Top News Stories –

Omar Sharif, actor – dies aged 83 –
Omar Sharif was the most famous Egyptian actor of his generation. He brought a smouldering intensity to films such as Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago. A man of striking good looks he escorted some of the world’s most beautiful women. But he quit acting to become a ubiquitous presence at the world’s most exclusive gaming tables. [BBC]
Omar Sharif

Greece’s Parliament Approves Prime Minister’s Bailout Plan –
Setting the stage for a pivotal deal with Europe, the Greek Parliament early Saturday approved Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’s proposal for a three-year, $59 billion rescue package with harsh austerity terms that was remarkably similar to the one Greek voters rejected in a referendum less than a week ago. With a Sunday deadline looming for a decision on the bailout, a crunch point that all sides see as Greece’s last chance to avoid bankruptcy and stay in the euro currency zone, the plan passed by an overwhelming margin. [NY Times] Alexis Tsipras was elected on January 25, 2015 and vowed to reverse many of the austerity measures adopted by Greece since a series of bailouts began in 2010.
Alexis Tsipras

Video of the Day –

Game of Thrones: Audition Reel (HBO)

List of the Day –

Omar Sharif filmography [from Wikipedia]

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Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Somalia (2009–present)
  • Al Shabaab militants have stormed two hotels in Somalia‘s capital Mogadishu killing at least 10 civilians. (ABC News AU) (Business Standard via AFP)
• Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant
  • Turkey arrests 21 people with alleged links to Daesh (ISIL). (New York Times)

Businesses and economy

• Greek government-debt crisis
  • A bailout plan is submitted two hours before the midnight deadline. The plan would raise a retirement age to 67 and cut pensions by 15% for those retiring at 62. (LA Times)(Money Control)
• Ellen Pao resigns as the interim CEO of Internet site reddit following a user backlash over the deletion of some subreddits for harassment and sacking of a popular admin. Site co-founder Steve Huffman will take her place. (WSJ)

Disasters and accidents

• At least 23 people have been killed and 50 injured following a stampede at a free clothing drive in the northern Bangladeshi city of Mymensingh.(BBC)
• Wildfires continue to rage throughout the western Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. (ABC News)
• 2015 Pacific typhoon season
  • China is dealing with two typhoons in a week. Typhoon Linfa lost power after making landfall in southern China’s Guangdong province Thursday. Typhoon Chan-hom (Falcon) is headed for landfall in eastern China near Shanghai this weekend. (CNN) (CRI English)(Weather Channel)
• Indonesia closes four airports including Bali International Airport due to an ongoing eruption by the Raung volcano on Java. (Reuters via Trust)

International relations

• The United States State Department criticizes Thailand for deporting ethnic Uyghur back to China. The predominantly Uyghur Xinjiang province is the site of an ongoing political and religious crackdown in response to a wave of Muslim terrorist attacks in China. (NPR)

Law and crime

• The Federal Bureau of Investigation admits that Dylann Roof, the suspect in the Charleston church shooting, should not have passed abackground check to obtain a gun licence. (ABC News)

Politics and elections

• Katherine Archuleta resigns as the director of the United States Office of Personnel Management following the hacking of 21.5 million data records. (CNN)
• Following public outcry after the Charleston church shooting, the Confederate Battle Flag is lowered at the South Carolina State House after 54 years. (CNN)

Science and technology

• The Indian Space Research Organisation successfully launches five commercial satellites for the United Kingdom. (IBN Live)

Sport

• 2015 Pan American Games
  • The Games officially commence following Friday’s opening ceremony in Toronto. (Canadian Press via CP24)

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