Fifty Shades of Grey tying firemen up in knots –
The film version of the erotic novel “Fifty Shades of Grey” starring Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson premières in London and the London Fire Brigade are expecting a “spike” in people being stuck or trapped in handcuffs or rings. In November, firefighters were called by doctors at King’s College Hospital to cut two steel rings from a man’s genitals, which he had been unable to remove for three days and the brigade was called by a woman whose husband had become locked in a chastity belt. Jamie Dornan at the world première of “Fifty Shades of Grey” Double decker bus saves naked man from fire –
A man trapped in a house fire in Braintree, Essex UK may have had his life saved after a bus driver managed to manoeuvre his double decker bus close enough for the man to jump onto the roof. The man had been taking a shower and jumped from the third-floor window naked onto the bus. After throwing him some clothes the man managed to climb down with minor injuries.
Bonham Carter strips for fish –
Helena Bonham Carter has also got naked and hugged a 27kg tuna between her legs despite claiming to have a fish phobia. The photoshoot was in aid of a Blue Marine Foundation campaign against over-fishing. Bonham Carter separated from her partner Tim Burton on December 24th 2014. Helena Bonham Carter
Obama launches personal Twitter account –
President Barack Obama reintroduced himself to the world, albeit in 140 characters or less. “Hello, Twitter!” he wrote. “It’s Barack. Really!” Mr Obama joked that “six years in” to his presidency, “they’re finally giving me my own account”. The name of the new account is @POTUS, short for President of the United States. It immediately attracted hundreds of thousands of followers.While there has been an @BarackObama account active since 2007, it is managed by the president’s staff. The new account is meant to be Mr Obama’s personal Twitter profile. He identifies himself on it as “dad, husband, and 44th president of the United States”. [Daily Telegraph]
Simon Cowell wants trap door and fire at next leaders’ debate –
Britain’s Got Talent boss Simon Cowell has offered his services for future party leaders’ debates, saying he would “love” to produce them. “I’d do it in a heartbeat! 100%. I’d have walk-ons, music, fire… and a trap door if people didn’t like what they said,” he said. “And I’d definitely have a clap-o-meter. I am deadly serious. I really would love a chance to do that!” Last month’s seven-way party leaders’ TV debate got seven million viewers. Cowell, whose TV talent show became the highest-rated entertainment programme on television last month, was keen to get audiences more involved in the debates. [BBC] Simon Cowell
Four-minute mile Roger Bannister stopwatch auctioned for £20,000 –
A stopwatch used to time Roger Bannister’s first sub-four-minute mile has sold for £20,000 at auction. Sir Roger, now 86, made his run at Oxford’s Iffley Road track on 6 May 1954, when he was 25. Used by timekeeper WJ Burfitt, the watch was expected to attract bids between £5,000 and £8,000. Auctioneer Graham Budd did not reveal the identity of the latest successful bidder, but said the Swiss-made watch was from “one of those remarkable, historic moments in British sporting history”. Sir Roger ran the mile in three minutes and fifty-nine seconds. [BBC]
Taylor Swift is big winner at 2015 Billboard music awards –
Taylor Swift was the big winner at this year’s Billboard music awards. Not only did the singer premiere her blockbuster video for Bad Blood – featuring the likes of Cindy Crawford, Kendrick Lamar and Lena Dunham – but the pop star also took home eight prizes including top artist, top female artist, top Billboard 200 Album, top Billboard 200 artist, top Hot 100 artist and top streaming song. [Guardian] See Video of the Day and List of The Day Taylor Swift
Video of the Day –
Taylor Swift – Bad Blood ft. Kendrick Lamar
List of the day –
Billboard Music Awards 2015 nominees and winners
TOP ARTIST
Ariana Grande
One Direction
Katy Perry
Sam Smith Taylor Swift — WINNER
TOP COUNTRY ARTIST
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan Florida Georgia Line — WINNER
Brantley Gilbert
Blake Shelton
BILLBOARD CHART ACHIEVEMENT AWARD PRESENTED BY SAMSUNG GALAXY (FAN-VOTED)
Iggy Azalea Taylor Swift — WINNER
Meghan Trainor
TOP TOURING ARTIST
Lady Gaga One Direction — WINNER
Katy Perry
The Rolling Stones
Justin Timberlake
TOP FEMALE ARTIST
Iggy Azalea
Ariana Grande
Katy Perry Taylor Swift — WINNER
Meghan Trainor
TOP RADIO SONG John Legend, “All of Me” — WINNER
MAGIC!, “Rude”
Nico & Vinz, “Am I Wrong”
Sam Smith, “Stay With Me”
Pharrell Williams, “Happy
TOP MALE ARTIST
Drake
Pharrell Williams
Ed Sheeran Sam Smith — WINNER
Justin Timberlake
TOP RAP SONG Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX, “Fancy” — WINNER
Iggy Azalea feat. Rita Ora, “Black Widow”
Big Sean feat. E-40, “I Don’t F— With You”
Nicki Minaj, “Anaconda”
Bobby Shmurda, “Hot Boy”
TOP BILLBOARD 200 ALBUM
Maroon 5, V
Pentatonix, That’s Christmas to Me
Ed Sheeran, x
Sam Smith, In the Lonely Hour Taylor Swift, 1989 — WINNER
TOP DUO/GROUP
5 Seconds of Summer
Florida Georgia Line
MAGIC!
