congo general election. Sylvestre Ilunga will be formally nominated for the post of Prime Minister in the coming week. (News24)
Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro again accuses the United States of flying over its national waters. (El Sol de Mexico)
2019 Moscow City Duma election
- Several thousand people attend a rally in Moscow organized by opposition members due to several opposition candidates being disqualified from regional elections. The protests turned violent and policedetained about 1,000 people, including politician Alexei Navalny. (BBC)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 28, 2019

Top News Story –

US teenager wins $3m as Fortnite world champion

A US teenager has won a record-breaking $3m (£2.4m) to become world champion of the computer game Fortnite.

It is the largest prize pool in the history of e-sports, with $30m shared amongst the winners.

Kyle Giersdorf, 16, won the solo event of the competition in the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, which hosts the US Open tennis tournament.

Jaden Ashman – a 15-year-old from Hornchurch, London – won almost £1m for coming second in the duos event.

And another British teenager – 14-year-old Kyle “Mongraal” Jackson from Sidcup, Kent – also walked away with a major prize.

Mr Giersdorf, known online as Bugha, stood laughing and shaking his head as the crowd erupted when his name was announced.

He told the BBC he wants to save most of his prize. “All I want is a new desk and maybe a desk for my trophy,” he said.

The final game was described by the commentators as a “ridiculous victory lap” as the winner played with a smile on his face whilst beating his rivals.

(BBC)

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from UK

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

28 July 2019 Kabul suicide bombing
- Gunfire and an explosion kills 20 and injures over 50 in an attack at the Kabul office of the vice-president candidate Amrullah Saleh who was slightly injured in the attack. (BBC)
Libyan Civil War
- An airstrike kills five doctors in a hospital in the southern outskirts of Libya‘s capital Tripoli. (BBC)
During conflicts in the state of Amapá in northern Brazil, armed miners invade a native reserve and stab to death an indigenous man. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

At least 36 people die in a landslide striking a village in southern China. (BBC)
Heavy storms across central Italy kill three people and cause damages. One death was caused by lightning, one by a tornado, and one by getting caught in a flood. (Il Messaggero)

Law and crime

Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting
- A gunman opens fire at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Gilroy, California, killing three people and wounding at least twelve others. The gunman is killed after engaging with the police. Police believe his handler is still at large. (SF Chronicle) (CBS News)

Politics and elections

Hong Kong protests
- Tens of thousands of protesters demanding the resignation of pro-China Chief Executive of Hong Kong Carrie Lam take over the streets in Sai Wan and Causeway Bay, near China’s Hong Kong Liaison Office, despite an official police ban on protests near the Chinese government building. (BBC)
- During protests, Hong Kong groups organize to put pressure on the United Kingdom, asking for help to uphold the city-state’s legal rights. The Joint Agreement of 1997 signed by the UK and China outlines that Hong Kong will have legislative and judiciary independence, based on systems implemented there under British rule. (The Guardian)
2021 Peruvian general election
- President Martín Vizcarra announces that he will present a constitutional reform that calls a snap election for April 2020. (Reuters)

Sports

2019 Tour de France
- In road cycling, Colombia‘s Egan Bernal wins the Tour de France by 1:11 on general classification over his British teammate Geraint Thomas. The 22-year-old Bernal is the first Colombian and first Latin American rider to win the Tour, and the youngest rider to do so since 1909. (BBC)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource