April 26, 2015

Top News Stories –

Nepal earthquake: International aid effort increased –
The international aid effort for Nepal is gathering pace, with Saturday’s massive earthquake now known to have killed 3,726 people and injured 6,500. China, India, Pakistan and Britain are among the countries contributing to the effort, alongside major aid agencies. Nepal has asked for more help, saying it needs everything from helicopters and blankets to paramedics and drivers. At least 200 climbers have now been rescued around Mount Everest, after the quake triggered avalanches. Foreign climbers on Everest and their Nepalese guides were caught by the tremors and a huge avalanche that buried part of the camp (See Video of the Day). At least 18 were killed by avalanches. China has meanwhile announced a halt to all spring expeditions to Mount Everest from the north face of the mountain on its side of the border, state media reports.

Rich List 2015: Super rich’s wealth soars as new money floods in from abroad –
he combined wealth of the 1,000 richest men and women in Britain has more than doubled in the last ten years, according to the Sunday Times Rich List. (See List of the Day) The wealthiest 1,000 individuals and families now have a combined fortune of £547.126 billion, up from £249.615 billion in 2005, despite the world economy being gripped by a punishing recession over much of the last decade. Plain old millionaires increasingly struggle to count themselves among the mega-rich, with a fortune of £100 million now required to make it into the top 1,000. That is £15 million higher than last year’s minimum, while in 1997 it took a personal wealth of ‘just’ £15 million to make the grade. The list includes 117 billionaires, up from 104 last year. They account for a total wealth of £325.131 billion and 80 of them are based in London. It means the capital has more sterling billionaires than any other city in the world. [Daily Telegraph]
Roman_Abramovich Roman Abramovich – Owner of Chelsea FC and 10th richest man in Britain

Paula Radcliffe runs the London Marathon for the last time –
Briton Radcliffe, 41, ran the 26.2-mile course in two hours 36 minutes 55 seconds, less than three years after surgery on a serious foot injury.
“It was just amazing the whole way round,” the world-record holder said. “I wore the sunglasses to keep a lid on my emotions and they definitely hid some tears along the way,” she added. Radcliffe won the London Marathon in 2002, 2003 and 2005, and her 2003 winning time of 2:15:25 remains the world record.
Paula_RadcliffePaula Radcliffe

Video of the Day –

Hit by Avalanche in Everest Basecamp 25.04.2015 –

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May 8, 2015

Top News Stories –

British General Election results in a surprise Conservative majority and the resignation of three opposition leaders –
Summary of the major stories [BBC]:

2015-UK-Election-results
[BBC]

 

Microsoft to stop producing Windows versions –
Jerry Nixon, a Microsoft development executive, said in a conference speech this week that Windows 10 would be the “last version” of the dominant desktop software. His comments were echoed by Microsoft which said it would update Windows in future in an “ongoing manner”. Instead of new stand-alone versions, Windows 10 would be improved in regular instalments, the firm said. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Rain’s Dirty Little Secret

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May 10, 2015

Top News Stories –

Ant and Dec repeat Bafta success –
Ant and Dec have picked up two prizes at the Bafta Television Awards for the second year in a row. The duo won best entertainment show and best entertainment performance for their ITV show Saturday Night Takeaway. ITV’s Coronation Street also won best soap in the year it celebrated its 60th anniversary. [BBC] For full winners list see List of the Day below.

Scotland tops gay equality league –
Scotland has been rated the best country in Europe in terms of legal equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people. Scotland came top of the Rainbow Index after meeting 92% of ILGA-Europe’s criteria for equality and human rights, ahead of the UK as a whole. Equality campaigners said the ranking recognised the country’s progressive measures. But they said more needed to be done to achieve full equality. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

We Are The Faction Collective: #S02E03 from Faction Skis on Vimeo.

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May 13, 2015

Top News Stories –

Prince Harry does the Haka in New Zealand –
Prince Harry has taken part in a traditional Maori Haka during his tour of New Zealand. It was part of a day of activities at Linton Military Camp, the largest army base in the country. [BBC] In December 2013 Prince Harry led his Sandringham workers team to a 7-2 victory in a football (soccer) match against local villagers in Scotland.
Prince_HarryPrince Harry

China imposes smartwatch and wearable tech army ban –
China has forbidden its armed forces from wearing internet-connected wearable tech, according to reports. The People’s Liberation Army Daily, the Chinese military’s official newspaper, said security concerns had been raised after one recruit had received a smartwatch as a birthday gift. News site NBC said its sources had confirmed a ban was now in place. [BBC]

Prince Charles’s private letters published –
Private letters sent by the Prince of Wales to Labour ministers a decade ago have been published after a lengthy legal battle. Clarence House said the move would “only inhibit” the prince’s ability to express concerns. In one letter to the prime minister, the prince said the armed forces were being asked to do a challenging job “without the necessary resources”. Release of the letters follows a decade-long campaign by the Guardian. [BBC] See Top Twitter Trends
Prince_Charles_2012Prince Charles

Video of the Day –

Why Do We Wrinkle When Wet?

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide USA UK
1 #WeWantNoControlAsASingle Instant Articles Prince Charles
2 Kim Jong-Un #WeWantNoControlAsASingle #BritishValues
3 #SomayıUnutma #HumpDay #WeWantNoControlAsASingle
4 #AVecesMeDanGanas Harriet Tubman #HumpDay
5 예비군 #ScientificTVShows Instant Articles
6 #MePuedeMuchoQue #Amtrak #UnlikelyLinesFromACooking…
7 Ali Kemal #Amtrak188 #AskMmusi
8 #ScientificTVShows #SingleBecause Suarez
9 #SiNoTeHubieraConocido Karachi #BBUK
10 Harriet Tubman #JacobOnBUZZ #GeordieShore

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May 20, 2015

Top News Stories –

Record fines for currency market fix –
Five of the world’s largest banks are to pay fines totalling $5.7bn (£3.6bn) for charges including manipulating the foreign exchange market.
Four of the banks – JPMorgan, Barclays, Citigroup and RBS – have agreed to plead guilty to US criminal charges. The fifth, UBS, will plead guilty to rigging benchmark interest rates. Barclays was fined the most, $2.4bn, as it did not join other banks in November to settle investigations by UK, US and Swiss regulators. Barclays is also sacking eight employees involved in the scheme. [BBC]

Chinese professor accused in ‘Breaking Bad’ drugs plot –
Police in China have arrested a chemistry professor for his part in producing a psychoactive drug in a case that has been likened to US crime drama Breaking Bad. State agency Xinhua said 17 people were arrested including a Xian university professor alleged to have helped provide the recipe for methcathinone. Police seized 128kg (282lb) of the drug and more than 5m yuan ($806,095; £519,450). The drug lab was raided last year. [BBC]

David Letterman saluted by stars on final Late Show –
Four US presidents have joined stars including Steve Martin, Tina Fey, Jerry Seinfeld and Foo Fighters to pay tribute to TV host David Letterman on his final late night talk show. Letterman has bowed out after 33 years and 6,028 late-night broadcasts.He joked that physicist Stephen Hawking had calculated it “works out to about eight minutes of laughter”.He gave emotional thanks to his family, crew and viewers, saying: “There’s nothing I can ever do to repay you.”The 68-year-old began his late-night career on NBC in 1982, before moving to CBS’s Late Show in 1993.[BBC] See Video of the Day and List of the Day.
Dave_LettermanDavid Letterman

Video of the Day –

Celebrity Top Ten Things I’ve Always Wanted to Say To David Letterman

List of the day –

David Letterman’s final Top Ten list – “Top 10 things I’ve always wanted to say to Dave:”

10. Alec Baldwin: “Of all the talk shows, yours is the most geographically convenient to my home.”

9. Barbara Walters: “Did you know you wear the same cologne as Muammar Qaddafi?”

8. Steve Martin: Your extensive plastic surgery was a necessity…and a mistake.”

7. Jerry Seinfeld: “I have no idea what I’ll do when you go off the air. You know what, I just thought of something: I’ll be fine.”

6. Jim Carrey: “Honestly Dave, I’ve always found you to be a bit of an over-actor.” (He gesticulated wildly).

5. Chris Rock: “I’m just glad your show is being given to another white guy.” (Dave: “You know, I had nothing to do with that.”)

4. Julia Louis-Dreyfus: “Thanks for letting me take part in another hugely disappointing series finale.” (Seinfeld smirks). (Dave: “I had nothing to do with that either.”)

3. Peyton Manning: “Dave, you are to comedy what I am to comedy.”

2. Tina Fey: “Thanks for finally proving men can be funny.”

1. Bill Murray: “Dave, I’ll never have the money I owe you.”

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1 #DescribeYourselfIn3Words #DescribeYourselfIn3Words #DescribeYourselfIn3Words
2 #undiasinmusica #HumpDay #TDC15
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6 #EnQueIdiomaTeDigoQue #StandWithRand #HumpDay
7 PARABÉNS RANGEL #Blackhawks #5ONTHEWALL
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10 #JustinForMMVA #NoWayThatsAHoliday #TheFlashSeasonFinale

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June 4, 2015

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Millions of US government workers hit by data breach –
Chinese hackers are suspected of carrying out a “massive breach” affecting the data of millions of US government workers, officials said. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) confirmed on Thursday that almost four million current and past employees have been affected. The breach could potentially affect every federal agency, officials said. Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said it was thought to have originated in China. The Chinese embassy in Washington warned against “jumping to conclusions”. [BBC]

Sam Smith can speak again after vocal cord operation and reschedules gigs –
Sam Smith says he can now speak again and is ready to go back on tour after his vocal cord operation. The singer posted on Instagram: “I CAN SPEAK AGAIN!!!!!!!!” with a picture of Ariel from The Little Mermaid. He also shared a photo of the doctor who helped him to reclaim his voice and publicly thanked him. Four performances that he had to postpone in April after having problems with his voice have now been announced in Australia. [BBC]
Sam-Smith-with-Doctor-Zeitels  © Samsmithworld/InstagramSam Smith with Doctor Zeitels © Samsmithworld/Instagram
Sam Smith Instagram message

Tricky GCSE maths exam sees pupils take to Twitter –

A tricky GCSE maths question stumped thousands of students – but inspired them to take to Twitter to vent their anger and frustration. The equation in Thursday’s Edexcel exam was on the probability of taking two orange sweets from a bag. By the afternoon the topic was trending on Twitter and online petitions were set up calling on the board to lower the grade boundaries when marking. Edexcel’s owner Pearson said it aimed to “test the full range” of abilities. But it said it would ensure students were “treated fairly” when the papers are marked. [BBC]  See Top Twitter Trends (UK)

Video of the Day –

Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation Trailer 2

Top Twitter Trends –

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1 #PSYAngBatasNgApi Rick Perry #EdexcelMaths
2 #MeSobranGanasDe #CheeseFilms #ProsOfDatingMe
3 #SiempreMePasaQue #PitMad #GeekPickUpLines
4 メンタルヘルス Hannah Montana #CheeseFilms
5 Rick Perry #ProsOfDatingMe #ComplimentYourselfIn4Words
6 #FelizJueves #GeekPickUpLines #OrangeFestBands
7 #KeferaNoEncontro #NBAFinals Charlotte Church
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9 #GeekPickUpLines #DuggarInterview Skrtel
10 #شعورك_الان_بت�… Michael Ealy Chuck Blazer

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  • Officials of the ruling Syriza party in Greece say that they cannot accept a last-minute deal proposed by the country’s creditors: default deadline looms. (AP)
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June 10, 2015

Top News Stories –

The genius behind ‘Headless Body in Topless Bar’ headline dies at 74 –
Vincent A. Musetto, who wrote the greatest headline in New York newspaper history, died Tuesday at 74 from cancer. “Headless Body in Topless Bar” ran on The Post’s front page on April 15, 1983. As witty as it was horrific, it expressed with unflinching precision the city’s ­accelerating tailspin into an abyss of atrocious crime and chaos. Post editor- in-chief Col ­Allan said, “V.A. Musetto was one of the legends of our business, and he became famous for a truly classic headline. But for those who worked with him and mourn him today, V.A. offered so much more: Humor. A sharp critical eye. A personal warmth with his colleagues, and deep love for The Post and its readers. All will miss him.” [Daily Post]
Headless body in a topless bar headline - NY Post New York Post headline April 15, 1083

Chinese actress Zhao Wei sued for ‘staring’ at man through his TV set –
A Chinese actress is being sued after a man claims she “stared at him too intensely” through his TV set. The lawsuit was filed by a man in Shanghai after he watched Zhao Wei in a series called Tiger Mom, which debuted last month. A new law making it harder for courts in China to reject lawsuits has led to concerns of a rise in the number of frivolous claims being made. The rules came into force on 1 May with a 29% rise in cases reported in China. The Supreme People’s Court says there were just over a million cases filed compared with same period last year. [BBC Newsbeat]
Zhao-WeiZhao Wei

Video of the Day –

Trailer For ‘Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2’

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1 #YaEsMuyNormalQue Juan Felipe Herrera #ILoveMuseums
2 #TeLoDigoEnUnaCancionDeRock #nationalicedteaday #HumpDay
3 #FelizMiercoles #InThe90sIThought #BoringRealityShows
4 Forfun #MakeAMoviePainful #MakeAMoviePainful
5 #MasterChefBR #INeedStraightPrideBecause #ROWYSOManchester
6 #ElDiaSeRePrestaPara #BoringRealityShows Marguerite Patten
7 #BoringRealityShows #HumpDay #InThe90sIThought
8 The Warriors Montel Williams Tim Hunt
9 #من_علامات_الج�… #HasBecomeAHobbyOfMine The Arches
10 Curry #CMTAwards #PMQs

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June 14, 2015

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Philae comet lander wakes up, says European Space Agency –
The European Space Agency (Esa) says its comet lander, Philae, has woken up and contacted Earth. Philae, the first spacecraft to land on a comet, was dropped on to the surface of Comet 67P by its mothership, Rosetta, last November. It worked for 60 hours before its solar-powered battery ran flat. The comet has since moved nearer to the Sun and Philae has enough power to work again, says the BBC’s science correspondent Jonathan Amos. An account linked to the probe tweeted the message, “Hello Earth! Can you hear me?” On its blog, Esa said Philae had contacted Earth, via Rosetta, for 85 seconds on Saturday in the first contact since going into hibernation in November.
@Philae2014/Twitter
Artist's impression of the Philae landerArtist’s impression of the Philae lander

Jurassic World takes $511m in record opening weekend –
The fourth instalment in the Jurassic Park series has become the first film to take more than $500m at the box office on its opening weekend. Jurassic World was the most popular screening in all 66 countries where it was released. The film made $204.6m (£131.4m) in the US, according to the firm Exhibitor Relations. It took $100m in China and $29.6m (£19m) in the UK and Ireland as part of the record global total of $511.8m. The Universal Pictures release had the second-highest grossing opening weekend in the US. The record is held by Marvel’s The Avengers, which took $207.4m in 2012. [BBC] See Video of the Day

Video of the Day –

Jurassic World – Official Global Trailer

List of the Day –

Biggest Worldwide film openings since 2002 [from Wikipedia]

Rank Film Year Opening (USD)[1]
1 Jurassic World 2015 $511,800,000
2 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 2011 $483,189,427
3 Furious 7 2015 $397,627,459
4 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 2009 $394,022,354
5 Marvel’s The Avengers 2012 $392,538,708
6 Avengers: Age of Ultron 2015 $392,471,109
7 Transformers: Dark of the Moon 2011 $382,425,000
8 Spider-Man 3 2007 $381,660,892
9 Iron Man 3 2013 $372,553,677
10 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides 2011 $350,653,677
11 Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End 2007 $343,972,864
12 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 2012 $340,667,634
13 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 2007 $332,715,157
14 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 2010 $330,017,372
15 Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith 2005 $303,949,700
16 Transformers: Age of Extinction 2014 $302,138,390
17 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 2011 $291,022,261
18 The Twilight Saga: New Moon 2009 $274,939,137
19 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 2014 $273,897,634
20 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull 2008 $272,150,927
21 X-Men: Days of Future Past 2014 $262,866,321
22 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 2003 $250,000,534
23 The Dark Knight Rises 2012 $248,887,295
24 Avatar 2009 $241,571,046
25 The Da Vinci Code 2006 $232,074,037
26 2012 2009 $230,470,474
27 The Twilight Saga: Eclipse 2010 $228,893,465
28 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 2012 $222,617,303
29 Iron Man 2 2010 $220,766,270
30 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen 2009 $219,921,171
31 Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs 2009 $218,430,064
32 The Hunger Games 2012 $211,785,747
33 Alice in Wonderland 2010 $210,101,023
34 The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug 2013 $209,845,197
35 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 2004 $207,197,367
36 War of the Worlds 2005 $203,061,125
37 Man of Steel 2013 $201,981,486
38 The Matrix Revolutions 2003 $201,390,000
39 Iron Man 2008 $201,174,140

