January 5, 2016

Top News Stories –

German carpenter invents on-off contraception switch for sperm –
A German carpenter has invented a valve which he claims will revolutionise contraception, by allowing a man to turn the flow of sperm from his testicles on and off at the flick of a switch. Clemens Bimek told Spiegel magazine the idea first came to him some 20 years ago, when he was watching a television documentary about contraception, and wondered whether it would be possible to control the flow of sperm with a simple valve. When he discovered that no one had ever filed a patent for such a device, he decided to develop his own. “Many of the doctors I consulted didn’t take me seriously. But there were some who encouraged me to go on tinkering and helped me with their expertise,” Mr Bimek said. Now the valve he has developed is to be implanted in 25 men in trials – starting this year. [Daily Telegraph]

Cricket record: Pranav Dhanawade hits 1,009 in school match –
An Indian teenager scored more than 1,000 runs in a single innings to set a new world record in school cricket. Fifteen-year-old Pranav Dhanawade broke the previous record of 628 set by Arthur Collins in 1899 on Monday. But he continued his innings in the HT Bhandari Cup inter-school tournament and reached 1,009 runs. He smashed 59 sixes and 127 fours in 395 minutes before his KC Gandhi School declared the innings at 1,465 against Arya Gurukul School on Tuesday. [BBC]
Sachin Tendulkar tweet

‘Anti-IS group’ claims BBC website attack –
A group that says it targets online activity linked to so-called Islamic State (IS) has claimed it was behind an attack on the BBC’s website. All the BBC’s websites were unavailable for several hours on New Year’s Eve after what a BBC source described as a “distributed denial of service” attack. The group, calling itself New World Hacking, said it had carried out the attack as a “test of its capabilities”. In a tweet to BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones, the group said: “We are based in the US, but we strive to take down Isis [IS] affiliated websites, also Isis members. “The reason we really targeted [the] BBC is because we wanted to see our actual server power.” Earlier, New World Hacking had said: “It was only a test, we didn’t exactly plan to take it down for multiple hours. Our servers are quite strong.” [BBC]

Video of the Day –

The Wire from Elliot Lim on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#TEENWOLF5BTODAY	#NationalBirdDay	#NTA2016
2	#TercaDetremuraSdv	#ElCambioComienzaHoy	Coachella
3	#زد_رصيدك53	#TooColdTuesday	Tyga
4	#ElCambioComienzaHoy	#TEENWOLF5BTODAY	#HousingBill
5	#PSYBringBackAngYna	#BillyManziel	LCD Soundsystem
6	#NocheDeReyes	#StopGunViolence	#SilentWitness
7	#FelizMartes	#BadStarWars8Names	Troy Deeney
8	Página 5 de 366	#LArain	#WheresRey
9	#ご利益のある人ラ�…	Brian Urlacher	#pointswestlive
10	#ALosReyesLesPido	#TWUG	#FatCatTuesday

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- A United States Army soldier is killed and two others wounded in a joint operation with Afghan National Security Forces in Afghanistan‘s southern Helmand Province. (Washington Post)
2016 Kaliachak riots
- Violent riots break out in Kaliachak, West Bengal, India, after political activist Kamlesh Tiwari allegedly insulted the Muslim prophet Muhammad. (Times of India)
Nimr al-Nimr
- One Shia protester is killed and a child is injured by Saudi police in Al-Awamiyah, Eastern Province. (FT)
Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- Islamic State militants continue to besiege the Libyan oil port of Sidra, attacking checkpoints on the road to the port, leaving seven guards dead. The National Oil Corporation (NOC) said an oil storage tank in the port was set on fire by a long-range rocket, and that the oil tank fire started just as firefighters were close to bringing under control another blaze at an oil tank that was hit during fighting in the nearby Ra’s Lanuf Refinery on Monday. (Reuters)
The Islamic State, following Saudi Arabia’s execution of 47 people on Saturday, threatens to destroy the Saudi’s Tarfiya and al-Ha’ir Prisons holding Al-Qaeda and ISIL supporters. (Reuters) (Daily Mail)

Disasters and accidents

A bus catches fire in the Chinese city of Yinchuan resulting in at least 14 deaths and over 30 injured. (AP via Fox News)

Environment

2015–16 North American winter
- Droughts in the United States
  - California’s state climatologist Michael Anderson mentions that the recent El Niño-fueled storms will put a dent in the ongoing drought, but not end the conditions citing larger reservoirs that are still below normal. (USA Today)
- 2014–16 El Niño event
  - Back-to-back-to-back storms from the current El Niño, which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says ties the strongest on record (1997–98), are likely to produce dangerous flooding and mudslides in the Western United States with as much as 15 inches (30cm) of rain, and about 2 feet (60cm) of snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains over the next two weeks. (UPI) (NBC News)

International relations

Syrian Civil War
- Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir says the country’s recent tensions with Iran will not interfere with Syrian peace talks scheduled to begin in Geneva, Switzerland, later this month. (Reuters) (The Washington Post)
China-Taiwan Relations
- China says flights from the Chinese cities of Nanchang, Kunming, and Chongqing, will be allowed to stop at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport before flying to a third destination. Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou applauded this step toward normalizing relations between the two states. Taiwan’s opposition party expressed concern that Beijing is trying to interfere with the country’s January 16, 2016, presidential and legislative elections. (Reuters) (The Straits Times) (Central News Agency)

Politics and elections

Reform of the People’s Liberation Army in China:
- The Second Artillery Corps is re-organized into the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force.
- The People’s Liberation Army Strategic Support Force is founded, with Gao Jin as its inaugural commander and Liu Fulian as Political Commissar.
- The Ground Force is re-organized under the People’s Liberation Army Ground Force Command, under commander Li Zuocheng. (SCMP)
Former Beijing Deputy Communist Party Secretary Lu Xiwen is expelled from the Communist Party of China for “interfering with the market economy and law enforcement” and “living a luxurious lifestyle”, among other offenses. (SCMP)
United States presidential election, 2016
- On January 18, 2016, the British Parliament will debate a petition, signed by more than 560,000 people, calling for the Home Secretary to ban United States Republican Party presidential candidate Donald Trump from entering the United Kingdom because of ‘hate speech‘ that is unacceptable behavior, non-conducive to the public good. The conclusion reached by the lawmakers will not be binding on the UK government. (The Washington Post) (AP via The Washington Post)
United Kingdom withdrawal from the European Union
- The United Kingdom‘s Prime Minister David Cameron announces he will suspend collective responsibility ahead of the referendum on the country’s EU membership, allowing ministers to campaign for the UK to leave the European Union. A member of his cabinet was reportedly due to resign over the issue within 24 hours. (The Telegraph)

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January 10, 2016

Top News Stories –

David Bowie dies of cancer aged 69 –

Singer David Bowie has died at the age of 69 from cancer. Tributes have been paid from around the world to the “extraordinary artist” whose last album was released days ago. His son, film director Duncan Jones, confirmed the news and a statement was issued on his social media accounts. “David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18-month battle with cancer,” it said, asking for privacy for the family. [BBC]
Iman and David Bowie

‘El Chapo’ Guzman: Sean Penn interview provokes US scorn –
The Obama administration and a US presidential hopeful have criticised Sean Penn’s interview with Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. It was conducted in October in the Mexican jungle after Guzman’s jail break, and published by Rolling Stone. A White House spokesman said the Hollywood actor’s “so-called interview” was “maddening”, while Republican Marco Rubio said it was “grotesque”. Guzman, 58, was recaptured on Friday after months on the run. Unnamed Mexican officials say Penn’s secret meeting helped lead them to the boss of the Sinaloa drug cartel. He has now been returned to the maximum-security Altiplano jail, from where he escaped in July via a tunnel dug to the shower in his cell. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

“Starman” 1972 from David Bowie on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#DomingoComOClubeSdv	#GBvsWAS	Sean Penn
2	#MeSientoBienCuando	Timbs	Cheryl Fernandez-Versini
3	#زد_رصيدك58	#GoldenGlobes	#smearthedocs
4	#FelizDomingo	Angus Scrimm	#TheVoiceUK
5	#6YearsOfDilmer	$1.3 Billion	#ResistCapitalism
6	#عام_من_رحيل_ال…	#LuciferIsComing	Alison McGovern
7	#لا_تذهبي_معه_ا…	#SEAvsMIN	#JustinBieberFeatOneDirection
8	#MasterCardGrazWOSP	#jacobandbeasoundcloud	#BuyMadeInTheAM
9	#SupermercadosVacios	#AndIWasScarredForLife	#6YearsOfDilmer
10	#PITvsCIN	Paid in Full	#takemeout

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

PKK rebellion (2015–present)
- Turkish security forces kill at least 32 Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants over the weekend, in military operations across the embattled Kurdish-majority southeast. (Reuters)
Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
  - A suspected Saudi missile strike on a Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) clinic in Razih, located in Yemen‘s northern Saada Governorate, leaves at least five people dead and around a dozen injured.(RT)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- The Afghanistan defense ministry reports its forces have recaptured Darqad District in northern Takhar Province. According to the ministry, twenty Taliban militants and one Afghan soldier were killed in two days of fighting. (The Gulf Today) (Reuters)

Arts and culture

The 73rd Golden Globe Awards are held at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. (Los Angeles Times)
- The Martian wins the award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and lead actor Matt Damon winning Best Performance by an actor in a musical or comedy. (AP)
- The Revenant wins the award for best drama with lead actor Leonardo DiCaprio winning best actor in a drama. (Variety)
British musician and actor David Bowie dies, aged 69. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

2015–16 South Pacific cyclone season
- Residents of the islands of Tafea are urged to seek shelter as Severe Tropical Cyclone Ula approaches Vanuatu. (Radio New Zealand)
Twenty people are killed after a bus carrying amateur football players and fans plunges into a river in Veracruz, eastern Mexico. (Business Standard), (AP)
The two-month-old Nipigon River Bridge near Nipigon, Ontario is closed to traffic after a mechanical failure, severing the Trans-Canada Highway and forcing a detour into the United States. (CBC), (National Post)

International relations

2016 North Korean nuclear test
- A United States Air Force B-52 long-range strategic bomber makes a low-level flight over South Korea, close to the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), in a show of force following North Korea‘s fourth nuclear test on January 6, before returning to its base in Guam. (Reuters)
Germany–Poland relations
- Poland summons the German ambassador in Warsaw over “anti-Polish” remarks made by German politicians. (BBC)

Law and crime

U.S. Army officials set August 8 as the start date for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s court-martial. Bergdahl, charged with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, was held captive by the Taliban for five years after he left his base in Afghanistan. A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for early this week. (AP)
Mexican Drug War
- Mexican authorities want to question American actor Sean Penn and Mexican actress Kate del Castillo about a secret October meeting and interview with Joaquín Guzmán, published by Rolling Stonemagazine yesterday. Mexico Attorney General Arely Gomez says it was the Penn interview that led authorities to a Guzman hiding place. (CNN) (CBS News) (USA Today) (Rolling Stone)

Politics and elections

Catalan independence
- The newly appointed President of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, vows to continue his predecessor Artur Mas i Gavarró‘s plans to secede from Spain within 18 months. (BBC)

Sport

Lawyers for former FIFA chief Sepp Blatter confirm that he will appeal his eight year ban from the organisation. (AFP via Yahoo! News)

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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
1	#QuartaSnapDetremuraSdv	#MakeAPromise	#WednesdayWisdom
2	#FelizMiercoles	#WednesdayWisdom	#NationalAnthem
3	#زد_رصيدك61	#1lineWed	#SOTU
4	#WednesdayWisdom	#BigBlockOfCheeseDay	#BenefitsLobby
5	#ALDUBTheBAEisBACK	#DST1913	#MakeAPromise
6	#كيف_تعرف_انه_ا…	#FriendsReunion	#StargazingLive
7	#ذكري_بيعه_الم�…	#IfIWonPowerball	#wifm16
8	#MeAgarraUnAtaqueSi	#NYSOS	Tiffany
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)

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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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February 2, 2016

Top News Stories –

LinkedIn: Slovenian club sign right-back after posting advert –
Not one for fax machines and agents’ fees, Slovenian club NK Domzale had a novel way of avoiding the madness of the January transfer window – using LinkedIn. The online networking service is best known for telling you an old colleague has a better job than yours and is mainly used in the UK by professionals such as lawyers and accountants. But after Domzale head coach Luka Elsner, 33, posted a message asking for an “offensive right-back” who “must have an EU passport”, the top-flight club received 150 applications and signed Spanish defender Alvaro Brachi, 30, just before transfer deadline day. [BBC]
DK Domzale LinkedIn ad

A-lister Naomi Watts links up with Anglesey football club –
A Hollywood A-lister has agreed to become the honorary president of a small Anglesey football club. Naomi Watts said she was “very excited” to take on the role for Glantraeth FC, based in Malltraeth, which has a population of 400 people. The English-born star of Mulholland Drive and King Kong spent time as a child on her grandparents’ farm nearby. Glantraeth FC play in the third tier Welsh Alliance football league division one and get crowds of 40 people. After former president Sir George Meyrick stood down last August, secretary Stan Strickland suggested Ms Watts as a replacement. He sent a letter to her agent who is based on Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, and received a positive response on Monday night. [BBC]
Naomi Watts

Video of the Day –

Untamed from The Animation Workshop on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#ツインテールの日	#TravelTuesday	#IowaCaucus
2	#TercaDetremuraSdv	#IowaCaucusresults	#TravelTuesday
3	#FelizMartes	#GroundhogDay	#GroundhogDay
4	#GroundhogDay	#SocialismChecklist	#PNLive
5	#ACupidoYoLePido	Kim and Amber	#WorldWetlandsDay
6	#ALDUBPanibagongLihim	#____SupportsDonaldTrump	#charitytuesday
7	#PangakoNgRebelasyon	Lego Star Wars	#FSB2016
8	#MiCuerpoPide	#WorldWetlandsDay	#gotogrow
9	#زد_رصيدك81	#VoteAustinAndAlly	#HREvent16
10	#YoConfieso	#TWUG	#SBLDN

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- U.S. airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan hit an ISIS radio station and kill 29 suspect militants. (CNN)

Arts and culture

In the United States, Punxsutawney Phil does not see his shadow which according to tradition signals an early spring. (CNN)

Business and economics

Negotiators for the European Commission and the United States agree on a pact protecting data transfers across the North Atlantic by companies such as Google and Amazon, imposing on such companies certain privacy shield obligations. (Reuters)

Health

Zika virus outbreak in the Americas (2015–present)
- The Government of Honduras declares a state of emergency with 3,649 suspected cases of the Zika virus in the past three months. (AP via Journal Star Online)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

February 9, 2016

Top News Stories –

‘Airbnb for sex’ – Entrepreneurs set up KinkBNB for lovers to book guiltless sexcapades –
People who own a Fifty Shades-esque red dungeon of pain, and want to find a use for it when they are on holiday, or who own a honeymoon-worthy castle could now find themselves a lucrative new source of income. KinkBNB is marketing itself as the sex-positive Airbnb – and tenants and renters alike know what they are getting into when they sign up for the site. The Airbnb-style homesharing website now lets lovers book sex-focused getaways without stressing about waking up the next door neighbours or being landed with a hefty damages charge. Its layout is similar to the traditional homesharing site – listing amenities such as washing machines, gardens and swimming pools.

