court - The 2010s

January 1, 2010

Happy New Year, no Happy New Decade – but what decade are we in? –
A decade with no name – The Twenty-tens? The Deccies? The Tennies? The Onesies?

– The world’s financial markets are in the middle of the worse recession since the Twenties.

– Barack Obama is President of the US and Gordon Brown is Prime Minister of the UK.
Barack Obama

– Pamela Anderson suffers a “wardrobe malfunction” in Hollywood and David Tennant hands over Doctor Who’s screwdriver to Matt Smith. Stephen Fry (temporarily) quits Twitter.
Pamela Anderson

– Scientists at Kings College, London reveal that the G-spot doesn’t actually exist.

It’s not a great start to the decade but, as D:Ream sang 6 years earlier, things can only get better… can’t they? Read on…

Video of the Day –

Robbie Maddison New Years Eve jump 2009 in Las Vegas

CLICK TO SEE MORE STUFF FROM THIS DAY…

December 4, 2014

Top News Stories –

The Obama’s light up –
President Barack Obama, wife Michelle and their daughters, Malia and Sasha switch on the lights of the Christmas Tree at the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony at the Ellipse near the White House in Washington DC.
2014 National Christmas Tree

Psy’ched out –
Psy’s Gangnam Style video has been watched so many times that the YouTube’s counter is being upgraded from 32-bit to 64-bit. The old 32-bit system only counted up to 2,147,483,647 views with Gangnam Style hitting 8,000 more than that. The mew 64-bit system will count up to 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 views (around 9 quadrillion). (See Video of the Day and List of the Day below)

Apple accused of wiping competitors tunes –
A US district court has heard lawyers accuse Apple of “deleting” songs from rival services from some iPods in 2007-09. Users with non-iTunes music received a message telling them to restore devices to their factory settings when they tried to sync them. Apple said that the move was a legitimate security measure. The case has been going on for more than a decade and could result in Apple paying out $1bn in damages.

Nobel Prize medal sells for $4.75m –
The Nobel Prize medal of American geneticist James Watson sold for $4.75 million at auction in New York today. It is the first time a Nobel Prize of a living laureate has been sold and almost doubled the estimate price. The Nobel Prize was awarded to Dr Watson in 1962 for his discovery of DNA’s double helix structure in 1953.
Dr James D Watson

Video of the Day –

Gangnam Style – Psy

CLICK TO SEE MORE STUFF FROM THIS DAY…

January 2, 2015

Top News Stories –

Broken Bono –
U2 lead singer Bono says that a crash on his bicycle last November resulted in multiple left arm fractures, a broken should and hand and a fractured eye socket. He now has a titanium elbow and fears that he may never play guitar but his band-mates have reminded him “that neither they nor western civilization are depending on this.”

Cancer due to bad luck –
A new piece of research by a team at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health in the US has found that most types of cancer can be put down to bad luck rather than risk factors such as smoking. The research printed in the journal “Science”, showed 66% of the cancer types analysed were caused just by chance mutations rather than lifestyle.

Taking a bite out of Apple –
Miami residents Paul Orshan and Christopher Endara are suing Apple over the amount of storage space the Apple iOS 8 uses on mobile devices.They claim it uses up such a large amount that it forces owners to pay for iCloud storage. They are suing in California for millions of dollars.

Prince Andrew named in court papers –
Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, has been named in Florida court papers by a woman who says she was forced to have sexual relations with the prince in London, New York and on a private Caribbean island owned by his fried Jeffrey Epstein when she was a minor. A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: “This relates to long-standing and ongoing civil proceedings in the United States, to which the Duke of York is not a party. As such we would not comment on the detail. However, for the avoidance of doubt, any suggestion of impropriety with underage minors is categorically untrue”.

Video of the Day –

This is my product from Matthijs_Vlot on Vimeo.

CLICK TO SEE MORE STUFF FROM THIS DAY…

January 22, 2015

Top News Stories –

Solo hopes for better time –
Hope Solo, The US women’s team goalkeeper is suspended for 30 days by US Soccer following an “incident” during a training camp. The teams head coach Jill Ellis said “Hope made a poor decision that has resulted in a negative impact on US Soccer and her team-mates.” Solo’s husband, former Seattle Seahawks NFL player Jerramy Stevens, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in Los Angeles in the early hours of January 19th 2015. Solo who appeared in the 2011 Body Issue of ESPN The Magazine tweeted:

Rick puts dicks on the runway –
Rick Owens the American designer sent four of his models down the catwalk at his Paris fashion show wearing clothes with peepholes that showed full-frontal male nudity underneath. His possibly unique idea earned him the Instagram hashtag: #dickowens.
Rick Owens

Rihanna wins court case over t-shirt-
Rihanna wins her long running legal challenge against Topshop over selling a t-Shirt with a picture from her Talk That Talk album promotional work.
Singer Rihanna has won a legal battle against high street store Topshop over a t-shirt bearing her image. Rihanna sued Topshop’s parent company Arcadia for $5m (£3.3m) back in 2013 and the Court of Appeal in London upheld a ban on the store selling the t-shirt.

A man’s right to pee stands up in court –
A German court has ruled in favour of a man’s right to urinate while standing up after his landlord demanded €1,900 (£1400; $2,200) for damage to the marble bathroom floor caused by urine. But the Duesseldorf judge ruled that the man’s method was within cultural norms, saying “urinating standing up is still common practice” even though some public toilets in Germany have signs forbidding the standing position – but those who choose to sit are often referred to as a “Sitzpinkler”, implying it is not masculine behaviour.

Stars out against Tescos in Haverstock Hill –
Damian Lewis, Old Etonian star of Homeland has joined up with Emma Thompson, James Corden and Tom Conti and other residents of Belsize Park in London to attempt to stop Tesco building an Express branch in Haverstock Hill. This follows Russell Brand campaigning to stop building work in Hackney, London on December 1st 2014.

Video of the Day –

Batman Evolution from ThePianoGuys on Vimeo.

CLICK TO SEE MORE STUFF FROM THIS DAY…

February 18, 2015

Top News Stories –

F1 drivers banned from changing helmets –
Former Formula One drivers take to Twitter to criticise a new rule banning Formula 1 drivers from changing their helmet design during the season. Alex Wurz who chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, tweeted –

And Australian former Red Bull driver Mark Weber added –

The Boston Blizzard Challenge –
The mayor of Boston Martin Walsh has asked the public to stop jumping out of first floor windows into piles of snow left by the record levels of snow that has fallen in February. Bostonians are stripping down to their underwear and leaping into the snowdrifts in a trend called the Boston Blizzard Challenge, all for social media’s delight – a perfect Vine.

Video of the Day –

Little Dreams from Wilkie Branson on Vimeo.
CLICK TO SEE MORE STUFF FROM THIS DAY…

February 25, 2015

Top News Story –

The Brit Awards sees Madonna wardrobe malfunction
The Brit Awards sees Ed Sheeran take the awards for Best Male Solo Artist and Best British Album for “X”. Palomo Faith is Best Female Solo Artist and Mark Ronson (ft Bruno Mars) wins best British Song with Uptown Funk. But the biggest memory of the night was Madonna being dragged down a flight of steps by one of her dancers when the neck cord of her cape didn’t release. See video below.

Video of the Day –

Madonna pulled down steps at Brits

CLICK TO SEE MORE STUFF FROM THIS DAY…

February 28, 2015

Top News Stories –

Blade Runner 2 to be made –
Harrison Ford will reprise his role as the ambiguous bounty hunter Rick Deckard in a sequel to 1982’s Blade Runner. Variety reports that the Oscar-nominated director Denis Villeneuve is close to signing on as director, replacing Ridley Scott, who will produce. Hampton Fancher, who co-wrote the original screenplay, has written the sequel with The Green Lantern writer Michael Green. [Daily Telegraph]
Harrison Ford

Round hens egg sells for £480 –
A “perfectly spherical” chicken egg has sold for an “unbelievable” £480 on the internet auction site eBay. Kim Broughton found one of her hens – now renamed Ping Pong – had laid the round egg in her garden in Latchingdon, Essex, on 17 February – Pancake Day. She decided to auction the egg in aid of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust after a friend’s son died from the disease. Ms Broughton, 44, said she imagined the buyer was interested in preserving, rather than eating, the unusual egg. [BBC] The round egg

Video of the Day –

Downton Funk (Uptown Funk/Downton Abbey mashup)

CLICK TO SEE MORE STUFF FROM THIS DAY…

March 10, 2015

Top News Stories –

Top Gear Clarkson out for the count –
Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson has been suspended by the BBC after what it called a “fracas” with a producer. Sources said he was accused of hitting the producer in an incident last week, and the remaining three episodes of the current series might not be broadcast. The BBC confirmed one episode – due for broadcast on Sunday – would not be shown, but gave few further details. Clarkson, 54, has not commented, but has been joking on social media about films that could replace Sunday’s show. [BBC] Jeremy Clarkson

Berlusconi cleared of under-age sex –
Italy’s top court has confirmed the acquittal of Silvio Berlusconi on charges that he paid for sex with an under-age dancer and then abused his position as prime minister to cover it up. After nine hours of deliberations, the judges at the Court of Cassation delivered a ruling that brings to an end a lengthy legal saga centred on the billionaire media tycoon’s infamous “bunga bunga” sex parties. It also leaves the 78-year-old free to resume a central role in Italian politics. Berlusconi has just finished serving a community service order for tax fraud and remains embroiled in several other legal cases. [Daily Telegraph]Silvio Berlusconi

“Blurred Lines” was plagiarised from Marvin Gaye track –
Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams plagiarised their monster hit Blurred Lines from Marvin Gaye’s 1977 song Got to Give It Up and have been ordered by a court to pay $7.4 million to the late Motown singer’s children for infringement of copyright. The ruling followed a two week case at the The US District Court in Los Angeles and some experts said the outcome could have a detrimental effect on an industry in which many artists are heavily influenced by those who went before. Thicke, who performed the song, and its producer Williams, made Blurred Lines into the biggest song of 2013 in the US, where it stayed at number one for 12 weeks, and a familiar tune across the world. A jury of five women and three men decided unanimously that they had infringed copyright and must pay damages to Gaye’s children Nona, Frankie and Marvin Gaye III, who were in court. [Daily Telegraph]
Pharrell Williams

Video of the Day –

The most popular Top Gear Clip ever
Bugatti Veyron v Euro Fighter Typhoon: Drag Race

CLICK TO SEE MORE STUFF FROM THIS DAY…

March 19, 2015

Top News Stories –

Top Gear France smashes channel ratings in first episode as critics give it the thumbs up –
Around a million viewers tuned in to Top Gear France – the best ever rating for the channel broadcasting the show, made by BBC Worldwide France reportedly for up to €400,000 per programme. The Gallic version features comic actor Philippe Lellouche, driving ace Bruce Jouanny and car expert Yann Larret-Menezo and The Stig. [Daily Telegraph] See Video of the Day.
Philippe Lellouche

Zayn Malik leaves One Direction tour after being signed off with stress –
Zayn Malik has left One Direction’s tour of Asia and has returned to the UK after being signed off with stress. A statement said: “Zayn has been signed off with stress and is flying back to the UK to recuperate. “The band wish him well and will continue with their performances in Manila and Jakarta.” On Wednesday the singer declared his love for his fiancee, Little Mix star Perrie Edwards, after photos emerged of him with his arm around another woman. [BBC]
Zayn Malik

Russia: Gold found in roadside socks lands man in court
A Russian man has been found guilty of illegally possessing more than a dozen pieces of gold he found in some socks by the roadside, it’s been reported. Bagaudin Estermirov, from the Amur Region in Russia’s Far East, found 18 ingots of gold worth 10.5 million rubles ($171,000; £116,184), wrapped in three black jersey socks in bushes in the town of Zeya last October. A Russian district court on 17 March handed down a two-year suspended sentence for “illegal possession of a precious metal” after Estermirov fully admitted his guilt. The gold, which weighed about 8kg, was handed over to the state. [BBC]

Charlie Sheen hurls racist Twitter rant at Barack Obama –
Charlie Sheen, once the highest paid actor on US television before his career unravelled because of his drug addiction, has launched an attack on Barack Obama. The son of Martin Sheen and former star of Two and a Half Men, posted a garbled attack on the US president in the early hours of the morning on Twitter. “Barry Satera Kenya u won’t attend a soldier’s funeral uhkros da street that u kild yet u hav time 4 brackets? s a d.” Sheen’s anger appeared to be a reference to the funeral of Major General Harold Greene, a two-star general killed in Afghanistan. [Daily Telegraph]

Tag Heuer teams up with Google and Intel for Android watch –
Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer has announced it is to build an Android Wear-powered smartwatch. The firm – which is part of the luxury goods-maker LVMH Group – is forming a partnership with Google and the chipmaker Intel to create the device. Switzerland dominates the high-end watch sector. This marks the first of its companies to join Google’s wearable tech ecosystem. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Top Gear France Trailer

CLICK TO SEE MORE STUFF FROM THIS DAY…

March 27, 2015

Top News Stories –

George Clooney wants 12-seater cinema at his country estate by the Thames –
George Clooney wants to add a 12-seater home cinema and luxurious swimming pool to his 17th century country estate in Sonning-on-Thames, plans submitted on Friday revealed. A new pool house, pergola and hot tub will be built onto the back of the existing riverside boat house, allowing George and his new wife Amal to luxuriate by the estuaries of the River Thames. Plans have been submitted to South Oxfordshire District Council’s planning department to extend an annexe of Clooney’s countryside mansion in Sonning Eye, Berkshire. [Daily Telegraph]
George Clooney

Facebook completes first drone flight above UK, Mark Zuckerberg confirms –
Solar powered drones which provide internet access to rural and remote areas have been trialled in UK for first time by Facebook. They “have a wingspan greater than a Boeing 737 but will weigh less than a car”, according to the social network’s chief Mark Zuckerberg. The drones, developed by Somerset-based company Ascenta which Facebook bought last March, will beam down laser-guided internet signals to those below. Solar panels attached to the wings of the drones mean that they will be able to keep going at altitudes of 60,000 ft for months at a time.
Mark Zuckerberg

Dermot O’Leary quits the X Factor –
After eight years, Dermot O’Leary has announced through Twitter he is stepping down as presenter of the long-running talent show, and is now joint favourite to replace Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear – bookmakers William Hill currently has O’Leary joint with Jodie Kidd as the 4/1 favourite. O’Leary recently danced continuously for 24 hours to raise money for Comic Relief.