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1 #ARGENTINARMY Roc Nation Toke
2 #AskRachel #zayniscomingback #GETWELLSOONCALUM
3 #ComoOdioAEsosQue #FlagDay Rolf Harris
4 Bolivia #ICouldUseALittleMore Snowden
5 Fede Bal #NWC2015 #zayniscomingback
6 Jurassic World #RedFlags #UFC188
7 Dave Grohl #MITB #SLOvENG
8 #GoodForYou Tbilisi Michael
9 #AssistamTeuOlharFLY Good Sunday #HappyBirthdayJesy
10 Vuoso #GETWELLSOONCALUM Townsend

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June 17, 2015

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Angolan capital remains ‘most expensive city’ for expats –
The Angolan capital, Luanda, remains the world’s most expensive city for expatriates, according to an annual survey by consultancy Mercer. The city has held the number one spot for the past three years because of the high cost of rent, imported goods and security in the oil-rich nation. However, the rest of the cost of living rankings saw significant shifts due to exchange rate fluctuations. Asian cities now account for half of the top 10 costliest destinations. Hong Kong rose to second place and Singapore remained in fourth because of their expensive property and rental markets. Shanghai, Beijing and Seoul also made the top 10. [BBC] See List of the Day

Madonna premieres star-studded ‘Bitch I’m Madonna’ video on Tidal –
Madonna has unveiled her new video – complete with cameo appearances by Beyonce, Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry – on the new streaming service [launched in March] she runs with stars including Jay Z and Kanye West. The video for Bitch I’m Madonna, from her well-received Rebel Heart album, will be shown exclusively on the Tidal service for 24 hours before being released to the wider public. The line-up on the video, which was filmed in New York, also includes Nicki Minaj, new X Factor judge Rita Ora, Chris Rock and Madonna’s sons Rocco and David. [Daily Telegraph] See Video of the Day
MadonnaMadonna

South Carolina church shooting: Nine die in Charleston ‘hate crime’ –
Nine people have died in a shooting at a historic African-American church in Charleston in the US state of South Carolina, officials say. City police chief Gregory Mullen said eight of the victims were killed inside the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church on Wednesday evening, while another person died shortly afterwards. Police are now searching for a white male suspect in his 20s. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

TIDAL | Madonna ft. Nicki Minaj | Bitch I’m Madonna Behind the scenes

List of the Day –

The 25 costliest cities for living abroad

2015 2014 Change City Country
1 1 Luanda Angola
2 3 +1 Hong Kong Hong Kong
3 5 +2 Zurich Switzerland
4 4 Singapore Singapore
5 6 +1 Geneva Switzerland
6 10 +4 Shanghai China
7 11 +4 Beijing China
8 14 +6 Seoul South Korea
9 8 -1 Bern Switzerland
10 2 -8 N’Djamena Chad
11 7 -4 Tokyo Japan
12 12 London United Kingdom
13 20 +7 Kinshasa Congo
14 17 +3 Shenzhen China
15 24 +9 Guangzhou China
16 16 New York City United States
17 13 -4 Victoria Seychelles
18 18 Tel Aviv Israel
19 86 +67 Buenos Aires Argentina
20 25 +5 Lagos Nigeria
21 54 +33 Shenyang China
22 34 +12 Conakry Guinea
23 67 +44 Dubai United Arab Emirates
24 15 -9 Copenhagen Denmark
25 48 +24 Qingdao China

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June 25, 2015

Top News Stories –

Avengers star Patrick Macnee dies –
Actor Patrick Macnee, star of The Avengers TV series, has died in California at the age of 93. The Briton, best known for playing John Steed in the 1960s television spy series, died at home with his family at his bedside, his son Rupert said. Macnee also played roles in theatre, appearing on Broadway, and served in the Royal Navy during World War Two. A statement on the actor’s website read: “Wherever he went, he left behind a trove of memories.” He died peacefully at his home in California’s Rancho Mirage. [BBC] See List of the Day below
Patrick_Macnee_in_Lobster_man_from_MarsPatrick Macnee in Lobster man from Mars

Clint Dempsey gets two-year US cup ban for outburst –
Clint Dempsey has been banned from the US Open Cup for two years after ripping up a referee’s notebook during a game. The Seattle Sounders forward, 33, flicked the notebook out of Daniel Radford’s hand, picked it up off the pitch and then tore it into pieces after a team-mate had been sent off. The ex-Fulham and Spurs man was duly sent off, as Seattle ended with seven men in a 3-1 loss to Portland Timbers. The US captain is banned for six games or two years – whichever is longer. [BBC]
Clint_Dempsey_Seattle_SoundersClint Dempsey

France cracks down on Uber service after protests –
France’s interior minister has ordered a ban on the low-cost car-sharing service UberPOP after a day of nationwide protests by taxi drivers. Bernard Cazeneuve said the service was “illegal” and ordered police and prosecutors to enforce its closure. His announcement followed a day of sometimes violent protests by French taxi drivers, who say the US-based firm Uber is stealing their livelihoods. [BBC]

US spy chief James Clapper says China lead suspect in cyber hack –
China is the “leading suspect” in the massive hack of a US government agency holding the personnel records of millions of Americans, US intelligence chief James Clapper has said. He is the highest-ranking US official to publicly implicate Beijing since news of the data breach emerged. China always dismissed suggestions that it was behind the hacking. The statement comes after three days of high-level talks in which China and the US agreed to a “code of conduct”. “China remains the leading suspects,” said Mr Clapper at a conference in Washington DC, but “the US government continues to investigate” he added, according to his office.
James_R._ClapperJames_R._Clapper, US intelligence Chief

Video of the Day –

Legacy from MURAT SAYGINER on Vimeo.

List of the Day –

Patrick Macnee Filmography [from Wikipedia]

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July 5, 2015

Top News Stories –

Greece votes ‘No’ and gambles its future –
Greek voters have delivered a defiant response to Europe. Political leaders and heads of government had lined up to warn the Greeks that a “No” vote would be a vote to leave the euro. It did not deter them. Indeed many voters seemed to revel in their resistance. The European Project is now facing its gravest crisis. [BBC]

USA beat Japan 5-2 in Women’s FIFA World Cup Final –
Carli Lloyd scored an incredible 13-minute hat-trick as the United States thrashed Japan to win their third Women’s World Cup title. In a repeat of the 2011 final, which Japan won on penalties, the Nadeshiko could not live with their stronger and quicker opponents, who went 4-0 up when Lloyd scored an astonishing third from the halfway line. The pulsating finale to an entertaining tournament was the highest-scoring final in the tournament’s history, and matched the highest scoring men’s final, when Brazil defeated Sweden by the same scoreline in 1958. [BBC] See Video of the Day
Carli-Llyoyd Carli Lloyd

Video of the Day –

List of the Day –

FIFA Women’s World Cup results [from Wikipedia]

Year Host Champions Score Runners-up Third Place Score Fourth Place Teams
1991   China
United States
2–1
Norway

Sweden
4–0
Germany
12
1995   Sweden
Norway
2–0
Germany

United States
2–0
China PR
12
1999   United States
United States
0–0 a.e.t.
(5–4 pen)

China PR

Brazil
0–0 [A]
(5–4 pen)

Norway
16
2003   United States
Germany
2–1 asdet
Sweden

United States
3–1
Canada
16
2007   China
Germany
2–0
Brazil

United States
4–1
Norway
16
2011   Germany
Japan
2–2 a.e.t.
(3–1 pen)

United States

Sweden
2–1
France
16
2015   Canada
United States
5–2
Japan

England
1–0 a.e.t.
Germany
24

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July 10, 2015

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-SharifOmar 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_TsiprasAlexis Tsipras

Video of the Day –

Game of Thrones: Audition Reel (HBO)

List of the Day –

Omar Sharif filmography [from Wikipedia]