Google boss becomes highest-paid in US –
The chief executive of Google, Sundar Pichai, has been awarded $199m (£138m) in shares, a regulatory filing has revealed. It makes him the highest-paid chief executive in the US.
Mr Pichai became chief executive of the search engine giant following the creation of its parent, Alphabet. The founders of Google, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, have amassed fortunes of $34.6bn and $33.9bn, according to Forbes. Mr Pichai, 43, was awarded 273,328 Alphabet shares on 3 February, worth a total of $199m, according to a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The new award of shares takes Mr Pichai’s total stock value to approximately $650m. [BBC]
Sundar Pichai

Video of the Day –

Tongue in a Mouse Trap – The Slow Mo Guys –

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#TercaSemTedioClubeSDV	#NationalPizzaDay	#PancakeDay
2	#FelizMartes	#TLOP	#NationalPizzaDay
3	#الدوري_يا_اهلي	#BroncosParade	#wpfut16
4	Pangako Ng Hustisya	#SaferInternetDay	#BestFanArmy
5	#وجهه_كلمه_للي_…	#StateOfNASA	#BrexitRisks
6	#BestFanArmy	#FatTuesday	#ThankYouDanielBryan
7	#FatTuesday	I Miss Barack Obama	#NestaHealthLab
8	#NationalPizzaDay	#TWUG	#DebateTech
9	肉の日	#SaaStrAnnual	#SID2016
10	#PancakeDay	#PancakeDay	Jamz

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- A suicide bomb attack in Syria‘s capital Damascus, kills at least 10 people. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claims responsibility. (The New York Times) (AP)
- Doctors without Borders reports three people were killed and at least six others wounded in Friday’s airstrikes, source not identified, that hit the Tafas field hospital in Dara’a Governorate near the Jordanianborder. (UPI) (Médecins Sans Frontières)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- The United States sends more troops to Afghanistan‘s southern Helmand province to shore up security forces who are facing sustained attacks from the Taliban. (Reuters)
Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- Iraqi Armed Forces announce the complete recapture of the city of Ramadi in western Iraq’s Anbar Province from the Islamic State, along with the reopening of the Ramadi-Baghdad road. (UPI) (Iraqi News)

Business and economy

Dubai says that it will continue with its Mall of the World project, despite the financial pressures created by falling oil prices. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Taiwan earthquake
- The death toll from Saturday’s earthquake in Taiwan rises to 41 with 109 people missing. (Focus Taiwan)
- Taiwan authorities arrest three construction company executives of the Wei-guan Golden Dragon Building, which collapsed Saturday, on suspicion of negligent homicide. Almost all of those killed have been recovered from the rubble from this building; the 100-plus missing are likely buried in the debris. (Reuters) (AP via The Washington Post)
Bad Aibling rail accident
- Two passenger trains collide in the German town of Bad Aibling in the state of Bavaria. At least ten people are dead, one person is missing and presumed dead, about 80 are wounded, and 17 are seriously or critically injured. The rescue is difficult- resembling a mountain-type rescue- because of a nearby river and a steep incline and a curve in the tracks; rescue helicopters had to be used. It is one of Bavaria‘s and Germany‘s deadliest-ever railroad accidents. Human error is being examined as a possibility. (BBC) (CNN)
One Indian soldier, buried in the snow for six days, is rescued from last week’s Siachen Glacier avalanche, however the other nine soldiers from the army post in the Himalayan region of Kashmir didn’t survive. (AP via Appeal-Democrat)
A 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck 25 miles (40 kilometers) west of Ovalle in Chile’s central region. No injuries or damage have been reported. (AP via ABC News)

Law and crime

2016 Mong Kok civil unrest
- Clashes break out in the Mong Kok district of Hong Kong as police try to close down illegal food vendors. (BBC)
The Maryland House of Delegates and Senate override Governor Larry Hogan’s veto of a bill extending felons’ voting rights to those who have not completed the terms of their probation or parole. The law goes into effect March 10, 2016. (UPI)
Warner/Chappell Music agrees to return $14 million collected in copyright fees for the song Happy Birthday to You which a federal judge ruled in September belongs in the public domain. (UPI)

Politics and elections

Philippine presidential election, 2016
- The campaign period for the election begins in what international media dubs as a “cliffhanger” between five candidates: Jejomar Binay, Miriam Defensor Santiago, Rodrigo R. Duterte, Grace Poe, and Mar Roxas. (Deutsche Welle), (The Daily Mail)
United States presidential election, 2016, New Hampshire primary
- Voters in the state of New Hampshire go to the polls for the first primary election in this year’s presidential cycle. (BBC)
- New York businessman Donald Trump wins the Republican Party primary while Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders wins the Democratic Party. (NBC News)

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February 11, 2016

Top News Stories –

Einstein’s gravitational waves found at last –
One hundred years after Albert Einstein predicted the existence of gravitational waves, scientists have finally spotted these elusive ripples in space-time. In a highly anticipated announcement, physicists with the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) revealed on 11 February that their twin detectors have heard the gravitational ‘ringing’ produced by the collision of two black holes about 400 megaparsecs (1.3 billion light-years) from Earth.“Ladies and gentlemen, we have detected gravitational waves,” David Reitze, the executive director of the LIGO Laboratory, said at a Washington DC press conference. “We did it!” One black hole was about 36 times the mass of the Sun, and the other was about 29 solar masses. As they spiralled inexorably into one another, they merged into a single, more-massive gravitational sink in space-time that weighed 62 solar masses, the LIGO team estimates. [Nature] See Video of the Day

Star Wars prosecuted over Harrison Ford injury –
The production company behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens is being prosecuted over the incident in which Harrison Ford broke his leg. The actor was struck by a hydraulic metal door on the Pinewood set of the Millennium Falcon in June 2014. The Health And Safety Executive has brought four criminal charges against Foodles Production (UK) Ltd – a subsidiary of Disney. Foodles Production said it was “disappointed” by the HSE’s decision. Following the incident, Ford was airlifted to hospital for surgery. [BBC] Harrison Ford received more than £23 million for his role in the new Star Wars blockbuster and last year crashed his light aircraft for a third time.
Harrison Ford

Video of the Day –

LIGO Gravitational Wave Chirp

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#SONA2016	#ReasonWhyIDoNotHaveAValen…	#SONA2016
2	#QuintaDetremura200kSDV	#WomenInSTEM	The Life of Pablo
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4	#YaCasiEs14YYo	Meryl Streep	#Sprint16
5	OLHA ELAAAAAAAAA	OK Go	#FastFoodBooks
6	#WomenInSTEM	#LIGO	#WomenInSTEM
7	#SiYoFueraCupido	John Lewis	#ImGoingTheVampsBELFAST
8	Pangako Ng Karma	#HealthPolicyValentines	Jeremy Hunt
9	#مالذي_لاتستطي…	#AAASmtg	#IAlwaysGetAnnoyedWhen
10	#TipicoDeSolteros	#TGIT	#IfIHadTrumpsMoney

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Northern Mali conflict
- Suspected Islamist militants attack a customs post in the town of Mopti, central Mali, killing two civilians and a customs officer. (Reuters)
Terrorism in Saudi Arabia
- A man shoots six people dead at an education centre in Jizan Province, Saudi Arabia. (BBC)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- Four policemen are killed and another seven wounded when one of their colleagues opened fire on them in Kandahar, Afghanistan. (Appeal Democrat)

Business and economics

Uber, in San Francisco, California (U.S.), federal court, says it will pay $28.5 million to settle two lawsuits over misleading background check information. Prosecutors settled a similar lawsuit with competitorLyft in 2014. (AP via ABC News)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Taiwan earthquake
- The death toll from the earthquake rises to 59 with 76 missing. (AAP via News Limited)
Aliso Canyon gas leak
- Southern California Gas Company caps, at least temporarily, the natural gas leak that started last October and has forced thousands to flee their homes. (UPI) (Los Angeles Times)

Health

A yellow fever outbreak has killed 37 people in Angola since December 2015. (AAP via News Limited)

International relations

North Korea–South Korea relations
- South Korea starts withdrawing its nationals from the Kaesong Industrial Region in protest to recent actions by North Korea. (Yonhap)
- North Korea says it will freeze all South Korean assets and equipment at the jointly run Kaesong Industrial Park. (AP)
- South Korea shuts off the supply of electricity and water to the Kaesong Industrial Region. (Reuters)

Law and Crime

Occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
- All four remaining occupiers leave the refuge and surrender. (CNN)
Topo Chico prison riot
- At least 52 inmates are killed in a riot and fire at Topo Chico prison in Monterrey, Mexico. (FOX News) (CNN)

Politics and elections

José Ignacio Peralta is sworn in as Governor of Colima.(El Diario de Coahuila)
Warren Truss, the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, announces his resignation as the leader of the National Party of Australia. Barnaby Joyce is elected as the new leader with Fiona Nash elected as the new deputy leader. (ABC News Australia), (ABC News)
The French president François Hollande reshuffles his cabinet, bringing in three ministers from two green parties, Europe Ecology – The Greens and Écologistes !; former Prime Minister of France Jean-Marc Ayrault is named as the new Foreign Minister replacing Laurent Fabius who resigned earlier in the week. (The Guardian), (BBC)
Democratic Party presidential debates, 2016
- Protesters demanding a $15 minimum wage stormed the venue in front of local and national media prior to the start of the sixth debate, this one between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in Milwaukee,Wisconsin. (UPI) (Fox 6 News)

Science

The LIGO Scientific Collaboration experiment announces the first direct observation of gravitational waves. (Nature), (Guardian), (New York Times) (APS Journals)

Sports

Sunderland A.F.C. terminate the contract of England international footballer Adam Johnson after he pleads guilty to two charges relating to child sexual abuse. (BBC)

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February 20, 2016

Top News Stories –

Brendon McCullum: New Zealand captain breaks fastest Test century record –
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum scored the fastest ever Test century in a majestic display against Australia on the first day of the second Test. The 34-year-old needed just 54 balls to reach his 12th century in his 101st and final Test before retiring. It beat the mark of 56 balls set by West Indies great Sir Viv Richards against England in 1986, and equalled by Pakistan’s Misbah-ul-Haq in 2014. “I was trying to hit every ball for four or six,” said McCullum. “Viv was my idol growing up, he was an incredible cricketer. I’m almost a little bit of embarrassed to go past him, to be honest.” He went on to score 145 off of 79 balls. [BBC] See List of the Day

Video of the Day –

Every Best Visual Effects Winner. Ever. from Burger Fiction on Vimeo.

