2016 - The 2010s

January 11, 2016

Top News Stories –

Lionel Messi wins Ballon d’Or over Ronaldo & Neymar –
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d’Or award for the world’s best player for the fifth time. The 28-year-old Argentine had 41.33% of the vote, with Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo (27.76%) second and Barca’s Neymar (7.86%) third. Either Messi or Ronaldo, who became a three-time winner last year, have won the past eight awards. United States midfielder Carli Lloyd, who scored a hat-trick in the World Cup final, won the women’s award. England coach Mark Sampson was beaten to the women’s football coach of the year award by USA boss Jill Ellis. [BBC] See List of the Day
Lionel Messi

Video of the Day –

EHANG184, world’s first Autonomous Aerial Vehicle

List of the Day –

Past Ballon d’Or winners

2014: Cristiano Ronaldo	2008: Cristiano Ronaldo
2013: Cristiano Ronaldo	2007: Kaka
2012: Lionel Messi	2006: Fabio Cannavaro
2011: Lionel Messi	2005: Ronaldinho
2010: Lionel Messi	2004: Ronaldinho
2009: Lionel Messi	2003: Zinedine Zidane

Messi’s 2015 in numbers

61 games, 52 goals and 26 assists.
A goal every 101 minutes and an assist every 202 minutes.
Best minutes-per-goal rate – 80 – of anyone scoring a minimum of 10 goals across Europe’s top five leagues during 2015.
Directly involved in 49 goals in La Liga – 34 scored and 15 assists – which was the joint-most with Ronaldo in 2015 across the top five European leagues.
Scored in all six club tournaments in 2015, as Barcelona won five of them.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#SegundaDetremuraSdv	David Bowie	#BallondOr
2	#زد_رصيدك59	#BallondOr	#MondayMotivation
3	#FelizLunes	#NationalChampionship	#GoldenGlobes
4	#BallondOr	Alice Paul	#TUBill
5	#LunesDeGanarSegidores	Hunky Dory	Young Americans
6	David Bowie	#NAIAS	#BringSnacksToAMovie
7	#من_علامات_الج�…	#alayma	David Bowie
8	#FracasasteSi	$1.4 BILLION	Rebel Rebel
9	DAIGO	#IWriteAboutItBecause	#FACupDraw
10	#VHMCensurado	#WorkTogether	Davey Cameron

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- At least 51 people are reportedly killed in an attack on a shopping centre in Iraq‘s capital, Baghdad, and a car bombing outside an illegal casino in Miqdadiyah, east of Baghdad, with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claiming responsibility for both attacks. (BBC), (AAP via SBS) (Reuters)
American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–present)
- A U.S. airstrike destroys an ISIL money and payroll hub in central Mosul. (CNN)
Militia occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
- Armed militiamen, also known as the Citizens for Constitutional Freedom, who are occupying the USFWS administered Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County, Oregon, tear down a part of a fence that they claim was erected by the federal government in order to allow privately owned cattle to graze on the adjacent public land. USFWS condemns the actions through a written statement which states that, “Removing fences, damaging any refuge property, or unauthorized use of equipment would be additional unlawful actions by the illegal occupiers. Any movement of cattle onto the refuge or other activities that are not specifically authorized by [the Fish and Wildlife Service] constitutes trespassing.” (The Guardian), (The Oregonian)

Business and economy

Arch Coal, the second largest coal-mining concern in the United States, files for chapter 11 protection because it has been hit hard by the collapsing market demand for that commodity. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

The Metropolitan Fire Brigade in the Australian city of Melbourne warn residents about haze from a large industrial fire burning in the suburb of Broadmeadows. (Melbourne Age)
2015–16 Great Britain and Ireland floods
- Philip Dilley, chairman of the UK‘s Environment Agency resigns after receiving heavy criticism for not returning from a family holiday in Barbados during the recent heavy floods in Northern England andScotland. (Belfast Telegraph)

Law and crime

New Year’s Eve sexual assaults in Germany
- Thousands of protesters in Leipzig demonstrate against a record refugee influx they blame for mass sexual violence at New Year’s Eve events in Cologne and other German cities. Many chanted ‘We are the people’, ‘Resistance!’ and ‘Deport them!’. The rally was organized by a local chapter of PEGIDA (Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident). Six Pakistani men and one Syrian man were also attacked by so-called vigilantes in Cologne, following calls on social media for “revenge” in the wake of the New Year’s Eve assaults. (Daily Mail)

Sport

In association football, Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona and Argentina wins the 2015 FIFA Ballon d’Or, his fifth such award. (AP via Sportsfan)
In Australian football, 34 current and former players with the Essendon Football Club are banned from playing in the Australian Football League during the 2016 AFL season after the Court of Arbitration for Sport finds that they took the banned substance thymosin-beta 4. (AAP and The Australian)
2016 College Football Playoff National Championship
- In American football, the Alabama Crimson Tide defeat the Clemson Tigers 46-40 to win the College Football Playoff National Championship. (NCAA)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