 
Year Title Role Notes
1954 Shaytan al-Sahra[56] Known as Devil of the Sahara
1954 Sira` Fi al-Wadi Ahmed Also known as The Blazing Sun or Struggle in the Valley or Fight in the Valley
1955 Ayyamna al-Holwa Ahmed Also known as Our Best Days
1956 Sira` Fi al-Mina Ragab
1957 Ard al-Salam Ahmed Known as Land of Peace
1957 The Lebanese Mission Mokrir Original title was La Châtelaine du Liban; credited as Omar Cherif
1958 La Anam Aziz Also known as Sleepless and No Tomorrow
Goha Goha Credited as Omar Cherif
1959 Sayyidat al-Qasr Adel Lady of the Palace
Siraa fil Nil[57] Muhassab Struggle on the Nile
1960 Bidaya wa Nihaya Hassanien
Hobi al-Wahid My Only Love
Esha’a hob Hussein A Rumor of Love
Nahr al-Hob Khalid The River of Love
1961 A Man in our House[57] Ibrahim في بيتنا رجل
1962 Lawrence of Arabia Sherif Ali Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor
Nominated – Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
1964 The Fall of the Roman Empire Sohamus
Behold a Pale Horse Francisco
The Yellow Rolls-Royce Davich
1965 Genghis Khan Genghis Khan
Marco the Magnificent Sheik Alla Hou, ‘The Desert Wind’
Doctor Zhivago Dr. Zhivago (Yuri) Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama
1966 The Poppy Is Also a Flower Dr. Rad
1967 The Night of the Generals Major Grau
More Than a Miracle Prince Rodrigo Fernandez
1968 Funny Girl Nick Arnstein
Mayerling Archduke Rudolf
1969 Mackenna’s Gold Colorado
The Appointment Frenderico Fendi
Che! Che Guevara
1970 The Last Valley Vogel
1971 The Horsemen Uraz
The Burglars Abel Zacharia simultaneously shot in French as Le Casse with the same cast
1974 The Tamarind Seed Feodor Sverdlov
Juggernaut Captain Axel Brunel
1975 Funny Lady Nicky Arnstein
1976 Ace Up My Sleeve Andre Ferren also known as Crime and Passion
The Pink Panther Strikes Again Egyptian assassin uncredited cameo
1979 Ashanti: Land of No Mercy Prince Hassan
Bloodline Ivo Palazzi
1980 S*H*E[58] Baron Cesare Magnasco S*H*E: Security Hazards Expert
The Baltimore Bullet The Deacon
Oh! Heavenly Dog Bart
1981 Green Ice Meno Argenti
Inchon Indian officer uncredited cameo
1984 Top Secret! Agent Cedric
1987 Grand Larceny Rashid Saud
1988 The Possessed Stepan Les Possédés
Les Pyramides bleues (fr)[59] Alex The Novice
1989 Al-aragoz [60] Mohamed Gad El Kareem The Puppeteer
1990 The Rainbow Thief Dima
1991 Mowaten masri An Egyptian Citizen
1992 Beyond Justice Emir Beni-Zair
Mayrig Hagop
588 rue paradis Hagop Mother
1993 Dehk we le’b we gad we hob[57] Laughter, Games, Seriousness and Love
1997 Heaven Before I Die Khalil Gibran
1998 Mysteries of Egypt Grandfather Documentary
1999 The 13th Warrior Melchisideck
2001 The Parole Officer Victor
2003 Monsieur Ibrahim Monsieur Ibrahim César Award for Best Actor
2004 Hidalgo Sheikh Riyadh
2006 One Night with the King Prince Memucan
The 10 commandments Jethro (شعيب)
2008 Hassan & Marcus Hassan/Morcus Hassan wa Morcus
10,000 BC Narrator Voice only
2009 The Traveller Older Hassan Commonly known as Al Mosafer
J’ai oublié de te dire[61] Jaume I forgot to Tell You
2013 Rock the Casbah Moulay Hassan
2015 1001 Inventions and the World of Ibn Al-Haytham Grandfather/Narrator Voice; final film role[4]

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5 Omar Sharif #VoteMoose Omar Sharif
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  • 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)
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July 22, 2015

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Madonna compares herself to Pablo Picasso –
Madonna thinks artists deep into their careers should stop if they do not have anything more to say. But at 56, the singer says she wants to keep going – and feels like Pablo Picasso. “I like to compare myself to other kinds of artists like Picasso. He kept painting and painting until the day he died. Why? Because I guess he felt inspired to do so,” she said. “Life inspired him, so he had to keep expressing himself, and that’s how I feel.” Madonna released her self-titled debut album in 1983, and her latest album, “Rebel Heart,” earlier this year. She said the key to sticking around is her continual desire to inspire others. “I don’t think there’s a time, a date, an expiration date for being creative,” she said. “I think you go until you don’t have any more to say.” [Daily Telegraph] Madonna launched her latest video on June 17, 2015
MadonnaMadonna

Taylor Swift Chinese clothing line with ‘TS’ and ‘1989’ touches Tiananmen Square nerve –
Taylor Swift has accidentally touched a political nerve in the lead up to her China tour by promoting merchandise with the letters ‘TS’ and the date ‘1989’ — shared by the Tiananmen Square massacre, which remains heavily censored in mainland China. The American star was due to launch her new range of clothing on China’s biggest retailer platforms, Taobao and Jing Dong (JD.com), in the run up to her forthcoming China tour. However, the tour slated for November, could be jeopardised given the sensitive nature of the cack-handed reference. Both the tour and album were named after Swift’s date of birth, 1989, but also allude to the year in which reportedly thousands of innocent civilians were mown down by government forces in Beijing among student protests. [Daily Telegraph]
Taylor-Swift Taylor Swift

A $7 Billion Charge at Microsoft Leads to Its Largest Loss Ever –
An accounting charge wiped out Microsoft’s profit for the quarter, leading to its largest loss ever, the company said on Tuesday, making clear the cost of its missteps in the mobile business. The $7.5 billion accounting charge, stemming from Microsoft’s troubled acquisition of Nokia’s cellphone business, was disclosed by the company earlier this month, along with plans to eliminate 7,800 jobs, mostly in the company’s phone operations. While the accounting charge was on paper and will not diminish the company’s huge cash hoard, it was a psychic blow to Microsoft, one of the biggest money makers in tech. [NY Times]

Video of the Day –

SPECTRE – James Bond trailer

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July 30, 2015

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Iran city hits suffocating heat index of 165 degrees, near world record –
Wherever you live or happen to travel to, never complain about the heat and humidity again. In the city of Bandar Mahshahr (population of about 110,000 as of 2010), the air felt like a searing 165 degrees (74 Celsius) today factoring in the humidity.
Although there are no official records of heat indices, this is second highest level we have ever seen reported. To achieve today’s astronomical heat index level of 165, Bandar Mahshahr’s actual air temperature registered 115 degrees (46 Celsius) with an astonishing dew point temperature of 90 (32 Celsius). [Washington Post]

Nuns lose court bid to block convent sale to Katy Perry –
Judge says California nuns’ attempt to sell the $15 million property to a restaurateur, instead of the pop star, is “invalid”. A pair of nuns have suffered a major setback in their legal battle to stop the sale of their convent to pop star Katy Perry. Sisters Rita Callanan, 77, and Catherine Rose Holzman, 86, dressed in blue habits, looked disappointed as the ruling was given in the very temporal surroundings of the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles. The bespectacled Sisters of the Most Holy and Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary had objected to a plan by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, Jose Gomez, to sell the eight-acre property to Miss Perry, purveyor of risque hits like I Kissed A Girl. [Daily Telegraph]See July 1 2015
Katy-PerryKaty Perry

MH370 search: key questions as plane debris ‘found’ –
A metallic object described as six to nine feet long and three feet wide was found on a beach on the east coast of Reunion, a French island in the Indian Ocean. The object had the code number “BB670” on it. Locals said the object had shells on it and appeared to have been in the water for some time. There are two main reasons investigators are confident the part comes from the missing MH370 aircraft. First, aviation experts say the object appears to be from a Boeing 777 – and no other such aircraft is believed to have gone missing in the region. If the object is from MH370, it will mark the first sign of the Boeing 777 since it disappeared on March 8 2014. But such confirmation will come as difficult news for the families of the 239 passengers who were on aboard. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Learn to Fly – Foo Fighters Rockin1000 Official Video
1000 musicians play Learn to Fly by Foo Fighters to ask Dave Grohl to come and play in Cesena, Italy

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August 7, 2015

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George Cole, Arthur Daley in Minder, dies at 90 –
Stars of stage and screen have been paying tribute to “immaculate” and “unforgettable” Minder actor George Cole following his death at the age of 90. Cole, whose showbusiness career spanned 70 years, is best remembered for his portrayal of small-time wheeler dealer and crook Arthur Daley in the TV show Minder, alongside his likeable bodyguard Terry McCann, played by Waterman. He died yesterday in hospital with his family at his side after a short illness, it was announced today. [Daily Telegraph]

One Direction number one breaks streaming records –
One Direction have topped the UK singles chart with their new single Drag Me Down. The track broke streaming records, earning the highest first-week streams for a single in the UK with 2.03m plays. Drag Me Down is One Direction’s first single as a foursome since the departure of Zayn Malik. Its release came a surprise to fans who had not been expecting a new single. [BBC Newsbeat]
One_Direction_2013 One Direction in 2013 before Zayn left

North Korea sets up own time zone in rebuke to ‘wicked Japanese imperialists’ –
The hermetic communist state of North Korea is often said to be locked in a Stalinist time warp. But it is now turning the clocks back – by 30 minutes a day – by official decree. The state news agency has announced the creation of a new Pyongyang time zone as a rejection of the legacy of “wicked Japanese imperialists”. North Korea will step back in time by half an hour on Aug 15th – the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Korean peninsula from Japanese rule at the end of the Second World War. [Daily Telegraph]