List of the Day –

Fastest Test Centuries [from Wikipedia]

**Fastest Test centuries**
No. of balls	Player	Opponent	Venue	Season
54	Brendon McCullum†	Australia	Hagley Oval, Christchurch	2015–16
56	Viv Richards	England	Antigua Recreation Ground, St. John’s	1985–86
56	Misbah-ul-Haq	Australia	Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi	2014
57	Adam Gilchrist	England	WACA Ground, Perth	2006–07
67	Jack Gregory	South Africa	Old Wanderers, Johannesburg	1921–22
Last updated: 20 February 2016^[

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	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#HappyBirthdayRihanna	#HappyBirthdayRihanna	#HappyBirthdayRihanna
2	#المباراه_تعاد…	#LoveYourPetDay	Umberto Eco
3	#تدرون_اني	#NVDemsCaucus	#GlasgowGP
4	DJP RoadTourNaga	#PowerSharesQQQ300	#Bellator149
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7	JaDineLove AranetaConcert	#FirstTechJob	#WorldClubSeries
8	#FelizSabado	#SLFLOsaka	#6YearsOfBaby
9	#MiedoEs	#Caturday	#NeD16
10	#DicenQueNoSonNacosY	#IfIWereTheLast	#WelshLab16

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- Two Serbian embassy staff abducted in Libya in November 2015 are believed to have been among dozens killed in yesterday’s U.S. airstrike on a ISIL camp in Sabratha, according to Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić. (Reuters)
- At least 14 people are killed and 32 wounded in battles in the eastern city of Benghazi, most in the Boatni neighborhood, between the Libyan National Army and Islamist militants. (Reuters)
Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- Al-Qaeda militants take control of the southern Yemeni town of Ahwar in the Abyan Governorate. (Reuters)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- A United States Air Force operated MQ-9 Reaper drone crashes at the Kandahar Airfield in southern Afghanistan. (RT)

Arts and culture

Italian refugee documentary Fire at Sea, directed by Gianfranco Rosi, wins the 66th Berlin International Film Festival’s Golden Bear award for best film. (Variety)

Disasters and accidents

2015–16 South Pacific cyclone season
- Cyclone Winston
  - Hundreds of evacuation centres are activated in Fiji as Cyclone Winston makes landfall in Fiji‘s outer islands and heads towards islands with higher population. (ABC News Australia)
  - A curfew of 6pm is introduced with power out in many areas of Fiji. (ABC)
  - A “state of natural disaster” is declared for the next 30 days with Cyclone Winston classified as the strongest storm on record in the Southern Hemisphere. (Slate)

International relations

Syrian Civil War peace process
- The main Syrian opposition group says a temporary truce is possible if the Syrian government’s allies, including Russia, “halt all fighting” in the war-torn country. A pause in Russian bombardments appears unlikely. (Reuters) (Voice of America)

Law and crime

Jat protesters shut down 70% of Delhi‘s water supply meaning the Indian city could run out of water by the end of the weekend. At least nine people are killed in fighting. (The Times of India), (BBX)
Calais migrant crisis
- French authorities give up to 1000 migrants, mostly Syrians and Iraqis, until 8pm local time on 23 February to leave the Calais jungle camp. Those who refuse to leave will be forcibly removed by police.(Sky News)
2016 Kalamazoo shootings
- Seven people are killed and another injured in multiple shooting incidents in Kalamazoo County in the American state of Michigan. A 45-year-old man was later arrested in the city of Kalamazoo (RT),(Press Association via Irish Independent)
A planned refugee shelter is set on fire in Bautzen, eastern Germany. (Deutsche Welle)

Politics and elections

United States presidential election, 2016.
- Voters in the American state of Nevada take part in Democratic Party caucuses, with Hillary Clinton winning against Bernie Sanders. (Fox News) (NBC News)
- Voters in the American state of South Carolina go to the polls for the South Carolina primary for the Republican Party with Donald Trump winning and Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio in a close race for second.(2016 Election Central), (CNN), (AP via Boston Globe)
- Former Governor of Florida Jeb Bush suspends his campaign following a disappointing finish in the South Carolina primary. (NBC News)
China’s State Council announces that Liu Shiyu, who had been chairman of the Agricultural Bank of China Limited, will replace Xiao Gang as head of the China’s Securities Regulatory Commission.(Reuters) (China Daily)
Ugandan general election, 2016
- The President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni is declared the winner of the Presidential election with 60% of the vote. European Union observers state that the election was held in an “intimidating atmosphere”. (NPR)

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February 27, 2016

Top News Stories –

Oregon scraps goat landscaping scheme due to cost and smell –
It seemed like an environmentally good idea at the time: Set 75 rented goats loose on 9.1 acres of [Salem] city park to chomp and chew invasive plants such as Armenian blackberry and English ivy that were choking native flora out of Minto-Brown Island Park. So the city, responding to community interest, launched a pilot project last October, contracting with Yoder Goat Rentals out of Molalla to remove the invasive species. But in a report submitted this week to the Salem City Council, the public works department revealed that the six-week project cost the city almost five times what it would normally have spent had it removed the vegetation using more conventional, and less odoriferous, methods. According to the report presented Monday, the total cost to the city for using the nannies and billies, which were “universally welcomed by park users as a pleasant pastoral addition to the scenery,” was $20,719. Ruminate on that, if you will. [Statesman Journal]

Russian troops ‘lose’ field gun after holiday salute –
Russian soldiers have been left red-faced after losing a large artillery piece in the middle of the city of Volgograd, it’s reported. Surprised locals called the police after finding the weapon – a World War Two-era ZiS-3 76mm mobile field gun – blocking the pavement of a major thoroughfare near the centre on Tuesday evening, the LifeNews TV channel reports. It turns out the gun went Awol as it was being towed back to the barracks in a column of military vehicles from the city’s Volga embankment, where it had been used in a gun salute to mark the Defender of the Fatherland Day – an annual official holiday celebrating the armed forces. One eyewitness reports seeing it uncouple itself from a turning lorry and trundle backwards onto the roadside, coming to rest only 1m (3ft) from a parked car. “Only a bit more, and it would have ended up in the front passenger seat,” he says. It’s not clear whether the troops noticed the loss, as the witness says they “carried on as if nothing had happened”. A military spokesman, however, insists the servicemen did spot the gun’s departure, but were unable to stop as they were in an “organised column”. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

8 Mind-Blowing Ways To Use Your Hair Dryer

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#SabadoNoClubeSDV	#TheTeddyBearCamDance	#ENGvIRE
2	#IndvsPak	#NeverTrump	#NeverTrump
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4	#TheTeddyBearCamDance	#BlackTwitter16	#YL16
5	DJP RoadTourAntipolo	#VoteShawnMendes	#BareLit16
6	#EmpobreceUnaPeli	#CADEM16	#MakeAFilmAboutSomeoneElse
7	#FelizSabado	#SpiritAwards	#StopTrident
8	정청래	#AlwaysTrump	#CleanForTheQueen
9	#DenizGezmiş	#GottaCatchEmAll	#SelfieForNash
10	#NeverTrump	#ImSooooSingleThat	#townsongs

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- A truce is in effect, as of midnight. Russian Air Force attacks on opposition positions were reported to have been intensified before the truce took effect. (BBC)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- A suicide bomber kills at least 26 and injures nearly 50 in Afghanistan‘s eastern Kunar Province near the border with Pakistan. (AAP via News Limited) (NY Times)
Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
  - At least 30 people are killed in an airstrike on a market near the Yemeni capital Sana’a. (BBC)

Law and crime

Three people are stabbed, including one person critically wounded, and several people are arrested after a Ku Klux Klan (KKK) rally in Anaheim, California turns violent. (Los Angeles Times)

Politics and elections

United States presidential election, 2016
- Voters in South Carolina go to the polls for the Democratic Party primary. Hillary Clinton won. (ABC) (AL.com) (The Guardian)
Irish general election, 2016
- Counting begins of the votes cast yesterday with exit polls indicating that the existing coalition will not gain enough votes to govern without reaching a deal with other parties. (BBC)
Elections in Iran
- Counting of votes begins in Iran after polling hours in yesterday’s election were extended by six hours due to a heavy turnout. Reports indicate that reformist candidates are doing well in the early count.(Reuters via Swiss, info), (AP)
- Preliminary results shows that Pervasive Coalition of Reformists has won a majority in Tehran district and some other big cities, as Principlists Coalition won seats in smaller cities. (Reuters)
- Early Assembly of Experts results show that Principlists won the majority, as Reformists won 14 out of 16 seats in Tehran, although some of them also had the support of conservatives. (Reuters via Yahoo)
Thousands, including some from Australia, protest in London, England, against the renewal of the United Kingdom’s Trident nuclear deterrent system, the largest anti-nuclear rally since 1983. Leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn, Scottish National Party leader and First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon, the Welsh Plaid Cymru Party, and the Green Party participated in the march. A parliamentary vote on renewing Trident is expected this year. (International Business Times) (The Guardian)

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March 3, 2016

March 2, 2016

Top News Stories –

Kanye West appears to have torrent site Pirate Bay open in a photo he’s tweeted –
Kanye West is in trouble over his tweets – again – after the background to a photo he posted made it look like he was illegally downloading files. He sent out a picture on Twitter showing him listening to a Sufjan Stevens track on YouTube, but fans quickly spotted other tabs he had open. One of them says “Xfer Records Serum”, but is next to others saying “Pirate Bay Torrent Xfe” and “MediaDownloader”. Deadmau5 hit out at Kanye, saying: “@kanyewest – can’t afford Serum?” Kanye’s original tweet simply said “Day 3” alongside the photo. [BBC Newsbeat]
In September 2015 West announced he will be running for US President in 2020.
Kanye West

Emirates A380 makes longest non-stop flight as airlines launch long-haul battle –
An Emirates superjumbo touched down in Auckland, New Zealand, on Wednesday, after spending more than 17 hours in the air from Dubai – making it the world’s longest commercial scheduled flight. The Emirates A380 covered a route of about 8825 miles, before turning around and doing it all again on the way home. It beat the previous record – Qantas’s Dallas to Sydney route – by about 250 miles. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

STREET SWEEPER from Rupert Walker on Vimeo.

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	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#QuartaFeiraNoClubeSDV	#TwoWordTrump	High School Musical 4
2	#FelizMiercoles	#WCH2016	#WednesdayWisdom
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4	#QuienMeConoceSabe	Sports Authority	#BackInTimeForTheWeekend
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9	#حلوه_الحياه_لما	#ICON16	#digifest16
10	High School Musical 4	#ReadAcrossAmerica	#ExOnTheBeach

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

One Chinese national is killed and three others injured in a possible militant attack on a Chinese-invested company in Laos, the official Xinhua News Agency reports. (Reuters)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Two Palestinian teenagers, from the nearby village of Qaryout, got into a Jewish settlement and stabbed an Israeli settler at his home in the Eli settlement near Nablus in the occupied West Bank. They were stopped and killed by the army. The injured settler was taken to a hospital. (Reuters)(AFP via i24news)
Spillover of the Syrian Civil War
- Jordan says an overnight raid on an ISIL cell in the city of Irbid has left seven militants and one security officer dead, with five others injured. Those killed were planning to blow up civilian and military targets in the country, according to the General Intelligence Directorate (GID). (BBC)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- Nine people are killed in an attack on the Indian consulate In Jalalabad, Afghanistan. (NDTV)
Libyan Crisis (2011–present)
- The Tunisian Army kills five suspected ISIL militants near the town of Ben Gardane after they infiltrated across the border from neighboring Libya. (Reuters)

Business and economy

Mining company Samarco agrees to pay $4.4bn reais (£804m) in compensation to victims of the Bento Rodrigues dam disaster in Brazil. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

Iraqi engineers warn that the Mosul Dam could collapse at anytime, resulting in a catastrophic flash flood that could kill up to one million people along the Tigris, with the major Iraqi cites of Mosul, Tikrit,Samarra and Baghdad all at risk. The U.S. embassy in Baghdad has urged American citizens to leave the area. (The Guardian)
2016 Sumatra earthquake
- The Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency of Indonesia (BMKG) and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) issue tsunami warnings, after an undersea 7.9 magnitude earthquakestrikes southwest of Sumatra, in the Indian Ocean. (RT) (BOM)

International relations

South China Sea disputes
- Philippines Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario says Chinese coast guard ships that were sighted two weeks ago near the disputed Jackson Atoll in the northeast Dangerous Ground are no longer there today. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said ships were dispatched to the area in late 2015 to salvage a fishing vessel that posed a risk to navigation. Chinese ships, “… persuaded fishing boats to leave the waters in an effort to ensure safety conditions for normal navigation,” Hong said. In addition to China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Brunei also lay claim to theSpratly Islands waters. (AP via The Washington Post)
European migrant crisis
- The European Union launches a new aid program worth an initial 700 million euros (US$760 million) to address the growing refugee crisis in Greece. EU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Christos Stylianides says the so-called Emergency Assistance Instrument will be used to help migrants trapped in Greece and, if needed, in other countries on the migration route front lines. Approval by a majority of EU members is required. The next EU meeting is scheduled for Monday. (The New York Times) (Reuters) (Kathimerini)
The Gulf Cooperation Council formally designates Lebanon‘s Hezbollah militia a terrorist organization. The GCC member states are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.(The Washington Post)
The United Nations Security Council adopts the toughest sanctions on North Korea in twenty years due to continued efforts to develop a nuclear weapons program. (Fox News)

Politics and elections

Spanish general election, 2015
- The conservative People’s Party (PP) and the left-wing Podemos party, which together hold 192 seats in Spain’s 350-seat parliament following December’s election, confirm they will vote against Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) leader Pedro Sánchez’s candidacy to form a new government. (AP via The Washington Post)

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March 9, 2016

Top News Stories –

Anti-PC Effort #TheTriggering Explodes on Twitter –
#TheTriggering, a hashtag meant to ridicule politically correct attitudes, exploded on Twitter and became a major trending topic in the United States. Activist Lauren Southern came up with the idea a few months ago: [mediaite.com]

See Top Twitter Trends

Kim Jong-un says North Korea has miniaturised nuclear warheads –
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un says his scientists have successfully miniaturised thermo-nuclear warheads to place on a ballistic missile and create a “true” deterrent, state media said on Wednesday. While Pyongyang has boasted of mastering miniaturisation before, this is the first time Kim has so explicitly claimed a breakthrough that experts see as a game-changing step for the North’s nuclear capabilities. Kim also stressed that the warheads were “thermo-nuclear” devices, echoing the North’s claim that the fourth nuclear test it conducted in January was of a more powerful hydrogen bomb. “The nuclear warheads have been standardised to be fit for ballistic missiles by miniaturising them,” Kim noted during a visit with nuclear technicians, the North’s official KCNA news agency said. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

The Most Interesting Man in the World Embarks on His Greatest Adventure Yet – Adios Amigo

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	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#QuartaDetremuraSdv	#TheTriggering	#TheTriggering
2	#TheTriggering	#1DayTilDangerousWoman	Lilly Wachowski
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4	Welcome Purpose Tour	George Martin	#WednesdayWisdom
5	George Martin	#WednesdayWisdom	#nosmokingday
6	#FelizMiércoles	#DStrong	#SDinGov
7	#1DayTilDangerousWoman	#1linewed	#IfTrumpWins
8	#المغربيه_احلي…	#NationalMeatballDay	#JuniorDoctorsStrike
9	#CompiYogui	#GreenwoodExplosion	George Martin
10	#ALDUBTheCompromise	#IfTrumpWins	Nick Clegg

