Christian Science Monitor

January 21, 2015

Microsoft launch Windows 10 and the HoloLens-
Microsoft reveals the HoloLens holographic headset that will project the new Windows 10 OS over views of the real world. Windows 10 will also introduce its voice-controlled assistant Cortana to PCs. The OS upgrade will be offered free of charge for devices running Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Phone in its first year of release. The Internet Explorer web browser will be replaced by a new program codenamed Project Spartan.
The HoloLens

Most dangerous sexual position –
Researchers in Brazil report that the woman-on-top position during intercourse is responsible for half of all penile fractures sustained during sex in cases recorded at three hospitals. Positions involving the woman on all fours was involved in 29 per cent of fractures and the safest position in the bedroom is the man-on-top ‘missionary position’. See List of the Day below.

No s**t Sherlock –
Australia’s National Rugby League has apologised after publishing players’ favourite swear words on its website. Shaun Johnson, Kurt Gidley and Sam Thaiday were among those asked to reveal their chosen profanities as part of their player profiles, but they were quickly removed.
Shaun Johnson

Liam Neeson criticised by gun company –
PARA USA the firearms company that provided the guns for Liam Neeson’s movie Taken 3 has said they have “regrets” about working with him after he said that there are “too many… guns out there, especially in America.” The company will cut ties with the Taken franchise and recommended other companies to do the same. Leeson also said the gun problem was not connected to Hollywood’s action movies.
Liam Neeson

Madonna hacking arrest –
An Israeli man who appeared on one of the country’s talent shows has been arrested on suspicion of hacking into singer Madonna’s computers and selling unreleased songs online. Madonna had to release some new songs early in December 2014 after demos from her new album Rebel Heart were discovered online.

Shazam worth $1 billion-
Shazam, the mobile music recognition service, has raised $30m in a funding round that pushes its valuation to $1bn. The $30m investment takes equity raised to $125m over the past eight years, during which its revenue has risen from £2.5m in 2007 to £31m in 2013. But the company has not made a profit in that period and in 2013 it lost £2m.

Video of the Day –

Shazam Top 20
X Factor Winner Marlisa Sings Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud

CLICK TO SEE MORE STUFF FROM THIS DAY…

February 12, 2015

Top News Stories –

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

Video of the Day –

Fifty Shades of Grey Trailer

CLICK TO SEE MORE STUFF FROM THIS DAY…

December 10, 2015

Top News Stories –

Donald Trump: petition to ban presidential candidate from the UK becomes most popular ever –
An online petition calling for Donald Trump to be blocked from entry to the UK has broken the parliamentary website record and is approaching half a million signatures. It currently has more than 470,000 names, beating the previous high of 446,482. The Petitions Committee is expected to discuss the petition at its meeting on 5 January. [BBC]
Donald Trump

Famous Moscow cemeteries to install free wi-fi –
Three of Moscow’s most-visited cemeteries are about to enter the digital age, with the installation of full wi-fi connectivity. Visitors will be able to browse the internet for free at the Novodevichy, Troyekurovskoye and Vagankovo cemeteries starting from the first half of 2016, according to the Moscow city website. The head of the city’s funerary services office, Artem Yekimov, says the aim is to help visitors find out more about famous people buried there and their graves – and make visiting the cemeteries more “comfortable”. Telecommunications company YS System says it offered to install the wi-fi networks after hearing about plans to create rest areas – dubbed “zones of psychological comfort” – at the cemeteries. [BBC]

Hajj stampede killed three times Saudi Arabia’s official number, says report –
The September Hajj stampede killed at least 2,411 pilgrims, a new count shows, three times the number of deaths acknowledged by Saudi Arabia. The figures establish the crush on September 24 as the deadliest in the history of the annual pilgrimage. Saudi’s official death toll of 769 people has not changed since September 26, and officials have yet to address the discrepancy. The kingdom rebuffed criticism from its regional rival Iran and efforts by other countries to join a probe into the deaths. Saudi’s King Salman ordered an investigation into the tragedy almost immediately, yet few details have been made public since and hundreds of pilgrims remain missing. [Daily Telegraph]