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Uber meets Tinder

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August 9, 2015

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Australia proposes limiting Vegemite sales to prevent alcohol abuse –
Australia’s government says Vegemite sales should be limited in some communities to prevent the yeast-based spread being used to make home-made alcohol. Nigel Scullion, the indigenous affairs minister, said the spread – which is considered something of a national culinary staple – was a “precursor to misery” in communities suffering from alcohol abuse. He said he was not proposing a ban but wanted to restrict excessive sales of high-yeast products such as Vegemite in “dry” communities – typically remote Aboriginal townships where alcohol sales are banned. Vegemite, from the same family of spreads as Marmite, has been produced in Australia since 1923 and its advertising jingles have sometimes been said to be more widely known than the national anthem. [Daily Telegraph]

A woman’s bra wire saves her from bullet in German hunting accident –
A woman’s bra wire has saved her life after a bullet hit her during a hunting accident in north-eastern Germany. The tourist was cycling through woods with her husband in the Mecklenberg-Western Pomerania area of the country. According to newspaper the Gadebusch-Rehnaer Zeitung, the pair had inadvertently strayed into the middle of a boar hunt while crossing a field. The woman said she felt a pain in her chest, which turned out to be a bullet ricocheting off her bra underwire. She was taken to a doctor in nearby Gadebusch by a passing motorist and treated for severe bruising on her chest plus a small blood clot. The gun and ammunition from the hunt were also impounded and police with sniffer dogs and metal detectors searched the area. [BBC Newsbeat]

Video of the Day –

THE WILD from LIEBER FILMS on Vimeo.

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August 12, 2015

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China blasts: Shipment explodes in Tianjin port –
Massive explosions have hit China’s northern port city of Tianjin, reportedly injuring many people. According to Chinese state media, the blasts occurred when a shipment of explosives blew up at about 23:30 (16:30 GMT). Pictures and video shared on social media showed flames lighting up the sky and damage to nearby buildings. Latest reports in state media suggest that hundreds of people have been taken to hospital. The first explosion was followed by another 30 seconds later. [BBC] See Video of the Day

Twitter takes the chains off Direct Messages by removing 140-character limit –
Twitter is fairly conspicuous by its absence among the big messaging players. The service has allowed its users to send private messages back and forth for years, but for a long time, the feature seemed like an afterthought, with bugs such as unreliable notifications. This is slowly changing. On Wednesday, Twitter finally removed a 140-character limit on Direct Messages (DMs), meaning users can send up to 10,000 characters (which roughly allows space for 2,000 words). Sachin Agarwal, Twitter’s DM product manager, said this had been one of Twitter users’ most commonly-requested features. [Daily Telegraph]

RIP to LOL – the history of laughing out loud –
A Facebook study suggests that people are choosing to use “haha” and emojis over “LOL” to express laughter. The research claims more than half (51.4%) opt for “haha”, while just 1.9% are LOLers, although it didn’t look at direct messages. LOL was added to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) in 2011, but the origin of the phrase can be traced back to the 1980s. The Facebook study suggests a third of people use emojis for laughter. [BBC Newsbeat]

Video of the Day –

直击天津滨海新区爆炸瞬间 现场响声震天

Massive explosions have hit China’s northern port city of Tianjin

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August 13, 2015

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Nigerian granted divorce over wife’s late meals –
A Nigerian court has recently granted a 57-year-old man a divorce on the premise that his wife was bringing him his meals too late at night, local media reported on Thursday. Olufade Adeyoka recently explained to a courtroom in Lagos that he was fed up, that his wife of 25 years, Olusola, continued to serve him his meals late. In an interview with the Nigerian newspaper ‘Vanguard’ Adeyoka claimed that his wife “had failed in her matrimonial obligations”. This is thought to be the first time a legal divorce has been granted due to problems regarding domestic mealtime arrangements, however Nigeria has seen many abnormal divorce cases granted. [Daily Telegraph]

Pants ‘for superheroes’: Underwear that protects sperm count by blocking smartphone radiation –
Smart underwear designed to protect male fertility from radiation emitted by smartphones and laptops has been unveiled by a British scientist. Described by Sir Richard Branson as “underpants for superheroes”, the Wireless Armour underwear contains a mesh of pure silver woven into the fabric. It shields against 99.9 per cent of electromagnetic radiation, which is emitted from devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops, and has been linked to fertility problems by scientists. [Daily Telegraph]
Radiation armour underpantsWireless Armour underwear

Modern Family’s Ariel Winter has had a breast reduction –
Modern Family star Ariel Winter has revealed she has undergone breast reduction surgery. The 17-year-old said she made the decision after suffering with back and neck pain as a result of her 32F cups. “It’s amazing to finally feel right,” she told Glamour magazine. The actress, who plays young teenager Alex Dunphy in the TV series, had the surgery in June and reduced the size of her chest to a 34D. [BBC Newsbeat]
Ariel_WinterAriel Winter

Video of the Day –

Beautiful Footage: Chameleons Are Amazing

List of the Day –

Chameleon scientific data [from Wikipedia]

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Infraorder: Acrodonta
Family: Chamaeleonidae
Genera

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August 17, 2015

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Cannes watch thief arrested after taunting police with pictures of luxury life on the run –
A gangster who stole designer watches worth €1.7 million (£1.2 million) from a Cannes jewellers and taunted police for two years with pictures of himself enjoying a luxurious lifestyle in Morocco has been arrested. NabiI Ibelati, 29, who has French and Moroccan nationality, had been on the run since July 2013, when he burst into Kronometry jewellers on the Cannes “croisette” in broad daylight with a pistol and grenade rifle, tied up staff and made off with 100 luxury watches. An accomplice and a brother of Ibelati were arrested six months later in France, but Ibelati fled to Morocco, posting regular Facebook pictures that showed him living the high life: relaxing in an infinity pool, enjoying a formal dinner and riding a camel in the desert. Moroccan authorities arrested Ibelati on Saturday, after secretly recording members of his entourage discussing his movements. [Daily Telegraph]

The songs China doesn’t want you to hear –
In China, the government has banned a list of 120 songs from the internet, including a string of karaoke favourites. It says the songs “trumpet obscenity, violence, crime or harm social morality”, and has ordered them to be removed from websites. Songs with titles like I Love Taiwanese Girls, Fart, Beijing Hooligans and Don’t Want to Go to School have all been blacklisted. [BBC Trending]

Video of the Day –

Introducing Project Sunroof – Google

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August 23, 2015

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Usain Bolt beats Justin Gatlin to win world 100m title –
Usain Bolt produced perhaps his greatest performance of all as he put a troubled build-up behind him to beat two-time doper and clear favourite Justin Gatlin to retain his world 100m title. The controversial Gatlin came into the final on a 28-race unbeaten run and apparently relishing his role as the sport’s bad guy. But at the same Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing where Bolt announced himself to the world with two Olympic golds and two world records in 2008, the Jamaican superstar came past a faltering Gatlin at the death to snatch victory by one hundredth of a second. Bolt’s 9.79 seconds was more than two tenths off his world record, but this was a night for athletics to celebrate victories rather than times. [BBC] See List of the Day
Usain-BoltUsain Bolt

Banksy’s ‘Dismaland’ in England: It’s a Strange World, After All –
WESTON-SUPER-MARE, England — Rain pelted down for much of Sunday afternoon on this drooping beachside resort town where “Dismaland,” the gloomy anti-Disneyland created by the artist Banksy, opened this weekend. “Dismaland,” a satirical take on a theme park, features grumpy guards, funereal theme park games and art by about 60 artists — including Banksy, Damien Hirst and Jenny Holzer. The exhibition had a “locals” day on Friday and opened to the public on Saturday; it runs through late September. The exhibition came largely as a surprise: Members of the British news media had spotted construction at the exhibition site — the abandoned grounds of a former family swimming pool — early last week, and had begun to speculate on what was taking place there. The exhibition includes new and old artwork by Banksy, including a pool with mobile boats full of figurine immigrants in what apparently is the English Channel, and a mural-style work in the his signature silhouette style, which shows a fat cat in a suit gorging himself while a gaunt woman with children stands across from him. [NY Times]
Logo-of-DismalandLogo_of_Dismaland

Met Office loses multi-million pound BBC weather contract –
The Met Office has lost its lucrative weather forecasting contract with the BBC after nearly a century of providing the service. Negotiations to renew the deal hit a dead end and a new firm is expected to take over next year. The BBC said it was legally required to open up the contract to outside competition and secure the best value for money for licence fee payers. Dutch and New Zealand firms are said to be in the running for the contract, which is believed to make up a sizeable share of the £32.5 million a year the Met Office receives from commercial organisations, according to the Mail on Sunday. [Daily Telegraph] See Top Twitter Trends

Mel Gibson accused of pushing female photographer –
Oscar-winning actor Mel Gibson has been accused of pushing a female photographer in Sydney. The Daily Telegraph’s Kristi Miller told Australian media she was pushed and verbally abused while taking pictures of Gibson and his girlfriend. She alleges Gibson’s tirade ended when his partner, 24-year-old US equestrian vaulter Rosalind Ross, intervened. “I thought he was going to punch me in the face,” Ms Miller said. “He was spitting in my face as he was yelling.” Police confirmed they are investigating reports a female photographer was pushed outside a cinema on Sunday night. [BBC] Gibson swore at a TV journalist in February 2010.
Mel-GibsonMel Gibson

Video of the Day –

Subway Love

Subway Love from Max Stossel on Vimeo.