January 12, 2016

Top News Stories –

Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall announce engagement –
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch and actress-model Jerry Hall are to get married.
They announced their engagement in the births, marriages and deaths section of the Times newspaper, which is owned by Mr Murdoch’s News Corporation company. It will be the fourth marriage for Mr Murdoch, 84, and the first for Miss Hall, 59, although she lived with singer Sir Mick Jagger for many years. The new relationship reportedly began in the summer. A spokesman said: “They have loved these past months together.” [BBC]
Rupert Murdoch
Jerry Hall

Video of the Day –

Hiérophante – Clichés (Official Music Video) from Hiérophante on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	Not Available	#FreeformLaunch	#HappyBirthdayZayn
2	Not Available	#KissAGingerDay	#KissAGingerDay
3	Not Available	#SOTU	#JuniorDoctorsStrike
4	Not Available	#HappyBirthdayZayn	#InternetABook
5	Not Available	#PleasePutMeInARoomWith	#AUSvIND
6	Not Available	The Brutalism of Ted Cruz	#CharityTuesday
7	Not Available	#JuniorDoctorsStrike	#EVEL
8	Not Available	#Twug	Jerry Hall
9	Not Available	Estambul	#PleasePutMeInARoomWith
10	Not Available	#AUSvIND	#Benidorm

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

2016 Istanbul bombing
- At least 10 people are killed and 15 injured, mostly German tourists, following an explosion in Istanbul‘s Sultanahmet Square. A Syrian suicide bomber, an ISIL member, is responsible, according to Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu. (Nine MSN), (BBC), (Reuters via Sky News Australia), (The New York Times) (CNN)
- Sixty alleged Islamic militants are arrested in Turkey with twenty one people arrested in the city of Sanliurfa. (ITV)
Syrian Civil War
- 2015–16 Latakia offensive
  - The Syrian Army, backed by Russian airstrikes, retakes control of the strategic town of Salma in the northern Latakia Governorate. The town had been mostly under rebel (FSA) and jihadist (Al-Nusra Front) control since 2012. (AFP via Yahoo)
- United Nations War Crimes Commission investigators are gathering information about conditions in the western town of Madaya, where an aid convoy just brought the first food and medical relief for three months. The city has been under a siege by Syrian government forces since July. Doctor Without Borders is treating 250 people with severe acute malnutrition. (Reuters) (Médecins Sans Frontières)

Business and economy

Junior doctors in the United Kingdom go on strike over a proposed new contract. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Pacific hurricane season
- Hurricane Pali becomes the earliest hurricane on record in the central Pacific Ocean. It is currently no threat to land. (Weather Channel)
Five people are dead and 65 people are injured after trucks carrying garment workers crash in Cambodia‘s Kampong Speu Province. (Today Online)
An Iranian Air Force F-4 Phantom II fighter jet crashes near the southeast port city of Konarak while on a training mission, killing both the pilot and co-pilot. (RT)

International relations

Kuwait sentences two people to death for spying for Iran and Hezbollah. (Al-Arabiyah)
In accordance with a major point of a nuclear agreement reached with several world powers, Iran removed a plutonium core and filled with concrete the Arak nuclear reactor, setting the stage for the removal ofsanctions against Iran. (Washington Post)
North Korea–United States relations, North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- The United States House of Representatives votes overwhelmingly in favor of legislation to tighten sanctions on North Korea in response to the North’s latest nuclear test. (The Hill)
Iran–United States relations
- Iran seizes the crew of two small United States Navy boats near Farsi Island, in the Persian Gulf, after they had allegedly entered Iranian waters. Pentagon spokesman, Peter Cook, told Associated Pressthat Iran has assured the United States that the crew and vessels will be returned promptly. (AP)

Law and crime

Anti-corruption campaign in China
- Li Dongsheng, a former Vice Minister of China’s Ministry of Public Security, is jailed for 15 years for corruption. (Reuters)
Saudi Arabia arrests Samar Badawi, a human rights activist who received the International Women of Courage Award from the United States in 2012. Badawi is to appear in court on Wednesday, according toAmnesty International. Both her brother, Raif Badawi, publisher of the “Free Saudi Liberals” blog, and former husband, Waleed Sami Abulkhair, are currently imprisoned. (CNN) (Amnesty International)(The Guardian)

Science and technology

Windows 8 along with Internet Explorer versions 8, 9 and 10 are now officially unsupported by Microsoft. (Forbes)

Sport

The St. Louis Rams and potentially San Diego Chargers are approved for relocation to Los Angeles by a 30-2 NFL Vote. (NFL), (Los Angeles Times)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