Maroon 5 One Direction — WINNER
TOP NEW ARTIST
5 Seconds of Summer
Iggy Azalea
Hozier Sam Smith — WINNER Meghan Trainor
TOP BILLBOARD 200 ARTIST
One Direction
Pentatonix
Ed Sheeran
Sam Smith Taylor Swift — WINNER
TOP HOT 100 ARTIST
Iggy Azalea
Ariana Grande
Sam Smith Taylor Swift — WINNER
Meghan Trainor
TOP DIGITAL SONGS ARTIST
Iggy Azalea
Ed Sheeran
Sam Smith Taylor Swift — WINNER
Meghan Trainor
TOP RADIO SONGS ARTIST
John Legend
Maroon 5
Ed Sheeran Sam Smith — WINNER
Taylor Swift
TOP SOCIAL ARTIST Justin Bieber — WINNER
Miley Cyrus
Selena Gomez
Ariana Grande
Taylor Swift
TOP STREAMING ARTIST Iggy Azalea — WINNER
Ariana Grande
Nicki Minaj
Taylor Swift
Meghan Trainor
TOP R&B ARTIST
Beyoncé
Chris Brown
John Legend
Trey Songz Pharrell Williams — WINNER
TOP RAP ARTIST Iggy Azalea — WINNER
J. Cole
Drake
Nicki Minaj
Rae Sremmurd
TOP ROCK ARTIST
Bastille
Coldplay
Fall Out Boy Hozier — WINNER
Lorde
TOP LATIN ARTIST
J Balvin
Juan Gabriel
Enrique Iglesias
Prince Royce Romeo Santos — WINNER
TOP DANCE/ELECTRONIC ARTIST
Avicii
Clean Bandit
Disclosure Calvin Harris — WINNER
Lindsey Stirling
TOP CHRISTIAN ARTIST
Casting Crowns Hillsong United — WINNER
Lecrae
MercyMe
Newsboys
TOP SOUNDTRACK The Fault in Our Stars
Fifty Shades of Grey Frozen — WINNER Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix: Vol. 1 Into the Woods
TOP R&B ALBUM
Beyoncé, Beyoncé
Chris Brown, X
Michael Jackson, Xscape
John Legend, Love in the Future Pharrell Williams, G I R L — WINNER
TOP RAP ALBUM J. Cole, 2014 Forest Hills Drive — WINNER
Drake, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late
Nicki Minaj, The Pinkprint
Iggy Azalea, The New Classic
Eminem, The Marshall Mathers LP 2
TOP COUNTRY ALBUM Jason Aldean, Old Boots, New Dirt — WINNER
Garth Brooks, Man Against Machine
Luke Bryan, Crash My Party
Brantley Gilbert, Just As I Am
Miranda Lambert, Platinum
TOP ROCK ALBUM
AC/DC, Rock or Bust
The Black Keys, Turn Blue Coldplay, Ghost Stories — WINNER
Hozier, Hozier
Lorde, Pure Heroine
TOP LATIN ALBUM
Juan Gabriel, Los Dúo Enrique Iglesias, Sex and Love — WINNER
Romeo Santos, Formula: Vol. 2
Santana, Corazon
Marc Anthony, 3.0
TOP DANCE/ELECTRONIC ALBUM
Avicii, True
Disclosure, Settle
Calvin Harris, Motion
Skrillex, Recess Lindsey Stirling, Shatter Me — WINNER
TOP CHRISTIAN ALBUM Lecrae, Anomaly — WINNER
Casting Crowns, Thrive
MercyMe, Welcome to the New
NEEDTOBREATHE, Rivers in the Wasteland
Chris Tomlin, Love Ran Red
TOP HOT 100 SONG
Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX, “Fancy”
John Legend, “All of Me”
Sam Smith, “Stay With Me”
Taylor Swift, “Shake It Off” Meghan Trainor, “All About That Bass” — WINNER
TOP DIGITAL SONG
Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, “Uptown Funk!”