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- Taliban militants attack government offices in the southern Helmand Province of Afghanistan, with at least 10 killed, including seven of the attackers. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
War in Somalia (2009–present)
- U.S. special forces, landing in two helicopters, stage an overnight raid on the al-Shabaab-controlled town of Awdhegele in Somalia‘s Lower Shebelle region. Al-Shabaab spokesman, Sheik Abduasiz Abu Musab, confirmed the raid saying “The helicopters landed outside town and the ground forces entered, there was heavy fighting and they were forced to flee”.”They were masked and spoke foreign languages which our fighters could not understand,” Abu Musab told Reuters. “We do not know who they were but we foiled them.” (AFP via Yahoo! News)(Reuters)
North Caucasus clashes
- A group of nine human rights activists and journalists, heading to Grozny, Chechnya, in a small bus, are attacked on the Kavkaz federal highway near the Ordzhonikidzovskaya settlement at the Ingushetiaborder. About 20 masked men assaulted the group, confiscated some mobile phones, and set their vehicle on fire. Two of the journalists, the NGO lawyer, and the bus driver were hospitalized. A Committee to Prevent Torture representative said this is the first press tour that was not organized by the Chechen government. (AP via WSOC-TV) (AFP via Yahoo! News)(Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union)

Disasters and accidents

At least 30 people are killed after a five-storey building still under construction collapses in Lagos, Nigeria. (Reuters)
Seattle, Washington (U.S.), fire crews, responding to reports of a natural gas leak, are caught in an explosion that injures nine firefighters. The explosion blew out windows in businesses and storefronts in the surrounding blocks. Three businesses were destroyed and a fourth was heavily damaged. “There’s nothing but rubble and bricks,” a resident said. Search dogs are working to ensure no one else is under the rubble. The Seattle Police Arson Bomb Unit and Puget Sound Energy are investigating the cause of the explosion. (The Washington Post) (KING-TV) (Seattle Fire Department)

Health and medicine

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends physicians ask about basic needs to screen for poverty-related health risk factors, participate in programs that help children develop resilience, assist families in identifying and maximizing protective factors, and advocate for safety net programs that assist children. (The Washington Post) (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) (2 Minute Medicine)

International relations

North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- North Korea’s state media reports Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, in comments released today, states the country has miniaturized nuclear warheads to be mounted on ballistic missiles, and has ordered improvements in the power and precision of its arsenal. (Reuters)
European migrant crisis
- Macedonia says it will no longer let any migrants through its southern border with Greece, effectively blocking the Balkan route for migrants. The decision came after Slovenia barred access to migrants transiting the country. There are around 13,000 migrants now stranded at the Macedonia-Greece border. (BBC)

Law and crime

Shahbaz Taseer, the son of Pakistani Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer who was murdered in 2011 for criticizing the country’s blasphemy laws, is reunited with his family four-and-a-half years after his kidnapping. Tuesday, Shahbaz was rescued by Pakistani secret service and counter-terrorism operatives in Kuchlak, Balochistan Province. He had been abducted in Lahore in August 2011, seven months after his father’s murder by bodyguard Mumtaz Qadri. Qadri was executed on February 29, 2016. His death was claimed as the reason for the deadly Taliban suicide bombing in Shabqadar two days ago.(Reuters) (GEO TV Lahore) (The Express Tribune)
Niqāb in Egypt
- The Parliament of Egypt drafts a law which will ban women from wearing full-face veils such as the niqāb and burqa in public places and government institutions. The move comes after Cairo Universityrecently banned nurses and doctors from wearing veils in medical schools and in teaching hospitals, arguing the ban would “protect patients’ rights and interests”. (The Independent)

Politics

Peruvian general election, 2016
- Peru’s electoral court bans two leading candidates – Julio Guzman and César Acuña Peralta – from participating in next month’s election due to breaches of electoral law. (BBC)

Science

Solar eclipse of March 9, 2016
- A total solar eclipse occurs in Indonesia, and later, east of the international date line, in the northern Pacific Ocean. A partial eclipse occurs in northern Australia, South-East Asia, and the Pacific. (ABC News)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

March 10, 2016

Top News Stories –

Nasa’s super-slippery anti-insect coating could slash cost of flying –
Nasa has invented a super-slippery material which could allow planes to glide through the air with less resistance and cut could the price of travel. The new coating would reduce drag and improve fuel efficiency, it is predicted. Up to now even the tiniest pieces of debris in the air, such as insects, trigger swirling air turbulence which perturbs the airstream, making it harder for a plane to push through. The new substance is designed on the microscopic pits and ridges of the lotus leaf which naturally repels water. It will allow insects to simply slip off the side rather than stick, causing more resistance. Nasa forecasts that debugging aircraft combined with new designs to take advantage of the smoother airflow, could improve fuel efficiency by more than one percent. Although it does not seem like much, it could see costs for an airline like British Airways fall by £35 million a year. [Daily Telegraph]

Fukushima nuclear plant ‘will leak radioactive water for four more years’ –
Operators of Japan’s damaged nuclear power plant Fukushima have warned that it will take a further four years to fix the problem of contaminated water leaks. The admission was made as a sombre nation prepared to mark the fifth anniversary of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami, which triggering the world’s worst nuclear disaster in decades. The problem of dealing with contaminated water leaks – which now exceed 760,000 tonnes – has emerged as major challenge to the decommissioning of the Fukushima plant. Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco), which operates Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, confirmed it will take four years to collect and treat all contaminated water pooled around the reactors. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Can You Actually Eat A Bus?

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#شي_منتفخ_بحرف_…	#DangerousWomanTONIGHT	Dan Jarvis
2	#الهلال_النصر	Wilkinsburg	#WorldKidneyDay
3	#FelizJueves	#MAR10DAY	#BBCSchoolReport
4	#SegQSigoDeVoltaClubeSDV	#BestSchoolDay	#LFCvMUFC
5	#NewZingle	#FutureOfWar	#HistoricalTVShows
6	#PurposeTourSeattle	Pawn Stars	#PurposeTourSeattle
7	#NoEsPorPresumir	#AfterBreakfastIUsually	#betterjobs
8	#اسم_حلو_من_ارب…	#SearchFest	#Dunblane
9	#ALDUB34thWeeksary	Goose Gossage	#MBI2016
10	#GüneşinKızlarıDevamEtsin	Michelle Fields	Di Maria

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon
- Clashes between the Lebanese Army and jihadist militants near the village of Ras Baalbek in northeast Lebanon, close to the Syrian border, leaves one soldier and eight militants dead. (AFP via Daily Mail)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- Dozens of militants are killed in fighting between rival Taliban factions in Afghanistan‘s western Herat Province. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

Two days of heavy rain in the American state of Louisiana has caused at least three deaths and caused more than a thousand people to evacuate their homes. (Fox News)

International relations

United States–Venezuela relations
- Venezuela recalls its chargé d’affaires from its embassy in Washington, D.C. after U.S. President Barack Obama renewed a decree imposing sanctions on several top Venezuelan officials. (Reuters)
North Korea–South Korea relations
- North Korea fires two missiles into the Sea of Japan and announces its intention to liquidate all remaining South Korean assets on its territory. (AFP via Yahoo! News)

Law and crime

Former Russian Press Minister Mikhail Lesin was found by a American investigation to have died of blunt force injuries in Washington, D.C. in November last year. (Reuters)
A jury in a U.S. federal court in Scranton, Pennsylvania says that Cabot Oil must pay plaintiffs $4.2 million in damages that resulted from Cabot’s fracking operations in the northeast part of that state. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Three candidates are put forward to become President of Myanmar: Htin Kyaw and Sai Nyunt Lwin from the National League for Democracy and Khin Aung Myint from the military. (ABC News Australia)
The Irish Dáil Éireann (parliament) fails to elect a new taoiseach (Prime Minister) with incumbent Enda Kenny carrying on as a caretaker. (BBC)

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April 10, 2016

Top News Stories –

Danny Willett wins the 2016 Masters –
While Jordan Spieth attempted to make history today, Danny Willett stole the spotlight. With a final-round, 5-under-par 67, Willett became the first Englishman in 20 years to win the Masters Tournament. Willett, 28, finished at 5-under-par 283. He defeated Spieth and Lee Westwood (69) by three shots. Spieth bogeyed Nos. 10 and 11. Then, he hit his tee shot at the par-3 12th into the bank, his ball rolling back into the water. Spieth then chunked his third shot into the water and his fifth into the back bunker. He got up and down from there for a quadruple-bogey 7. With Spieth’s meltdown, Willett birdied Nos. 14 to move to 4-under. He rolled in a seven-foot birdie putt at No. 16 to get to 5-under. Then, he saved par at No. 17 after hitting his second shot just off the green. Willett made par at No. 18 to finish with a 3-under-par 33 total on the back nine. He joins Nick Faldo as the only two Englishmen to ever win the Masters. [Augusta.com]
Danny Willett

Video of the Day –

2CELLOS – Whole Lotta Love vs. Beethoven 5th Symphony

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide	USA
#DomingoDetremuraSdv	Will Smith
#FelizDomingo	#NationalSiblingsDay
#EverydayKathBookLaunch	#MTVMovieAwards
#PrevailAteneo	#FearTWD
Will Smith	#ParisRoubaix
#ParisRoubaix	#UFCZagreb
#النساء_اساس_ا�…	#RoyalVisitIndia
#Kollam	#FakeRockandRollFacts
#PacBradley	#NationalSiblingDay
#TuNoviaLaQueParece	#Kollam

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- The Taliban, in a statement claiming responsibility for yesterday’s rocket attacks into Kabul, Afghanistan, says the intended target was U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who was in the capital to help defuse a crisis within the unity government. Kerry had departed less than an hour earlier. No casualties have been reported. (CNN)

Business and economics

Developers announce their intention to build a new tower in Dubai, United Arab Emirates to surpass the Burj Khalifa as the tallest structure in the world. The project is expected to be roughly $1bn (£710m) and scheduled to be completed for the Dubai Expo trade fair in 2020. (BBC)
The International Monetary Fund encourages the move toward negative interest rates because “they help deliver additional monetary stimulus and easier financial conditions.” (Reuters).

Disasters and accidents

Kollam temple fire
- A fire occurs at a Hindu temple in the Kollam district of the Indian state of Kerala. At least 102 people have been killed and hundreds injured. (Indian Express) (Times of India) (inquisitr), (BBC)
2016 Afghanistan earthquake
- A 6.6 magnitude earthquake occurs in northern Afghanistan near the Pakistan border with tremors felt in north India. (BBC) (USGS)

International relations

Iran–United States relations
- The Foreign Minister of Iran Mohammad Javad Zarif says that the country’s missile program would not be up for discussion. This comes as United States Secretary of State John Kerry said last Thursday that the United States and its allies would only address Iran’s concerns in the region if it makes it clear to all involved that it was prepared to cease provocative ballistic missile launches and tests. (The Guardian)

Law and crime

Panama Papers
- German Justice Minister Heiko Maas, during a newspaper interview, appeals to media to hand over “Panama Papers” data that will help governments around the globe that already have startedinvestigating possible financial wrongdoing by the world’s rich and powerful. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Peruvian general election, 2016
- Voters in Peru go to the polls for a general election with Keiko Fujimori and Pedro Kuczynski going through to the second round. (Telesur) (AP via Journal Times)
- Suspected Shining Path rebels kill three people, two of them Peruvian Army soldiers and the other a driver, in an attack on a vehicle carrying election materials in the remote areas of the country. (BBC)
Chadian presidential election, 2016
- Voters in Chad go to the polls for the first round of voting in a presidential election with incumbent President Idriss Déby favoured to win a fifth term. (Reuters)
Comorian presidential election, 2016
- Voting begins for the second round of an election in the Comoros with a tight race expected between three candidates. They are current Vice President Mohamed Ali Soilihi, who won the first round, former coup leader Azali Assoumani and Governor of Grande Comore Mouigni Baraka. (Al Jazeera)
The Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk resigns from office in a televised address. Yatsenyuk said his resignation is to be immediately followed by the formation of a new government. Volodymyr Groysman has taken role as Acting Prime Minister. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
European migrant crisis
- Macedonian police fire tear gas at refugees as they attempted to break through a fence at the Greece-Macedonia border near Idomeni, sparking clashes that injured 200 people. (Al Jazeera)
Panama Papers
- British Prime Minister David Cameron releases his tax records in an effort to remove discussion about his personal wealth from the current political discourse. His initial reluctance to admit he had benefited from his late father’s offshore Panama Papers holdings still seems to be affecting the upcoming European Union referendum. Unfortunately for the PM, the main Sunday newspapers in the U.K. tell of a gift of 200,000 pounds ($282,500) from his mother in 2011, suggesting it may have been a way of avoiding inheritance tax. (Reuters)
- Several thousand people protest in Valletta, Malta, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat because the leaked Panama Papers connect his Chief of Staff, Keith Schembri, and Health and Energy Minister, Konrad Mizzi, to offshore accounts. (Reuters)

Science and technology

The World Wildlife Fund reports global populations of tigers, an endangered species, are up about 20 percent over the past six years. This increase in tiger numbers, after declining for a century, was primarily in India, Russia, Nepal, and Bhutan. The third Asian Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation starts Monday in New Delhi, India. (Newsweek)

Sport

Masters Tournament
- In golf, Danny Willett of England wins the 2016 Masters Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club. (The Telegraph)
NBA 2015-16 season
- The Golden State Warriors, with today’s win at San Antonio, tie the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls NBA regular season record with their 72nd win this season. The Warriors can still break the record; on Wednesday, they host the Memphis Grizzlies in their final regular season game. (NBC News) (NBA)