List of the Day –

Usain Bolt international competition record

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
2002 World Junior Championships Kingston, Jamaica 1st 200 metres 20.61
2nd 4×100 metres relay 39.15 NJR
2nd 4×400 metres relay 3:04.06 NJR
2003 World Youth Championships Sherbrooke, Canada 1st 200 metres 20.40
2003 Pan American Junior Championships Bridgetown, Barbados 1st 200 metres 20.13 WYB
2nd 4×100 metres relay 39.40
2004 CARIFTA Games Hamilton, Bermuda 1st 200 metres 19.93 WJR
2005 Central American and Caribbean Championships Nassau, Bahamas 1st 200 metres 20.03
2006 World Athletics Final Stuttgart, Germany 3rd 200 metres 20.10
2006 IAAF World Cup Athens, Greece 2nd 200 metres 19.96
2007 World Championships Osaka, Japan 2nd 200 metres 19.91
2nd 4×100 metres relay 37.89
2008 Olympic Games Beijing, China 1st 100 metres 9.69 WR OR
1st 200 metres 19.30 WR OR
1st 4×100 metres relay 37.10 WR OR
2009 World Championships Berlin, Germany 1st 100 metres 9.58 WR
1st 200 metres 19.19 WR
1st 4×100 metres relay 37.31 CR
2011 World Championships Daegu, South Korea DSQ[226] 100 metres
1st 200 metres 19.40 WL
1st 4×100 metres relay 37.04 WR
2012 Olympic Games London, United Kingdom 1st 100 metres 9.63 OR
1st 200 metres 19.32
1st 4×100 metres relay 36.84 WR
2013 World Championships Moscow, Russia 1st 100 metres 9.77
1st 200 metres 19.66
1st 4×100 metres relay 37.36
2014 Commonwealth Games Glasgow, Scotland 1st 4×100 metres relay 37.58 GR
2015 World Relay Championships Nassau, Bahamas 2nd 4×100 metres relay 37.68
World Championships Beijing, China 1st 100 metres 9.79

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  • Britain and Iran reopen embassies in each others’ capitals that had been closed after Iranian protesters stormed the British embassy on November 29, 2011. (Reuters)
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August 26, 2015

Top News Stories –

Ex-Broadcaster Kills 2 on Air in Virginia; Takes Own Life –
He was a fired television reporter with a history of conflicts at work and rage apparently stoked by racial grievances. And when he sought revenge on Wednesday, gunning down two former colleagues, he used the tools of social media to ensure that his crime was broadcast live, recorded from multiple angles and posted online. Vester Lee Flanagan II, 41, identified by the authorities as the gunman, waited until Alison Parker and Adam Ward, young journalists at WDBJ in Roanoke, were on air, then killed them while recording on his own video camera. Mr. Flanagan shot himself in the head hours later, the authorities said, but as the chase for him was on, he wrote about the shooting on Twitter, uploaded his video to Facebook and sent a manifesto to ABC News that spoke admiringly of mass killers and said that as a black, gay man he had faced discrimination and sexual harassment. [NY Times]
Alison_Parker_and_Adam_WardAlison Parker and Adam Ward

Theater shooter Holmes gets 12 life sentences, plus 3,318 years –
A Colorado judge formally sentenced James Eagan Holmes to multiple life terms plus thousands of years in prison for the Aurora movie theater massacre that killed 12 and wounded 70. Holmes, a 27-year-old former grad student, received one life term for each person he killed, plus 3,318 years for the attempted murders of those he wounded and for rigging his apartment with explosives. He is not eligible for parole. Prosecutor George Brauchler said he believed the sentence was the fourth longest in U.S. history. He described the judge’s command to promptly remove Holmes from the courtroom as “the right exclamation point” to bring a painful, difficult trial to a close. [CNN]

James_Holmes_2012James_Holmes_2012

Burger King is trying to make the McWhopper happen –
Lovers of fast food burgers are in for a treat: why choose between the Big Mac and the Whopper when you can have both in one mouthful and save the world at the same time? Burger King has approached McDonald’s about combining their star burgers for one day only, in a bid to raise awareness of Peace Day, the day of global unity recognised by the United Nations held annually on September 21. The McWhopper would be six parts Big Mac (top bun, all-beef patty, cheese, lettuce, special sauce and middle bun) and six parts Whopper (tomato, onion, ketchup, pickles, flame-grilled patty and bottom bun). The limited edition burger would be available in a co-branded pop-up restaurant in Atlanta, the mid-way point between McDonald’s headquarters in Chicago and Burger King HQ in Miami. [Daily Telegraph] See Video of the Day

Video of the Day –

Burger King | McWhopper Proposal

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August 27, 2015

Top News Stories –

Facebook sets user record as more than 1bn people log on in single day –
Facebook has revealed that more than 1bn people used the site on Monday – the first time the social network has hit the milestone. Mark Zuckerberg, who founded the company in 2004 while studying at Harvard, said he felt “proud” that one-in-seven people on Earth logged on to the website during the day. The 31-year-old wrote in a post on Facebook:

Mark Zuckerberg tweet Mark Zukerberg tweet
Although Mr Zuckerberg did not specify what had caused the rise in the number of users, the website has consistently attracted more followers. Last month Mr Zuckerberg revealed Facebook had 1.49bn monthly active users, up 13pc from a year earlier. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

LEVEL from joe pease on Vimeo.

List of the Day –

The top ten most unexpected words added to the online Oxford dictionary [according to the Daily Telegraph]
1. manspreading (noun): the practice whereby a man, especially one travelling on public transport, adopts a sitting position with his legs wide apart, in such a way as to encroach on an adjacent seat or seat

2. awesomesauce (adjective): extremely good; excellent

3. bants (noun): playfully teasing or mocking remarks exchanged with another person or group; banter

4. fat-shame (verb): cause (someone judged to be fat or overweight) to feel humiliated by making mocking or critical comments about their size

5. Brexit (noun): a term for the potential or hypothetical departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union

6. bruh (noun): a male friend (often used as a form of address)

7. cakeage (noun): a charge made by a restaurant for serving a cake they have not supplied themselves

8. fatberg (noun): a very large mass of solid waste in a sewerage system, consisting especially of congealed fat and personal hygiene products that have been flushed down toilets

9. Grexit (noun): a term for the potential withdrawal of Greece from the eurozone (the economic region formed by those countries in the European Union that use the euro as their national currency)

10. hangry (adjective): bad-tempered or irritable as a result of hunger

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September 10, 2015

Top News Stories –

New human-like species discovered in S Africa –

Scientists have discovered a new human-like species in a burial chamber deep in a cave system in South Africa. The discovery of 15 partial skeletons is the largest single discovery of its type in Africa. The researchers claim that the discovery will change ideas about our human ancestors. The studies which have been published in the journal Elife also indicate that these individuals were capable of ritual behaviour. The species, which has been named naledi, has been classified in the grouping, or genus,Homo, to which modern humans belong. [BBC] See List of the Day

Pope Francis emojis launched for US visit –
Pope Francis draws huge crowds wherever he goes and now his fans can share their admiration with papal emojis. A new keyboard app is being released to mark the Pope’s upcoming visit to America. You can have the Pope balancing a basketball or riding a taxi (although we suspect he’d prefer his Popemobile). They’re among 52 emojis and 14 GIFs in the app from Swyft Media, the company which created the first ginger emojis.
Pope emojis Pope emojis by Swyft Media