January 13, 2016

Top News Stories –

Winning tickets in the nearly $1.6-billion Powerball lottery were sold in California, Florida and Tennessee, officials said on Thursday, leaving at least three people to split the record-setting jackpot. California Lottery officials confirmed that the winning six numbers had been purchased at a convenience store outside Los Angeles, as well as at locations in Florida and Tennessee. The identity of the winners was not yet known. Lottery officials said it could be several hours before it is known whether there are other winners in the 44 states, Washington, D.C. and two U.S. territories where Powerball is played. In Chino Hills, a suburb east of Los Angeles, crowds descended on a 7-Eleven store where the winning ticket had been bought, snapping pictures and congratulating staff. The store will receive a $1-million bonus for selling the ticket. The odds of picking a winning combination were 1 in 292 million. [Daily Mail]

Video of the Day –

Prison Da Vinci No. 1 Painting With Skittles from TCOLondon on Vimeo.

List of the Day –

The final 100 Sexiest Women List from FHM Magazine (closing after 30 years)

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
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7	#ذكري_بيعه_الم�…	#IfIWonPowerball	#wifm16
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9	#kamervoorzitter	Deltas	#PLLChat
10	#AnittaLugarDeGemerÉNaCama	Hump Day	#DerrenBrown

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Terrorism in Pakistan
- At least 15 people are killed and dozens injured after a bomb explodes near a polio centre near the Pakistani city of Quetta. (Samaa)
Korean border incidents
- South Korean soldiers fire warning shots at a suspected North Korean drone near the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The “unidentified flying object” was spotted around 29 miles north of Seoul, near South Korea’s Dora Observation Post. (Sky News)
War in Afghanistan
- Islamic State militants attack Pakistan’s consulate in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, killing 9 people and injuring 12 more. (NDTV)
Syrian Civil War
- Following the death of its leader, Zahran Alloush, Jaysh al-Islam names Essam al-Buwaydhani as its new leader. (The News Hub)
2016 Istanbul bombing
- Turkish Interior Minister Efkan Ala says yesterday’s ISIS suicide bomber had registered with Turkish immigration authorities but was not on any known militant suspects list. (Reuters)
- Turkish police arrest three people with Russian citizenship in the southern province of Adana on suspicion of belonging to ISIS. (ABC News) (Leader Call)

Arts and culture

Three winning Powerball lottery tickets are sold in the U.S. states of California, Florida, and Tennessee. Each will share the estimated jackpot of US $1.6 billion dollars, the largest lottery jackpot in world history. (ABC News)

Business and economy

Al Jazeera America announces that it will close in April due to poor ratings. (The New York Times)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Atlantic hurricane season
- Subtropical Storm Alex is located 785 miles (1,260 km) south-southwest of the Azores. Alex is one of just four tropical or subtropical storms to occur in January since 1851, the first year records were kept. The hurricane season begins on June 1 of each year. Alex is expected to hit the Azores on Friday with average rain accumulations of 3 to 5 inches. (The Washington Post) (NHC)
An avalanche kills three and injures one at the Les Deux Alpes ski resort in Isère département of the French Alps. Officials are searching for other possible victims. (CNN)

International relations

Iran–United States relations
- Iran claims that it has interrogated ten United States Navy personnel that it captured allegedly in its territorial waters. (Sky News Australia)
- All 10 U.S. sailors are freed by Iran and are in U.S. custody. The U.S. Naval Forces Central Command says, “There are no indications that the sailors were harmed during their brief detention.” (The Washington Post)
Israel–Sweden relations
- Israel says Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström is no longer welcome in the country after she called for investigations into “suspected extrajudicial executions” of Palestinians by the Israeli army. Sweden has for many years financed NGOs such as B’Tselem and Breaking the Silence operating in Israel. (Breaking Israel News)
Cuba–United States relations
- A major indication that relations between Cuba and the U.S. are increasingly normalized will be the island nation’s participation later this month at an annual Caribbean security conference in Jamaica, according to the outgoing head of the United States Southern Command, General John F. Kelly. (Military Times)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

January 14, 2016

Top News Stories –

Alan Rickman, Harry Potter and Die Hard actor, dies aged 69 –
Actor Alan Rickman, known for films including Harry Potter, Die Hard and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, has died at the age of 69, his family has said. The star had been suffering from cancer, a statement said. He became one of Britain’s best-loved acting stars thanks to roles including Professor Snape in the Harry Potter films and Hans Gruber in Die Hard.
Harry Potter author JK Rowling led the tributes, describing him as “a magnificent actor and a wonderful man”. [BBC]
Alan Rickman in 2011