Sam Smith, “Stay With Me”
Taylor Swift, “Shake It Off” Meghan Trainor, “All About That Bass” — WINNER
Pharrell Williams, “Happy
TOP STREAMING SONG (AUDIO)
Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX, “Fancy”
Hozier, “Take Me to Church” John Legend, “All of Me” — WINNER
Sam Smith, “Stay With Me”
Tove Lo, “Habits (Stay High)”
TOP STREAMING SONG (VIDEO)
Idina Menzel, “Let It Go”
Bobby Shmurda, “Hot Boy”
Taylor Swift, “Blank Space” Taylor Swift, “Shake It Off” — WINNER
Meghan Trainor, “All About That Bass”
TOP R&B SONG
Chris Brown feat. Lil Wayne, French Montana, Too $hort & Tyga, “Loyal”
Jason Derulo feat. 2 Chainz, “Talk Dirty”
Jeremih feat. YG, “Don’t Tell ‘Em”
John Legend, “All of Me” Pharrell Williams, “Happy” — WINNER
TOP COUNTRY SONG Jason Aldean, “Burnin’ It Down” — WINNER
Luke Bryan, “Play It Again”
Sam Hunt, “Leave the Night On”
Florida Georgia Line feat. Luke Bryan, “This Is How We Roll”
Florida Georgia Line, “Dirt”
TOP ROCK SONG
Bastille, “Pompeii”
Coldplay, “A Sky Full of Stars”
Fall Out Boy, “Centuries” Hozier, “Take Me to Church” — WINNER
Paramore, “Ain’t It Fun”
TOP LATIN SONG
J Balvin feat. Farruko, “6 AM” Enrique Iglesias feat. Descemer Bueno & Gente de Zona, “Bailando” — WINNER
Romeo Santos, “Eres Mía”
Romeo Santos feat. Drake, “Odio”
Romeo Santos, “Propuesta Indecente”
TOP DANCE/ELECTRONIC SONG
Clean Bandit feat. Jess Glynne, “Rather Be”
Disclosure feat. Sam Smith, “Latch” DJ Snake & Lil Jon, “Turn Down For What” — WINNER
Ariana Grande feat. Zedd, “Break Free”
Calvin Harris, “Summer”
TOP CHRISTIAN SONG
Francesca Battistelli, “He Knows My Name”
Hillsong United, “Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)”
MercyMe, “Greater”
Newsboys, “We Believe” Carrie Underwood, “Something in the Water” — WINNER
The Governor of Iraq‘s Anbar Governorate estimates that 500 people lost their lives and 8000 people fled as ISIS captured the strategically important city of Ramadi. (Al-Arabiya)
The Philippines says that it is willing to accept 3,000 Rohingya refugees after an accusation by a newspaper was made. Last week Indonesiaturned away boats carrying over 1,000 Rohingya refugees. (Rappler)
Kanye West tells MTV Video Music Awards he wants to ‘run for president’ –
Kanye West stole the show at the MTV Video Music Awards by declaring that he will run for US president in 2020. He was given the lifetime achievement award but during his speech said he’d “decided in 2020 to run for president”. Cheered on by his wife Kim Kardashian, Kanye got an extended standing ovation when he was picking up the Video Vanguard lifetime achievement award. He also appeared to confess to smoking weed before taking the stage. “I will die for the art, for what I believe in and I ain’t always gonna be polite. “I rolled up a little something. I got the answer. We’re the millennials bro.” [BBC Newsbeat] Kanye West
Avril Lavigne and Chad Kroeger announce split –
Avril Lavigne has announced that she’s separating from Chad Kroeger after two years of marriage. The singer posted a statement on her Instagram account alongside a happy photo of the couple on their wedding day. “It is with a heavy heart that Chad and I announce our separation today,” she wrote. “Through not only the marriage, but the music as well, we’ve created many unforgettable moments.” The 30-year-old married the Nickelback frontman in July 2013.