Dermot O’Leary

Italy court clears Knox and Sollecito –
Italy’s top appeals court has overturned the convictions of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito for the murder of UK student Meredith Kercher.
The decision is the final ruling in the long-running case. The pair were found guilty in 2009, then freed in 2011 after the convictions were overturned. Their convictions were reinstated by another court last year. Ms Kercher was found dead in 2007 in a flat she shared with Ms Knox.
The couple had always maintained their innocence and the decision by the Court of Cassation puts an end to their long legal battle. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

SUNDAYS from PostPanic on Vimeo.

CLICK TO SEE MORE STUFF FROM THIS DAY…

April 7, 2015

Top News Stories –

American Pie lyrics sell for $1.2m –
The original manuscript of Don McLean’s American Pie has sold for $1.2m (£806,000) at a New York auction. The 16-page draft had been expected to fetch as much as $1.5m (£1m) at the Christie’s sale. McLean had hinted in February the original manuscript would reveal the song’s lyrical meaning – which had always been kept a mystery. “The writing and the lyrics will divulge everything there is to divulge,” he said. The 69-year-old previously acknowledged the beginning of the song is about the death of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper – Jiles P Richardson – in a plane crash, but has remained elusive about the rest of the track. (See List of the Day) [BBC]

Lindsay Lohan Attempts to “Break the Internet” With Her Clothes On in Racy Jumpsuit –
Step aside, Kim Kardashian, there’s another former Hollywood party girl looking to effectively “break the Internet.” On Saturday, March 7, Lindsay Lohan posted a shot of herself in Paris on Twitter, wearing a revealing black lace jumpsuit and hat. [US Magazine]
Lindsay Lohan Tweet – copyright @LindsayLohan Twitter

US judge strikes out Prince Andrew sex claims –
Claims that a woman was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was 17 are to be struck from the record of a civil case in the US, a judge has said. The Duke of York was named in court papers in Florida by a woman alleging financier Jeffrey Epstein forced her to have sex with the duke three times. But Judge Kenneth Marra said the “lurid” claims were “unnecessary” to decide the civil case. Buckingham Palace has previously “emphatically” denied the allegations. [BBC]

Rand Paul announces 2016 White House bid –
Senator Rand Paul has announced he is launching a 2016 presidential election campaign on the Republican ticket. “Today begins the journey to take America back,” he said in a campaign event in Kentucky. Mr Paul, a Kentucky senator, stands out from the Republican pack because of his comparatively libertarian views. He becomes the second Republican to enter the contest that concludes in November 2016.

Apple wants to stop fans queuing outside stores for its watch –
Internal memo urges staff to tell customers to order Apple Watch online instead of waiting outside stores. Apple wants to stop hundreds of people queuing outside stores when its smartwatch goes on sale later this month. The technology giant has adopted a “significant change in mindset” and urged staff to tell customers to order the Apple Watch online, an internal memo stated. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Dark Horse: An all-electric ’68 Mustang’s quest to shatter records from The Verge on Vimeo.

CLICK TO SEE MORE STUFF FROM THIS DAY…

April 9, 2015

Top News Stories –

Milan court shooting: Man kills lawyer, judge and co-defendant –
A gunman has killed three people in a shooting spree at the Palace of Justice in Milan in northern Italy. The suspect, Claudio Giardiello, was arrested in a suburb after fleeing the scene on a motorbike. He was reportedly a defendant in a bankruptcy case. He is believed to have shot dead a co-defendant, his former lawyer and a bankruptcy court judge. The newspaper La Repubblica, quoting officials and witnesses, said that the gunman had been attending a bankruptcy hearing when a fight broke out inside the third floor courtroom. He pulled out a weapon and shot the lawyer, named as Lorenzo Alberto Claris Appiani, as well as one of his co-defendants, named as Giorgio Erba. According to La Repubblica, Mr Appiani was a former lawyer for Mr Giardiello who was acting as a witness in the case. The gunman then left the courtroom and headed to the office of appeals court judge, Fernando Ciampi, shooting him dead. It is not known if the gunman had any links to the judge. [BBC]

Taylor Swift’s mum has cancer –
Taylor Swift has told her fans news about her mother no daughter ever wants to hear. “The results came in, and I’m saddened to tell you that my mom has been diagnosed with cancer,” she posted on her Tumblr page. The music industry’s best-selling star said she asked her mother, Andrea Finlay, to get screened for potential health issues as a Christmas present last year, “just to ease some worries of mine.” “There were no red flags and she felt perfectly fine, but she did it just to get me and my brother off her case about it,” Swift wrote. While the 25-year-old intends to keep her mother’s exact diagnosis and condition private, she said Finlay wanted to talk publicly to encourage others to get tested. [Daily Mail] #PrayForMamaSwift becomes one of the top trending hashtags of the day. (See Top Twitter Trends)

Richie Benaud: Australia cricket legend & commentator dies at 84 –
Former Australia captain and legendary cricket commentator Richie Benaud has died at the age of 84. A pioneering leg-spin bowler, Benaud played in 63 Tests, 28 as captain, before retiring in 1964 to pursue a career in journalism and broadcasting. His final commentary in England came during the 2005 Ashes series but he continued to work for Channel Nine in Australia until 2013. [BBC]

Google ‘looking at buying Twitter’ –
More than $1.5bn (£1bn) was added to the value of Twitter following reports Google could launch a bid for the social network. Shares in Twitter jumped 4.8pc on reports the US company had hired Goldman Sachs as an adviser to fend off approaches. Two companies are believed to have contacted Twitter with “serious” interest, according to Briefing.com, with Google identified as one of those firms. Twitter, which allows its users to post short messages online, has a market capitalisation of more than $34bn. Despite being less than 10 years old, the company has 288m monthly active users. Google launched its own social network, Google+, in 2011, but despite racking up around 300m monthly active users, it has struggled against rivals such as Twitter and Facebook. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Museum of Energy Mechanical Surface A/V Performance_santralistanbul 100th Anniversary from Ouchhh on Vimeo.

CLICK TO SEE MORE STUFF FROM THIS DAY…

April 10, 2015

Top News Stories –

Alex Jones accidentally flashes her nipples in see-through top as she Hosts the One Show –
BBC TV’s The One Show host Alex Jones left viewers with more than they bargained for on Friday night, when she accidentally showed her nipples live on air. The gorgeous brunette telly presenter suffered the awkward wardrobe malfunction in a sheer white blouse which turned see-through under the BBC studio lights. Alex, who wore her hair in a chic French plait seemed completely oblivious to her wardrobe malfunction. [Daily Mirror] The presenter quickly found herself trending on Twitter.
Alex Jones

Sandra Bullock’s 911 call from inside closet as she hid from stalker –
The emergency call made by Sandra Bullock as she hid in a wardrobe from a stalker, has emerged after it was played in court. Joshua Corbett, the man accused of breaking into the Oscar-winning-actress’ Los Angeles home, appeared in court on Thursday for a preliminary hearing on felony charges of burglary, stalking and possession of a machine gun, and 19 additional felony weapons charges. The audio played in court was taken from her June 8, 2014, call to police. In it, a frantic and fearful Bullock is heard describing the events. “Someone has broken into my house. I’m hiding in the closet,” says Bullock, in the recording. “I’m locked in my closet. I have a safe door in my bedroom, and I’ve locked it, and I’m locked in the closet right now,” she adds.
Sandra Bullock

Chinese GP: Man arrested after running on to track –
A man who ran across the track during practice for the Chinese Grand Prix has been arrested. He crossed the main straight shortly before a car, climbed the fence and ran into the pits before trying to enter Ferrari’s garage. He is reported to have said he wanted to try a car, before being apprehended by security and handed to police. Formula 1 bosses will investigate how the tight security measures, which are imposed at all races, were breached. A Ferrari spokesperson said the man headed straight for the team’s garage, but did not make it inside after he was stopped on the threshold by two mechanics. He was then handed over to security and then the police. [BBC]

Hatton Gardens heist: Metropolitan Police could have to pay millions in compensation –
Scotland Yard could face compensation claims running into millions of pounds after admitting that officers failed to respond to a burglar alarm during the Hatton Garden heist, insurance experts warned. Angry jewellers who fear they may have lost a fortune when 70 safe deposit boxes were looted during a daring raid last weekend have warned they may sue the Metropolitan Police over alleged incompetence. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

LEGO Dimensions: Official Announce Video

CLICK TO SEE MORE STUFF FROM THIS DAY…

April 21, 2015

Top News Stories –

Flawless 100-carat diamond sells for $22.1 million at NY auction –
An eye-popping, 100-carat diamond, the highlight of a magnificent jewels sale in New York on Tuesday, sold for $22.1 million, Sotheby’s auction house said. The perfect classic emerald-cut D color diamond, which is about the size of a walnut and was mined by De Beers in southern Africa, was purchased by an anonymous buyer via a telephone bid. It had a pre-sale estimate of $19 million to $25 million. Gary Schuler, the head of Sotheby’s jewelry department in New York, said the gem is the definition of perfection. The $22.1 million price, which includes the buyer’s premium, fell short of the $30.6 million world record price paid for a 118.28 carat white diamond in Hong Kong in 2013. Sotheby’s said only six perfect diamonds weighing more than 100 carats have been sold at auction in the last 25 years. [Reuters]

AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd pleads guilty to threat to kill –
Phil Rudd, drummer of Australian rock band AC/DC, has changed his plea to guilty on a charge of a threat to kill, at a court in Tauranga, New Zealand. The court heard he was unhappy about his album’s launch party and asked for a former employee to be “taken out”. He had previously denied the charge. He also pleaded guilty to cannabis and methamphetamine possession. Prosecutors dropped a second threat to kill charge, relating to the former employee’s daughter. [BBC] On April 1 2015 AC/DC won their first Grammy.
[Daily Telegraph]
AC/DC

Japan maglev train breaks world speed record again –
A Japanese magnetic levitation train has broken its own world speed record, hitting 603km/h (374mph) in a test run near Mount Fuji. The train beat the 590km/h speed it had set last week in another test. Maglev trains use electrically charged magnets to lift and move carriages above the rail tracks. Central Japan Railway (JR Central), which owns the trains, wants to introduce the service between Tokyo and the central city of Nagoya by 2027. The 280km journey would take only about 40 minutes, less than half the current time. However, passengers will not get to experience the maglev’s record-breaking speeds because the company said its trains will operate at a maximum of 505km/h. In comparison, the fastest operating speed of a Japanese shinkansen, or “bullet train” is is 320km/h. (See Video of the day). [BBC]
The SCMaglev test track in the Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan

Video of the Day –

Yasukazu Endo, the head of the research centre run by Central Japan Railways, discusses the new maglev train. [Guardian]

CLICK TO SEE MORE STUFF FROM THIS DAY…

May 21, 2015

Top News Stories –

F1’s Ecclestone in legal challenge over £1bn tax move –
Formula 1 tycoon Bernie Ecclestone has gone to court to challenge the basis of assessments that have left him facing a UK tax claim of more than £1bn. The 84-year-old, at the F1 helm for 40 years, wants the assessments quashed, and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) held to an earlier April 2008 agreement. The new figure is believed to cover the period from the tax year ended 5 April 1996 to tax year ending 5 April 2006. The case revolves around the Ecclestone family’s Bambino trust which was set up in Liechtenstein in 1997 for the benefit of Mr Ecclestone’s now ex-wife, Slavica, and daughters Tamara and Petra. The UK tax authorities re-opened their investigation of Bambino after a high-profile bribery case in Germany last year, said the judge. [BBC]
Bernie Ecclestone

Black Sabbath celebrate at Ivor Novello awards –
Black Sabbath have received a lifetime achievement prize at the Ivor Novello songwriting awards. Guitarist Tony Iommi picked up the trophy, confirming the heavy metal band would embark on their “final tour” next year. Ed Sheeran was named songwriter of the year, while Boy George picked up an outstanding contribution award. Clean Bandit beat Sam Smith and George Ezra to win the prize for most performed song for Rather Be. The Ivor Novello awards are voted for by songwriters, with judges this year including Gary Barlow, Guy Chambers, Nik Kershaw, Shaznay Lewis and Kim Appleby of ’80s pop group Mel & Kim.[BBC]
Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath

Video of the Day –

List of the day –

Ivor Novello Award winners and nominees –
Best song musically and lyrically

Take Me to Church – Hozier
Above the Clouds of Pompeii – Bear’s Den
I Forget Where We Were – Ben Howard

Best contemporary song

Rather Be – Clean Bandit, featuring Jess Glynne
Every Other Freckle – alt-J
Two Weeks – FKA Twigs

Best album

So Long, See You Tomorrow – Bombay Bicycle Club
Royal Blood – Royal Blood
Present Tense – Wild Beasts

PRS for Music most performed work

Rather Be – Clean Bandit, featuring Jess Glynne
Stay With Me – Sam Smith
Budapest – George Ezra

Best original film score

’71 – David Holmes
Mr Turner – Gary Yershon
The Boxtrolls – Dario Marianelli

Best television soundtrack

The Honourable Woman – Natalie Holt and Martin Phipps
The Mill (Series 2) – Samuel Sim
The Suspicions of Mr Whicher: Beyond the Pale – Edmund Butt

Lifetime Achievement: Black Sabbath

Outstanding Song Collection: Albert Hammond

PRS for Music Outstanding Contribution to British Music: Boy George

PRS for Music Special International Award: Paul Williams

Songwriter of the Year: Ed Sheeran

The Ivors Classical Music Award: Judith Weir

The Ivors Inspiration Award: Manic Street Preachers

The Ivors Special Anniversary Award: Midge Ure and Bob Geldof, Band Aid

BASCA Fellowship: Annie Lennox

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#MeDanGanasDe	#RedNoseDay	Sunderland
2	Santa Fé	#TakeAMovieToBreakfast	#ENGvNZ
3	황교안	#RejectedUniversityClasses	#NXTTakeOver
4	#TypeYourNameWithYourNose	#ThanksDave	#PPAFestival
5	JR Smith	Josh Duggar	Jamie Vardy
6	#えっちからの予測�…	Maggie Gyllenhaal	Aidy Ward
7	#ElSecretoDeLaFelicidad	#CultProblems	#SelfieForJames
8	#ThanksDave	#TylerOnEllen	#AstonGetStupid
9	#حصه_ال_الشيخ_ت…	#BuyBlackMagicOniTunes	Scrabble
10	#BuyBlackMagicOniTunes	Boy Scouts	#TakeAMovieToBreakfast

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
- Islamic State fighters enter the ancient ruins of Palmyra after capturing the Syrian city of Tadmur yesterday. A hundred pro-governmentfighters are believed to have died in fighting. (Reuters)
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claims that Islamic State now controls more than half of Syria dominating 95,000 square kilometres and controls settlements in nine provinces. (News Limited)
Al-Shabaab militants briefly take over a mosque in Kenya‘s Garissa County. (BBC)
2014–15 Russian military intervention in Ukraine
- The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) claims that two Russians captured in the Ukraine have publicly admitted to being part of the GRU Russian special forces. The Donetsk People’s Republic (separatists) authorities claim these men were official policemen in the self-proclaimed republic. (AFP via Yahoo! News)

Arts and culture

Robert Gates, the President of the Boy Scouts of America, calls on the movement to end the ban on gay adult leaders and says the movement will no longer revoke the charters of chapters that accept gay male leaders. (Yahoo News)

Health

South Korea confirms its third case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. (Yonhap)
Two prisoners die and 30 are hospitalised following a cholera outbreak at the Shimo la Tewa facility in Mombasa, Kenya. (The Star via AllAfrica)
Cleanup continues from the 19 May 2015 Refugio Oil Spill at State Beach on Santa Barbara County, California coast.(ABC7.com)
Health authorities in the United States say that 53 people in nine states have been sickened in a salmonella outbreak. California is the worst affected state with 31 cases with the other states with cases include Arizona, Illinois, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Dakota, Virginia, Washingtonand Wisconsin. (NBC News)

Law and crime

Brazilian anti-corruption blogger Evany José Metzker is found dead after investigating a drug dealing and prostitution case. (Deutsche Weller)
Death of Freddie Gray
- A grand jury in the American city of Baltimore indicts six police officers relating to the death of Freddie Gray in police custody. All six officers will face charges of reckless endangerment. (AP via ABC News America), (ABC2)
Daron Dylon Wint is arrested in the American capital of Washington D.C. in relation to the murder of four people on May 14. (NBC Washington)
Mexican Drug War
- Mexican police find three dismembered bodies in a search for ten missing people in Chilapa, a city occupied by vigilantes with alleged links to drug rings between May 9-14. (AP)

Sports

Amnesty International accuses Qatar of failing to meet commitments on labor market reforms for migrant workers to be introduced before the2022 FIFA World Cup. Among other charges, Qatar uses North Korean labourers who are not paid personally but instead the money goes to their government. (AFP via Google News)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

June 21, 2015

Top News Stories –

India yoga: PM Narendra Modi leads thousands in celebration –
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has led thousands in a mass yoga programme in the capital, Delhi, on the first ever International Yoga Day. Mr Modi did stretches, bends and breathing exercises with 35,000 school children, bureaucrats and soldiers. Security was tight in the city with thousands of police and paramilitary deployed for Sunday morning’s event. Millions of others are expected to do yoga at similar events planned in hundreds of Indian cities and towns. Mr Modi, a yoga enthusiast who says he practises the ancient Indian art daily, lobbied the United Nations to declare 21 June International Yoga Day. Authorities said 35,000 people attended the 35-minute yoga session on Rajpath, aimed at setting a new Guinness World Record for the largest yoga class at a single venue.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Taylor Swift pulls 1989 album from Apple Music –
Taylor Swift has pulled her hit album 1989 from Apple’s new streaming music service and criticised the company. In an open letter to Apple, Swift said she was withholding the record as she was unhappy with the three-month free trial offered to subscribers. “I’m not sure you know that Apple Music will not be paying writers, producers, or artists for those three months,” she wrote. She said the plan was “unfair”, arguing Apple had the money to cover the cost. “I find it to be shocking, disappointing, and completely unlike this historically progressive and generous company,” the 25-year-old said, describing Apple as one of her “best partners in selling music”. “These are not the complaints of a spoiled, petulant child. These are the echoed sentiments of every artist, writer and producer in my social circles who are afraid to speak up publicly because we admire and respect Apple so much,” she continued. “We know how astronomically successful Apple has been and we know that this incredible company has the money to pay artists, writers and producers for the 3 month trial period – even if it is free for the fans trying it out. “Three months is a long time to go unpaid, and it is unfair to ask anyone to work for nothing.” She ended her letter by calling on Apple to change its policy, suggesting she would reinstate her album on the service if the company changed its mind. “We don’t ask you for free iPhones. Please don’t ask us to provide you with our music for no compensation.” Apple has yet to comment on the issue.
Taylor Swift

Video of the Day –

Remnants from Nate Atwater on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	FRASE DO MEU TÚMULO	#GoHomeDeray	Katie Hopkins
2	#FelizDiaDelPadre	#MyDadIn4Words	Broner
3	#HappyBirthdayLanaDelRey	Dads	#JamesBrokeTheDoor
4	#UnaVezEnPedo	Happy Fathers	Ramos
5	#NoEsTuPapaSi	#HappyBirthdayLanaDelRey	#FathersDay
6	레바 와카루	Chuck Todd	Daddy
7	파쿠리	#AndThenIWasAskedToLeave	#SummerSolstice
8	Dads	Father’s Day	#GetLoveMeSo
9	Jamaica	#FelizDiaDelPadre	#MyDadIn4Words
10	#BugünBabalarGünü	#SummerSolstice	#InternationalDayofYoga

Other News Stories –

Disasters and accidents

Ninety-four people die, and 45 others are hospitalized, after drinking moonshine in Mumbai (Bombay), India. (Reuters via News24)

Law and crime

Ten people are injured in a shooting at a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania block party. (AFP via News24) (NBC Philadelphia)
One person dies and nine others are injured in a shooting at a block party on a basketball court in Detroit, Michigan. (AP via News24) (ABC News)
A Palestinian teenager is in police custody after he stabbed in the neck and critically injured a policeman in Jerusalem and then was shot by the same policeman. (YNet)

Politics

Prime Minister of Greece Alexis Tsipras makes a new offer for reforms which could signal a late deal in the country’s debt talks. (ITV News)

Sport

2015 U.S. Open (golf)
- In golf, American Jordan Spieth wins his second major championship of the year winning the U.S. Open by a stroke and becomes the first golfer since Gene Sarazen to win two majors before the age of 22. (The Guardian)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 27, 2015

Top News Stories –

Vladimir Putin says Sepp Blatter deserves Nobel Prize –
Vladimir Putin has said that Sepp Blatter deserves to win the Nobel Prize and does not believe a word of the corruption allegations against the Fifa president. In an interview with Swiss broadcaster RTS, the Russian president gave his full support to the Fifa president just days after Mr Blatter had assured him that Russia had Fifa’s “complete trust” as hosts of the next World Cup finals in 2018. Mr Putin added that he believed that bribery scandal being investigated by US, Swiss and other law enforcement agencies was as a result of the failure of England and the US to win the rights to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. [Daily Telegraph]
Vladimir Putin

Norwegian court orders bank to cover man’s £23k lap-dance and drinks bill –
A Norwegian court has ordered a bank to cover a £23,400 drink and lap-dance bill run up by one man during a night at a Polish strip club. The court made the decision after it concluded he had been drugged and could not be held responsible for his actions. Sparebank 1 will now have to make up for its client’s losses even though an investigation by Polish police into the incident at the club in the up-market seaside town of Sopot has been discontinued. The court rejected Sparebank’s argument that the man was responsible for how he spent his money, saying all the evidence suggested he was doped, and therefore a victim. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

The High Voltage Ejector Bed

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#3YearsOfFifthHarmony	#DirtyWorkMusicVideo	Sergio Romero
2	#OTRAMinneapolis	#WhenTrumpIsElected	#3YearsOfFifthHarmony
3	#LaPeliQueMeHizoLlorar	WWGTM	#mondaymotivation
4	Martinoli	#3YearsOfFifthHarmony	#BobbiKristina
5	Sergio Romero	#BuyBEAToniTunes	Conley Thompson
6	#dirtyworkmusicvideo	#mondaymotivation	Khloe Kardashian
7	Bugs Bunny	#ImStrongestWhen	#OTRAMinneapolis
8	#CiteCoisasQueOdeiaNoFacebook	#IWasSoHighOneDay	#ImHardLeft
9	Gago	Bugs Bunny	#jaiappreciationday
10	#MexicanPartyCopaOro	Google+	Lord Sewel

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

At least 7 people are killed and many injured after gunmen attack an Indian police station in Punjab. (The Hindu)
Syrian Civil War, Battle of Sarrin (June–July 2015)
- YPG led forces capture the town Sarrin from ISIL after a month-long offensive. (The Daily Star)

Business and economy

2015 Chinese stock market crash
- The Shanghai Composite Index drops 8.5%, the largest one-day decline in the index since 2007. (Bloomberg)

Law and crime

The Turkish National Police warns of possible bomb attacks on crowded places in central Istanbul, including metro stations and bus stops, following the escalation of Turkey–ISIL conflict. (Hürriyet Daily News)

Politics and elections

Philippines President Benigno Aquino III holds his final State of the Nation Address before stepping down in 2016. He advocates the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law and an anti-dynasty bill. (CNN Philippines), GMA News Online
French farmers protesting low prices within the country turn back hundreds of trucks suspected of carrying foreign agricultural products at the country’s border with Germany. (AP)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 30, 2015

Top News Stories –

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 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

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#FriendshipDay	#FriendshipDay	#FriendshipDay
2	#ماذا_تقول_لمن_…	#NationalCheesecakeDay	#NewHarryPotterBooks
3	#NewHarryPotterBooks	#NewHarryPotterBooks	#NationalCheesecakeDay
4	#NecesitoYQuieroQue	Tink	Stuart Baggs
5	#noconfioenlagenteque	#ICONiacMemories	Amazon Prime
6	#اختصر_وطنك_في_…	Top Gear	Ai Weiwei
7	Learn to Fly	James Woods	#realmusic
8	Pratto	Lizzie McGuire	#swarm
9	Corinthians	Sheldon Richardson	#MH370
10	#UsoOTwitterPq	#ABDC	British Gas

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Turkey–PKK conflict
- An ambush on a Turkish military convoy in the south-eastern Şırnak Province by PKK militants kills 3 Turkish soldiers. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

A heat wave hits the Middle East with Baghdad recording a top temperature of 50 °C (122 °F) and the Iranian city of Bandar Mahshahr recording a near world record heat index temperature of 67.8 °C (154.0 °F). (Washington Post)
At least 30 people are killed in a landslide that struck villages near Pokhara, Nepal. (Reuters UK)

International relations

A Taiwanese high school student commits suicide by charcoal fumes after a protest against controversial Sinocentric revisions in a curriculum guideline; hundreds storm the education ministry in response. (AFP via Yahoo) (Taipei Times) (BBC) (AP via Yahoo) (Los Angeles Times)
Russia vetoes a U.N. Security Council resolution that would have established an international criminal tribunal to investigate the downing ofMalaysia Airlines Flight 17. (WSJ)