Hatton Garden heist: Three men found guilty over £14m jewellery raid –
Three men have been found guilty of involvement in the Hatton Garden safe deposit raid, the largest burglary in British legal history. Jewellery and valuables worth an estimated £14 million were stolen when a gang of thieves carried out the “sophisticated” and meticulously planned break-in over the Easter weekend last year. The group used a drill to bore a hole 20in deep, 10in high and 18in into the wall of a vault in London’s jewellery quarter, before ransacking 73 safety deposit boxes. Following a trial at Woolwich Crown Court, Carl Wood and William Lincoln were found guilty of conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to conceal, convert or transfer criminal property, while Hugh Doyle was convicted of concealing, converting or transferring criminal property. [Daily Telegraph]
Hatton Garden road sign

Video of the Day –

Bygone Behemoth from Harry Chaskin on Vimeo.

List of the Day –

10 Highest US Lottery jackpots [See January 13, 2016]
1. $656.0 million, Mega Millions, March 30, 2012 (three tickets, from Kansas, Illinois and Maryland)
2. $636 million, Mega Millions, Dec. 17, 2013, (two tickets, from California and Georgia)
3. $590.5 million, Powerball, May 18, 2013 (one ticket, from Florida)
4. $587.5 million, Powerball, Nov. 28, 2012 (two tickets, from Arizona and Missouri)
5. $564.1 million, Powerball, Feb. 11, 2015 (three tickets, from North Carolina, Puerto Rico and Texas)
6. $448.4 million, Powerball, Aug. 7, 2013, (three tickets, one from Minnesota and two from New Jersey)
7. $425.3 million, Powerball, Feb. 19, 2014 (one ticket, from California)
8. $414 million, Mega Millions, March 18, 2014, (two tickets, from Florida and Maryland)
9. $399.4 million, Powerball, Sept. 18, 2013, (one ticket, from South Carolina)
10. $390.0 million, Mega Millions, March 6, 2007 (two tickets, from Georgia and New Jersey)

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#LittleMixBRITs	#GOPDebate	#transinquiry
2	#زد_رصيدك62	Jakarta	#OscarNoms
3	#FelizJueves	#OscarNoms	#RuinALoveSong
4	#1128katil	#PrivacyCon	Chris Grayling
5	#QuintaDetremuraSdv	Alan Rickman	#bbcqt
6	#もし女子高生にな�…	#AskPOTUS	Jakarta
7	#ALDUB26thWeeksary	#RuinALoveSong	Shami Chakrabarti
8	Shaolin	Indonesia	#StargazingLive
9	#結婚からの予測変�…	#SuperDraft	Giroud
10	#معلومه_لاتعرف…	#IHaveADreamFor2016	#CarpoolKaraoke

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

2016 Jakarta attacks
- Bomb blasts and gunfire are reported in the centre of the Indonesian capital Jakarta. At least seven deaths have been reported. (ABC News Australia), (AP), (The Australian), (Reuters)
- Indonesian police suspect Islamic State militants are responsible for the attacks with five attackers reported dead. (AP), (AFP via Channel News Asia)
Turkey–PKK conflict
- PKK rebellion (2015–present)
  - Turkish police headquarters in Midyat and Çınar, Diyarbakır, are hit by car bombs, killing six people and injuring 39. No group has claimed responsibility but the government accuses PKK rebels of carrying out the attack. (BBC) (Middle East Eye)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict (2015–present)
- A foiled stabbing attack resulted in Israeli soldiers shooting and killing a Palestinian at Beit Einun. (The Jerusalem Post)

Arts and culture

88th Academy Awards
- The nominations are announced for the 88th Academy Awards at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Hollywood. (E! Online)
Actor Alan Rickman dies from cancer, aged 69. (BBC)
Archbishops of the Anglican Communion meeting in England vote to sanction the U.S. branch of the Communion for its unilateral decision to allow same-sex marriages.(New York Times)
René Angélil, manager and husband of singer Celine Dion, dies at age 73 after a long battle with throat cancer.(BBC)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Atlantic hurricane season
- Hurricane Alex becomes the first hurricane to form in the Atlantic Ocean in January since 1938 with warnings issued for the Azores. (Weather Channel)

Business and economy

A Brazilian court suspends the licence for the Belo Monte Dam weeks before it was due to start operating until operator Norte Energia SA and the government of Brazil reorganizes Fundação Nacional do Índio, a protection agency for indigenous Brazilians. (Reuters via CNBC)

Health

Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa
- The World Health Organisation declares an end to the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa with Liberia the last country to be declared free of the virus. (AFP via Yahoo!)
- A person dies of the Ebola virus in Sierra Leone hours after the WHO makes its declaration. (BBC)

International relations

2016 North Korean nuclear test
- South Korea and the People’s Republic of China will hold talks to develop a joint response to last week’s North Korean nuclear test. (Yonhap)