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan cleared over hit-and-run crash –
An Indian court on Thursday cleared Bollywood superstar Salman Khan of killing a homeless man in a hit-and-run crash 13 years ago, acquitting him of all charges after he appealed his conviction. The Bombay High Court said a lower court had erred in finding Khan guilty of culpable homicide at the end of his trial in May, when he was subsequently sentenced to five years in prison. [Daily Telegraph]
Salman Khan

Video of the Day –

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	Australia (USA unavailable)	UK
1	#HumanRightsDay	#VSFashionShow	#BBCMusicAwards
2	#زد_رصيدك27	#AUSvWI	#HumanRightsDay
3	#FelizJueves	#homeandaway	#TheApprentice
4	#QuintaDetremura150Ksdv	#TroyeOnFallon	#AUSvWI
5	#ALDUB21stWeeksary	#PurposeWorldTour	#VarsityMatch
6	#SiempreTengoMuchasGanasDe	#AACTAs	#Q102JingleBall
7	#NoNatalQueroGanhar	#SmallzysMerryBIEBERmas	#masterchefprofessionals
8	Derechos Humanos	Bitcoin	#RealisticResolutions
9	#ConLaMoralChavistaEnAlto	#sydneystorm	#newsnight
10	#FrasesQueArden	#1989TourMelbourne	#RadioCityLive

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Military intervention against ISIL
- While testifying about the United States military’s current strategy, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Paul J. Selva warns the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) against falling into a ground fight trap with ISIL and U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter cautions that increased U.S. ground presence will “Americanize” the conflict. The Daily Beast reports that both Pentagon officials “did little to assuage lawmakers’ concerns that the strategy isn’t working.’’ At the same time, former U.S. defense officials tell SASC the current approach is inadequate. (The Daily Beast) (The Hill) (Defense News)
Yemeni Civil War (2015)
- Pro-Hadi government forces backed by Arab coalition air and naval forces, seize control of the Hanish Islands off the coast of Yemen, near the strategic Bab-el-Mandeb strait from troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. The islands have been subject to heavy shelling by coalition forces for weeks according to local fishermen. (Reuters)
Swiss officials say police, based on a CIA tip, are hunting for at least four Islamic State-associated suspects believed to be plotting an attack in Geneva. (AP)

Arts and culture

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announces the 73rd Golden Globe Awards nominees for the best films and television productions of 2015. The winners will be announced on January 10, 2016. (Los Angeles Times)
The Pew Research Center announces a new study that shows the American middle class, long seen as the economic backbone of the country, is shrinking and no longer constitutes a majority (49.89%). Also, the “nation’s aggregate household income has substantially shifted from middle-income to upper-income households.” (Headlines & Global News) (Christian Science Monitor) (Pew Research Center)

Business and economics

Volkswagen emissions scandal
- Volkswagen executives admit the diesel emissions cheating was the result of a collection of failures within the company, rather than just the actions of rogue engineers. In 2005, VW began working on software after they were unable to find a technical solution to U.S. nitrogen oxide emissions standards. (The Guardian) (New York Times via SFGate.com) (The Guardian press conference text)

International relations

North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- Kim Jong-un, the supreme leader of North Korea, announces that the country is now in possession of a hydrogen bomb, according to North Korean state media. Experts from South Korea however are skeptical about this claim. (RT) (BBC)
Syrian Civil War
- Syrian opposition politicians and rebels, attending a two-day meeting hosted by Saudi Arabia in Riyadh, agree on a framework that would guide proposed talks to end Syria’s nearly five-year conflict: a civil, democratic Syria with a transitional government that would respect human rights and the territorial integrity of the country; and, safeguard state institutions while restructuring security forces. Ahrar ash-Sham, a Saudi-backed ultraconservative group, withdrew from the talks at the end of the meeting.(BBC) (AP)
- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says that the new International Syrian Support Group are working toward a December 18 meeting in New York. (Reuters)

Law and crime

In the United States, Suffolk County police ask the FBI for more help in their investigation of a possible serial killer who preyed on prostitutes and left their bodies strewn along a Long Island beach in New York. Ten bodies were found along an isolated stretch of the South Shore’s Gilgo Beach between December 2010 and April 2011. (Reuters) (New York Daily News)