Video of the Year: Beyoncé – “7/11”
Ed Sheeran – “Thinking Out Loud” Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood” — WINNER
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk”
Kendrick Lamar – “Alright”
Best Male Video:
Ed Sheeran – “Thinking Out Loud” Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk” — WINNER
Kendrick Lamar – “Alright”
The Weeknd – “Earned It”
Nick Jonas – “Chains”
Best Female Video:
Beyoncé – “7/11” Taylor Swift – “Blank Space” — WINNER
Nicki Minaj – “Anaconda”
Sia – “Elastic Heart”
Ellie Goulding – “Love Me Like You Do”
Best Hip Hop Video:
Fetty Wap – “Trap Queen” Nicki Minaj – “Anaconda” — WINNER
Kendrick Lamar – “Alright”
Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth – “See You Again”
Big Sean ft. E-40 – “IDFWU”
Best Pop Video:
Beyoncé – “7/11”
Ed Sheeran – “Thinking Out Loud” Taylor Swift – “Blank Space” — WINNER
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk”
Maroon 5 – “Sugar”
Best Rock Video:
Hozier – “Take Me To Church” Fall Out Boy – “Uma Thurman” — WINNER
Florence + the Machine – “Ship To Wreck”
Walk the Moon – “Shut Up and Dance”
Arctic Monkeys – “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?”
Artist to Watch: Fetty Wap – “Trap Queen” — WINNER
Vance Joy – “Riptide”
George Ezra – “Budapest”
James Bay – “Hold Back The River”
FKA Twigs – “Pendulum”
Best Collaboration: Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood” — WINNER
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk”
Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth – “See You Again”
Ariana Grande & The Weeknd – “Love Me Harder”
Jessie J, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj – “Bang Bang”
Video With a Social Message:
Jennifer Hudson – “I Still Love You”
Colbie Caillat – “Try” Big Sean ft. Kanye West and John Legend – “One Man Can Change the World” — WINNER
Rihanna – “American Oxygen”
Wale – “The White Shoes”
Song of the Summer:
David Guetta ft. Nicki Minaj, Afrojack & Bebe Rexha – “Hey Mama”
Demi Lovato – “Cool For The Summer”
Fetty Wap ft. Monty – “My Way”
Fifth Harmony ft. Kid Ink – “Worth It” Five Seconds of Summer – “She’s Kinda Hot” — WINNER
Major Lazer & DJ Snake ft. MØ – “Lean On”
OMI – “Cheerleader (Felix Jaehn Remix)”
Selena Gomez ft. A$AP Rocky – “Good For You”
Silento – “Watch Me”
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood”
The Weeknd – “Can’t Feel My Face”
Best Art Direction:
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood” (Charles Infante) Snoop Dogg – “So Many Pros” (Jason Fijal) — WINNER
Jack White – “Would You Fight For My Love” (Jeff Peterson)
The Chemical Brothers – “Go” (Michel Gondry)
Skrillex & Diplo – “Where Are U Now” with Justin Bieber (Brewer)
Best Choreography:
Beyoncé – “7/11” (Beyoncé, Chris Grant, Additional choreography: Gabriel Valenciano) OK Go – “I Won’t Let You Down” (OK Go, air:man and Mori Harano) — WINNER
Chet Faker – “Gold” (Ryan Heffington)
Ed Sheeran – “Don’t” (Nappy Tabs)
Flying Lotus ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Never Catch Me” (Keone and Mari Madrid)
Best Cinematography: Flying Lotus ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Never Catch Me” (Larkin Sieple) — WINNER
Ed Sheeran – “Thinking Out Loud” (Daniel Pearl)
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood” (Christopher Probst)
FKA Twigs – “Two Weeks” (Justin Brown)
Alt-J – “Left Hand Free” (Mike Simpson)
Best Direction:
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood” (Joseph Kahn)
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk” (Bruno Mars and Cameron Duddy) Kendrick Lamar – “Alright” (Colin Tilley & The Little Homies) — WINNER
Hozier – “Take Me To Church” (Brendan Canty, Conal Thomson)
Childish Gambino – “Sober” (Hiro Murai)
Best Editing: Beyoncé – “7/11” (Beyoncé, Ed Burke, Jonathan Wing) — WINNER
Ed Sheeran – “Don’t” (Jacquelyn London)
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood” (Chancler Haynes at Cosmo Street)