Politics and elections

Thousands of people in Moldova march against proposed candidate for Prime Minister Vlad Plahotniuc. (AP via ABC News)

Science and technology

Astronomers announce the discovery of supernova ASASSN-15lh, the biggest yet seen by scientists. (Los Angeles Times)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

January 15, 2016

Top News Stories –

Wikipedia Celebrates its 15th birthday –
If you want a modern wonder of the internet, look no further than Wikipedia, which turns 15 years old today. It’s gigantic (more than five million articles in English alone), and gigantically useful for those seeking a grounding in any topic. It has illustrated how the internet and the power of the crowd can disrupt established businesses: both the book-based Encyclopaedia Britannica and Microsoft’s CD-based Encarta fell before the onslaught of a simple collaborative document that anyone could edit and enhance. Even Google failed with its rival, launched in 2008 and killed amid indifference in 2012. It even has a creation myth; people think it was the effort of Jimmy Wales alone, but in fact he and Larry Sanger (an “internet project developer” – thanks, Wikipedia) were working on the idea of an online encyclopedia called Nupedia, which began in 1999. [Daily Telegraph] [This web site is a supporter of Wikipedia]
Jimmy Wales

Video of the Day –

22×22 rubik’s cube World Record

List of the Day

15 amazing things since the idea of Wikipedia was launched to the world on January 15, 2001. [Wikipedia]

Millions of people have gathered all this knowledge by working together from everywhere around the world.

Ward Cunningham designed the wiki, the first internet platform that allowed many people to work on a document at the same time. He named it ‘wiki,’ a Hawaiian word that means ‘quick.’ (There is even a wiki-wiki shuttle in Honolulu.)

You know the encyclopedia, but there’s so much more.

Did you also know there’s a free dictionary, free textbooks, quotes, learning tools, a travel guide, and more?

The first Wikipedia exhibition opened on March 17, 2006.

It was held at the Göttingen University Library in Germany.

Behind the scenes, bots do some of the repetitive jobs so that volunteers don’t have to.

There are almost 2,000 bots approved for use on the English Wikipedia alone, and they even have names. PhotoCatBot helps people find articles that need images.

Wikipedia became one of the top 10 websites in the world in 2007.

It’s the only non-profit anywhere near the top.

An angry elephant holding a glass of whiskey

People who work on Wikipedia are called “Wikipedians”.

Building the world’s largest database of information with people from all over can be challenging. Wikipedians write rules, guidelines and essays to help other people understand being a Wikipedian. “No angry mastodons” suggests that you shouldn’t edit when you’re hungry or intoxicated.

The first photo ever uploaded to Commons was a pair of quail.

…while this scan of the world’s first photograph uploaded to Wikimedia Commons is entirely inscrutable. Speaking of birds and photos, there is such a thing as pigeon photography: “A homing pigeon was fitted with an aluminium breast harness to which a lightweight time-delayed miniature camera could be attached.” (There was even a stamp for pigeon mail. It’s adorable and shaped like a triangle.)

One of the first articles ever written was for the standard poodle.

It simply said, “A dog by which all others are measured.” The English Wikipedia page for poodleis now more than 5,000 words, and includes the many names that people have invented for poodles crossed with other dog breeds: Labradoodle, Poochon, Cockapoo, Spoodle, Maltipoo, Goldendoodle, Schnoodle, Pekapoos, Cavapoo, and Bernedoodle.

A screenshot from the Wikipedia blackout

Wikipedia helps keep the Internet open and free.

In 2012, the Wikipedia communities blacked out the site to protest SOPA.

The second-most-edited English Wikipedia article of all time is about pro wrestling.

One of the competition entries for a new Wikivoyage logo was a snake on a magic towel.

British army officer Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart’s Wikipedia article has been retweeted more than 3,500 times.

“Lieutenant General Sir Adrian Paul Ghislain Carton de Wiart VC, KBE, CB, CMG, DSO (5 May 1880–5 June 1963) was a British Army officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest military decoration awarded for valour “in the face of the enemy” in various Commonwealth countries. He served in the Boer War, First World War, and Second World War; was shot in the face, head, stomach, ankle, leg, hip, and ear; survived two plane crashes; tunnelled out of a prisoner-of-war camp; and bit off his own fingers when a doctor refused to amputate them. Describing his experiences in the First World War, he wrote, ‘Frankly I had enjoyed the war.’”

Wikipedians keep lists of controversies and hoaxes on Wikipedia.

One hoax claimed that Lord Byron kept a crocodile and a honey badger as pets. It would not be easy to uncover this hoax—during his lifetime, in addition to numerous cats, dogs and horses, Byron kept a fox, monkeys, an eagle, a crow, a falcon, peacocks, guinea hens, an Egyptian crane,a badger, geese, a heron, and a goat. He took a bear to college when he found that dogs were not allowed.