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March 7, 2016

Top News Stories –

Maria Sharapova failed drugs test at Australian Open –
Former world number one Maria Sharapova has revealed she failed a drugs test at the Australian Open. The Russian, 28, tested positive for meldonium, a substance she has been taking since 2006 for health issues. Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam champion, is provisionally suspended from 12 March pending further action. “I did fail the test and take full responsibility for it,” said Sharapova, who won the Wimbledon title as a 17-year-old in 2004. “For the past 10 years I have been given a medicine called mildronate by my family doctor and a few days ago after I received a letter from the ITF [International Tennis Federation] I found out it also has another name of meldonium, which I did not know.” [BBC] See List of the Day
Maria Sharapova

Peyton Manning: Denver Broncos quarterback retires from NFL –
Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning has announced his retirement, ending a sparkling 18-year career in the NFL. Manning struggled to hold back tears as he confirmed the news at a media conference in Denver on Monday. He said: “I fought a good fight. I finished my football race. After 18 years it is time.” Manning, who turns 40 on 24 March, played his last game when he helped the Broncos win the Super Bowl in February. It was his second Super Bowl win, the first coming in 2007 during a 14-year spell with the Indianapolis Colts. [BBC]
Peyton Manning

Video of the Day –

DreamRide from Juicy Studios on Vimeo.

List of the Day –

Maria Sharapova Grand Slam Tournament record [Wikipedia]

Tournament	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	SR	W–L	Win %
Australian Open	1R	3R	SF	SF	F	W	A	1R	4R	F	SF	4R	F	QF	1 / 13	52–12	81.25%
French Open	1R	QF	QF	4R	SF	4R	QF	3R	SF	W	F	W	4R		2 / 13	53–11	82.81%
Wimbledon	4R	W	SF	SF	4R	2R	2R	4R	F	4R	2R	4R	SF		1 / 13	47–12	79.66%
US Open	2R	3R	SF	W	3R	A	3R	4R	3R	SF	A	4R	A		1 / 10	32–9	78.38%
Win–Loss	4–4	15–3	19–4	20–3	16–4	11–2	7–3	8–4	16–4	21–3	12–3	16–3	14–3	4–1	5 / 48	184–44	80.70%

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#SegundaDetremuraSdv	#3DaysTilDangerousWoman	#mondaymotivation
2	WAKE UP DIRECTIONERS	#SaySomethingGoodAboutTwitter	#SaySomethingGoodAboutTwitter
3	POWERVOTE FOR JAMES	#mondaymotivation	Ray Tomlinson
4	Kathryn Chandria Award	#NationalCerealDay	#CelebrateSuccess
5	#SaySomethingGoodAboutTwitter	Kim K	Hinkley Point
6	#NationalCerealDay	WAKE UP DIRECTIONERS	Katt Williams
7	Kim K	#3ThingsThatImMadeOf	#OneYou
8	#اسم_بنت_جميل	#hulkvsgawk	#BritishPieWeek
9	#Mahashivratri	#InternationalWomensDay	#callthemidwife
10	#شيء_جميل_بحرف_…	#bpswalkout	#aurora

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Insurgency in the Maghreb (2002-present)
- At least 50 people are killed, including 33 militants, seven civilians and ten soldiers, in armed clashes between the Tunisian Army and Islamist militants in the town of Ben Gardane, near the border withLibya. (Reuters) (Al-Jazeera) (AFP via Daily Mail)
War in North-West Pakistan
- A Taliban suicide bomber hits a court complex in the town of Shabqadar killing at least 13 people and injuring 36. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a Pakistani Taliban faction, says the attack is retaliation for Mumtaz Qadri’s execution last week. (Voice of America) (UPI)
War in Somalia (2009–present)
- According to the Pentagon, more than 150 al-Shabaab fighters are reportedly killed Saturday by U.S. manned and unmanned aircraft strikes targeting a training camp near the central Somali town ofBuloburde. (FOX News) (The New York Times)
- The Royal Australian Navy seizes a large cache of weapons from a fishing vessel near Oman‘s coast, that was bound for Somalia. The Australian Navy, which patrols waters around the Indian Ocean as part of an international maritime force, said it has seized nearly 2,000 AK-47 rifles, 100 rocket-propelled grenade launchers, 49 PKM machine guns, 39 PKM spare barrels and 20 mortar tubes from thestateless vessel. 20 tonnes of weaponry in total. (Reuters)
Syrian Civil War
- A Syrian Arab Air Force or Russian airstrike reportedly kills a dozen people at a market selling diesel fuel in the rebel-held Idlib Governorate. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the death toll is likely to rise. (Reuters)