Law and crime

The Israeli Knesset passes a controversial law that legalizes forced-feeding of Palestinian prisoners. (Middle East Eye)
India executes Yakub Memon for his role in the 1993 Bombay bombings. (BBC)

Politics and elections

After days of debate, the Taliban announce Mullah Akhtar Mansoor as the successor to Mullah Omar over his son, Yaqoob Omar. (BBC)
Anti-corruption campaign in China:
- Former Central Military Commission Vice-Chairman, General Guo Boxiong, is accused of taking bribes in exchange for the promotion of officers and expelled from the Communist Party of China. (BBC)
Chen Min’er replaces Zhao Kezhi as the Communist Party Secretary of Guizhou province, China. Zhao awaits assignment. (CRI)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

September 16, 2015

Top News Stories –

Blackjack-addicted Buddhist monk accused of stealing $150,000 –
A Buddhist monk with an expensive blackjack addiction has appeared in court in New York, charged with stealing around $150,000 (£97,000) in donations to fund his habit. Khang Nguyen Le, 45, was paid $1,000 a month for his role as the most senior monk at the Vietnamese Buddhist Association of Southwest Louisiana, based in the town of Lafayette. But over the past four years he had found himself with a growing gambling addiction and, according to court documents, stole from the organisation to feed his habit. He is accused of spending up to $10,000 every two or three days at the blackjack tables, and hiding in the corners of the casino so no one would spot him. [Daily Telegraph]

Naomi Campbell tries to #freethenipple, fails –
The supermodel joined the controversial campaign, then felt the wrath of Instagram’s strict nudity policy. The fashion icon posted a topless picture to her Twitter and Instagram accounts on Wednesday, both accompanied by the #freethenipple hashtag. However, despite the fact she looks amazing and really not very offensive, Instagram wasn’t having it. Within a few hours, the site had removed the image for violating its strict terms of use. In other words, there was a little too much nipple.The black and white portrait, taken from Garage magazine, is a sneak peek of her upcoming two volume TASCHEN book, and was shot by renowned photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. [Dazed Digital] The picture remained on Cambell’s Twitter feed below:
Naomi Cambell Free the Nipple Tweet

Dislike button: Why Facebook wants to know what makes you sad –
It has finally happened. “Today is a special day” declared Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a live “in-person townhall” event. Almost casually, he dropped a bombshell that has ignited technology commentators overnight: Facebook is getting a new button. Yes, alongside “like” will be something else. It almost certainly will not be a “dislike” button. The widespread news is that Facebook will twin “like” with “dislike”, long one of the most popular suggestions from Facebook users. However, if you actually listen to what Zuckerberg said, he rules this out: “we didn’t wanna just build a dislike button…[where] people were voting up or down people’s posts…what they really want is an ability to express empathy”. [Daily Telegraph]
Mark Zuckerberg

Video of the Day –

Escaping Anderson Springs during Valley Fire

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#IStandWithAhmed	#IStandWithAhmed	#IStandWithAhmed
2	カッコの中	#GOPDebate	#PMQs
3	#MasterChefBR	#TheNewBrokenScene	Luke Shaw
4	#TheNewBrokenScene	#MalikPositivity	#TheNewBrokenScene
5	#SerMexicanoEsOtroPedo	#BadMovieMashups	National Anthem
6	#ALDUB2ndMonthsary	Viva Mexico	#AskACurator
7	#iOS9	Steve Rannazzisi	#HorribleWaysToStartAStory
8	#BadMovieMashups	iOS 9	#BadMovieMashups
9	ツイッター国勢調査	Chile	#AskBritney
10	#UnPlacerDeLaVidaEs	SABMiller	William Hague

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Turkey–PKK conflict
- PKK attacks kill five Turkish police officers in the southeastern Mardin and Hakkâri provinces. The Turkish Army claims to have killed nine militants. (Daily Sabah), (Reuters via Daily Star)
2015 Burkinabé coup d’état
- Soldiers detain the interim president and prime minister of Burkina Faso as well as a number of cabinet ministers sparking fear of a coup d’etat. A joint statement by the United Nations, the African Union, and the Economic Community of West African States states that the presidential guard should immediately release the leaders of the interim government. (Al-Jazeera), (Reuters)

Business and economy

Hewlett-Packard, which has struggled for years in a declining PC market, will cut up to 33,300 jobs over the next three years, mostly in its enterprise business. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

One person is dead and fourteen missing after floods hit Huaping County in China‘s Yunnan province. (Xinhua)
Tropical cyclone effects in Europe
- The remnants of former Tropical Storm Henri combines with another storm in western Europe to cause heavy rains and possible floods in the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Portugal. (AccuWeather)
The death toll rises to 16 from this week’s “once-in-a-century” flash flood along the Utah – Arizona border in the United States as four more bodies were found in Utah’s Zion National Park with another three people still missing. (Christian Science Monitor)
An earthquake measuring 8.3 on the Richter scale occurs in the Pacific Ocean near Chile sparking a tsunami warning. At least five people die. (AP via ABC News America), (USGS), (CNN)

Health

A cholera outbreak kills at least 16 people in three camps for displaced people fleeing Boko Haram in Nigeria. (France 24)

International relations

European migrant crisis
- Dozens of migrants reach the border of Serbia and Croatia which has become the new route for migrants denied entry to Hungary. (BBC)
- Hungarian riot police and migrants clash at the now-closed border crossing near Horgos. (BBC)

Law and crime

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit denies Kim Davis‘ request to have same-sex marriage licenses delayed, but does not toss out her appeal entirely. (AP via MSN)

Sports

The International Olympic Committee announces the bidding cities for the 2024 Summer Olympics: Budapest, Hamburg, Los Angeles, Paris, and Rome. (CNN)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

September 25, 2015

Top News Stories –

Fifa: Sepp Blatter faces criminal investigation –
Swiss prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into Sepp Blatter, the head of football’s world governing body Fifa. The attorney general’s office said he was suspected of criminal mismanagement or misappropriation over a TV rights deal and of a “disloyal payment” to European football chief Michel Platini. Mr Blatter was being questioned, and his office was searched, it added. Fifa said it was co-operating with the investigation. Mr Blatter, 79, has run Fifa since 1998 and has always denied any wrongdoing. [BBC] In July FIFA turned down a request for Blatter to Attend U.S. Senate Panel hearing
Sepp Blatter

London Zoo love triangle: Meerkat keeper glassed rival over llama handler –
A meerkat keeper has been found guilty of assaulting a monkey keeper in a vicious brawl at London Zoo’s Christmas party which saw the two love rivals fight over the llama keeper. Caroline Westlake, who will be sentenced next month, hit her colleague Kate Sanders in the face with a glass leaving a wound that required stitches, a court heard on Friday. Miss Westlake claimed that it was an accident, and that Miss Sanders had already punched her, held her backwards over a 30 ft balcony and then spat at her. [Daily Telegraph]

Netflix adds gender reassignment to staff benefits list –
Netflix has added gender reassignment surgery to its list of staff benefits. The streaming entertainment service is not the only one – other technology companies including Facebook and Tesla also offer the option, along with hormone therapy, in a bid to be as diverse as possible. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/11886148/Netflix-adds-gender-reassignment-to-staff-benefits-list.html [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#6MonthsWithoutZayn	#6MonthsWithoutZayn	#fridayfeeling
2	Boehner	#DonaldTrumpsGoogleHistory	#MacmillanCoffeeMorning
3	#MeMolestaMuchisimo	Boehner	#6MonthsWithoutZayn
4	#BuenViernes	#VVS15	#BUYSECRETSONITUNES
5	#SOADnoMultishow	#NewNFLTeams	Bond
6	#HTGAWM	Bryson Tiller	Sepp Blatter
7	Bond	Kevin McCarthy	#bbcqt
8	#ALDUBPreparationDay	#fridayreads	Nigel Farage
9	ゴジラ	Johns Island	#JapaneseGP
10	#ALDubEBforLOVE	#DrugTVShows	#secretsinlondon

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

2015 Burkinabé coup d’état
- Burkina Faso’s cabinet dissolves the elite presidential guard behind last week’s coup d’état, creates a commission to investigate these events, and dismisses the minister in charge of security. (Reuters)
Syrian Civil War
- New Syrian Forces trade American supplied equipment to the Al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front in return for safe passage. (Reuters via Daily Mail)

Business and economy

The People’s Republic of China will launch a cap and trade policy creating a carbon market in 2017. (The Guardian)
Ukraine selectively bans certain Russian airlines such as Aeroflot and Transaero from flying to and through Ukraine. (Ukraine Today)

Disasters and accidents

2015 Hajj stampede
- King Salman of Saudi Arabia orders an investigation into the stampede near Mecca which has claimed over 700 lives and caused 800 injuries. (AFP/BBC via ABC News Australia)
2015 Southeast Asian haze
- Singapore closes its primary and secondary schools as smoke from the Indonesian fires raises air pollution to hazardous levels. (CNN)
Thirty-nine people are injured after an earthquake in the waters off the coast of the Indonesian province of West Papua. (New York Daily News)

Health

The BBC reports that Nigeria will be removed from the list of countries where polio is endemic. (BBC)

Law and crime

2015 FIFA corruption case
- The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland opens criminal proceedings against the President of FIFA Sepp Blatter. (CNN)

International relations

European migrant crisis
- Croatia reopens its border with Serbia. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Hakubun Shimomura resigns as Japan‘s Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology due to the design for the stadium for the 2020 Summer Olympics being abandoned. (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
John Boehner schedules his resignation from the position of Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and from Congress for the end of October. (The New York Times), (Washington Post)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

October 12, 2015

Top News Stories –

Queen’s advisers strip Jeremy Corbyn of ‘Right Honourable’ title after Privy Council snub –
The Queen’s advisers told Parliament to strip Jeremy Corbyn of his “Right Honourable” status after Number 10 wrongly implied the Labour leader had joined the Privy Council, The Daily Telegraph can disclose. Mr Corbyn was described on Parliament’s website as “Right Honourable”, which denotes membership of the centuries-old Privy Council, until late last week. The Labour leader was also described as a “Right Honourable Gentleman” by Prime Minister David Cameron when they faced each other in the Commons last month, days after he was voted in as Labour leader. However, after Mr Corbyn failed to attend the first meeting of the Privy Council since the summer holidays with the Queen last Thursday, the “Rt Hon” title was removed from Mr Corbyn’s page on Parliament’s website. [Daily Telegraph]

Swedish police called on a beard club because they were mistaken for Isil –
The police in Sweden were shocked to receive a call from a passer-by that alerted them to a possible Isil warrior group, north of the city Jönköping. When they arrived, they “had a good laugh” – the group mistaken for Isil was actually a beard club called the Bearded Villians. They had stopped in the area in order to take a photo together, posing with a sign which, from a distance, could be mistaken for the Isil flag. [Daily Telegraph]

Bearded Villains

Video of the Day –

Apollo Missions from harrisonicus on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	フォロワーA	#MakeMondayBetterIn3Words	#mondaymotivation
2	#TheWalkingDead	#mondaymotivation	#ChocolateWeek
3	#LeventKırca	#ColumbusDay	#FishUpAMovie
4	#nadaquecelebrar	#IndigenousPeoplesDay	Angus Deaton
5	#كلمه_تختصر_في�…	Happy Thanksgiving	Julian Assange
6	#QuandoEraCriancaEu	Wallace	#NationalCurryWeek
7	#WeArePerfect	#1DImSorryFor	June Sarpong
8	Angus Deaton	Angus Deaton	#1DImSorryFor
9	Viva España	Carlos Correa	#StrongerIn
10	#ConfiesoQue	Jason Rezaian	#TheWalkingDead

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

2015 Ankara bombings
- The Prime Minister of Turkey Ahmet Davutoglu states that Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant is the prime suspect in Saturday’s bombing. (Reuters via Thomson Reuters Foundation)
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Palestinian political violence
- Palestinians carried out three stabbing attacks against Israeli citizens and police in Jerusalem today with two of the attackers shot dead as the wave of violence continues, police said. There have been a series of stabbing attacks in Israel and the West Bank in recent days that have wounded several Israelis; nine attackers have been shot dead. Also, at least 16 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces during/after violent demonstrations in the West Bank and Gaza. (AP via Houston Chronicle)(Times of Israel) (Israel National News)
- An Arab attempting to stab pedestrians on a street in Tel Aviv is subdued by bystanders, with no injuries reported. (Israel National News)
- Two Palestinian teenagers stab and critically injure a Jewish teenager and another man in East Jerusalem’s Pisgat Ze’ev neighborhood in the third stabbing attack in the capital in six hours; one attacker is neutralized by a motorist and the second is shot dead by police. (The Jerusalem Post)
Islamist militants kill two Tunisian soldiers and injure four others who were seeking to free a man kidnapped in a mountainous area near the border with Algeria. (Reuters) (Azeri-Press Agency)
Syrian Civil War, American-led intervention in Syria
- U.S. cargo planes airdrop small arms ammunition and other supplies to Syrian rebels, including Kurdish groups such as YPG, in northern Syria. (Reuters)

Business and economics

U.S. computer maker Dell takes over EMC Corporation for $US67 billion. (BBC)

International relations

Syria Civil War, Foreign involvement
- European Union foreign ministers, gathered in Luxembourg to discuss the situation in Syria, release a statement urging Russia to stop its attacks in Syria and direct efforts towards a political solution. (Daily Sabah) (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (European Council)

