Top News Stories –

Star Wars character names posted by director –
The names of characters in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” to be released in December 2015 have been revealed in a mocked-up set of trading cards. John Boyega will be Finn, Oscar Isaac is Poe Dameron and Daisy Ridley’s character is called Rey. Director JJ Abrams confirmed the names via some old school trading cards, in reference to when the Star Wars films were first released in the 1970s.
Oscar Issac

World’s longest ship launched –
Shanghai-based marine-shipping company China Shipping Container Lines has launched the world’s largest container ship, the “CSCL Globe”. The ship is more than 400m (1,312ft or a quarter of a mile) long, 56.8m (186ft) wide, 73m (240ft) high and 186,000 tonnes gross. The ship, which is longer than four football pitches, is making its maiden voyage from Shanghai to Europe.
The CSCL Globe

Marriage proposal fail –
A Dutchman’s attempt at a romantic wedding proposal using a mobile crane has resulted in the crane falling over and smashing into a neighbour’s roof. The man had rented a crane in the central town of Ijsselstein to descend in front of his girlfriend’s bedroom window, play her a song and ask her to marry him. Despite the disaster in which no-one was hurt, his girlfriend agreed to marry him.

Pope avoids Dalai Lama meeting –
Pope Francis will not meet the exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama because of the “delicate situation” with China, according to the Vatican. The Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 after Chinese troops crushed an attempted uprising in Tibet and China describes him as a separatist. The Vatican does not want to jeopardise improving relations between itself and China.
Pope Francis

Video of the Day –

Star Wars – The Force Awakens Official Trailer –

List of the day –

Star Wars Movies

Top Twitter Trends –

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Sony Pictures Entertainment hack
  • Sony Pictures Entertainment reportedly shuts production on several sets because of computer network issues regarding employee disbursement of pay following a massive computer hack. (FOX News)

Business and economy

• Thousands of Italians take to the streets in 50 cities as part of a general strike protesting new labour laws. (ABC News Australia)
• Wall Street sees its worst week in three years as oil prices continue to collapse. The Dow Jones Industrial Averagesheds 315 points, or 1.8%, to 17280. (FOX Business)

Disasters and accidents

• The ferry MV Mutambala capsizes on Lake Tanganyika, Democratic Republic of the Congo leaving at least 26 dead.(Radiookapi.net)

Law and crime

• An unknown person shoots four people outside of Rosemary Anderson High School, an alternative high school inPortland, Oregon. Police later question a 22-year-old man. (CNN) (MSN), (AP)
• Prosecutors at Sary-Arqa District Court in Astana charge 30-year old Yevgeny Vdovenko, a Kazakh citizen, of intentional and illegal participation in a military conflict abroad because he had fought alongside pro-Russian separatists in easternUkraine. (Radio Free Europe)
• A Palestinian man throws a chemical substance believed to be acid at an Israeli family that stopped to pick up a hitchhiker. No terrorist groups claim credit for the attack. (Reuters)

Science and technology

• Torrent site isoHunt appears to have unofficially resurrected The Pirate Bay at a site which turns out serving new content. (VB News)
• Microsoft announces its upcoming Windows 10 consumer version preview for January 21. (FOX News)

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