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April 11, 2016

Top News Stories –

Bryan Adams cancels Mississippi concert over new religious law –
Bryan Adams has cancelled a concert in Mississippi over the US state’s new controversial religious liberty law. The law, which allows some private businesses and religious groups to refuse service to gay people, was passed last week. The singer issued a statement saying he could not “in good conscience” perform in the state. He added he found it “incomprehensible that LGBT citizens are being discriminated against”. He was due to play the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi on Thursday. Adams’s cancellation comes after Bruce Springsteen cancelled a show in North Carolina last week because of a new law in that state. [BBC]
Bryan Adams

Video of the Day –

Game of Thrones Season 6: Trailer #2

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide	USA
#FelizLunes	#NationalPetDay
#ÇarşıYavşAKlaraKarşı	#OpeningDaySTL
#SegundaDaDetremuraSdv	Bryan Adams
#الحضن_حب_ولا_ق…	#FenwayOpener
#NationalPetDay	#My2WordNightmare
#11ANoVolvera	Quilly
#BeşiktaşınMaçıVar	#DemocracySpring
#My2WordNightmare	#BBMAs
#ALDUBSummerLOVE	#LoveMySchoolDay
#DiaMundialDelParkinson	#FelizLunes

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

2016 Stavropol bombings
- At least three suicide bombers attack a police station in Stavropol, Russia. (Sputnik News)
Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- Clashes and air strikes are reported in Yemen despite a fragile truce between the government and Houthis taking effect. However, the truce appears to be largely holding as members from the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement are granted unhindered access to give humanitarian aid and personnel across the country. (BBC)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- A suicide bomber kills 12 new police recruits in the Nangarhar Province of Afghanistan. The Taliban claims responsibility for the attack. (BBC)
War in Somalia (2009–present)
- At least five people are killed and seven are wounded following a car bomb attack near a government building in Somalia‘s capital, Mogadishu. Al-Shabaab claims responsibility for the attack. (BBC)

Business and economics

2008 financial crisis
- Goldman Sachs agrees to pay $5.06 billion to settle allegations that it sold packages of shoddy mortgages prior to the global financial crisis.. The U.S. Justice Department settlement includes a $2.385 billion civil penalty, and $1.8 billion for distressed borrowers and communities affected by the housing crisis. (The Washington Post) (UPI)

Disasters and accidents

2014–16 El Niño event
- A severe heat wave grips Malaysia as much of Southeast Asia struggles with unusually hot and dry weather created by the El Niño season. Temperatures in Malaysia soared above 37°C, prompting more than 250 schools to close. (Al Jazeera)

International relations

G7 foreign ministers meeting
- John Kerry, along with the other Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers, laid wreaths at Japan’s Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum to the victims of the 1945 U.S. nuclear attack. Kerry is the firstSecretary of State to visit the memorial. Then-U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi was previously the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit the memorial, in 2008. The Hiroshimaforeign ministers meeting is part of the preparations for the 42nd G7 summit the end of next month at Japan’s Kashiko Island, Shima, Mie Prefecture. (Reuters) (Channel NewsAsia)
Houthi insurgency in Yemen, Yemeni Crisis (2011–present)
- Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the United Nations special envoy for Yemen, says he welcomes the tentative truce that started at midnight Yemen time. The truce opens unhindered access for relief aid to all of Yemen. Peace talks are set to start later this month. (Reuters)
North Korea–South Korea relations, North Korean defectors
- South Korea announces that a colonel from North Korea‘s military spy agency defected to the south last year. Senior-level defections are rare, most being low level operatives. (AP)
European migrant crisis
- The Italian Coast Guard rescues 1,850 in the Strait of Sicily. (AFP via Daily Star)

Law and crime

CIA Director John Brennan, in an exclusive interview to air on NBC News tonight, says the United States intelligence agency will not use harsh, enhanced interrogation techniques, including waterboarding, even if ordered by a future president. Presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ted Cruz have discussed using waterboarding if elected. (The Hill via MSN.com) (NBC News)
Kollam temple fire
- Five workers from the company that supplied fireworks to the Puttingal Temple have been detained by Indian police with the death toll rising to 106. (CNN)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict (2015–present)
- Israeli security forces arrest 18 Palestinians on the West Bank for alleged terrorism related offences. (Jerusalem Post)

Politics and elections

Hundreds of arrests are reported in the U.S. capitol in response to the Democracy Spring protests. (CNN) (Democracy Spring)

The Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Temir Sariyev announces he will resign from his post. This comes after several Parliament members accused Sariyev and his cabinet of corruption. The Kyrgyz presidential press service said President Almazbek Atambayev accepted his resignation. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Darfurian status referendum, 2016
- Voting for a referendum begins in Darfur, Sudan. Voters will be asked during the three-day referendum to decide on the permanent administrative status of the region. The choices are for the creation of a Darfur Region composed of the States of Darfur, or the retention of the status quo states system. Darfur is currently divided into five states. Voters will decide this week whether the area should go back to being one region, as it was until 1994. However, there are fears of voter apathy and if the referendum will be credible. (Al Jazeera)
The President of the Georgian breakaway state of South Ossetia Leonid Tibilov announces his plan to hold a referendum on whether to become part of Russia or to keep its de facto independence before August of this year. This comes after South Ossetia signed various agreements further integrating the region with Russia. (TASS)
2015–16 protests in Brazil
- A committee of Brazil‘s Chamber of Deputies votes 38-27 to recommend the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff, who faces charges of breaking budget laws to support her re-election in 2014.(Reuters)

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April 14, 2016

Top News Stories –

US basketball star Kobe Bryant shines in final game –
One of basketball’s biggest stars, Kobe Bryant, has retired from the sport after a career spanning two decades with a stunning final performance. He scored 60 points to help the LA Lakers make a dramatic comeback against the Utah Jazz in Los Angeles. Bryant, 37, spent his entire career with the Lakers, winning five NBA titles and recording the third highest total number of points in the sport. Tickets for his final match changed hands for up to $27,500 (£19,315). Bryant scored 23 points in the fourth quarter to help his team overcome a 15-point deficit to win the game. [BBC]
Kobe Bryant

Video of the Day –

French Horn Rebellion – Foolin’ Around (Official Video) from Ariel Fisher on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide	USA
#QuintaComOClubeSDV	#DemocraticWhores
#والله_اني_مال�…	#LetMeCheerYouUpBy
#وش_كانوا_اهلك_…	#MilwaukeeDay
#LetMeCheerYouUpBy	Ghost in the Shell
#مش_مرتبط_ليه	#FightFor15
#DemocraticWhores	#NFLScheduleRelease
#三大欲はこんなもん	#1YearOfHandwritten
#1YearOfHandwritten	#demdebate
#خرافات_مشت_عليك	#DPLAfest
#اوصف_نفسك_بتو�…	#IvyPark

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- Taliban militants kill eight people, including a police commander, in an ambush in northern Afghanistan. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- A Palestinian wielding an ax attacks an Israeli soldier near Hebron and is shot dead while two 12-year-old Palestinians in Jerusalem are arrested by Israeli Police with three knives concealed in their coats on suspicion of planning to carry out a stabbing attack. (The Times of Israel)

Arts and culture

Authorities in Ukraine recover four Dutch Golden Age paintings stolen from a museum in the Netherlands a decade ago. (AP via Seattle Times)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Kumamoto earthquake
- A magnitude 6.4 earthquake strikes near Kumamoto, Japan, collapsing several buildings killing at least four people and injuring 400. However, no tsunami warning was issued and local nuclear power plants reported no problems. (Reuters), (CNN), (Japan Today)
At least 18 people are killed after a 80-tonne crane collapses on a temporary structure during a thunderstorm in the city of Dongguan, China. (The Times of India)

International relations

North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- North Korea deploys one or two intermediate-range ballistic missiles on its east coast, possibly preparing for launch on or around Friday, the anniversary of the birth of the country’s founder Kim Il-sung, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency. (Euronews via Reuters)

Law and crime

The People’s Republic of China announces that it will prosecute 357 people for the illegal sale of vaccines. (BBC)
The U.S. company Microsoft has sued the United States, alleging that it has been prevented from disclosing warrants to the company’s customers in violation of the company’s constitutional rights. (NYT)

Politics and elections

The Verkhovna Rada appoints Volodmyr Groysman as the Prime Minister of Ukraine, replacing Arseny Yatseniuk. (Reuters)
Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir impose a curfew around the capital of Srinagar, Handwara, and neighbouring villages as protests turn violent. People began to protest last Tuesday when allegations were circulated by residents in Handwara that an Indian Army soldier tried to sexually assault a teenage schoolgirl. (Al Jazeera)
Hong Kong’s June 4th Museum, the first museum dedicated to the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, is to close down. Organizers say they believe they are being targeted for political reasons. It comes at a time when concerns are growing in Hong Kong that Beijing is tightening its grip on the city. (The Guardian)
Thousands of opposition supporters rally in Harare, Zimbabwe, against President Robert Mugabe and the deteriorating economy. The rally was banned by the police, however, it went ahead after a ruling by the High Court sanctioned the protest. (BBC)

Sports

In basketball, the WNBA draft is held in Uncasville, Connecticut. The top pick is Connecticut’s Breanna Stewart, followed by her college teammates Moriah Jefferson and Morgan Tuck. This marks the first time in any major North American sports draft that a single school produced the top three selections. (ESPN)

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April 15, 2016

Top News Stories –

New Zealand stages first Pastafarian wedding on pirate boat –
The light-hearted Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster has staged its first legally recognised wedding. Toby Ricketts and Marianna Fenn tied the “noodle knot” in the New Zealand South Island town of Akaroa. The happy couple say that guidelines of the Pastafarian religion stipulate that wedding celebrants must be pirates. Members of the church profess the belief that the world was created by an airborne spaghetti and meatballs-based being and humans evolved from pirates. New Zealand officials last month designated the religion as an officially-recognised faith, allowing Wellington-based Pastafarian Karen Martyn the legal right to conduct marriages. She carried out her inaugural wedding as an ordained “ministeroni” on Saturday. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

While You Were Away from Ben Mallaby on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide	USA
#SextaDetremuraSdv	#FlashbackFriday
#DiaMundialDelArte	#UnbreakableKimmySchmidt
#BuenViernes	#JackieRobinsonDay
#جمعه_الارض	#BernieAtTheVatican
#ComoTuiterosPodemos	#newmusicfriday
#GeziyiUnutma	#OneBostonDay
#6YearsSinceNiallsAudition	#TtW16
#ALDUBMonthsaryPlans	#6YearsSinceNiallsAudition
#BuyHairOniTunes	#DayofSilence
#DemDebate	#ISOJ

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- A battle rages in the Kunduz Province of Afghanistan as the Taliban launches its spring offensive to capture the city of Kunduz. According to a Taliban spokesperson, several outposts already fell to them but this could not be verified immediately while a police chief says that the security forces were keeping “the situation under control”. (Al Jazeera)
PKK rebellion (2015–present)
- At least four Turkish Army soldiers are killed and two others are wounded after a roadside bomb hit their vehicle in the southeast Mardin Province. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

Human rights abuse victims during the regime of Ferdinand Marcos stake a claim on auction proceeds from Imelda Marcos‘ art collection, which includes pieces by Michelangelo, Monet, Van Gogh, andPicasso. (Rappler)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Kumamoto earthquake
- The death toll from yesterday’s earthquake rises to nine with eight dead in the town of Mashiki. Eight hundred people have been injured including over 50 seriously injured. (AP)
At least two people are killed and five missing after a building collapses in Tenerife in the Canary Islands. (France 24)
A tornado hits the Uruguayan town of Dolores resulting in at least four deaths and seven injuries. (AP via Star Tribune)
A Malayan tiger attacks and kills a 38-year-old American zookeeper at the Palm Beach Zoo in Florida. (Reuters)

International relations

Territorial disputes in the South China Sea, Philippine general election, 2016
- Presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte says he will set aside the Philippine claim on the Spratly islands and forge better economic relations with China. (Rappler)
North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- South Korea‘s Yonhap news agency reports that North Korea tried to launch a BM25 Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile but was unsuccessful. (Reuters)
- Chinese state media condemn the action saying that saber-rattling will “lead the country to nowhere”. (The Guardian)
Russia–United States relations
- John Kerry informs Russia that under the rules of engagement the plane that flew over the USS Donald Cook on April 13th could have been shot down. (AFP via MSN)
Poland–Russia relations, NATO–Russia relations
- Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski, during a visit to Slovakia for talks on the future of NATO, says Russia is more dangerous than the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). “By all evidence, Russia’s activity is a sort of existential threat because this activity can destroy countries,” Waszczykowski told reporters in Bratislava. He described ISIL as a very serious threat but said “it is not an existential threat for Europe”. (The Guardian)

Law and crime

Authorities in Rwanda jail former politician Léon Mugesera for life. Mugesera was known for describing Tutsis as “cockroaches” and called for their extermination in a speech in 1992 and is said to be a precursor to the Rwandan genocide. (BBC)
Two firefighters are shot, one fatally and the other is in critical condition, during a welfare check in Temple Hills, Maryland. (AP)