Law and crime

Iranian State television reports that court spokesman Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i clarified the Iranian-American reporter’s verdict — Washington Post’s Jason Rezaian was convicted in a closed-door espionage trial that ended two months ago. Details remain unknown. Rezaian faced four charges; it’s not clear whether he was convicted of all charges nor what sentence was imposed. Leila Ahsan, Rezaian’s lawyer, also had not received the verdict as of Sunday. Post executive editor Martin Baron says they will appeal. (The Washington Post) (Payvand.com)
London police end their three-year long, round-the-clock guard outside the Ecuadorian Embassy waiting to arrest WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Officers have been stationed at this embassy since June 2012. Police said the operation cost 11.1 million pounds (17.6 million dollars) through April 2015. Assange is wanted for jumping bail in England and sexual assault allegations in Sweden. Assange denies the Swedish charges and suspects the real reason is bring him to the U.S. (NBC News) (AP via Newser) (London Metropolitan Police)
Post 2011 Egyptian Revolution trials
- Cairo’s criminal court orders the release of the sons of former Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak, who are waiting for the Court of Appeal’s decision in a financial corruption case. Each was sentenced to three years. The court ruled Gamal and Alaa Mubarak, who were initially detained in April 2011, had already served the requisite time in prison for the sentence. (New York Daily News) (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Jioji Konrote is elected President of Fiji by the country’s Parliament. Konrote, Fiji’s Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations, received 31 votes, defeating Epeli Ganilau, who garnered 14 votes. (Radio New Zealand International)
The Vanuatuan Speaker of the Parliament, Marcellino Pipite, serving as acting President, pardons himself and 13 other MPs who had been found guilty of bribery on 9 October 2015. (ABC News)

Science

Angus Deaton wins the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his analysis of consumption, poverty, and welfare, helping redefine the way poverty is measured around the world, notably in India. (Huffington Post) (Washington Post)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

October 15, 2015

Top News Stories –

Twitter goes down for 10 minutes, everybody panics –
Twitter went down for users in several parts of the world, causing widespread panic and much soul-searching across the UK, Japan and parts of America. The Twitter website, Tweetdeck – its service for power users, and its mobile apps were all down at 14:14 BST on Thursday. Service was restored roughly 10 minutes later. The website Down Detector, which registers reports of outages, registered a huge spike in queries for Twitter being down. Users in the UK, Japan, the US and the Middle East were among those affected. [Daily Telegraph]
Twitter down notice

Russia ‘tried to cut off’ World Wide Web –
Russia has run large scale experiments to test the feasibility of cutting the country off the World Wide Web, a senior industry executive has claimed. The tests, which come amid mounting concern about a Kremlin campaign to clamp down on internet freedoms, have been described by experts as preparations for an information blackout in the event of a domestic political crisis. Andrei Semerikov, general director of a Russian service provider called Er Telecom, said Russia’s ministry of communications and Roskomnadzor, the national internet regulator, ordered communications hubs run by the main Russian internet providers to block traffic to foreign communications channels by using a traffic control system called DPI. The objective was to see whether the Runet – the informal name for the Russian internet – could continue to function in isolation from the global internet. The experiment, which took place in spring this year, failed because thousands of smaller service providers, which Roskomnadzor has little control over, continued to pass information out of the country, Mr Semerikov said. [Daily Telegraph]

Porn during lunch breaks is OK but smoking cannabis can get you sacked, Italy’s highest court rules –
Employees cannot be sacked for watching porn during their lunch breaks if it does not impact upon their ability to do their work, Italy’s highest court has ruled. According to Italian media reports, the Court of Cassation ruled against major car manufacturer Fiat after it sacked a factory worker in Termini Imerese, a town in Sicily. Bosses had caught the man watching adult films at work, but he argued that his viewing was limited to “catching a glimpse of a movie during his lunch break”. But it wasn’t all bad news for Fiat, as in a separate ruling on Wednesday the court found the carmaker was within its rights to sack a man caught smoking cannabis during his lunch break – presumably because its effects continued into his working hours. [The Independent]

Video of the Day –

Back To The Future In ACTUAL 2015 – by College Humor

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#ImPerfect	#SpiritDay	#SNP15
2	#FelizJueves	#ProblemsTechnologyCantSolve	#EducationDay
3	Primark	Master P	Die Hard
4	#EstariaNecesitando	The Drone Papers	Oscar Pistorius
5	#شخصيه_كويتيه_�…	#OceanCelebs	#kidscompany
6	#5SOSMNL	Oscar Pistorius	Fantastic Four
7	Oscar Pistorius	#IDontMeanToScareYouBut	#GlobalHandwashingDay
8	#Empire	Theranos	Boris Johnson
9	#DiaDoProfessor	Fantastic Four	Danny Ings
10	#曲名に無職だけど�…	Evan Peters	King Kong

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- President of the United States Barack Obama announces that he will keep 5,500 troops in Afghanistan. (RT)
Internal conflict in Myanmar:
- The government of Myanmar signs a peace treaty with eight ethnic armed groups, although some powerful groups stay away. (AP via Star Tribune)
Yemeni Civil War (2015), Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
- Yemen‘s Sana’a-controlled forces fire a Scud missile at Saudi Arabia in retaliation to Saudi “war crimes”. A spokesman for Yemen’s military allied with Houthi militants said the missile hit a Saudi airbase and caused “widespread destruction”. There was no immediate comment from the Saudi side. (Reuters)
- Thousands gather in Aden‘s Al Ouroudh Square to thank coalition forces and to celebrate victory three months after pushing Houthi militants out of southern Yemen. (Gulf News)
European migrant crisis
- At least one person is reportedly killed after Bulgarian border guards open fire on a group of illegal migrants after they attempted to cross the border from Turkey. The incident happened near the southeastern town of Sredets. (AFP via Channel News Asia) (Yahoo)
Boko Haram insurgency
- A twin bombing near a mosque kills at least 26 people in the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri. (The Washington Post)
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
- An Israeli is stabbed by a fellow Israeli Jew, because he is mistaken for an Arab. (New York Times) (The Guardian)

Business and economy

Volkswagen emissions scandal
- The German automotive watchdog KBA orders Volkswagen to recall 2.4 million cars in that country after the emissions scandal becomes public knowledge. (Reuters via SBS Australia)

International relations

Vietnam says a Chinese vessel rammed into and sank one of its fishing boats near disputed islands in the South China Sea. More than 20 Vietnamese fishing boats have been attacked by Chinese vessels this year causing tensions between both countries.(AP via Yahoo)

Disasters and accidents

Hurricane Joaquin & SS El Faro
- The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NSTB) has asked the U.S. Navy to resume the search ended by the U.S. Coast Guard for the merchant vessel SS EL FARO believed lost on Oct. 7 during Hurricane Joaquin. The loss of the ship – with its crew of 33 hands – is regarded as “the worst U.S. merchant marine disaster of recent memory.” (USNI News)

Law and crime

2015 Parramatta shooting
- Rahan Alou and Talal Alameddine are charged with assisting Farhad Jabar to kill New South Wales Police Force accountant Curtis Cheng in Parramatta, Australia on 2 October 2015. (The Guardian) (ABC News Australia)
A cache of classified intelligence documents published from The Intercept, released by an anonymous whistleblower, highlight details surrounding post-September 11 attacks United States drone strikes in Afghanistan, Somalia, and Yemen, alleging that theUnited States conducts these strikes under extremely unreliable information and faulty pretenses. (Al-Jazeera America) (U.S. News) (Vice News)
Five individuals — four men and a teenage boy — are arrested in connection with the gang-rape of a 16-year-old girl at a Sydney, Australia, house party. (CNN)
Scottish and U.S. prosecutors identify two Libyans as suspects in the Lockerbie bombing. (CNN) (The Guardian)
The Nevada Gaming Control Board rules that daily fantasy sports leagues are a form of gambling that requires a license to operate in the state, including being offered to state residents. Due to Nevada’s status as a major gambling center, the decision is seen as potentially influencing other U.S. states’ stances on the leagues. (CBS News) (ESPN)

Politics and elections

2015 United Nations Security Council election
- Egypt, Senegal, Uruguay, Japan, and Ukraine are elected to two-year, non-permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council for 2016-17, replacing Chad, Chile, Jordan, Lithuania, and Nigeria. (New York Times)

Science

Astronomers say they have observed bizarre light patterns using the Kepler Space Telescope from a star that appears old, but is shrouded in debris like a much younger star, roughly 1,500 light-years away. This has led to speculation that these are an “artificial extraterrestrial mega-structure”, orbiting the star known as KIC 8462852 in the Cygnus constellation. KIC 8462852 lies just above the Milky Way between the constellations Cygnus and Lyra. It first attracted the attention of astronomers in 2009 when the Kepler Space Telescope identified it as a candidate for having orbiting Earth-like planets. (Independent) (Discovery News)

Sports

2015 MLB postseason
- In the U.S., the New York Mets defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3–2 in the deciding Game 5 of their National League Division Series. The Mets move on to face the Chicago Cubs in the best-of-seven 2015 National League Championship Series, which opens on October 17 at the Mets’ home of Citi Field. (AP via ESPN)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

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

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#ItsPerfectDay	#PreOrderPURPOSE	#FridayFeeling
2	#PreOrderPURPOSE	#ItsPerfectDay	#WorldFoodDay
3	#HeyEverybodyMusicVideo	#HeyEverybodyMusicVideo	#PreOrderPURPOSE
4	Hayırlı Cumalar	Malia Obama	#HeyEverybodyMusicVideo
5	Oscar Wilde	#RememberWhenPeopleActually	#MercuryPrize
6	Falcons	Ann Coulter	#ItsPerfectDay
7	Irene Lozano	#NationalBossDay	Cook
8	BuyPurposeOnITunes	#WorldFoodDay	#bbcqt
9	#BuenViernes	Joseph’s Tomb	Falcons
10	#ادخل_وكتب_دعو�…	#CrapperBooks	Joe Cole

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Palestinian political violence
- Palestinian rioters set fire to the building containing Joseph’s Tomb in the West Bank city of Nablus causing heavy damage to the structure before the fire is put out. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemns the attack. (Times of Israel) (Jerusalem Post)
- An Israeli soldier is stabbed shortly after the fire by a Palestinian posing as a journalist with a camera and a “PRESS” vest; the attacker is shot dead. (Reuters)
Battle of Aleppo (2012–present), Russian involvement in the Syrian Civil War
- Syrian Army forces supported by Russian planes attack insurgents south of the city of Aleppo. (Reuters)
Spillover of the Syrian Civil War
- Turkey says it has shot down a drone near the Syrian border after it failed to leave Turkish airspace. (Today’s Zaman)

Arts and culture

A United States appeals court rules the Google Books Library Project, the scanning of millions of books with snippets searchable online, is legal under copyright law, affirming a 2013 district court decision. (USA Today) (The Register)

Disasters and accidents

2015 Pacific typhoon season
- Koppu strengthens to a typhoon ahead of threatening lives and properties in the Philippines island of Luzon over the weekend. (AccuWeather)
2015 California drought
- Many residents of Los Angeles and Kern Counties in southern drought-stricken California are trapped by flash floods after receiving four to six inches of rain in a short period of time. (CNN)
- Mudslides, with head-high mounds of mud, from yesterday’s flash floods cover major highways in the mountains and desert north of Los Angeles. Interstate 5, one of the state’s major north-south arteries, is closed. The National Weather Service issues aflash flood watch today. (AP via KPHO TV) (Los Angeles Times)
Six construction workers, injured when scaffolding at an unfinished building collapsed in Houston, Texas (US), are rushed to area hospitals with non-life threatening injuries. Firefighters continue to sift through the debris for other potential victims. (Houston Chronicle)

International relations

European migrant crisis
- The European Union and Turkey reach an agreement for Turkey to stem the flow of migrants into Europe in return for a £3bn aid package, easier visa conditions and re-energised talks to join the bloc. (ITV)
- Hungary announces it will close its southern border with Croatia at midnight. (Reuters)
Russia and other ex-Soviet states meeting in Kazakhstan agree to set up a joint task force to tackle instability on their borders, most notably from Afghanistan. (Reuters)
President Park Geun-hye of South Korea is in Washington, D.C. and met with President Barack Obama at The White House. (New York Times)
China hosts the ministers of defense from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). During the meeting a Chinese defense official suggests joint maritime drills between the host and ASEAN. At the same time, it is widely expected that U.S. Navyvessels may soon sail within 12 nautical miles of islands China is constructing upon reefs and atolls in the South China Sea. (New York Times) (BBC)
The United States confirms Iran tested a medium-range missile capable of delivering a nuclear weapon, in “clear violation” of a United Nations Security Council ban on ballistic missile tests. (Reuters) (BBC)

Law and crime

Rafe Esquith, a notable teacher in the Los Angeles, California, public school system files a $1 billion class action lawsuit against the LA Unified School District. Esquith, recently removed from teaching and subsequently fired, alleges on behalf of almost 2,000 individuals, certain age-discrimination tactics by the school system against older teachers. (CNN)
A U.S. federal judge declines plaintiffs request for an emergency order requiring Texas issue birth certificates to U.S.-born children of immigrant families who entered the country illegally. The judge said Matrícula Consular cards issued by Mexican consulates to their citizens in the U.S. aren’t secure. The U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment guarantees the right of citizenship to children born in the United States. (Miami Herald) (Washington Times)