Researchers can predict the spread of illness from data on Wikipedia.

“Researchers from Los Alamos National Laboratory were able to make extremely accurate forecasts about the spread of dengue fever in Brazil and flu in the U.S., Japan, Poland and Thailand by examining three years’ worth of Wikipedia search data.”

It would take 16 years to read all of English Wikipedia.

And that’s if you didn’t take any breaks, and never slept.

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	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#SextaFavQSdvDetremura	#FlashbackFriday	#9YearsOfKidrauhl
2	#9YearsOfKidrauhl	#9YearsOfKidrauhl	#spacewalk
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6	#HoyTengoGanasDe	#NewYorkValues	#LGBTSTEMinar
7	#MensajeAlPueblo	#spacewalk	#FlashbackFriday
8	Cloverfield	#NWSLDraft	#TWGlobes
9	#GOPDebate	#NewMusicFriday	Cloverfield
10	#LloreCantando	#BuyGOLDoniTunes	Megan

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

2016 Ouagadougou attack
- Gunmen armed with heavy weapons attack a restaurant called Cappuccino and the Splendid Hotel, taking hostages, in the heart of Burkino Faso‘s capital, Ouagadougou. At least 20 people are reportedly killed. (BBC) (The Guardian)
- Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claims responsibility for the attack, which if confirmed would the first Islamic terrorist attack in the city. (AFP/Reuters via ABC News Australia)
2016 Jakarta attacks
- Three men are arrested in the outskirts of Jakarta in connection with the attacks. Police have identified the attackers killed in the raid with two of the men having been imprisoned for terrorism related offences. (AP via Newser)
War in Somalia (2009–present)
- al Shabaab militants overrun an African Union base in southern Somalia with unconfirmed reports of dozens of soldiers dead. (Reuters) (BBC)
Syrian Civil War
- UNICEF confirms severe malnutrition in the besieged Syrian town of Madaya. Russia calls for humanitarian aid to be let into besieged towns like Madaya, Fua and Kafraya. (Reuters via Trust) (Reuters via Daily Mail)

Arts and culture

Wikipedia celebrates its 15th anniversary. (Wikipedia)

Business and economy

China‘s Haier Group buys General Electric‘s appliance unit for $5.4 billion. (Bloomberg)

Disasters and accidents

A tour bus carrying skiers runs off the road in Japan‘s Nagano Prefecture with at least 14 people dead and injuring another 27. (Bloomberg) (Irish Independent)
2016 Atlantic hurricane season
- Hurricane Alex heads towards the Azores with hurricane warnings in place for several islands. (National Hurricane Center)
Twelve people are feared dead following a road accident in the Udhampur district of India‘s Jammu and Kashmir state. (Greater Kashmir)
The United States Coast Guard in Hawaii are searching for twelve American service personnel off the northern coast of Oahu following a crash between two United States Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallionhelicopters that were conducting an overnight training flight. (CNN) (Wall Street Journal)
The U.S. state of Michigan asks for assistance from the federal government to assist with a water crisis in the city of Flint. (Reuters)
2015–16 South Pacific cyclone season
- A tropical cyclone warning is issued for the northern Cook Islands as Tropical Cyclone Victor approaches. (Radio New Zealand)

Health

BIA 10-2474
- One person is brain dead and five people are critically ill in Rennes, France, from a clinical trial of an experimental drug made by Portuguese drug company Bial. The six men, aged 28 to 49, had been in good health prior to the start of this test. All trials on the drug are suspended. (The Guardian) (Reuters via New Zealand Stuff) (Reuters)
Brazil Zika virus outbreak (2015 – present)
- The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns pregnant women against visiting 14 countries and territories in South America, Central America and the Caribbean due to the Zika virusoutbreak. (CDC)

Law and crime

The Seoul Central District Court fines two Korean baseball players Seung-hwan Oh and Lim Chang-yong for illegal gambling in Macau. (Yonhap)
2013–14 Thai political crisis
- Former Prime Minister of Thailand Yingluck Shinawatra appears in court to face corruption charges. (Reuters via Trust)
A trial of the facts regarding allegations of child abuse against 12 former residents of children’s homes in Leicester by British lord Greville Janner ends due to his death. (BBC)
American rapper Mos Def is banned from South Africa for five years, having been living illegally in the country since 2013 on a tourist visa. (BBC)
Kosovo War
- A special court is set up at The Hague to try Kosovo Liberation Army suspects for alleged war crimes against ethnic minorities and political opponents. (BBC)