Giant Lenin ‘head’ unearthed 24 years after burial in Berlin –
The giant head of a statue of Russian revolutionary Lenin has been unearthed, 24 years after it was buried in a German forest. Workers dug up the granite structure from woodland outside Berlin, following a campaign by historians. The head was once part of a 19m (62ft) monument to the communist leader, which towered over the east of the city. It was dismantled in 1991 after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the pieces were buried in a secluded forest. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

iPhone 6s – The Only Thing That’s Changed Is…

List of the Day –

Comparative table of Homo species
Species Temporal range Mya Habitat Adult height Adult mass Cranial capacity (cm³) Fossil record Discovery / publication of name
H. habilis 2.1 – 1.5[136] Africa 150 cm (4 ft 11 in) 33–55 kg (73–121 lb) 510–660 Many 1960/1964
H. erectus 1.9 – 0.07[137] Africa, Eurasia (Java, China, India, Caucasus) 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) 60 kg (130 lb) 850 (early) – 1,100 (late) Many[138] 1891/1892
H. rudolfensis
membership in Homo uncertain
1.9 Kenya 700 2 sites 1972/1986
H. gautengensis
also classified as H. habilis
1.9 – 0.6 South Africa 100 cm (3 ft 3 in) 3 individuals[139] 2010/2010
H. ergaster
also classified as H. erectus
1.8 – 1.3[140] Eastern and Southern Africa 700–850 Many 1975
H. antecessor
also classified as H. heidelbergensis
1.2 – 0.8 Spain 175 cm (5 ft 9 in) 90 kg (200 lb) 1,000 2 sites 1997
H. cepranensis
a single fossil, possibly H. erectus
0.9 – 0.35 Italy 1,000 1 skull cap 1994/2003
H. heidelbergensis 0.6 – 0.35[141] Europe, Africa, China 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) 90 kg (200 lb) 1,100–1,400 Many 1908
H. neanderthalensis
possibly a subspecies of H. sapiens
0.35 – 0.04[142] Europe, Western Asia 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) 55–70 kg (121–154 lb) (heavily built) 1,200–1,900 Many (1829)/1864
H. rhodesiensis
also classified as H. heidelbergensis
0.3 – 0.12 Zambia 1,300 Very few 1921
H. tsaichangensis
possibly H. erectus
0.25 – 0.2 Taiwan 1 individual pre-2008/2015
H. sapiens
(modern humans)
0.2[143] – present Worldwide 150 – 190 cm (4 ft 7 in – 6 ft 3 in) 50–100 kg (110–220 lb) 950–1,800 (extant) —/1758
H. floresiensis
classification uncertain
0.10 – 0.012 Indonesia 100 cm (3 ft 3 in) 25 kg (55 lb) 400 7 individuals 2003/2004
Denisova hominin
possible H. sapiens subspecies or hybrid
0.04 Russia 1 site 2010
Red Deer Cave people
possible H. sapiens subspecies or hybrid
0.0145–0.0115 China Very few 2012

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October 5, 2015

Top News Stories –

Thousands of NASA Apollo mission photos uploaded online –
Thousands of photos taken by Apollo astronauts on moon missions are now online. Around 13,000 scans of images from NASA’s archives, taken across ALL manned Apollo missions between 1961 and 1972 have been given to founder of the Project Apollo Archive Kipp Teague. He told Newsbeat “serious budget cuts” mean the organisation doesn’t have the resourses to publish them. Kipp launched the gallery in 1999, but following questioning about decisions to edit some images in the past, he was prompted to post unedited, high resolution images this time around. [BBC Newsbeat]
Apollo 11 Magazine 40/S Apollo 11 Magazine 40/S – (Color) / EVA; NASA photographs; unprocessed 1800 dpi Hasselblad film scans by Johnson Space Center, circa 2005

Extreme phone pinching is the strangest trend of 2015 –
Back in 2013 there was the Harlem Shake. In 2014, we had the Ice Bucket Challenge. Since then, social media trends have taken a bizarre turn, via some goats. Extreme phone pinching is the latest trend sweeping social media networks, and it involves holding your expensive phone over perilous locations. The only rule appears to be that you can only hold onto your gadget using only your thumb and forefinger. Photos and videos have been flooding the internet of phone users dangling their precious handsets over cliffs, toilets and drains. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Box Clever – Simon’s Cat

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5 #MTVFANWARSDirectioners CC Sabathia Jeremy Hunt
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  • Clothing manufacturer and retailer American Apparel files for bankruptcy. The company said its 200+ retail stores will continue to operate without any interruptions. (New York Times) (Forbes)
  • The World Bank estimates that 9.6 percent of the world’s population is living in extreme poverty this year, down from 12.8% in 2012. The bank also updated its global poverty line from $1.25 per day to $1.90 per day to reflect inflation and changes in purchasing power around the world; it was last adjusted in 2008. (Time) (The Guardian)
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October 16, 2015

Top News Stories –

Santa Claus is elected to North Pole City Council in Alaska –
Mr Claus, who is 68 years old, has a white beard and is often seen in his hometown wearing red. Admittedly this North Pole is actually in Alaska, not the one every associates with Christmas. And Mr Claus actually changed his name from Thomas Patrick O’Connor about 10 years ago. “I’m fairly well known. I think people are pleased with it. We’ll see. Time will tell,” he said. “I have three years to make a positive impression so hopefully I will get off on the right foot later this month.” North Pole, Alaska, is home to about 2,200 people. Their new city councillor will take his seat later this month. Mr Claus, who was living in Nevada when he changed his name, says he tries to help at-risk children and improve the lives of young people. [BBC Newsbeat]

China home to more billionaires than the US –
China has eclipsed the United States as home to the world’s highest number of billionaires, according to a new report. Despite China’s economy cooling in recent months, the number of billionaires within its borders rose this year by 242, bringing the total to 596. The US, in contrast, is currently home to 537 billionaires, according to The Hurun Report, which monitors the wealthy in China. The list reflects a power shift in China’s economy, with the surge in the number of super rich fuelled by the growth of the nation’s IT and manufacturing industries. [Daily Telegraph]

Yahoo Mail does away with passwords –
One of the biggest pains of the digital age is having to memorise multiple lengthy and appropriately unguessable passwords. Now, Yahoo has done away with the password altogether in its new Yahoo Mail app, instead asking users to sign in via push notification. The new app uses new sign-in method Yahoo Account Key, which sends a notification to the smartphone you’ve chosen to link to the account asking ‘Are you trying to sign in?’ and the option to select yes or no. Yahoo claims the feature is more secure than a traditional password due to the second step of phone verification, but without the need to input a code. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Tesla’s Autopilot System Is Creepy And Wonderful

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October 19, 2015

Top News Stories –

Nasa predicts near-miss with asteroid on Halloween –
An asteroid is due to pass by Earth on Halloween and miss us by a whisker, according to Nasa. Well, if whiskers were 499,000km long, at any rate. The asteroid was spotted by Nasa a fortnight ago and is set to fly past the Earth on Halloween at over 78,000mph. It will cross by Earth at the closest it’s been since 2006. The space agency explained why they spotted it at such short notice, despite constantly monitoring the size. They said: “The asteroid is on an extremely eccentric and a high inclination orbit.” We won’t be able to see the asteroid with the naked eye, but anyone with access to a telescope will be able to see it as it passes by. “This is the closest approach by a known object this large until 1999 AN10 approaches within 1 lunar distance in August 2027,” said Nasa. [Daily Telegraph]

Q Awards 2015: Foals beat Ed Sheeran and Blur to win Best Act In the World Today –
The Oxford band Foals confirmed their elevation to music’s biggest stages after being voted Best Act In the World Today at the Q magazine awards. Foals, who combine indie rock with electronic beats and African-inspired rhythms, beat Blur, Noel Gallagher and Ed Sheeran to the award, previously won by the likes of Radiohead and Coldplay. Ed Sheeran beat Kanye West, Taylor Swift and Sam Smith to the Solo Artist award, capping a year in which the strummer sold out three nights at Wembley Stadium, performing with just his guitar and a loops pedal. However Sheeran lost out to the Brighton drums and bass rock duo Royal Blood for the Best Live Act prize. [The Independent] See List of the Day
The-FoalsThe Foals

Hundreds Of Apps Banned From App Store For Accessing Users’ Personal Information –
Hundreds of iOS applications have been pulled out of the App Store, following a report from analytics service SourceDNA, which uncovered a group of applications that were extracting users’ personally identifiable information, including email addresses associated with their Apple IDs, devices and peripheral serial numbers, as well as a list of apps installed on their phone. The applications in question had been using an SDK from a Chinese advertising company called Youmi which was accessing this information by way of private APIs, the report found. Nearly all of the developers were located in China so, for now, this appears to be an isolated incident. However, the larger concern here has to do with how long this activity had been taking place – and what that means in terms of Apple’s App Store review process, given that it hadn’t caught this suspect activity until being alerted to it by a third party. [Tech Crunch]

Video of the Day –

DRIVING from Nate Theis on Vimeo.