Business and economics

Germany’s BASF SE, the largest chemical producer in the world, is pursuing a counterbid for DuPont that could short circuit the Delaware-based company’s announced merger with fellow American firm, Dow Chemical Company. (Bloomberg) (Fortune)
Apple Inc. must pay the $450 million July 2014 settlement in a price fixing case since the U.S. Supreme Court will not hear its appeal of the June 2015 Court of Appeals ruling that it played a “central role” in a conspiracy with publishers to eliminate retail price competition and raise e-book prices. (Reuters) (Bloomberg) (AppleInsider)

Disasters and accidents

In the United States, an Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) San Francisco Bay Area commuter train bound for Stockton, California, derails and falls into a creek, injuring 14 people, four in serious condition. The crash shuts down service along the ACE system through Tuesday. (Los Angeles Times) (CNN)

International relations

South Korea–United States relations
- South Korea and the United States start a joint military exercise as North Korea repeats threats of “indiscriminate” nuclear strikes. (AFP via Rappler)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo calls on Muslim leaders at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit meeting in Jakarta to unite and be part of the solution on Palestine, noting the entire world is concerned about its deteriorating situation. Jokowi also criticizes what he calls Israel’s “unilateral and illegal policies.” (The Jakarta Post) (AP via Appeal-Democrat)
European migrant crisis
- Today’s European Union summit with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu in Brussels, Belgium, will discuss ways to stanch the flow of European-bound migrants. (CNN) (Voice of America)(Summit website)
  - The EU plans to boost aid to Greece and declare the route north through the Balkans closed. Presently, about 13,000 people are stranded at the Greece–Macedonia border. (BBC) (Kathimerini)
  - The leaders plan to give Turkey €3bn to take back thousands who don’t qualify for asylum. (Kathimerini) (Business Day)
- Amnesty International takes on the EU for using Turkey as a buffer to police Europe’s borders. Deputy Director Gauri van Gulik says Europe has an absolute duty to protect refugees and must fast-track significant, unconditional resettlement. (AP via The Washington Post)
- Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) opens a humanitarian camp for migrants in the Grande-Synthe suburb of Dunkerque, France. (AP via ABC News)
Enlargement of the European Union
- The Turkish deputy ambassador to Britain says Turkey should be allowed to join the European Union in order to help solve the Syrian refugee crisis. (The Independent)

Law and crime

A gunman, who killed one man, injured two others, and was holding three people hostage, is found dead when an armed tactical response police team storms a building in the Ingleburn industrial area in suburban Sydney, Australia. All hostages were unharmed. (The Sydney Morning Herald) (Stuff.co.nz) (Sky News via KLFM)
Venezuelan security forces search for 30 gold miners reportedly killed last week in the state of Bolívar in the country’s southeast. Survivor reports state the miners were shot last Friday in a fight for control of a gold deposit by criminals who then hid the bodies. Bolívar Governor Francisco Rangel Gómez denies any such massacre occurred. (EFE via Fox New Latino) (Reuters via The Times of India)
Pitcairn sexual assault trial of 2004
- Former mayor of the Pitcairn Islands Mike Warren is found guilty of downloading more than 1000 images and videos of child abuse and child pornography while working in child protection and is sentenced to 20 months in prison. (The Guardian)
American sportscaster Erin Andrews is awarded $55 million damages after a stranger, in 2008, secretly recorded her in the nude through a hotel door peephole, and posted the video on the Internet. (New York Daily News)

Politics and elections

United States presidential election, 2016
- Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg announces he will not run for president in 2016 because of the impact his candidacy might have on the outcome in November. (CBS News)

Science and technology

Research, published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Nature Geoscience, confirms that Mercury’s darker than expected crusty exterior is from carbon, likely the remains of the planet’s ancient surface crust of graphite, rather than carbon dust from comet impacts as previously postulated. (Christian Science Monitor) (The Washington Post) (Nature Geoscience)