Politics and elections

The New York Post, a daily newspaper controlled by media magnate Rupert Murdoch, makes a u-turn and endorses Donald Trump for President of the United States. (Washington Post) (New York Post)
Philippine presidential election, 2016
- Presidential candidate Miriam Defensor Santiago, who lags in surveys, accuses pollsters of fabricating results by excluding her name in opinion polls.(GMA News) (Inquirer) (The Manila Bulletin)
Impeachment process against Dilma Rousseff
- The Supreme Federal Court of Brazil rejects a bid by the Attorney General to suspend a vote in the parliament to begin impeachment procedures against the President Dilma Rousseff. (Reuters)
- Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies begins debating the impeachment of the President. (AP)
Aftermath of the 2016 Brussels bombings
- Belgian Minister of Transportation Jacqueline Galant resigns in the wake of the recent bombings that shook Brussels last March. Galant resigned amid accusations her ministry ignored EU criticism of security at Belgium’s airports. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Riot police violently break up an anti-Sisi protest in Cairo, Egypt. In the first sign of public discontent with President Sisi’s rule, hundreds of people gathered and shouted slogans calling for his overthrow. (Al Jazeera)
Leaders of the Czech Republic choose “Czechia” as the one-word alternative name of their country to make it easier for companies, politicians and sportsmen to use on products, name tags and sporting jerseys. However, this change must still win cabinet approval before the foreign ministry can lodge the name with the United Nations for it to become the country’s official short name. (The Guardian)

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April 17, 2016

Top News Stories –

Messi scores 500th career goal –
Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has scored his 500th career goal. The Argentine forward netted in the 63rd minute of Sunday’s Liga clash with Valencia to bring up the landmark. Messi, who was making his 525th appearance for Barca, has now scored an incredible 450 goals for the Liga champions, while he has a total of 50 for Argentina from his 107 caps for the national team. [Goal.com] In January Messi won the Ballon d’Or award for the world’s best player for the fifth time.
Lionel Messi

Apple recovered one tonne of gold by recycling iPhones last year –
Apple has revealed it reclaimed almost one metric tonne of gold by recycling its own products in 2015. At current prices, that’s equivalent to around £28 million worth of gold. The figure was revealed in Apple’s recently-released Environmental Responsibility Report, which details the results of the company’s eco-friendly efforts in the last financial year. As well as the gold, Apple recovered three tonnes of silver (worth around £1.1 million at current prices), and over 1,300 tonnes of copper. These valuable materials were reclaimed through the Apple Renew scheme, which lets customers hand in their worn-out Apple devices in exchange for money off future Apple purchases. [The Independent]

Video of the Day –

How To Hide You’re Out Of Shape

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide	USA
#ImpeachmentDay	Axl Rose
#lluviasantiago	#2YearsSinceMagconBrokeUp
#2YearsSinceMagconBrokeUp	#StarWarsHalf
Axl Rose	#FoodCity500
#FelizDomingo	#NotAMeeting
#الابتعاث_افسد…	#EcuadorEarthquake
#BattiQuorum	#BuyLetMeLoveYouOniTunes
#DomingoDetremuraSdv	Ecuador
#TagueirosPelaInternetJust…	#IWillCallYouDaddyIf
Ecuador	#SundayFunday

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- Heavy fighting continues in the north of Afghanistan as Taliban fighters intensify their attacks in several districts around Kunduz in their bid to retake the city. According to a police chief, militants overnight attacked several police checkpoints in the southwest outskirts of the city while government forces repelled a major attack to the east of Kunduz. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Ecuador earthquake
- The death toll from Saturday night’s earthquake in Ecuador rises to 262 with more than 2,500 people injured. (AP via Fox News) (BBC) (AFP/Reuters via ABC News Australia) (AP² via Miami Herald)
A bus carrying members of the Bharati Gananatya opera troupe crashes into a gorge in India‘s Odisha state resulting in 25 people killed and 11 injured. (AFP via ABC News Australia)
A drone collides at London’s Heathrow Airport with an Airbus A320 carrying 132 passengers and five crew, with no injuries reported. (Sydney Morning Herald)

International relations

Members of OPEC meet in Doha, Qatar, amid uncertainty in the markets and the outcome of the meeting. Since 2014, the price of oil has dropped dramatically. Analysts hope that an agreement to freeze output will reassure global energy markets that the recent recovery in prices is sustainable. (Al Jazeera)
Israel–Syria relations
- The Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu vows that the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, recognized as part of Syria, will forever stay in the country’s hands and called on the international community to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the area. (BBC)
- The Syrian Foreign Ministry condemns the Israeli cabinet meeting held on occupied Syrian-territory and, in letters to both the Security Council and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, calls on the U.N. to condemn Israel’s action. (The Daily Star)
Russia-United States relations
- A Russian Su-27 jet intercepts a United States Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance plane while in international airspace over the Baltic Sea. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says, “We condemn this kind of behavior. It is reckless. It is provocative. It is dangerous.” (AFP via The Strait Times)

Law and crime

Human rights in Myanmar
- The President of Myanmar Htin Kyaw pardons 83 political prisoners. A total of 282 people accused of political crimes have been released or had charges dropped since the new National League for Democracy government gained power on April 1. (Reuters) (Deutsche Welle,)

Politics and elections

Philippine presidential election, 2016
- Presidential frontrunner Rodrigo Duterte jokes about an Australian woman being raped and murdered in Davao City. (Rappler) (ABC News Australia) (Sydney Morning Herald) (BBC News)
Italian oil drilling referendum, 2016
- The Italian referendum proposes repealing the law that allows oil drilling concessions extracting Hydrocarbon within 12 nautical miles of the Italian coast to be prolonged until the exhaustion of the useful life of the fields. (Euronews)
Aftermath of the 2016 Brussels bombings
- At least 7,000 people take to the streets of Brussels, Belgium, in a march “against terror and hate.” However, turnout was less than half of what was hoped for by organizers. (BBC)
Protests continue in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia, against President Gjorge Ivanov‘s decision to suspend an investigation into the alleged corruption of a number of politicians. (The Sofia Globe)
Impeachment process against Dilma Rousseff
- Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies votes overwhelmingly (367-137) in favor of impeachment procedures against President Dilma Rousseff. (Reuters via Yahoo! News)

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April 27, 2016

Top News Stories –

Facebook profits up almost 200% to $1.51 billion –
Facebook has revealed stronger-than-expected results for its first quarter, helped by a growing number of users and higher advertising revenue. The social network reported earnings of $1.51 billion, or 52 cents per share, up from $512 million, or 18 cents per share, in the same period a year earlier, and over 1.65 billion users now use the social network, with the average users visiting for 15 minutes a day. The results are in stark contrast to Apple and Twitter, who posted poor results yesterday, with Apple shares falling 7% today. Separately, Facebook also announced that it will create a new class of non-voting stock, known as ‘Class C capital stock,’ designated to let CEO Mark Zuckerberg keep tight reins on the company even as it issues more shares to compensate employees and investors. [Daily Mail]
Mark Zuckerberg

Video of the Day –

Reebok 25,915 Days

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Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Moro conflict
- Philippine president Benigno Aquino III says that the Abu Sayyaf militants plan to kidnap his sister actress Kris Aquino and boxer Manny Pacquiao. (CBS)
2016 Bursa bombing
- A suicide bomber blows herself up in the Turkish city of Bursa, injuring at least seven people. (AP via The Washington Post)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Israeli forces kill two Palestinian assailants at a checkpoint in the West Bank. (Reuters)
2016 Cape Verde army mutiny
- Cape Verdean police capture a suspect in the murder of 11 soldiers. (AFP)
2016 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes
- According to officials from the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, one of their soldiers was killed overnight by Azerbaijani troops. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
War in Donbass
- Representatives of the Russian-backed Donetsk People’s Republic in Eastern Ukraine say at least five civilians are killed by artillery fire at a checkpoint in the town of Olenivka, with another 10 injured.Kiev denies the accusation. A local border-guard spokesman says there was an explosion at the checkpoint but he saw no artillery fired from either side, suggesting the blast could have been a bomb.(Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
War in Afghanistan
- The U.S. military warns that the Kabul Attack Network, comprised of fighters from various jihadist groups such as the Taliban and Haqqani networks, is planning attacks on people in the Parwan, Khost,Kabul, and Logar Provinces, Afghanistan, and asks for information from the Afghan public. (The Long War Journal)

Arts and culture

Archaeologists in Taiwan discover 48 sets of remains unearthed in graves in Taichung. The most striking discovery among them is the 4,800-year-old skeleton of a mother looking down at a child cradled in her arms. (The Guardian)
The German cities of Augsburg and Cologne are testing a scheme of traffic lights embedded in the ground to reduce cell phone-texting pedestrian accidents with vehicles that happen when so-called “smombies” step out into the street against the signal. (The Christian Science Monitor) (Autoblog)

Business and economy

Philippine presidential election, 2016
- The Philippine peso sinks to become the “worst performing currency in Asia” as a result of a volatile and unpredictable presidential election. (Bloomberg)

Disasters and accidents

Heavy rain pelts earthquake-hit Ecuador causing floods, mostly in the town of Alluriquin in the Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas Province, killing at least four people and injuring several more. About 300 people have been affected by the floods after a local river burst its banks, engulfing the town with water. (Al Jazeera)

Health and medicine

In the United Kingdom, the Royal College of Physicians reports e-cigarettes are “much safer” than tobacco smoking, and should be widely promoted as an option for smoking cessation. (BBC) (Daily Mail)

International relations

The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea Peter O’Neill states that the Manus Island Regional Processing Centre will be closed following the ruling of the Supreme Court and that he will ask the Australian Government to make alternative arrangements for the asylum seekers detained there. (ABC News)
Libyan Civil War
- The unrecognized House of Representatives, one of the rival governments based in eastern Libya, ships its first cargo of crude oil in defiance of the U.N.-backed authorities in the capital Tripoli in a move that could deepen divisions within the country. The Tripoli-based government asked the United Nations Security Council yesterday to blacklist the tanker. (The Guardian)
European migrant crisis
- The government of Austria passes a new law that restricts the right of asylum in the country and allows claimants to be rejected directly at the border, a move criticized by rights groups. Officials say they are also considering building a fence at the main border crossing with Italy at the Brenner Pass. (BBC)
Taliban insurgency
- The Taliban’s Qatar office confirms its leaders are in Pakistan to talk about Afghan refugees and the release of prisoners. The representative did not say if the delegation will discuss the peace process.(The Nation PK) (Pakistan Today)
United Nations Security Council members are considering a draft resolution that would restore the UN mission in Western Sahara to full functionality. Last month, Morocco expelled 75 UN staffers. (AFP via GlobalPost)
Iraqi Civil War
- Senior Kurdish and Shi’ite Muslim leaders agree to withdraw from Tuz Khurmato, Iraq, where recent violence has killed more than 10 people. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Two days before the one-year anniversary of the execution of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, the ringleaders of the Bali Nine, member Michael Czugaj is discovered to be in possession of drugs in prison. (SBS)
November 2015 Paris attacks
- Belgian prosecutors hand over Salah Abdeslam, a key suspect in the November 2015 Paris attacks, to French authorities. (Washington Post)
Former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Dennis Hastert is sentenced to 15 months in prison for breaking banking laws in order to make payments to cover sexual misconduct from past decades. (Wall Street Journal)
Iraqi authorities ban Qatar-based satellite television network Al Jazeera from broadcasting in the country and closes its offices in Baghdad, accusing it of violating government guidelines issued in 2014 to regulate media “during the war on terror”. (Reuters)
Censorship in Iran
- Iran sentences four reformist newspaper journalists to long prison terms for so-called national security crimes. Analysts say this case indicates that President Hassan Rouhani’s calls for press freedoms will likey face an unsympathetic hearing from Iran’s conservative judiciary. (UPI)

Politics and elections

An Iranian asylum seeker self-immolates himself in Nauru to protest Australia’s treatment of refugees. The protest coincides with a visit by representatives from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to the island. Instead of admitting refugees into the country, Australia has been sending them to Nauru or Papua New Guinea. (Radio New Zealand)
The government of North Korea announces its ruling Workers’ Party of Korea will hold a party congress on May 6, the first in nearly 40 years. (BBC)
United States presidential election, 2016, Ted Cruz presidential campaign, 2016
- Texas Senator Ted Cruz names former Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina as his vice-presidential running mate. (CNN)
Bradford West MP Naz Shah is suspended from the opposition Labour Party over comments she made on Facebook about Israel. (BBC)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s office confirms German Federal Intelligence Service President Gerhard Schindler will be replaced by Bruno Kahl. Schindler has been widely criticized following the disclosure his agency spied for the U.S. National Security Agency. (BBC)

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May 7, 2016

Top News Stories –

Nyquist Unrelenting in Kentucky Derby Victory –
Whatever has been thrown at Reddam Racing’s Nyquist, he has been able to handle. And May 7 at Churchill Downs he added the Kentucky Derby to his already impressive résumé. The son of Uncle Mo broke like a champion from post 13 and was out front in the early strides, but was able to settle into position just off the pace set by Danzing Candy, who broke poorly from the outside post and needed to be rushed up entering the first turn. And for the immediate future of Nyquist, who pushed his earnings to $4,954,200 with the Derby score, up next is a walk of the shedrow May 8 and a trip to Baltimore May 9. And beyond that, O’Neill might be looking toward a higher power. [The Blood Horse]

Video of the Day –

Sky Magic Live at Mt.Fuji : Drone Ballet Show by MicroAd, Inc. from Sky Magic on Vimeo.