Politics and elections

PKK rebellion (2015–present)
- Twelve Turkish academics are detained for signing a declaration opposing military action against Kurdistan Workers Party forces in southeast Turkey. (AP via Washington Post)
Anti-corruption campaign in China
- Wei Hong, Governor of Sichuan province, is announced to be under investigation for “breaching discipline” by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. (BBC)
Azerbaijani National Police use tear gas and water cannons to forcibly disperse protesters in the Quba District who were protesting the country’s worsening economic situation, resulting in scores being arrested. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

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January 16, 2016

Top News Stories –

Obama issues order lifting nuclear-related sanctions on Iran –
U.S. President Barack Obama signed an executive order on Saturday lifting sanctions on Iran related to its nuclear program after Tehran fulfilled requirements under a nuclear agreement with world powers, the White House said. Obama determined that Iran’s implementation of the pact “marks a fundamental shift in circumstances with respect to Iran’s nuclear program,” he wrote in the order, released by the White House. [Daily Mail]

Video of the Day –

Sia | Draw My Life

List of the Day –

100 jokes by 100 comedians

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	Burkina Faso	Tony Stewart	#MakeMeThinkIn5Words
2	#زد_رصيدك64	#ChangeAConsonantSpoilAMovie	Lord Bramall
3	#FelizSabado	#StartupIndia	Burkina Faso
4	I LOVE ZAYN	#IranDeal	#fab16
5	#StartupIndia	#ImplementationDay	#PutNamesInSongs
6	#MakeMeThinkIn5Words	Aaliyah	Alan Rickman
7	#ALDUB6thMonthsary	I LOVE ZAYN	#StartUp2016
8	#SabadoDetremuraSdv	#MakeMeThinkIn5Words	#NationalHatDay
9	#MeEnfermaEsoDe	Hagelin	Nancy
10	ちんぽ10連ガチャ	#DoYourJob	#ZoellaTo10MillionMeetUp

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

2016 Ouagadougou attack
- Burkina Faso security forces storm the Hotel Splendid which had been under attack by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb militants. Over 126 people have been freed and at least 29 people have died. (AP via the Daily Mail), (BBC), (CNN), (AFP via Daily Star)
- At least 10 bodies have also been found in the Cappucino cafe which was also attacked by the militants. (AP via Miami Herald)
- Two Australians, a doctor and his wife, have been abducted in northern Burkina Faso. The Al Qaeda-linked, Mali-based “Emirate of the Sahara” is responsible, according to SITE. (AP) (AFP via Yahoo! News)
2016 Jakarta attacks
- Indonesia blocks access to radical Islamist websites and social media sites after the recent terror attacks in Jakarta. (Reuters)
Syrian Civil War
- At least 75 Syrian Army soldiers and pro-Assad militiamen are killed following a multi-front attack on the eastern Syrian city of Deir ez-Zor by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant forces. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports ISIL fighters had advanced into the northern tip of Deir ez-Zor city, and captured the suburb of Al-Baghaliyeh. The pro-government Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reports that government forces had repelled an attack on the city leaving dozens of militants dead. (AFP via the Daily Mail)
- Hundreds of civilians are reportedly killed by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant militants throughout the city of Deir ez-Zor. Syria‘s state news agency SANA, quoting residents, said “around 300 civilians” were killed. If confirmed it would be one of the deadliest days in Syria’s nearly five-year war. (AFP via Yahoo)
Al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen, Drone strikes in Yemen
- A U.S. drone strike on a vehicle in Yemen‘s Shabwah Governorate kills three suspected Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) militants. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

A suspected gas explosion in the Italian town of Arnasco kills at least five people. (Business Insider)
U.S. President Barack Obama declares the city of Flint, Michigan, to be in a federal public health state of emergency due to an ongoing crisis that involves lead contamination (and possibly Legionella which has caused 87 cases of Legionnaires’ disease which lead to 10 deaths) in its local water supply. (The Flint Journal on MLive)

International relations

Iran–United States relations
- Iran releases four Iranian-American prisoners including Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian and Christian pastor Saeed Abedini. The United States is to release seven Iranian-Americans held in the United States for violating sanctions against Iran. (New York Times), (IRNA) (Reuters) (Washington Post)
Nuclear program of Iran
- The International Atomic Energy Agency states that Iran has complied with its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, paving the way for international sanctions to be lifted by theUnited States and European Union. (IEAE), (New York Times), ” (BBC)
European migrant crisis
- Austria is to deploy its army on its borders with Germany and Slovenia in the wake of surging numbers of migrants entering the Central European country. (Local Austria)

Politics and elections

Taiwanese general election, 2016
- Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is elected the first female President of Taiwan. Eric Chu, the ruling Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalist Party) candidate concedes defeat and announced his resignation as party leader. Ms. Tsai vowed to preserve the status quo in relations with China. The DPP supports independence for the island. (BBC) (CNN)
- Current ruling party Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalist Party) lost its majority in the Legislative Yuan, a first since the country’s founding in 1911 (The Guardian)
Argentinian left wing lawmaker Milagro Sala is detained at her home for allegedly instigating public disturbances. (Telesur TV)