Sport

Maria Sharapova tests positive for meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open tennis championship. She has taken the drug since 2006 on prescription for health issues. World Anti-Doping Agency President Craig Reedie says an athlete found guilty of using meldonium would normally face a one-year suspension. (BBC) (AP via The Times-Picayune)
- Nike, Inc. suspends ties with Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova after she failed a drug test at the 2016 Australian Open. (Reuters) (Fox Sports)
American football quarterback Peyton Manning retires after eighteen seasons in the National Football League with two Super Bowl championships, five MVP awards, and single-season and career league records for most passing yards and touchdown passes. (NFL)

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March 21, 2016

Top News Stories –

Twitter celebrates 10 years of tweets and hashtags –
Since the first tweet was sent in 2006, Twitter has become the go-to social network for finding out about everything from global events to celebrity gossip. On its tenth birthday, Twitter has 320 million users including celebrities such as Harry Styles, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and Adele, all of whom have tens of millions of followers.Over the decade, the social network has changed its logo and name – from Twttr to Twitter – as well as notching up 250 billion likes. Users create 500 million tweets per day and 200 billion tweets every year, with users sharing hashtags to discuss global moments, such as the terrible terrorist attacks in Paris, using #JeSuisParis. [Daily Mail] See Video of the Day and List of the Day

Hatton Garden ‘Guv’nor’ Brian Reader jailed for six years –
The mastermind of the £14 million Hatton Garden jewellery raid has been jailed for six years and three months. Brian Reader, 77- the oldest member of the gang – suffered a stroke in Belmarsh Prison following what was the biggest burglary in English history. Appearing via video link at Woolwich Crown Court, Reader, who the court was told now uses a walking frame, was sentenced to six years and three months by Judge Christopher Kinch QC. James Scobie QC, Reader’s defence barrister, previously said: “He has a history of prostate cancer, which may return. He has a mass in his face being tested for possible cancer. He has had a stroke and is blind in one eye.” [Daily Telegraph]

This real life cat burglar keeps stealing men’s underwear –
A cat-owner from New Zealand has posted an apologetic note online after her pet cat went on a months-long crime spree, pinching various items of men’s clothing from around her neighbourhood. Brigit, a six-year-old tonkinese cat, has been going out at night on the streets of Hamilton and entering into strangers’ homes, where she’ll pick up some socks or underwear and take it away with her. Brigit then brings the clothes home, often leaving them on her owner Sarah Nathan’s bed. In the past couple of months Brigit has pinched around than a dozen pairs of men’s pants and around 60 single socks. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

INCREDIBLE Facts You Never Knew About Twitter!-Facts in 5

List of the Day –

Twitter in numbers – the top 10 most popular tweets, likes and hashtags [Metro]
1) Most retweeted tweet – Oscars selfie

2) Most followed person – Katy Perry
3) Most mentioned person – Justin Bieber
4) Most tweeted emoji – Face with tears of joy emoji

mg_emoji02_comp — (Picture: Myles Goode/Metro)

5) Most geo-tagged city – São Paulo
6) Most tweeted hashtag tradition – #FF
7) Total number of likes – 250 billion
8) Tweets per minute event record – FA World Cup Final – 618,725 tweets per minute
9) Fastest tor reach one million followers – Caitlyn Jenner – 4 hours and 3 minutes.
10) Number of times ‘love’ was shared on Twitter [tweets with the word “love” in them] – 34.8 billion mentions

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#DiaMundialDeLaPoesia	#AppleEvent	#LoveTwitter
2	#WorldPoetryDay	#WorldPoetryDay	#WorldPoetryDay
3	#SegundaSantaClubeSDV	#mondaymotivation	#NationalFragranceDay
4	#جلد_العم_معيض	#LoveTwitter	#mondaymotivation
5	#DiaInternacionalDeCasiAng…	#SaferThanATrumpRally	Novak Djokovic
6	#شخص_تتمني_تعي�…	#DiaMundialDeLaPoesia	#AppleEvent
7	#يوم_الام	#BadMottosForStates	#HumanRightsDay
8	#EstouComLula	#musicmonday	#asktroye
9	#LoveTwitter	Boaty McBoatface	#IntlForestDay
10	#LuanSantanaCacauShowDia21	#WeNeedToRemindOurselves	#Ottawa2016