Politics and elections

Hawaii Governor David Ige declares a state of emergency to address homelessness as the state has seen an alarming increase in unsheltered individuals and families over the past two years, particularly on O’ahu. Hawaii has the highest per capita rate ofhomelessness among the 50 states at about 465 people per 100,000 citizens. This act “frees up” money for this problem. (UPI) (Reuters) (Hawaii)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

November 26, 2015

Top News Stories –

Pirate needs 200,000 video views to avoid being sued –
A convicted software pirate has been handed an unusual punishment. The man, named only as Jakub F, will be spared having to pay hefty damages – as long as a film denouncing piracy he was made to produce gets 200,000 views.
He came to the out-of-court settlement with a host of firms whose software he pirated after being convicted by a Czech court. In return, they agreed not to sue him. The 30-year-old was also given a three-year suspended sentence. The criminal court decided that any financial penalty would have to be decided either in civil proceedings or out of court. The firms, which included Microsoft, HBO Europe, Sony Music and Twentieth Century Fox, estimated that the financial damage amounted to thousands of pounds, with Microsoft alone valuing its losses at 5.7m Czech Crowns (£148,000). [BBC] The video had received over 212,000 views by today. See Video of the Day

Asteroid mining made legal after passing of ‘historic’ space bill in US –
Business opportunities in space could soon be about to open up for adventurous entrepreneurs after US Congress signed off on a bill to legalise space mining. While some websites are already offering investors the chance to step onto the intergalactic property ladder with a plot on the moon from £16.75, asteroid mining is predicted to become a trillion-dollar industry over the next few decades. Private companies in the US can now legally extract materials from the moon, asteroids and other celestial bodies after a commercial space act was approved by Congress. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

SDÍLENÍM TO ZAČALO, SDÍLENÍM TO MŮŽE SKONČIT

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#ImThankfulFor	#ImThankfulFor	Happy Thanksgiving
2	Can Dündar	Happy Thanksgiving	#ImThankfulFor
3	あなたのツイッタ��…	#MacysParade	#NationalCakeDay
4	#NoMeCabeEsoDe	#ImNotGoingToBedBecause	Eagles of Death Metal
5	#اوصف_مجتمعك_ب�…	#BringBackMST3K	#pizero
6	#ALDUB19thWeeksary	#ARIAs	BBC Three
7	#Empire	#TurkeyTrot	#PAKvENG
8	Nilson	Eagles	#WWENXT
9	Niall Holland	Jason Kidd	#INDvSA
10	#MeReSobranLasGanasDe	Chip Kelly	#VampsAlbumOutTomorrow

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown
- The Turkish military releases what it says are a series of audio recordings of warnings issued to a Russian jet before it was shot down near the Syrian border. (ABC Australia)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict (2015)
- The Palestinian Ministry of Health says a 21 year-old man has died in clashes with Israeli Army soldiers. (AP)
Military intervention against ISIL
- British Prime Minister David Cameron, in a speech to the House of Commons says that Islamic extremists have already threatened citizens of the United Kingdom and UK military airstrikes against ISIL in Syria will serve only to make the UK safer. Cameron also says that the UK cannot outsource its security and must stand by France in the wake of the November 2015 Paris attacks. (BBC)
- Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French Minister of Defence, calls on the United Kingdom to join France in bombing ISIL. (The Guardian)
2015 Brussels lockdown, Paris attack aftermath
- Belgian authorities reduce the threat level in Brussels from its highest level of four to three. The escalation to level four came after suspects in the ISIL attacks in Paris were linked to the city. Suspected Paris gunman, Salah Abdeslam, who lived in Brussels for several years, remains at large. (BBC)
- A suspicious powder feared to be anthrax found at a Brussels mosque, close to the European Union headquarters, is a false alarm. Testing determines it is flour. (Reuters) (Intenational Business Times)
Boko Haram
- At least 18 people are killed and over 100 homes torched after Boko Haram militants attacked a village near the commune of Bosso in Niger‘s southern Diffa Region. (AFP via Yahoo)

Disasters and accidents

At least 15 people are killed after a Russian Mi-8 transport helicopter carrying oil workers crashes in eastern Siberia near the Yenisei River. (AP via ABC News) (Reuters)
A sinkhole the size of a football field swallows a large section of beach on Australia‘s North Stradbroke Island. Local authorities have warned beach-goers to stay away from Jumpinpin beach due to fears the sinkhole could grow even larger. (The Guardian)
2015-16 Australian bushfire season
- A New South Wales Rural Fire Service firefighter dies while fighting an out of control bushfire near Cessnock in the Hunter Valley. (Daily Telegraph)
At least eleven people have died and 70 injured after two buses carrying tourism workers collide in the eastern Dominican Republic. (AP)

International relations

Pope Francis’ 2015 visit to Africa
- Pope Francis condemns the way young people have been “radicalized in the name of religion to sow discord and fear,” during a talk in Nairobi, Kenya. (Washington Post)
- Pope Francis celebrates a historic Mass in Kenya before delivering a stern environmental warning to the world. “It would be sad, and I dare say even catastrophic, were particular interests to prevail over the common good and lead to manipulating information in order to protect their own plans and projects,” the Pope said, urging nations to reach agreement over curbing fossil fuel emissions. (CNN)
2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21)
- France is deploying more than 10,000 personnel to provide security for the two-week UN Climate Change Conference that opens in Le Bourget in Paris on Monday, November 30, 2015. Around 150 heads of state or government are expected to attend COP21’s opening day. (Xinhua News Agency)
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2015
- Queen Elizabeth II (U.K.) arrives in Malta for the Commonwealth summit what begins tomorrow. The then-future Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh lived on the island from 1949-51. The Commonwealth is a group of 53 nations; most member states were once part of the British Empire, 16 remain Commonwealth realms. (Telegraph)
Song Tao is named head of the International Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China, a key post responsible for relations with other communist parties, replacing Wang Jiarui. (SCMP)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

December 3, 2015

Top News Stories –

Oscar Pistorius verdict changed to murder –
Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius has been found guilty of murder after a South African appeals court overturned an earlier manslaughter verdict. He killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in February 2013 after shooting her four times through a locked toilet door. He is currently under house arrest after spending one year of his original five-year sentence in jail. Pistorius will have to return to court to be re-sentenced, for murder. [BBC] Pistorius started community service in November 2015
Oscar Pistorius competing

UK Trading Standards officers seize 15,000 unsafe hoverboards –
More than 15,000 unsafe hoverboards – otherwise known as self-balancing scooters – have been seized at ports and airports around the UK. Trading Standards officers said the boards were in danger of overheating, exploding or catching fire. The London Fire Brigade said at least three house fires were caused by such devices over 10 days in October. Many have plugs without fuses, faulty cables or chargers that can burst into flames, according to Trading Standards. It said that 88% of the hoverboards it seized around the UK were found to be defective. [BBC]

Black Friday breaks record with 185K gun background checks –
More Americans had their backgrounds checked purchasing guns on Black Friday than any day on record, according to data released by the FBI this week. The National Instant Criminal Background Check System processed 185,345 requests on Nov. 27, one of the largest retail sales days in the country. “This was an approximate 5% increase over the 175,754 received on Black Friday 2014,” wrote Stephen Fischer, the FBI’s chief of multimedia productions. “The previous high for receipts were the 177,170 received on 12/21/2012.” [USA Today]

Video of the Day –

The First Hope from Jeremy David White on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#QuintaDetremuraSdv	#4YearsOf5SOS	#4YearsOf5SOS
2	#4YearsOf5SOS	#RJCForum	Stan Collymore
3	#زد_رصيدك20	#MakeASportsMovieWorse	#thingmonk
4	#PSYCrossroads	#TheWiz	#theTOMs
5	#MeDeprime	#HolidayAdviceFromTheCat	#BatmanvSuperman
6	#DiadelaDiscapacidad	#TweepAMovieOrTVShow	#SSATNC15
7	#ShotsCamcorder	#thoughtsandprayers	#OscarPistorius
8	#JanamJanam	Oscar Pistorius	#Content2015
9	#ALDUB20thWeeksary	Muslim Killers	#FolkloreThursday
10	#FrasesQueTdMelhorAmgFala	#ModernShakespeare	#PrayForSyria

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Military intervention against ISIL, Operation Tidal Wave II
- The United Kingdom‘s Royal Air Force bombs Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant-controlled oil wells in eastern Syria. At least four Tornado GR4 fighter jets, operating out of RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, were involved in raids. The Ministry of Defence said initial analysis “indicates that the strikes were successful”. (Sky News)
2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown
- Russian president Vladimir Putin addresses on Russian national television the shootdown of one of their jets in Syria by the Turkish Air Force. He goes on to say that “if anyone thinks Russia’s reaction will be limited to trade sanctions, they are deeply mistaken”. (BBC)
Iraqi Civil War (2014-present), American-led intervention in Iraq
- In the wake of Washington’s pledge of additional Special Operations troops to Iraq, several members of Iraq’s ruling alliance state that only the Iraqi Parliament can authorize the action, and political associates of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi report such a troop expansion would be unacceptable. Several members of Iraqi militias have also decried a deployment of more U.S. troops. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

Israel’s Holocaust and Remembrance Center posthumously adds U.S. Army Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds to the list of the Righteous Among the Nations for his actions in 1945 at a Nazi prisoner of war camp. (NPR) (Yad Vashem)
Harvard Law School officials are reviewing the use of the school’s seal that includes three bushels of wheat, which also appears on Isaac Royall’s family coat of arms. Royall, a slaveholder whose father was known to be a cruel owner, left part of his estate to help found the law school. (MSNBC) (Boston Globe)

International relations

European migrant crisis
- EU ministers discuss suspending the Schengen passport-free travel zone for two years, on the basis that the migrant crisis has exposed “serious deficiencies” at the Greek border that endanger the overall area. (Financial Times) (BBC)
- The Swedish government wants to be able to close the Øresund Bridge connecting Sweden to Denmark if the country’s record refugee influx continues. (Local)
Germany‘s Federal Intelligence Service (BND) says Saudi Arabia is at risk of becoming a major destabilizing influence in the Arab world due to the diplomatic stance of some senior members of the House of Saud. (The Telegraph)
Iran–Russia relations
- Russia begins deliveries of its S-300 air defense systems to Iran. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Trial of Oscar Pistorius
- South African athlete Oscar Pistorius is convicted of the murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on appeal and faces a minimum of 15 years in prison. (NBC News)
2015 FIFA corruption case
- U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch announces criminal corruption charges against 16 FIFA officials in an indictment that expands Justice’s May filing that indicted 14 officials associated with FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) and related sports marketing companies. At U.S. authorities request, Swiss police arrest two South American FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) officials at the five-star Baur au Lac hotel in Zürich, on suspicion of accepting “millions of dollars” in bribes. In addition, eight of the defendants indicted in May have pleaded guilty. (CNN) (New York Daily News)
Upper Big Branch Mine disaster
- Donald Blankenship, former CEO of Massey Energy Company, is convicted of violating safety standards that led to the deaths of 29 Upper Big Branch mine workers in Montcoal, West Virginia in 2010. He is acquitted of making false statements anddeceiving regulators. Blankenship, who faces up to one year in prison and a fine of $250,000, is the most prominent American coal executive ever to be convicted of a charge connected to the deaths of miners. (The New Yorker) (NPR) (Christian Science Monitor) (The New York Times)
Defense Secretary Ash Carter announces that all combat roles in the U.S. military will be opened to women. (CNN)

Politics and elections

Danish European Union opt-out referendum, 2015
- Danish voters reject adopting EU rules on cross-border policing. (BBC)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

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)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

December 23, 2015

Top News Stories –

Skier’s Close Call As Drone Camera Crashes –
A skier has narrowly avoided serious injury after a drone being used to film the event he was competing in crashed to the ground. The drone hit the snow just centimetres away from Austria’s Marcel Hirscher during the alpine skiing World Cup slalom in Italy. “This is horrible,” Hirscher, who finished second in the event, said. A skier has narrowly avoided serious injury after a drone being used to film the event he was competing in crashed to the ground. The drone hit the snow just centimetres away from Austria’s Marcel Hirscher during the alpine skiing World Cup slalom in Italy. “This is horrible,” Hirscher, who finished second in the event, said. [MSN News] See Video of the Day
Marcel Hirscher

Madonna goes to court to force 15-year-old son to return to New York –
Madonna has gone to court to force her 15-year-old son Rocco to return to New York, after his father Guy Ritchie insisted that he wanted to stay in the UK for Christmas. The singer appeared before a judge in Manhattan on Wednesday morning, where she won her bid to have her son forced to board a plane from London. Mr Ritchie, a film director who has two children with Madonna, argued through his lawyer that Rocco preferred to spend Christmas with his father, the New York Post reported. Judge Kaplan ordered that Rocco should talk with Madonna, and then revisit the issue of which parent he prefers. The judge told a smiling Madonna that Rocco must also present himself to court in the United States for the case to be decided. “I’m directing the child to be returned to New York. If he wants to stay with his father, he must return to his mother.” [Daily Telegraph]
Madonna