List of the Day –

The Q Awards 2015 Winners

Q Best New Act 

James Bay

Best Track 

The Libertines – Gunga Din (Winner)

Q Best Album

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Chasing Yesterday 

Q Best Video

Florence + The Machine – Ship To Wreck

Q Hero

Mark Ronson

Q Best Live Act 

Royal Blood

Q Classic Album

Soul II Soul – Club Classics Vol. One

Q Best Solo Artist 

Ed Sheeran

Q Innovation in Sound 

Gary Numan

Q Best Act In The World 

Foals

Gibson Les Paul Award

Tony Iommi

Q Outstanding Contribution to Music

New Order

Q Classic Single

Queen ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ 

Q Icon

Duran Duran

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October 30, 2015

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China: Guangzhou warns zombies to stay off metro –
Halloween revellers are being urged to avoid the underground system in one southern Chinese city, in case they cause a panic. Transport police in Guangzhou say people in ghoulish fancy dress have been making other passengers nervous in recent days, and officers want travellers to report anyone they spot wearing spooky costumes. “Passengers’ strange behaviour may make some feel uneasy, cause onlookers to panic and could easily lead to security risks,” the force says in a statement posted on its Sina Weibo microblog account. “Therefore the subway does not encourage such acts.” [BBC]

Justin Bieber sorry for storming off stage after one song in Norway –
Justin Bieber’s been living up to the name of his new song Sorry by apologising to his fans for storming off stage in Norway. He said he was “done” and “I’m not doing the show” after performing one track during a TV recording in Oslo. In fan-filmed videos, Justin Bieber can be seen getting annoyed with people at the front of the stage while trying to wipe the floor. The singer later posted an apology on his Instagram account. [BBC]
Justin Bieber Instagram

Video of the Day –

Nike: Snow Day

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November 11, 2015

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Rare pink diamond sells for £19 million –
A large diamond of a rare pink hue fetched 28.725 million Swiss francs (£19 million) setting a new record on Tuesday, the star lot of Christie’s semi-annual jewellery sale in Geneva. A Chinese client based in Hong Kong bought the cushion-shaped pink diamond weighing 16.08 carats and graded vivid fancy pink, which is set in a platinum and gold ring surrounded by a double row of pave-set white diamonds. Its pre-sale estimate was $23 million to $28 million. The seller was not identified and the buyer, who has named the pink diamond “The Sweet Josephine,” wished to remain anonymous, Christie’s said. The diamond’s origin was not disclosed. In almost 250 years of auction history, only three pure vivid pink diamonds of over 10 carats have appeared for sale, according to Christie’s. [Daily Telegraph]

Call of Duty: Black Ops III ‘is the biggest entertainment launch of 2015’ –
Activision is claiming the biggest entertainment launch of the year with Call of Duty: Black Ops III. Not just in gaming. According to the game maker, it’s bigger than any film, music or book launch in 2015. Since its release on 6 November the new Call of Duty instalment has been beating records left, right and centre. During its opening weekend the game brought in over $550m (£362m) in worldwide sales. This beats 2015’s blockbuster hits such as Jurassic World and Furious 7 and chart topper Mark Ronson’s Uptown Funk. [BBC Newsbeat]

Video of the Day –

‘Finding Dory’ Trailer

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November 27, 2015

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‘Li-fi 100 times faster than wi-fi’ –
A new method of delivering data, which uses the visible spectrum rather than radio waves, has been tested in a working office. Li-fi can deliver internet access 100 times faster than traditional wi-fi, offering speeds of up to 1Gbps (gigabit per second). It requires a light source, such as a standard LED bulb, an internet connection and a photo detector. It was tested this week by Estonian start-up Velmenni, in Tallinn. Velmenni used a li-fi-enabled light bulb to transmit data at speeds of 1Gbps. Laboratory tests have shown theoretical speeds of up to 224Gbps. It was tested in an office, to allow workers to access the internet and in an industrial space, where it provided a smart lighting solution. [BBC]

US space rocket debris found in sea off Scilly –
A large chunk of an American space rocket has been found in the sea off the Isles of Scilly. The section of the spacecraft, measuring about 10m (32ft) by 4m (13ft), was spotted on the surface between Bryher and Tresco. Coastguards believe it is from the unmanned SpaceX Falcon 9 which exploded after take-off in Florida in June. However many astronomers believe it is from a different mission due to the size and markings. Local boatmen towed the section to Tresco where it has now been removed from the beach. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Wild Scotland from John Duncan on Vimeo.

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  • Detroit, a city in which neighborhoods are disappearing, banks aren’t lending, and property values are among the lowest in the nation, is looking to reverse these trends. The Detroit Land Bank Authority is moving aggressively to demolish structures that are beyond repair and auction (bids start at $1,000) ones that are salvageable. Some community banks are helping new buyers. (Washington Post)
  • Chinese President Xi Jinping announced a major overhaul of China’s military to make the world’s largest army more combat ready and better equipped to project force beyond the country’s borders. Under the reorganization, all branches of the armed forces would come under a joint military command, Xi told a meeting of military officials in Beijing, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. Bloomberg in September reported details of the plan, which may also seek to consolidate the country’s seven military regions to as few as four. The Chinese president said the reform aimed to “build an elite combat force” and called on the officials to make “breakthroughs” on establishing the joint command by 2020, Xinhua said. (Bloomberg)

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November 30, 2015

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New Zealand: Auckland aims to become trilingual city –
New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland, has announced plans to encourage the entire population to speak English, Maori and a third language. The initiative, launched by the council-controlled educational organisation COMET, aims to get all of Auckland’s 1.4 million residents speaking the national language of Te Reo Maori, Radio New Zealand reports. Currently, only 2.3% of Aucklanders speak the language, the lowest rate in the country, while over 1m of the city’s residents are monolingual – usually English, the radio says. Some 377,000 residents already have two languages as a result of the city’s diverse ethnic mix, where 40% of Aucklanders were born overseas, but their languages tend to be overlooked in favour of English. [BBC]

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Domestic Appliances from Lewis Firth Bolton on Vimeo.

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  • The capitals of the world’s two most populous nations, China and India, are blanketed in hazardous, choking smog. Beijing, on the second-highest pollution alert, is closing highways, halting or suspending construction while warning residents to stay indoors. The U.S. New Delhi embassy’s monitoring station recorded an air quality index of 372, putting air pollution levels into “hazardous” territory. No action by the New Delhi government. (Hindustan Times)
  • A UNICEF report finds AIDS is now the leading cause of death for African teenagers and the second most common killer for adolescents across the globe. While the Asia Pacific region has seen a 31 percent drop in new HIV infections, and 28 percent decline in AIDS-related deaths, the estimated number of adolescents dying of AIDS in the region has more than doubled since 2005. Tomorrow is World Aids Day. (AP via Huffington Post) (Reuters)
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December 20, 2015

Top News Stories –

Miss Universe: Miss Colombia mistakenly crowned as winner –
The host of the Miss Universe has apologised after mistakenly naming the wrong woman as winner, leaving Miss Colombia empty-handed. After the error, Ariadna Gutierrez was instead declared runner-up and surrendered her crown to Miss Philippines, Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach. #MissUniverse2015 became Twitter’s biggest trend of the night as social media users expressed their disbelief. The host Steve Harvey responded, saying it was “his mistake” and he would take responsibility for not reading the winning card correctly. [BBC] See Video of the Day
Pia_Alonzo_WurtzbachPia Alonzo Wurtzbach

Star Wars smashes box office records on opening weekend –
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” shattered box office records with an estimated $517 million (£350 million) in worldwide ticket sales on its opening weekend, a staggering debut that re-established the celebrated space saga as a global phenomenon. The first “Star Wars” film in a decade recorded the biggest domestic opening in Hollywood’s history, collecting $238 million over the weekend in the United States and Canada. Global sales for “Force Awakens” finished second only to the dinosaur film “Jurassic World,” which in its June opening garnered $525 million worldwide, including China, where the “Star Wars” film will not open for weeks. “Jurassic World” took $208.8 million at domestic cinemas in its first weekend. “Force Awakens” is the seventh installment in the epic science-fiction franchise created by George Lucas in 1977. [Daily Telegraph] See List of the Day

Video of the Day –

THE 64TH ANNUAL MISS UNIVERSE PAGEANT | Can’t ‘Miss’ Moment: The Reveal

List of the Day –

Star Wars films in order of box office performance –

1. Episode IV: A New Hope (1977) – $1,486m

IMDb rating:8.7

2. Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) – $818m

IMDb rating:8.8

3. Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983) – $784m

IMDb rating:8.4

4. Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999) – $707m

IMDb rating:6.5

5. Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005) – $495m

IMDb rating:7.7

6. Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002) – $446m

IMDb rating:6.7

7. The Clone Wars (2008) – $41m

IMDb rating:5.8
Note that figures are for US box office and allow for the effects of inflation.

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