Top News Stories –
Cricketer Phillip Hughes dies –
Australian batsman Phillip Hughes has died 2 days after being struck by a ball at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Hughes was making a fine case for his Test recall, unbeaten on his old home ground at the SCG on 63 when he missed an attempted hook at Sean Abbott and was hit on an area of his lower head and neck which was unprotected by his helmet as he swivelled. He fell to the ground, and was rushed to hospital where he never regained consciousness. [Daily Telegraph]
Phillip Hughes in 2010
Twitter misrepresents the real world, computer scientists warn –
Social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook should not be used to gauge human behaviour or trends because they are too biased, scientists have warned. Increasingly, social researchers and media organisations use sites to glean information about public views and interests. But computer scientists at McGill University in Montreal and Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh warn that the data omits the opinion of large portions of the population who are either under-represented, or who choose not to engage in social media. [Daily Telegraph]
Sheep flock to Eiffel Tower as French farmers cry wolf –
French farmers flocked to the Eiffel Tower on Thursday, sheep in tow, to express their frustration over increasing attacks by wolves which some say have been “overprotected” by the government. Sheep lazily grazed at the foot of the French capital’s most famous monument as the farmers gathered under grey skies to demand an effective plan to stop the wolf attacks. “Today farmers, tomorrow unemployed,” read one banner, while one of the protesters dressed as a wolf carried around a lamb. [Daily Telegraph]
The Eiffel Tower
Video of the Day –
Introducing Carrot from Carrot on Vimeo.
List of the day –
Lattice Towers larger than the Eiffel Tower
| Name | Pinnacle height | Year | Country | Town | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo Skytree | 2,080 ft (634 m) | 2011 | Japan | Tokyo | |
| Kiev TV Tower | 1,263 ft (385 m) | 1973 | Ukraine | Kiev | Tallest lattice tower of the world |
| Tashkent Tower | 1,230 ft (375 m) | 1985 | Uzbekistan | Tashkent | |
| Pylons of Zhoushan Island Overhead Powerline Tie | 1,214 ft (370 m) | 2009 | People’s Republic of China | Jiangyin | 2 towers, tallest pylons in the world |
| Pylons of Yangtze River Crossing | 1,137 ft (347 m) | 2003 | People’s Republic of China | Jiangyin | 2 towers |
| Dragon Tower | 1,102 ft (336 m) | 2000 | People’s Republic of China | Harbin | |
| Tokyo Tower | 1,091 ft (333 m) | 1958 | Japan | Tokyo | |
| WITI TV Tower | 1,078 ft (329 m) | 1962 | U.S. | Shorewood, Wisconsin | |
| WSB TV Tower | 1,075 ft (328 m) | 1957 | U.S. | Atlanta, Georgia |
Top Twitter Trends –
Other News Stories –
- Armed conflicts and attacks
- War in Afghanistan:
- A suicide bomber kills 5 in a targeted attack on a British embassy vehicle in Kabul, Afghanistan. (BBC)
- Sudanese nomadic conflicts:
- At least 133 people were killed and 100 wounded, in the aftermath of clashes between Awlad Omran and Al-Ziyoud groups of the Mesiria tribe. The clashes occurred in the Kwak area of the West Kurdufan state, Sudan. (Euronews)
- Islamist insurgency in Nigeria:
- Business and economy
- Greek government-debt crisis:
- Greek labor unions begin a general strike to protest ongoing government austerity measures shuting down public medical, educational, and transportational services. (AP via Business Standard)
- The European Parliament passes a symbolic motion calling for the break-up of American tech giant Google. (New York Times)
- France sets a new record for unemployment with 3.46 million recorded in October. (Sky News)
- Disasters
- The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East declares a state of emergency on the Gaza Strip following heavy floods. (Press TV)
- Law and crime
- 2014 Hong Kong protests:
- The Hong Kong Police Force arrests eleven more people in a second night of violence after removal of a camp in Mong Kok and seven police officers are arrested for alleged assault of a protester on October 15. (AP)
- Politics and elections
- Moldovan parliamentary election, 2014
- the Election commission bans the new pro-Russian party Homeland from competing in the elections because of financial support from abroad.(Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
- The Parliament of Ukraine meets for the first time since recent elections with Arseniy Yatsenyuk expected to be confirmed as Prime Minister. (Irish Times)
- The Smith Commission, established by UK Prime Minister David Cameron to look at enhanced devolution for Scotland following the independence referendum, publishes its report, recommending the Scottish Parliament should be given the power to set income tax rates and bands. (BBC)
- North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un appoints his sister, Kim Yo Jong, to a high government position. (CBC)
- Tongans vote out half of the incumbents in the Legislative Assembly. (ABC Online)
- Sports
- In cricket, Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes dies two days after being struck on the head by a bouncer while playing in a Sheffield Shield match for South Australia against New South Wales. (Canberra Times)
- In surfing, Australian surfer Stephanie Gilmore wins her 6th women’s world surfing title. (Brisbane Times)
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