Video of the Day –

TV drone crashes during ski race – Marcel Hirscher at Madonna di Campiglio

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#CosasQueAprendiDel2015	Tornado Watch	Christmas Eve Eve
2	#WeAreAll1D	#CosasQueAprendiDel2015	#WeAreAll1D
3	#QuartaComOClubeSDV	#HappyBirthdayLouis	#ReplaceAWordWithSchlong
4	#زد_رصيدك40	#WeLoveYouAshton	#Luther
5	#5incoMinutos7Milhoes	#YodaSpeakASaying	Boxing Day
6	#ALDUBMyBebeLoveParade	#WeAreAll1D	#DearSantaSorryFor
7	#APapaNoelLePido	#BlackXmas2	#GeordieShore
8	#PSYYakap	OG Maco	#YodaSpeakASaying
9	#DeNatalEuQuero	#ReplaceAwordWithSchlong	#tattoofixers
10	#WeLoveYouAshton	#Festivus	#Supervet

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War
  - Amnesty International reports at least 200 civilians have been killed in Russian air strikes in Syria, indicating “serious failures by Russia to respect international humanitarian law”. Moscow denies causing civilian deaths. (BBC)
Boko Haram insurgency in West Africa
- An overnight raid by suspected Boko Haram militants on Niger‘s southern border town of Abadam, kills two Nigerien Army soldiers and three civilians. And, separately, a suicide-bomb attack on Lake Chad killed three of the attackers but no one else. A military convoy was also ambushed by militants in northern Cameroon, although there were no reported deaths. (Reuters)
Palestinian political violence
- Two Palestinian attackers stab passers-by at the Old City’s Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem, Israel, killing two and injuring one; the attackers are shot and killed by two Israeli Border Police officers. (CNN) (The Jerusalem Post)
2015 PKK rebellion
- Clashes continue between PKK militants and Turkish Army troops in the Kurdish-majority city of Diyarbakır in southeastern Turkey. At least one Turkish soldier is killed and several are wounded in a bomb attack. (Reuters)
Hacktivist collective Anonymous declares a cyber-war on Turkey, and claims responsibility for the major week-long cyber-attack between 14 and 21 December on Turkey, which it accuses of supporting the jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and threatened additional attacks in case the alleged support continues. “We will continue attacking your internet, your root DNS, your banks and take your government sites down,” it said. “After the root DNS, we will start to hit your airports, military assets and private state connections. We will destroy your critical banking infrastructure,” the group added. (Hurriyet Daily News) (Independent)
Terrorism in Australia
- Australian police in Sydney arrest two men who, police say, were planning attacks on locations such as naval bases and police headquarters. New South Wales Deputy Police Commissioner Catherine Burn said Wednesday’s activity brings the number of people arrested in connection with last year’s Operation Appleby to 13. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (Reuters)

Arts and culture

The governments of Somalia, Tajikistan and Brunei ban celebrations of Christmas, with punishments ranging up to a five-year jail term. Each country has a majority-Muslim population. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

Tornadoes of 2015
- At least six people die and dozens injured as major storms, packed with tornadoes, move through the American South and Midwest. Three people died when a tornado hit northern Mississippi, one was killed in Arkansas and two more in Tennessee. Officials continue searching into the night for the missing. (CNN) (AP via The Washington Post) (Weather.com) (Reuters)

Health

South Korean MERS outbreak
- South Korea announces an end to the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreak that has killed 36 people since May 2015. The virus infected 186 people, with nearly 17,000 people confined to their homes and thousands of schools temporarily closing at the peak of the largest MERS outbreak outside Saudi Arabia, where it first appeared in 2012. (AFP via FRANCE 24)

Brazilian health officials announce 2,400 babies (up from 147 in 2014) have been born this year with microcephaly, a neurological disorder that can result in incomplete brain development which can be caused by the mosquito-borne Zika virus, and advise would-be parents, especially in the country’s northeast where most of the cases occurred, to avoid pregnancy. (CNN) (The Washington Post) (Medical Daily)

International relations

Yemeni Crisis
- The United Nations Security Council expressed “deep concern” at the number of violations of Yemen’s ceasefire. U.N. envoys warned that a fledgling peace process was hanging by a thread, and that Yemen faces permanent fragmentation if the conflict is not ended soon. (Reuters) (Time) (Saudi Gazette) (UN)

Law and crime

The public interest non-profit Cause for Action files a Freedom of Information Act request for United States Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter’s personal emails following his disclosure of using that account for official government emails, this in the wake of the former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton email controversy and the Office of Personnel Management data breach. The U.S. Federal Records Act restricts use of personal email for official business. (Federal Times)
A Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia report reveals that an agent with the Presidential Protective Service of the United States Secret Service had his weapon, shield, and other professional equipage stolen from his vehicle in broad daylight in downtown Washington, D.C. (CNN)
Russia issues an international arrest warrant for former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky on charges of organizing the murder of Vladimir Petukhov, mayor of Nefteyugansk in 1998. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

Spanish general election, 2015
- Pedro Sánchez, leader of Spain‘s Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) rejects a pact with the ruling People’s Party (PP). “We say ‘no’ to Rajoy and his policies,” Sánchez told a news conference after meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. (Reuters)
Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili unexpectedly announces his resignation, without giving any specific reason for his decision. (Civil Georgia)
Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović selects Israel-based Teva Pharmaceuticals executive Tihomir Orešković to be the new prime minister following the inconclusive November 8 election. The “technocrat” is the choice of conservatives and reformists, who have 78 parliamentary seats, enough for confirmation.

Science and technology

The United States National Center for Health Statistics reports the rate of twin births has hit an historic high. Researchers say the increase in twin births may be affected by changes in reproductive technology, including in vitro fertilization, and by more women giving birth later in life–a time when the occurrence of twins is higher. (Science World Report) (Daily Mail)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

January 15, 2016

Top News Stories –

Wikipedia Celebrates its 15th birthday –
If you want a modern wonder of the internet, look no further than Wikipedia, which turns 15 years old today. It’s gigantic (more than five million articles in English alone), and gigantically useful for those seeking a grounding in any topic. It has illustrated how the internet and the power of the crowd can disrupt established businesses: both the book-based Encyclopaedia Britannica and Microsoft’s CD-based Encarta fell before the onslaught of a simple collaborative document that anyone could edit and enhance. Even Google failed with its rival, launched in 2008 and killed amid indifference in 2012. It even has a creation myth; people think it was the effort of Jimmy Wales alone, but in fact he and Larry Sanger (an “internet project developer” – thanks, Wikipedia) were working on the idea of an online encyclopedia called Nupedia, which began in 1999. [Daily Telegraph] [This web site is a supporter of Wikipedia]
Jimmy Wales

Video of the Day –

22×22 rubik’s cube World Record

List of the Day

15 amazing things since the idea of Wikipedia was launched to the world on January 15, 2001. [Wikipedia]

Millions of people have gathered all this knowledge by working together from everywhere around the world.

Ward Cunningham designed the wiki, the first internet platform that allowed many people to work on a document at the same time. He named it ‘wiki,’ a Hawaiian word that means ‘quick.’ (There is even a wiki-wiki shuttle in Honolulu.)

You know the encyclopedia, but there’s so much more.

Did you also know there’s a free dictionary, free textbooks, quotes, learning tools, a travel guide, and more?

The first Wikipedia exhibition opened on March 17, 2006.

It was held at the Göttingen University Library in Germany.

Behind the scenes, bots do some of the repetitive jobs so that volunteers don’t have to.

There are almost 2,000 bots approved for use on the English Wikipedia alone, and they even have names. PhotoCatBot helps people find articles that need images.

Wikipedia became one of the top 10 websites in the world in 2007.

It’s the only non-profit anywhere near the top.

An angry elephant holding a glass of whiskey

People who work on Wikipedia are called “Wikipedians”.

Building the world’s largest database of information with people from all over can be challenging. Wikipedians write rules, guidelines and essays to help other people understand being a Wikipedian. “No angry mastodons” suggests that you shouldn’t edit when you’re hungry or intoxicated.

The first photo ever uploaded to Commons was a pair of quail.

…while this scan of the world’s first photograph uploaded to Wikimedia Commons is entirely inscrutable. Speaking of birds and photos, there is such a thing as pigeon photography: “A homing pigeon was fitted with an aluminium breast harness to which a lightweight time-delayed miniature camera could be attached.” (There was even a stamp for pigeon mail. It’s adorable and shaped like a triangle.)

One of the first articles ever written was for the standard poodle.

It simply said, “A dog by which all others are measured.” The English Wikipedia page for poodleis now more than 5,000 words, and includes the many names that people have invented for poodles crossed with other dog breeds: Labradoodle, Poochon, Cockapoo, Spoodle, Maltipoo, Goldendoodle, Schnoodle, Pekapoos, Cavapoo, and Bernedoodle.

A screenshot from the Wikipedia blackout

Wikipedia helps keep the Internet open and free.

In 2012, the Wikipedia communities blacked out the site to protest SOPA.

The second-most-edited English Wikipedia article of all time is about pro wrestling.

One of the competition entries for a new Wikivoyage logo was a snake on a magic towel.

British army officer Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart’s Wikipedia article has been retweeted more than 3,500 times.

“Lieutenant General Sir Adrian Paul Ghislain Carton de Wiart VC, KBE, CB, CMG, DSO (5 May 1880–5 June 1963) was a British Army officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest military decoration awarded for valour “in the face of the enemy” in various Commonwealth countries. He served in the Boer War, First World War, and Second World War; was shot in the face, head, stomach, ankle, leg, hip, and ear; survived two plane crashes; tunnelled out of a prisoner-of-war camp; and bit off his own fingers when a doctor refused to amputate them. Describing his experiences in the First World War, he wrote, ‘Frankly I had enjoyed the war.’”

Wikipedians keep lists of controversies and hoaxes on Wikipedia.

One hoax claimed that Lord Byron kept a crocodile and a honey badger as pets. It would not be easy to uncover this hoax—during his lifetime, in addition to numerous cats, dogs and horses, Byron kept a fox, monkeys, an eagle, a crow, a falcon, peacocks, guinea hens, an Egyptian crane,a badger, geese, a heron, and a goat. He took a bear to college when he found that dogs were not allowed.

Researchers can predict the spread of illness from data on Wikipedia.

“Researchers from Los Alamos National Laboratory were able to make extremely accurate forecasts about the spread of dengue fever in Brazil and flu in the U.S., Japan, Poland and Thailand by examining three years’ worth of Wikipedia search data.”

It would take 16 years to read all of English Wikipedia.

And that’s if you didn’t take any breaks, and never slept.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#SextaFavQSdvDetremura	#FlashbackFriday	#9YearsOfKidrauhl
2	#9YearsOfKidrauhl	#9YearsOfKidrauhl	#spacewalk
3	バルス	Cloverfield	#FridayFeeling
4	#زد_رصيدك63	#NationalHatDay	#BadDoctorIn5Words
5	#ALDUBMyOneAndONLY	#AKA1908	#GOPDebate
6	#HoyTengoGanasDe	#NewYorkValues	#LGBTSTEMinar
7	#MensajeAlPueblo	#spacewalk	#FlashbackFriday
8	Cloverfield	#NWSLDraft	#TWGlobes
9	#GOPDebate	#NewMusicFriday	Cloverfield
10	#LloreCantando	#BuyGOLDoniTunes	Megan

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

2016 Ouagadougou attack
- Gunmen armed with heavy weapons attack a restaurant called Cappuccino and the Splendid Hotel, taking hostages, in the heart of Burkino Faso‘s capital, Ouagadougou. At least 20 people are reportedly killed. (BBC) (The Guardian)
- Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claims responsibility for the attack, which if confirmed would the first Islamic terrorist attack in the city. (AFP/Reuters via ABC News Australia)
2016 Jakarta attacks
- Three men are arrested in the outskirts of Jakarta in connection with the attacks. Police have identified the attackers killed in the raid with two of the men having been imprisoned for terrorism related offences. (AP via Newser)
War in Somalia (2009–present)
- al Shabaab militants overrun an African Union base in southern Somalia with unconfirmed reports of dozens of soldiers dead. (Reuters) (BBC)
Syrian Civil War
- UNICEF confirms severe malnutrition in the besieged Syrian town of Madaya. Russia calls for humanitarian aid to be let into besieged towns like Madaya, Fua and Kafraya. (Reuters via Trust) (Reuters via Daily Mail)

Arts and culture

Wikipedia celebrates its 15th anniversary. (Wikipedia)

Business and economy

China‘s Haier Group buys General Electric‘s appliance unit for $5.4 billion. (Bloomberg)

Disasters and accidents

A tour bus carrying skiers runs off the road in Japan‘s Nagano Prefecture with at least 14 people dead and injuring another 27. (Bloomberg) (Irish Independent)
2016 Atlantic hurricane season
- Hurricane Alex heads towards the Azores with hurricane warnings in place for several islands. (National Hurricane Center)
Twelve people are feared dead following a road accident in the Udhampur district of India‘s Jammu and Kashmir state. (Greater Kashmir)
The United States Coast Guard in Hawaii are searching for twelve American service personnel off the northern coast of Oahu following a crash between two United States Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallionhelicopters that were conducting an overnight training flight. (CNN) (Wall Street Journal)
The U.S. state of Michigan asks for assistance from the federal government to assist with a water crisis in the city of Flint. (Reuters)
2015–16 South Pacific cyclone season
- A tropical cyclone warning is issued for the northern Cook Islands as Tropical Cyclone Victor approaches. (Radio New Zealand)