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

A man detonates a grenade inside a bakery in Belgrade, Serbia, killing himself. No other casualties were reported. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Gunmen attack a European Union military training operation housed in a converted hotel in the Mali capital, Bamako. There are no casualties among the mission personnel. One suspect is killed and two are arrested. No group has claimed responsibility. (Reuters)

Business and economics

The competition regulators of the European Union have halted their investigation into a prospective acquisition of Baker Hughes by Halliburton, effectively freezing any such combination between two giant providers of oilfield services. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Erasmus bus crash
- A Catalan official says the 13 exchange students killed in Sunday’s accident were 19-to-25-year-old women, seven from Italy, two Germans, an Austrian, a woman from France, a Romanian and an Uzbek. Twenty-four people are being treated in hospital with one student in critical condition, and six people, including the driver, in serious condition. Reports from officials indicate the driver lost control of the coach and crashed to the other side before running into an oncoming car. The bus driver, who passed alcohol and drug tests, is being investigated for possible negligent homicide as police seek to determine the cause of the crash. (AP via the Washington Post) (AFP via Yahoo! News)

International relations

North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- A South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff official reports North Korea launched five short-range missiles from the eastern city of Hamhung into the Sea of Japan. (AFP via msn.com)
United States–Cuban Thaw
- At a 55-minute joint press conference, following their two-hour closed door meeting, United States President Barrack Obama and Cuban President Raúl Castro agreed this “new day” of openness between the two countries benefits the entire hemisphere as well. Each acknowledged more needs to be done. Obama said he spoke frankly about human rights, free expression, and democracy; Castro said the U.S. needs to remove the military base at Guantanamo Bay, and completely end the U.S. embargo. Obama’s experience gave him an advantage when journalists delved into sensitive areas. (The Washington Post) (The New York Times)

Law and crime

Tea tape scandal
- New Zealand Prime Minister John Key settles a defamation case with freelance cameraman Bradley Ambrose, acknowledging comments he made about the man caused him professional and personal harm. (AP)
The International Criminal Court finds ex-Vice President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Jean-Pierre Bemba guilty of war crimes. Bemba is accused of not taking steps to stop his militia from committing mass murder, rape and pillage in neighbouring Central African Republic. (The Guardian)
The United States Supreme Court, in a 6-2 ruling, essentially upholds the state of Colorado’s legalization of marijuana, turning down complaints by the neighboring states of Nebraska and Oklahoma that, byfederal and their state law, Colorado’s statutes allow “illegal marijuana” to pour into their states. Last year, the justices asked the federal government to weigh in; in December, Solicitor General Donald Verrilli Jr. urged the court to turn away the lawsuit. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented. (San Francisco Chronicle (NBC News) (USA Today)

Politics and elections

Myanmar‘s new parliament, in its first legislative act, votes (611-3) to eliminate 15 government ministries. President-elect Htin Kyaw says by eliminating the ministers’ salaries, the nation will save $4 million over five years. No civil servants will lose their jobs. (AP)

Science and technology

Two possibly-twin near-Earth objects, 252P/LINEAR and P/2016 BA14, will safely pass by Earth at relatively close distances today and Tuesday. (Christian Science Monitor) (Science Alert) (NASA)(Virtual Telescope Project)

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June 27, 2016

Top News Stories –

Euro 2016: Roy Hodgson resigns after England lose to Iceland –
Roy Hodgson has resigned as England manager after his side’s 2-1 defeat by Iceland saw them knocked out of Euro 2016. The 68-year-old had been in charge for four years after replacing Italian Fabio Capello but has won just three of 11 games in major tournament finals. Iceland – with a population of just 330,000 – were among the lowest-ranked teams in France at 34 in the world. “I’m sorry it will have to end this way but these things happen,” Hodgson said. “I hope you will still be able to see an England team in a final of a major tournament soon,” he added. “Now is the time for someone else to oversee the progress of a hungry and extremely talented group of players. They have done fantastically, and done everything asked of them.” [BBC]
Roy Hodgson

Video of the Day –

case / lang / veirs – Atomic Number (Official Music Video) from KANGMIN KIM on Vimeo.