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- Resolute Support Mission
  - Two Romanian soldiers are killed along with assailants in an insider attack in Afghanistan. (Washington Post)
Syrian Civil War
- Aleppo offensive (May 2016)
  - At least 13 Iranian soldiers are killed in a battle with Islamist militants in a village near Aleppo, Syria. The largest single day loss for the Iranians since the start of the conflict. (Retuers) (Business Insider) (NDTV)

Law and crime

Indonesia-Philippines relations
- Filipina convict Mary Jane Veloso gets a reprieve from Indonesian executions. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Politics and elections

Sarawak state election, 2016
- In Malaysia, Sarawak voters go to the polls for a state election. (Channel NewsAsia)
Bukit Batok by-election, 2016
- Singapore‘s Bukit Batok by-elections conclude with more than 24,000 voters casting ballots. Murali Pillai of the People’s Action Party emerged as the winner with 61.21% of the valid votes cast. This was the first Singaporean by-election following the 2015 general elections. (Channel NewsAsia) (The Straits Times)
United States presidential election, 2016, United States presidential election in Guam, 2016
- Voters in Guam head to the polls to vote in the Democratic presidential caucus. (Guam Daily Post)
Iran’s elected Parliament member from Maragheh and Ajabshir district, Mohammad-Ali Hosseinzadeh, dies in a car crash in Zanjan. He was set to take office on 28 May. (yjc.ir)

Sports

Nyquist wins the 2016 Kentucky Derby, extending his race record to eight wins in eight races.(The Blood-Horse)

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May 20, 2016

Top News Stories –

Mum in Chewbacca mask shatters Facebook Live record –
A braying Chewbacca mask found “on clearance” has shot a Texas mother to internet stardom. Candace Payne was not expecting to purchase the mask when she went to her local Kohls department store, just outside of Dallas, Texas. She doesn’t even consider herself a huge Star Wars fan. On Thursday, the 37-year-old mother of two was returning some items and was going to spend her birthday money on some exercise clothes or something “for the kids”. The Facebook Live video she broadcast from the store’s car park – immediately after purchasing the Chewbacca mask – has broken the record as the most-watched Facebook Live video – ever. “That’s just crazy,” Mrs Payne told the BBC. “I’m just laughing – in all honesty, that is ridiculous. I’ve looked at the number of views and it just seems like someone is just playing with a calculator.” It’s a big number: So far, more than 48 million people have watched Payne laugh hysterically as she shows Facebook her new purchase. [BBC] See Video of the Day [Also see 24 May – Video of the Day]
Candace Payne – Chewbacca

India records its hottest day ever –
A city in India’s Rajasthan state has broken the country’s temperature records after registering 51C, the highest since records began, the weather office says. The new record in Phalodi in the desert state comes amid a heatwave across India. The previous record for the hottest temperature stood at 50.6C in 1956. The heatwave has hit much of northern India, where temperatures have exceeded 40C for weeks. The run-up to the Indian monsoon season is always characterised by weeks of strong sunshine and increasing heat but life-threatening temperature levels topping 50C are unusual. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Candace Payne Chewbacca video

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Iraqi civil war (2014–present)
- Ar-Rutbah offensive (2016)
  - Iraqi Army forces helped by U.S. airstrikes recapture the southwestern city of Ar-Rutbah from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group. The victory will allow for the re-opening of the Baghdad–Amman highway. (Al Jazeera)
Abkhaz–Georgian conflict
- Georgia‘s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses “shock and deep concern” after a Georgian citizen, 31-year-old Giga Otkhozoria, was shot dead by Russian Armed Forces troops patrolling areas near the administrative boundary with Abkhazia. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

Business and economy

Shortages in Venezuela
- Coca-Cola FEMSA suspends all production in Venezuela due to a sugar shortage. (Fortune) (Sputnik)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Sri Lankan floods
- Two hundred thousand people flee the Sri Lankan capital Colombo as floods caused by several days of heavy rain worsen. (AFP via Yahoo)
EgyptAir Flight 804
- Egyptian Armed Forces claim that passenger luggage and part of the aircraft have been found in the Mediterranean Sea 290 kilometers north of Alexandria. (CNN)
Temperatures soar to a record 51 °C (124 °F) in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The heatwave has claimed 300 lives since April 2016. (BBC)
At least four National Gendarmerie officers are killed in a helicopter crash in Hautes-Pyrénées, in southwestern France. (THE LOCAL)
List of earthquakes in Australia
- The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reports a magnitude 5.9 earthquake strikes the southern part of the Northern Territory in central Australia. It is the strongest earthquake in the Northern Territory region since the Tennant Creek earthquakes on 22 January 1988. No damage or injuries are reported. (The Sydney Morning Herald) (RT)

Health

Zika virus outbreak (2015 – present)
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports at that least 270 pregnant women in the United States are infected with the Zika virus. (NBC News) (NPR)

International relations

Accession of Montenegro to NATO
- The Kremlin condemns NATO’s membership invitation to Montenegro, warning the step risks fueling geopolitical tensions in Europe. (Reuters)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- NATO foreign ministers, meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, agree to extend the alliance’s Resolute Support Mission, that trains, advises and assists Afghanistan‘s military beyond 2016.(AP via Daily Mail) (NATO)

Law and crime

Efforts to impeach Barack Obama
- The Oklahoma Legislature files a measure asking for Congress to impeach Barack Obama over his decision to allow transgender students to use the bathrooms corresponding to their gender identity.(KOCO)
The Mexican government approves the extradition of drug boss Joaquín Guzmán to the United States following assurances that he will not face the death penalty. (Reuters)
A United States Secret Service officer shoots an armed man on a street near the White House after the man allegedly approached the officer and refused to drop his weapon. The White House is locked down.(AP via Yahoo! News) (CNN)

Politics and elections

Tsai Ing-wen is sworn in as the first female President of Taiwan. (BBC)
Israeli Defense minister Moshe Ya’alon announces his resignation. (NY Times) (BBC) (FOX News)
The Oklahoma legislature passes a bill that would make it a felony for doctors to perform abortions and revokes the medical license of assisting physicians. The governor then vetoes the bill. (NY Times)(Washington Post)(CNN)
2015–16 Iraqi protests
- Iraqi security forces fire tear gas and water cannon on protesters attempting to storm the Green Zone in Baghdad, injuring at least 33. (Bloomberg) (WSJ)
- The Iraqi government imposes a curfew in Baghdad. (Reuters)

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May 21, 2016

Top News Stories –

Manchester United win FA Cup and replace their manager –
Manchester United came from behind and survived Chris Smalling’s sending-off to beat Crystal Palace and win the FA Cup at Wembley through Jesse Lingard’s extra-time strike. As Wembley was awash with growing speculation this this would be Louis van Gaal’s final match as United manager – with BBC Sport understanding he will be replaced by Jose Mourinho next week – he was able to add English football’s most glamorous cup to his honours list. United looked on course to end the season empty-handed as well as missing out on Champions League football when substitute Jason Puncheon’s powerful far-post finish put Palace ahead with 12 minutes left. It was harsh on United, who had hit the woodwork through Marouane Fellaini and Antony Martial, but they responded within four minutes with a brilliant run from Wayne Rooney that ended with Juan Mata scoring from close range. United lost Smalling to a second yellow card for hauling back Yannick Bolasie in extra time – but Lingard took the trophy to Old Trafford when he lashed home a first-time strike from Damien Delaney’s half-clearance after 110 minutes. [BBC]
Louis van Gaal

Video of the Day –

Cruising with Tesla’s Autopilot in Houston traffic

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Attacks on secularists in Bangladesh
- A homeopathic doctor is hacked to death in Bangladesh. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claim responsibility. (Reuters) (CNN)
War in Afghanistan
- Six police officers are killed in an insider attack in Uruzgan province. (NY Times)
- A suicide bomber attacks a NATO convoy in Parwan province, wounding two civilians. (Stripes) (VOA News)
- The United States kills Taliban leader Akhtar Mansour in an air strike along the Afghan Pakistan border near the town of Ahmad Wal. (Fox News) (CNN), (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

Cyclone Roanu
- At least 21 are killed and more than 500,000 are displaced by cyclone Roanu in Bangladesh. (Reuters) (Al Jazeera), (The Daily Star)
- The toll from landslides and heavy flooding in Sri Lanka rises to at least 73. (The Guardian) (bd24new.com) (Washington Post) (Press Trust of India via Business Standard)
At least 37 people have been killed and 22 injured in a bus crash in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (ABC News)

Health

2015-16 Zika virus epidemic
- The World Health Organization confirms that the Zika virus strain spreading in Cape Verde is the same as the one in the Americas. (Daily Mail) (CIDRAP)

International relations

Syrian Civil War, War on Terrorism
- The Pentagon rejects a Russian proposal to stage joint airstrikes against Al-Qaeda linked groups in Syria. (VOA News) (Reuters) (Huffington Post)
War in Afghanistan
- Norway Foreign Minister Børge Brende says his government is doubling humanitarian aid to Afghanistan to around 200 million kroner (US$24 million). (AP)

Politics and elections

2015–16 Iraqi protests
- At least four are killed and 90 injured among protesters who stormed the Green Zone in Baghdad. (Reuters)
Kazakhstan police detain dozens of protesters during rallies against proposed land reforms in the former Central Asian Soviet Republic. (AP) (Al Jazeera)
2014–16 Venezuelan protests
- The Venezuelan Army holds the biggest military exercise in its history, citing threats to national security, amidst opposition demands of a recall referendum on President Nicolas Maduro. (Bloomberg)(Stratis Times)
At least one person is dead in protests that have turned violent in Chile. (FOX News)

Science

Lake Mead in Mohave County, Arizona, the largest reservoir in the United States, drops to its lowest level in history, declining to its lowest level since it was filled in the 1930s. The reservoir serves water to the states of Arizona, Nevada and California. (WFAA)

Sport

2016 Preakness Stakes
- Exaggerator wins the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. (Courier-Journal via USA Today), (CBS Sports)
- Two horses die during a rainy Preakness Day’s early races. A 9-year-old gelding apparently suffered cardiovascular collapse. A 4-year-old filly broke her left front cannon bone during her race and waseuthanized, while her jockey broke his right collarbone as he was thrown to the turf. (AP)
2016 FA Cup Final
- Manchester United F.C. beat Crystal Palace F.C. 2-1 at Wembley Stadium in London to win the 2015–16 FA Cup. (BBC)

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May 31, 2016

Top News Stories –

Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood becomes father to twins, aged 68 –
Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood has become a father again at the age of 68. His wife Sally, who is 38, gave birth to twin girls late on Monday evening, Wood’s publicist confirmed. A statement said: “Ronnie & Sally Wood are delighted to announce the birth of their twins Gracie Jane (6lb) & Alice Rose (5.7lb). “The girls arrived on 30 May at 22:30 and all are doing brilliantly. The babies are perfect.” The twins are Wood’s fifth and sixth children, but the first for him and his wife, who is a theatre producer. [BBC]
Ronnie Wood in 2012

MySpace and Tumblr hit by ‘mega breach’ –
Hundreds of millions of hacked account details from social networks MySpace and Tumblr have been advertised for sale online. In both cases, the logins appear to have been stolen several years ago but only recently came to light. The incident comes the same month it emerged that a four-year-old database containing more than 167 million LinkedIn IDs had been traded online. One expert said it was “intriguing” all had emerged in such a short period. Security researcher Troy Hunt also said millions of IDs from adult dating site Fling – which had been breached in 2011 – had been offered on a hacking forum at the start of the month. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Giant Gator Walks Across Florida Golf Course –

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- At least 23 people are killed in overnight air strikes in Idlib, Syria. (CNN) (BBC)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- Suspect Taliban militants kill nine and kidnap 170 in an attack on three passenger buses in Kunduz, Afghanistan. (Reuters) (CNN)

Business and economics

In the United States, a Delaware court rules Michael Dell and Silver Lake Partners underpriced their 2013 $24.9 billion buyout of Dell Inc. by about 22 percent, and may have to pay tens of millions to investors who opposed the deal. (Financial Times) (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

At least 17 army personnel are killed in a fire in an ammunitions depot in the Indian town of Pulgaon, Maharashtra. (The New York Times) (NDTV) (AFP via ABC News Australia)
A five-storey apartment block collapses in Russian city of Mezhdurechensk, killing one man and injuring three. (RT)

Law and crime

The U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals rules (12-3) a warrant is not required for police to obtain a person’s cellphone location data from wireless carriers. (Reuters)

International relations

In an interview with the German broadsheet Frankfurter Allgemeine, the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama says that Germany has taken too many refugees and “from a moral standpoint” refugees should “only be accommodated temporarily” — with the goal of them returning home to rebuild their countries. (NBC News)
North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- North Korea attempts again to launch a BM25 Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of striking South Korea or Japan but is unsuccessful. (The Guardian)
A recent Global Slavery Index report estimates the number of people born into servitude, trafficked for sex work, in debt bondage, or forced labour to be 45.8 million. India is reported to have the highest number at an estimated 18.4 million slaves, and North Korea the highest ratio, 4.4 percent of its population. (Reuters) (Bloomberg)

Politics and elections

Iranian legislative election, 2016
- Ali Larijani is reelected chairman of the Iranian Parliament for a one year term while Masoud Pezeshkian and Ali Motahari are elected deputy chairpersons. All three elected members were supported byList of Hope in the recent election. (Yahoo! news) (Xinhau net) (The New York Times)
Papua conflict
- Thousands of people take to the streets of Jayapura and other towns in Papua, Indonesia, in support of the Free Papua Movement and its effort to join the Melanesian Spearhead Group. Indonesia responded with a large police and military presence, with reports of police firing on demonstrators in Wamena and arresting dozens across the province. (Radio New Zealand)
Mohamed Abdelaziz, the leader of the Polisario Front which fought for the independence of Western Sahara from Morocco, dies after leading the group since 1976. (Al Jazeera)
United States presidential election, 2016
- Conservative leaders seeking an alternative to the Republican Party’s presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump are urging Tennessee attorney and National Review writer David French to enter the 2016 presidential race as an independent candidate. (The Washington Post)

Sports

Association football icon Pelé announces that he will sell 1,500 lots of his possessions via Julien’s Auctions, which will include his medals, trophies, jerseys, and diplomatic gifts. (BBC)

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June 8, 2016

Top News Stories –

Maria Sharapova banned for two years for failed drugs test but will appeal –
Maria Sharapova has been banned for two years by the International Tennis Federation for using a prohibited drug. The Russian was provisionally banned in March after testing positive for meldonium at January’s Australian Open. The heart disease drug, which 29-year-old Sharapova says she has been taking since 2006 for health issues, became a banned substance on 1 January 2016. The five-time Grand Slam winner said she “cannot accept” the “unfairly harsh” ban – and will appeal. Sharapova will challenge the suspension, which is backdated to 26 January 2016, at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas). [BBC]
Maria Sharapova

Video of the Day –

Aberdeen : A Montage of Kurt Cobain's Artwork & Journals from Tourist Pictures on Vimeo.

