February 10, 2015

Top News Stories –

Homocide of young muslims in US ignored by press –
Three young American muslims are shot and killed in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, US by a lone gunman but there is very little coverage in the local or national press, causing a reaction on social media with #ChapelHillShooting trending worldwide. The dead are Deah Barakat (aged 23), his wife Yusor Abu-Salha (21), and her sister Razan Abu-Salha (19). A man suspected of the shooting is arrested.

Premier League TV rights go for £5.136 BILLION!!!
The right to show live English Premier League (EPL) matches in the UK for three years starting in 2016 is shared between Sky TV and BT Sport. Sky have bid £4.176bn to keep the maximum possible number of matches – 126 – almost double the £2.28bn it paid two-and-a-half years ago. BT Sport bid £960 million for 42 games (after paying £897m for Champions League rights in 2014). The average cost of a televised game is £10.2 million. Sky have satellite boxes in over 10 million UK homes.
Pellegrini-Prem-TrophyManuel Pellegrini with the Barclay’s Premier League trophy

R&A reveals first women members –
The first seven female members of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club are announced. Princess Anne receives an honorary membership despite her well known dislike of the game, while former golfing champions Laura Davies, Swede Annika Sörenstam, Americans Louise Suggs and Renee Powell, France’s Lally Segard and Scotland’s Belle Robertson make up the exclusive club. For 260 years the Royal and Ancient golf club also known as St Andrews has not accepted female members, but this was overturned on September 18th 2014.
Annika_Sorenstam_tee_shotAnnika Sörenstam

Mugabe punishes bodyguards for his slip-up –
The Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe allegedly suspends 27 bodyguards after they failed to stop him falling down steps at the country’s Harare airport last week. The 90-year-old was apparently unhurt physically but upset by the media humiliation.
Robert-Mugabe-2008President Robert Mugabe

Video of the Day –

Pharrell Williams performing “Happy” at yesterday’s Grammy Awards show

CLICK TO SEE MORE STUFF FROM THIS DAY…

February 11, 2015

Top News Stories –

Costa Concordia captain convicted of manslaughter –
The captain of the Costa Cordordia cruise ship that ran aground and capsized on January 13th 2012 off the island of Giglio has been convicted of manslaughter and given a 16-year jail sentance. Francesco Schettino was accused of taking the ship too close to the shore to impress his lover, Domnica Cemortan, who was with him at the helm. He then abandoned the ship with passengers and crew still on board. 32 people died in the accident but Costa Crociere, the company that owned the ship, avoided possible criminal charges by agreeing to pay a $1.3m (€1.1m; £860,000) fine in 2013.
Collision_of_Costa_ConcordiaThe Costa Concordia after the accident

Korean Air nut rage ends with jail sentence –
A South Korean court finds Cho Hyun-ah (aka Heather Cho) a former executive of Korean Air guilty of breaking aviation law. She forced her Seoul-bound plane to turn back to the gate at JFK airport in New York and offload a steward because she did not like the way she had been served nuts. Cho, the daughter of Korean Air president, was found guilty of obstructing aviation safety and jailed for one year, much less than the possible maximum sentence of 10-years.

Smoking in private cars with child passengers banned in England –
The British government votes 342 to 74 to ban smoking in cars when there are children in the vehicle in England and Wales, but doesn’t apply to convertibles with the roof down. Anyone stopped for breaking the law can be fined £50 on the spot when it becomes law in October 2015 but Scotland is not included. Bans on smoking in cars when children are present already exist in some US states as well as in parts of Canada and Australia.

Video of the Day –

Raising the Costa Concordia: A Time Lapse

CLICK TO SEE MORE STUFF FROM THIS DAY…