A$AP Rocky – “L$D” (Dexter Navy)
Skrillex & Diplo – “Where Are U Now” with Justin Bieber (Brewer)
Best Visual Effects:
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood” (Ingenuity Studios)
FKA Twigs – “Two Weeks” (Gloria FX, Tomash Kuzmytskyi, and Max Chyzhevskyy)
Childish Gambino – “Telegraph Ave.” (Gloria FX) Skrillex & Diplo – “Where Are U Now” with Justin Bieber (Brewer) — WINNER
Tyler, The Creator – “F****** Young/Death Camp” (Gloria FX)
Wikipedia concludes a large-scale operation blocking hundreds of users centered on networks of for-pay edits violating the encyclopedia’s guidelines. (BBC)(The Guardian)(Ars Technica)
The death toll from a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak at a Quincy, Illinois veterans home rises to at least seven with more than the current number of 32 sickened expected since the incubation period for illness can be up to two weeks. (Reuters)
Thousands of refugees arrive in Germany’sMünchen Hauptbahnhof from Budapest. Police and firefighters on the scene provide them with food, water and medical aid even as more continue to arrive. (thelocal)
Lake County, Illinois authorities seek three suspects, believed to be two white men and a black man, who killed a police officer from the Fox Lake, Illinois Police Department, Lieutenant Charles Joseph Gliniewicz, a 30-year veteran of the force who had been a mentor to many youths in the area and one of the most decorated officers in his department. (Chicago Tribune)
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]
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)
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)
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)
A major indication that relations between Cuba and the U.S. are increasingly normalized will be the island nation’s participation later this month at an annual Caribbean security conference in Jamaica, according to the outgoing head of the United States Southern Command, General John F. Kelly. (Military Times)
News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource
Jamie Dornan at the world première of “Fifty Shades of Grey”
Helena Bonham Carter
100. Danielle Sharp
99. Jessie J
98. Emma Rigby
97. Gal Gadot
96. Lea Michele
95. Jennifer Lopez
94. Hannah Davis
93. Bryana Holly
92. Georgia May Foote
91. Kat Dennings
90. Emily Blunt
89. Daisy Lowe
88. Val Keil
87. Melanie Iglesias
86. Gemma Merna
85. Georgia Salpa
84. Demi Lovato
83. Jourdan Dunn
82. Christina Hendricks
81. Cara Delevingne
80. Kate Abdo
79. Robyn Lawley
78. Nicki Minaj
77. Ashley Roberts
76. Charlotte McKinney
75. Nathalie Emmanuel
74. Emma Stone
73. Mary Berry
72. Angelina Jolie
71. Kerry Washington
70. Daisy Pettinger
69. Rose Byrne
68. Cheryl Fernandez-Versini
67. Anna Kendrick
66. Gisele Bundchen
65. Chloe Goodman
64. Selena Gomez
63. Gemma Arterton
62. Kourtney Kardashian
61. Laura Haddock
60. Melissa Rauch
59. Emma Watson
58. Felicity Jones
57. Iggy Azalea
56. Naya Rivera
55. Olivia Wilde
54. Charlotte Crosby
53. Rachel Stevens
52. Sam Faiers
51. Kaley Cuoco
50. Khloe Kardashian
49. Foxes
48. Jacqueline Jossa
47. Ashley Benson
46. Rita Ora
45. Demi Rose Mawby
44. Mila Kunis
43. Olympia Valance
42. Ellie Goulding
41. Louise Thompson
40. Jorgie Porter
39. Rachel Riley
38. Stephanie Pratt
37. Laura Whitmore
36. Candice Swanepoel
35. Holly Willoughby
34. Zoella
33. Pixie Lott
32. Miley Cyrus
31. Lucy Watson
30. Nadia Forde
29. Arianny Celeste
28. Jenna Marbles
27. Jen Selter
26. Rosie Jones
25. Katy Perry
24. Nicole Scherzinger
23. Rihanna
22. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
21. Susanna Reid
20. Meg Turney
19. Beyonce
18. Emily Ratajkowski
17. Sofia Vergara
16. Natalie Dormer
15. Taylor Swift
14. Amy Willerton
13. Kim Kardashian
12. Britney Spears
11. Keeley Hazell
10. Kelly Brook
9. Emilia Clarke
8. Lucy Mecklenburgh
7. Margot Robbie
6. Ariana Grande
5. Caroline Flack
4. Kate Upton
3. Jennifer Lawrence
2. Kendall Jenner
1. Michelle Keegan