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- The Taliban kills 12 members of Afghanistan’s security forces who were captured in recent ambushes in the Ghazni Province on June 3 and 5. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict (2015–present)
- June 2016 Tel Aviv shooting
  - Two Palestinian gunmen open fire in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv killing at least four people and injuring at least 18 others. The two gunmen are arrested. (AP)
Syrian civil war
- Airstrikes in rebel-held districts of Aleppo kill at least 15 people and wound dozens while three hospitals are hit including one of the few that still provides pediatric services. UNICEF says medics had to take babies out of incubators. It is unclear who was responsible, though government forces, backed by the Russian Air Force, have run operations to regain control of the divided city. (BBC) (Deccan Chronicle)

Disasters and accidents

A road collapse at a major intersection near the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa, Ontario, forces evacuation of a mall, a hotel, the Shaw Convention Centre, and a book store because of the smell of gas. Power and water are now shut off. (CBC)

International relations

A United Nations commission of inquiry says that Eritrea should be referred to the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity committed in the country, including the enslavement of between 300,000 and 400,000 people through military conscription. (AP)

Law and crime

Papua New Guinea student protests
- Police open fire on University of Papua New Guinea students in Port Moresby protesting against the government of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill. Four people have been killed and seven injured. However, according to the police, nobody was killed while a university spokesperson claims police only fired tear gas. (ABC News) (Radio New Zealand)
- A Papua New Guinea court grants an injunction barring university students from protesting on campus. Thousands of students across the nation have been protesting and boycotting classes for weeks calling for Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s resignation over corruption allegations. (Reuters)
Eritrean Mered Medhanie, aka The General, leader of one of the largest criminal operations unsafely smuggling migrants from Africa to Europe for up to €5,000 (£3,900; $5,680), is extradited to Italy. Police say in one attempt at least 359 migrants died when their boat sank near the Italian island of Lampedusa in October 2013. (BBC)
Governor John Kasich signs a bill legalizing medical marijuana, making Ohio the 25th state in America to approve its use. (Cincinnati Enquirer)

Science and technology

The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry proposes final names for four new chemical elements: nihonium (atomic number 113), moscovium (#115), tennessine (#117), and oganesson (#118).(CNN)

Sport

The International Tennis Federation suspends Russian star Maria Sharapova for two years for failing a drug test for meldonium at the Australian Open. (BBC)

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July 2, 2016

Top News Stories –

Five police officers shot dead at a protest in Dallas –
At least one sniper, who said he wanted to shoot white police officers, killed five officers and wounded seven others at a demonstration in Dallas on Thursday night against police shootings in Minnesota and Louisiana, officials said. The sniper was killed, and three other people are in custody, officials said. During an hours long standoff after the attack, in which two civilians were also wounded, the gunman told police negotiators that “he was upset about Black Lives Matter,” the Dallas police chief, David O. Brown, said on Friday. “He said he was upset about the recent police shootings,” Chief Brown said. “The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers.” The police killed the suspect using an explosive delivered by a robot, he said, and arrested three other people. [New York Times]

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

2016 Gulshan attack
- 13 hostages were rescued following a standoff with the Rapid Action Battalion. (Reuters)
- Twenty hostages and two policemen were killed, and six gunmen are dead with one captured alive. (CNN)
War in Afghanistan
- At least two people are killed and dozens more are wounded in a suicide bombing in Jalalabad, Nangarhar Province. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Iraqi Civil War, Military intervention against ISIL
- According to The Pentagon, two senior ISIL leaders have been killed by a United States-led coalition airstrike in Mosul. (The Guardian) (BBC)
Syrian Civil War
- Syrian government airstrikes in Damascus kill at least 30 people. According to the rebels, the airstrikes were revenge for the killing of a Syrian Air Force pilot by Al-Nusra Front yesterday. The airstrikes reportedly targeted a medical centre and a school. (The Guardian)
2016 Istanbul airport attack
- Turkish police arrest a total of 41 people in connection with the Istanbul Atatürk Airport terrorist attack. (UPI.com)

Law and crime

A lone gunman opened fire at a café in Žitište, Serbia, killing five people and injuring 20 more. The perpetrator was arrested shortly afterward while attempting to flee the scene. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Four children are stabbed to death by their mother in Memphis, Tennessee. The mother was taken into custody. (Local 8 News)

Politics and elections

Australian federal election, 2016
- Australians vote to elect a government for the next three years. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, leader of the conservative Liberal Party-led Coalition, dissolved both houses of Parliament in May in a bid for a Senate more friendly to his agenda. The latest News Corp Australia poll shows the coalition at 50.5 percent, one point ahead of Labor. (Reuters) (Sydney Morning Herald)
Aftermath of the United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, 2016
- In pro-EU rallies, thousands of people protest in London against the United Kingdom withdrawal from the European Union and ask that Article 50 not be invoked. (The Guardian)

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August 23, 2016

Top News Stories –

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

Video of the Day –

“DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION” — A Bad Lip Reading

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Boko Haram insurgency
- In a raid on Boko Haram Islamists’ northeast heartland, Nigeria’s air force kills senior militants and possibly fatally wounds their leader, Abubakar Shekau. (Reuters)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- A U.S. service member becomes the first U.S. military combat casualty in Afghanistan since January 2016 when he is killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) while on patrol near the city of Lashkar Gah in Afghanistan‘s southern Helmand Province. Another American service member and six Afghan soldiers were also injured in the blast. (NBC News)
August 2016 Thailand bombings
- Two bombs explode at the Southern Hotel in Pattani killing one person and injuring 30. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

Philippine officials believe they may have recovered biggest natural giant clam pearl in the world — weighing 34kg. Officials are awaiting confirmation from gemologists that the find is indeed the world’s largest pearl. If confirmed, it will beat the current record holder, the Pearl of Lao Tzu, which weighs 6.4kg. (BBC)

Business and economy

Former presenter Andrea Tantaros sues Fox News by accusing the network of being a “sex-fueled, Playboy Mansion-like cult.” (The Washington Post)
New U.S. single-family home sales unexpectedly rose in July, reaching their highest level in nearly nine years as demand increased broadly. (Reuters)

Health

2015–16 Zika virus epidemic
- The first infection outside Miami in Florida is discovered in Pinellas County. (Fox News)

International relations

North Korea–South Korea relations, North Korea–United States relations
- In response to the annual military drills, North Korea threatens to destroy Seoul and Washington, D.C. through nuclear weapons if provoked. Both South Korea and the United States insist the drills are for defense. (News.com.au)
- According to South Korean officials, North Korea has laid landmines on the northern side of the so-called Bridge of No Return near the village of Panmunjom in the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) to block potential defection by its own soldiers. (Yonhap) (Reuters)
Turkey–United States relations, Turkish government – Gülen Movement conflict
- The United States Department of State says Turkey has formally requested the extradition of Pennsylvania-based cleric Fethullah Gülen and is now considering the merits of the request. (Sky News)

Law and crime

2015 Bangkok bombing
- A Thai military court commences the trial of two Uighurs from the People’s Republic of China with the bombing of a popular shrine in Bangkok that killed 20 people. (AP via Star Tribune)
Philippine Drug War
- The Philippine human rights commission says that the International Criminal Court may have jurisdiction over the mass killings. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
The New York Times reports its Moscow bureau was targeted this month by hackers, believed to be Russian. While there is no evidence that the hackers were successful, the FBI is investigating. (Reuters)(AP via The New York Times)

Politics and elections

Melania Trump plans to sue The Daily Mail and Politico after the publications allege that she worked as an escort. (CNN)

Sports

2016 Summer Paralympics
- The Court of Arbitration for Sport upholds a ban of Russian athletes from next month’s Paralympics over its state-sponsored doping program. (BBC)(CNN)

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August 24, 2016

Top News Stories –

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

Video of the Day –

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

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war
- The Turkish Armed Forces and US-backed Syrian rebels launch an initially successful campaign to capture the town of Jarabulus from ISIL. The Turkish Land Forces are also shelling YPG positions to prevent them from capturing areas that ISIL will retreat from. (AP via NBC News) (AP) (ABC News)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- The American University of Afghanistan in Kabul is attacked by suspected Taliban militants, resulting in at least 13 deaths and 30 injured. (CNN) (Fox News)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Central Italy earthquake
- A 6.2 magnitude earthquake occurs in central Italy near the city of Perugia. The mayor of the town of Amatrice reports that residents are buried under rubble. (The Telegraph) (USGS) (AP via San Diego Union Tribune)
- At least 159 people have been reported dead. (BBC News), (ANSA)
August 2016 Myanmar earthquake
- A 6.8 magnitude earthquake hits central Myanmar, 25km west of the town of Chauk, and was also felt in Thailand, Bangladesh and India, according to reports. At least three people are killed. (BBC)
The world’s largest aircraft, Hybrid Air Vehicles HAV 304 Airlander 10, crashes at RAF Cardington, Bedfordshire, during its second test flight. (The Guardian)

International relations

Japan–North Korea relations, North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- North Korea launches a missile from a submarine off the port city of Sinpo in the Sea of Japan, according to U.S. and South Korean officials. This missile, the third sub-based attempt this year, flew about 500 kilometers (311 miles) and landed in waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. The first test exploded and the second traveled 30 km (18½ miles). (NBC News) (AP)

Law and crime

2016 Home Hill stabbings
- One British woman is killed and two others are wounded in a stabbing attack on a North Queensland backpacker hostel, Australia. (News.com) (ABC News Australia)

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

Politics and elections

Colombian conflict
- The government of Colombia and FARC finalise a peace deal ending 50 years of conflict. (Xinhua)

Science and technology

Proxima Centauri b is discovered as the closest exoplanet to Earth that may be habitable. (BBC)

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November 10, 2016

Top News Stories –

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

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

Video of the Day –

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

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- German consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif attack
  - At least two people have been killed and 90 injured in an attack on the German consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif. The Taliban has claimed responsibility. (The New York Times)

Arts and culture

Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen dies at the age of 82. (Rolling Stone)

Business and economy

Siemens AG announces that it plans to spin off its US$15 billion health care division, making it its own independent company. (Bloomberg)

Politics and elections

Anti-Trump protests continue across the United States and abroad. (USA Today) (Los Angeles Daily News)
Presidential transition of Donald Trump
- President-elect of the United States Donald Trump meets with President Barack Obama for the first time at the White House. (BBC)

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December 25, 2016

Top News Stories –

Ex-Wham! singer George Michael dies –
Singer George Michael has died aged 53, his publicist has said. The star, who launched his career with Wham! in the 1980s and later continued his success as a solo performer, is said to have “passed away peacefully at home”. Thames Valley Police said South Central Ambulance Service attended a property in Goring in Oxfordshire at 13:42 GMT. Police say there were no suspicious circumstances. Michael, who was born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou in north London, sold more than 100m albums throughout a career spanning almost four decades. Earlier this month it was announced that producer and songwriter Naughty Boy was working with Michael on a new album. In a statement, the star’s publicist said: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm our beloved son, brother and friend George passed away peacefully at home over the Christmas period. [BBC]
Michael performing on stage on the Faith World Tour in 1988.

Other News Stories –

Arts and culture

Pope Francis pleads for peace in a Christmas Mass in the Vatican. (Voice of America)

Business and economy

Bezeq, an Israeli telecoms company, says that it has received word from the country’s telecoms regulator that it will be allowed to end the “structural separation” of its business operations by product (i.e. mobile phone, internet, land lines). (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Chiloé earthquake
- A magnitude 7.7 earthquake in Chile spurs tsunami warnings. (BBC)
2016 Russian Defence Ministry Tupolev Tu-154 crash
- A Russian Tu-154 military passenger airplane carrying 92 people including the Alexandrov Ensemble crashes into the Black Sea shortly after takeoff from Sochi. The airplane was headed towards Khmeimim, Syria. The Russian Armed Forces are actively involved in the Syrian Civil War. (The Telegraph) (Al Jazeera) (FOX News)
2016 Pacific typhoon season
- Typhoon Nock-ten (Nina) strikes the Philippines. (BBC)
The German city of Augsburg is evacuated after a World War II-era explosive is discovered in the town. Explosive experts later defused the bomb. (The New York Times)

Health

Medical research reveals shrinkage in women’s brains as a result of pregnancy. Loss of gray matter in certain regions of the brain may make the brain more efficient and specialized for child-rearing. There is also evidence of links to long-term changes in brain. (ScienceNews) (Nature)

International relations

Afghanistan‘s first female Air Force pilot Niloofar Rahmani files for asylum in the United States. (Reuters)
Pakistan releases Indian fishermen caught in its territory as a gesture of goodwill. (Deutsche Welle)

Law and crime

2016 Turkish purges
- Turkey probes around 10,000 social media users for allegedly insulting government officials or supporting “terror-related activity.” (BBC)
A producer of Al Jazeera is arrested in Egypt. (Reuters)

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The 2010s

The story of a decade

Tag Archives: Afghanistan

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