Sports

In motor sport, The 2016 Dakar Rally finishes with Stephane Peterhansel of France winning his 12th victory in the cars and Toby Price of Australia winning his first victory in the motorcycles. (AFP via Yahoo! News)

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January 17, 2016

Top News Stories –

Russia may nuke asteroids –
The European Commission funded Russian scientists to develop plans to save the world from rogue asteroids by blowing them up with nuclear weapons. Scientists from the Russia’s top space research institute teamed up with missile and rocket engineers to look at ways of sending a warhead into space under a European Commission funded program called NEOShield. “Work was distributed among various participants from different countries and organisations, and work on deflecting dangerous space objects with nuclear explosions was conducted by Russia” between 2012 and 2015, the Central Scientific Research Institute of Machine Building, part of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, said in a press release on Saturday. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Miike Snow “Genghis Khan” // Dir: Ninian Doff from Ninian Doff on Vimeo.

List of the Day –

The winners for the Critics’ Choice Awards 2016
BEST PICTURE: Spotlight
BEST ACTOR: Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant
BEST ACTRESS: Brie Larson – Room
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Sylvester Stallone – Creed
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Alicia Vikander – The Danish Girl
BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS: Jacob Tremblay – Room
BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE: Spotlight
BEST DIRECTOR: George Miller – Mad Max: Fury Road
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy – Spotlight
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Charles Randolph and Adam McKay – The Big Short
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: The Revenant – Emmanuel Lubezki
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: Mad Max: Fury Road – Colin Gibson
BEST EDITING: Mad Max: Fury Road – Margaret Sixel
BEST COSTUME DESIGN: Mad Max: Fury Road – Jenny Beavan
BEST HAIR & MAKEUP: Mad Max: Fury Road
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: Mad Max: Fury Road
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: Inside Out
BEST ACTION MOVIE: Mad Max: Fury Road
BEST ACTOR IN AN ACTION MOVIE: Tom Hardy – Mad Max: Fury Road
BEST ACTRESS IN AN ACTION MOVIE: Charlize Theron – Mad Max: Fury Road
BEST COMEDY: The Big Short
BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY: Christian Bale – The Big Short
BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY: Amy Schumer – Trainwreck
BEST SCI-FI/HORROR MOVIE: Ex Machina
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: Son of Saul
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: Amy
BEST SONG: Furious 7 – “See You Again”
BEST SCORE: The Hateful Eight – Ennio Morricone

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#FelizDomingo	#IfTwitterWasntAThing	#takemeout
2	#DomingoNoClubeSDV	#DemDebate	#IfTwitterWasntAThing
3	#IfTwitterWasntAThing	#PITvsDEN	Celine Dion
4	#من_علامات_الج�…	#FaceTimeMeNash	#AUSvIND
5	Meek	#PurpleReign	#GBvsAZ
6	#ازاي_تستفز_شخ�…	#SEAvsCAR	Purple Reign
7	#1ÇiftSözümVar	Meek	#SAvENG
8	#JesusEstaVoltando	#FakeGrownUpFacts	#snow
9	#ConsejosParaUnTuitero	#askkendallschmidt	#GetawayCar
10	#ConLaBerisoTeDigoQue	Adam Driver	#ChangeAConsonantSpoilAMovie

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

2016 Jakarta attacks
- The death toll from this week’s attacks rises to eight. (Reuters via Jerusalem Post)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- A suicide bomber kills at least thirteen people and injures 14 in the Afghan city of Jalalabad. (Reuters via LBC Australia), (AFP via Yahoo! News)
Syrian Civil War
- ISIL militants abduct at least 400 civilians from the eastern Syrian city of Deir ez-Zor. (Sky News)

Disasters and accidents

At least five people are killed and ten injured in a microbus crash in Egypt‘s New Valley Governorate. (Ahram Online)

Health

Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa
- Sierra Leone imposes quarantine on hundreds of people following a recent death from the Ebola virus. (AFP via ABC News)

Politics and elections

Iran–Saudi Arabia relations
- Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif and army chief General Raheel Sharif will visit Riyadh on Monday and Tehran on Tuesday to launch mediation efforts between Iran and Saudi Arabia for normalization of relations and to ease the tensions in the region after Saudi Arabia executed a prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr and an attack on the Saudi Embassy in Tehran. (DAWN) (Pakistan Today) (India Times)
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
- Europe and the United States lift sanctions imposed on Iran regarding its nuclear programme, and Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action begins to be implemented. (BBC)

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The 2010s

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Yearly Archives: 2016

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