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon
- A suicide bomber attacks the Lebanese village of Qaa near the Syrian border, with at least six people dead and 13 people injured. (BBC)
At least two people are killed and 72 are injured following a grenade attack on a concert at the Mahamasina Municipal Stadium in Madagascar‘s capital, Antananarivo. (Reuters)

Business and economy

Brexit impact
- The value of the British pound initially falls by more than 2% as Asian markets open to a decline. (Reuters)
- A number of analysts, including Ralf Preusser from Bank of America and Ric Deverell from Credit Suisse, believe that the United Kingdom economy is heading into a recession. (Poundsterlinglive)
- The Dow Jones drops by more than 300 points in early trading, but rebounds a bit to close at a loss of 260.51. (CNBC)
- Standard & Poor’s downgrades the UK credit rating from AAA to AA with a negative outlook. Fitch follows by downgrading UK from AA+ to AA. (The Guardian)
Volkswagen emissions scandal
- Volkswagen faces settlement costs of $15 billion to settle lawsuits in the United States resulting from the rigging of emissions tests. (Bloomberg)

Disasters and accidents

Singapore Airlines Flight 368
- A Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300ER en-route to Milan‘s Malpensa Airport makes an emergency landing at Singapore‘s Changi Airport after the pilots received an engine oil warning message, whereafter the plane’s right engine caught fire. Singapore Changi Airport’s aircraft rescue and firefighting services extinguished the fire and Singapore Airlines confirmed that all 222 passengers and 19 crew members evacuated safely. (CNN) (The Sydney Morning Herald)
2016 West Virginia flood
- Two men initially thought to have died when a camper was swept away in Greenbrier County are found alive, lowering the death toll from the disaster to 20 confirmed fatalities and three others missing and presumed dead. (AP via Fox News)

International relations

India formally joins the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). (The Times of India)
Russia–Turkey relations, 2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan writes Russian President Vladimir Putin to offer condolences to the family of the deceased Russian pilot of the Sukhoi Su-24 warplane shot down last November. The Kremlin has insisted on a personal apology for months. A Turkish spokesman says this is a step toward improving bilateral relations between the two countries. (The Washington Post) (The Guardian
Israel–Turkey relations
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım announce their countries have agreed on a pact to normalize diplomatic relations that have been strained for six years since the Gaza flotilla raid when nine Turkish activists were killed. (Christian Science Monitor) (Los Angeles Times) (The Times of Israel)

Law and crime

Former Moldovan Prime Minister Vlad Filat is sentenced to prison for nine years after being found guilty of corruption and abuse of power. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt
- The Supreme Court of the United States strikes down a law that would have required abortion clinics in Texas to upgrade in order to meet new “hospital-like” standards. Supporters of abortion rights said that the proposed law would force nearly all abortion clinics in the state to shut down, while their opponents argued for women’s health benefits. (CNN)

Politics and elections

United Kingdom withdrawal from the European Union:
- Peter Altmaier, German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s chief of staff, warns Britain of dire consequences of exit from the European Union, saying in a newspaper interview that UK leaders should not rule out the possibility of another referendum on the same issue. (Daily Mail) (Bloomberg)
- Joining their 12 colleagues from the day before, Luciana Berger, Angela Eagle, Maria Eagle, Kate Green, Nia Griffith, John Healey, Lisa Nandy and Owen Smith resign from the Labour Shadow Cabinet of Jeremy Corbyn, alongside 18 junior shadow ministers and 9 additional frontbenchers, while Angela Smith and Steve Bassam of the House of Lords leadership will boycott attending Shadow Cabinet meetings, all in protest at Jeremy Corbyn‘s leadership over the EU referendum, and the firing of Hilary Benn. (The Guardian)
- The European Union refuses informal talks with the United Kingdom until they trigger Article 50 to leave. (BBC)

Sport

UEFA Euro 2016
- Underdogs Iceland defeat England 2-1 at the Allianz Riviera in Nice to reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA European Championship. (BBC)
- Roy Hodgson announces his resignation as England manager following the team’s defeat to Iceland. (BBC)

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Tag Archives: Christian Science Monitor

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