Health

BIA 10-2474
- One person is brain dead and five people are critically ill in Rennes, France, from a clinical trial of an experimental drug made by Portuguese drug company Bial. The six men, aged 28 to 49, had been in good health prior to the start of this test. All trials on the drug are suspended. (The Guardian) (Reuters via New Zealand Stuff) (Reuters)
Brazil Zika virus outbreak (2015 – present)
- The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns pregnant women against visiting 14 countries and territories in South America, Central America and the Caribbean due to the Zika virusoutbreak. (CDC)

Law and crime

The Seoul Central District Court fines two Korean baseball players Seung-hwan Oh and Lim Chang-yong for illegal gambling in Macau. (Yonhap)
2013–14 Thai political crisis
- Former Prime Minister of Thailand Yingluck Shinawatra appears in court to face corruption charges. (Reuters via Trust)
A trial of the facts regarding allegations of child abuse against 12 former residents of children’s homes in Leicester by British lord Greville Janner ends due to his death. (BBC)
American rapper Mos Def is banned from South Africa for five years, having been living illegally in the country since 2013 on a tourist visa. (BBC)
Kosovo War
- A special court is set up at The Hague to try Kosovo Liberation Army suspects for alleged war crimes against ethnic minorities and political opponents. (BBC)

Politics and elections

PKK rebellion (2015–present)
- Twelve Turkish academics are detained for signing a declaration opposing military action against Kurdistan Workers Party forces in southeast Turkey. (AP via Washington Post)
Anti-corruption campaign in China
- Wei Hong, Governor of Sichuan province, is announced to be under investigation for “breaching discipline” by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. (BBC)
Azerbaijani National Police use tear gas and water cannons to forcibly disperse protesters in the Quba District who were protesting the country’s worsening economic situation, resulting in scores being arrested. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

January 22, 2016

Top News Stories –

It Cost Google One Billion Dollars to Keep its Search Bar on iPhones –
Google’s search bar has been a fixture on Apple devices for years, something that’s always seemed counter-intuitive, what with Android being iOS’s only real competitor. According to Bloomberg, Google’s search engine is only exists there because of a $1 billion payment made to Apple in 2014. Bloomberg found the details in court proceedings from an Oracle vs Google lawsuit. Oracle has been fighting Google since 2010 over the search giant’s use of Oracle’s Java software in the development of Android. Somewhere along the way, Oracle’s lawyers got their hands on internal Google finances, which were brought up in open court, before Google’s attorneys pleaded to have the transcript redacted and sealed. According to Oracle’s lawyers — and neither confirmed nor denied by Google’s side — Google paid Apple $1 billion (that equates to around £701,000,000) in 2014 to keep its search bar on Apple devices. The two companies then have a revenue-sharing agreement to split any profits Google makes from Apple’s devices, although the breakdown is not known. [Gizmondo]

Video of the Day –

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#SextaBoaPraSdvDetremura	White Privilege II	#AsAChildIUsedToThink
2	#ま行の後に監禁し�…	#FlashbackFriday	#ImFamous
3	#WelcomeBabyTomlinson	Macklemore	Macklemore
4	#زد_رصيدك70	#blizzard2016	#WelcomeBabyTomlinson
5	#ALDUBShareTheLOVE	#WelcomeBabyTomlinson	#FridayFeeling
6	#NoEs14DeFebreroPero	#BroadwayCon	#SAvsENG
7	#PraNamorarComigoÉPreciso	#DevuelvanLosReales	#SquirrelAppreciationDay
8	#BuenViernes	#Roe43	#DateMyMum
9	#يوم_الجمعه	#ChaseTheDay	#FlashbackFriday
10	#AsAChildIUsedToThink	Jalen Rose	#10000BC

Other News Stories –

Arts and culture

Douglas Borough Council announces that the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway, at Douglas, Isle of Man, ran for the last time at the end of the 2015 season. (BBC)

Business and economy

Steve Zadesky, who has been running the electric car project for Apple Inc. for two years, will leave that company soon for personal reasons, according to the Wall Street Journal. (Wall Street Journal)

Disasters and accidents

January 2016 United States winter storm
- Millions of people in the Mid-Atlantic states brace for a winter storm. (BBC)(CNN)

International relations

European migrant crisis
- The United States government implements new restrictions to its visa waiver program which now requires, with limited exceptions, European, Japanese and Australian travelers to the United States who either have been visitors in the last five years to or are dual-citizens of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Sudan to obtain a travel visa. The new visa policies were mandated by legislation which was passed, in the aftermath of November 2015 Paris attacks, by Congress on the grounds of national security. (CNN), (NYT), (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

Law and crime

La Loche Community School shooting
- A former La Loche Community School student shot and killed two brothers at home, and two females, one a teacher, at the school in La Loche, Saskatchewan, Canada, while injuring others. A suspect has been arrested. (CBC) (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Wei Hong resigns as Governor of Sichuan province in China after it was revealed that he was undergoing investigation for “breaching party discipline.” Former World Health Organization executive committee member Yin Li becomes acting governor. (SCMP)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

February 19, 2016

Top News Stories –

EU deal gives UK special status, says David Cameron –
David Cameron says a deal struck with EU leaders will give the UK “special status” and he will campaign with his “heart and soul” to stay in the union. The agreement, reached late on Friday after two days of talks in Brussels, gives the UK power to limit some EU migrants’ benefits. It also includes a treaty change so the UK is not bound to “ever closer union” with other EU member states, he said. EU exit campaigners said the “hollow” deal offered only “very minor changes”. [BBC]
David Cameron

John McAfee offers to unlock killer’s iPhone for FBI –
Anti-virus software creator John McAfee has said he will break the encryption on an iPhone that belonged to San Bernardino killer Syed Farook. Mr McAfee made the offer to the FBI in an article published by Business Insider. Apple has refused to comply with a court order asking it to unlock the device, dividing opinion over whether the firm should be compelled to do so. Mr McAfee said he and his team would take on the task “free of charge”. The offer came as Mr McAfee continues his campaign as a US presidential candidate for the Libertarian Party. “It will take us three weeks,” he claimed in his article. Security expert Graham Cluley cast doubts on Mr McAfee’s idea that he could use “social engineering” to work out the pass-code of Farook’s locked iPhone. This is a process by which hackers try to find out login credentials by tricking people into giving them away. “In a nutshell, dead men tell no tales,” said Mr Cluley. “Good luck to Mr McAfee trying to socially engineer a corpse into revealing its pass-code.” “The FBI isn’t interested anyway, they want to set a precedent that there shouldn’t be locks they can’t break,” he added. [BBC]
John McAfee

Video of the Day –

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#TypeOfPeopleIAvoid	#FlashbackFriday	#EUSummit
2	#FelizCumpleCFK	#TypeOfPeopleIAvoid	#FreeKesha
3	#Clausnitz	#FreeKesha	#FridayFeeling
4	#BuenViernes	#MakeAnActionFilmTedious	#TypeOfPeopleIAvoid
5	#SLFLNagoya	#SLFLNagoya	#MakeAnActionFilmTedious
6	#ComandoTagSegueVc	#NewMusicFriday	Marc Jacobs
7	#MakeAnActionFilmTedious	#Indy500	#bbcqt
8	#FreeKesha	#AmericaTogether	#BUCSNationals
9	#FacebookMelhorQueTwitter	#BlackMenGreetings	#askjessica
10	#DeMexicanoEs	Tila Tequila	#SLFLNagoya

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Libyan Civil War (2014–present), Military intervention against ISIL
- United States Air Force warplanes carry out airstrikes on ISIL in western Libya, near the Tunisian border, reportedly killing at least 38 people. (BBC)
Boko Haram insurgency
- Two suicide bombers kill at least 19 people and injure 50 others at a market in northern Cameroon. (Reuters)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict (2015–present)
- Three Palestinian assailants are shot dead in separate attacks on Israeli security forces in Jerusalem and the West Bank. (Channel News Asia)
Syrian Civil War
- The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) take control of Al-Shaddadah and a nearby oilfield in Syria‘s north-east Al-Hasakah Governorate following heavy clashes with ISIL militants. (The Independent)
- Adel Al-Jubair, Saudi Arabia‘s foreign minister, foresees to supply surface-to-air missiles to the “moderate opposition”, so changing the power balance “like they did in Afghanistan“. (Der Spiegel)

Business and economy

Yahoo Inc. says that it has created a committee of independent directors that will explore strategic alternatives, notably the sale of its core internet business. (Reuters)
William C. Dudley is reappointed as the President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York for another five years. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2015–16 South Pacific cyclone season
- Cyclone Winston heads towards Fiji at Category 5 strength. It is expected to make landfall on Saturday. (ABC News)

Health

Zika virus outbreak
- The first case of the Zika virus has been diagnosed in South Africa. (Times Live)
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission orders manufacturers of self-balancing scooters (hoverboards) to ensure their products meet safety standards or face recall, or seizure at ports. CPSC Chairman Elliot Kaye tells NBC News no hoverboard currently on the market meets these standards. (NBC News)

International relations

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key says his country is willing to accept some asylum seekers from the Middle East and Asia, currently in detention camps on impoverished Pacific island nations. Presently, 267 refugees in Australia for medical treatment, some accompanied by a relative, are set to be returned to Nauru’s detention camp. Australia is hesitant about the offer, concerned that it could encouragepeople smugglers. (AP via The Washington Post)
European migrant crisis
- Serbia closes its southern border with Macedonia to migrants from countries not affected by war as part of measures to prevent illegal immigration. (RT)
United Kingdom European Union membership referendum
- European Union leaders unanimously agree on reforms aimed at keeping the United Kingdom in the 28-nation bloc before the country’s scheduled June 23, 2016, referendum on continuing EU membership. (Reuters) (USA Today)
Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, announces she will resign in July when her appointment ends. (BBC)

Law and crime

The United States Department of Justice files a motion to compel Apple Inc. to comply with a court order to help the FBI hack a phone used by an attacker in the 2015 San Bernardino attack. (CNBC)
John McAfee, creator of the anti-virus software McAfee, Inc. and former CEO, offers to unlock an iPhone that belonged to San Bernardino attacker Syed Farook for the FBI for free after Apple Inc. refused to comply with a court order asking it to unlock the device. McAfee said “It will take us three weeks,” with access to a super-computer in an article published by the Business Insider. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Ugandan general election, 2016
- Opposition leader Kizza Besigye is arrested again just before a planned press conference. Police raid Besigye’s Forum for Democratic Change party headquarters and fire tear gas at the FDC supporters. Partial results from the electoral commission show a lead for incumbent president Yoweri Museveni. (BBC)
Kosovo opposition lawmakers twice disrupt today’s session of parliament by tossing tear gas into the chamber to protest recent changes giving the country’s Serb minority greater powers, and demanding the government’s resignation and snap elections. (Arab News) (AFP via GlobalPost)
According to Indian Police, at least one person is killed and up to 20 people injured during, what became violent, protests by the Jat agricultural community in Rohtak, India, for a 10 percent increase in the number of their caste quota (affirmative action). (AP via The Washington Post)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

February 22, 2016

Top News Stories –

Taylor Swift donates $250,000 to Kesha after her failed lawsuit against Dr Luke and Sony –
Taylor Swift has donated $250,000 (£176,099.74) to Kesha after her failed lawsuit. Kesha on Friday lost her bid to end her contract with Sony. A New York judge denied Kesha a court injunction that would have allowed her to record new music outside of her record label. The ‘Tik Tok’ singer has been unable to record any new music for two years, as she refuses to work with her producer, Dr Luke, who she claims sexually assaulted her. According to the New York Daily News, Kesha will have to record six more albums under Kemosabe Records, Dr. Luke’s Sony imprint. In October 2014, Kesha sued Dr. Luke, accusing him of drugging, raping and abusing her a decade ago; Dr. Luke has denied all charges. [Daily Telegraph]
Kesha

Jeb Bush drops out of presidential race –
A crestfallen Jeb Bush bowed to the inevitable on Saturday night and pulled out of the fight to win the Republican nomination. With the latest projections showing that Mr Bush was locked in a battle to win a distant fourth place in the South Carolina primary, the announcement was hardly a surprise. Fighting back tears he said: “Tonight, I am suspending my campaign, “I’m proud of the campaign that we have run to unify our country.” [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

7 MYTHS You Still Believe About “Healthy Eating”

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#canseliçinsusma	#NationalMargaritaDay	#mondaymotivation
2	#2aDetremuraSdv	#Q102Troye	#NationalMargaritaDay
3	#FelizLunes	#FelizLunes	#F1Testing
4	#NationalMargaritaDay	#TypicalMeIn5Words	#TheNightManager
5	#ApniDukaan	#MiracleOnIce	Paigey Cakey
6	#TraigoGanasDe	#3YearsOfHeartbreakGirl	#WWEFastlane
7	#اوصف_بلدك_بكلمه	Virginia McLaurin	#StopYouthViolence
8	#نطالب_باعفاء_�…	#MeatlessMonday	Sam Pepper
9	#PidoYaAGritos	#mondaymotivation	#UFCPittsburgh
10	猫の日	#PHXStartupWeek	#MWC16

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir
- 2016 Pampore stand-off
  - Loud explosions and gunfire are heard in a building where Kashmiri forces are fighting Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front militants in a standoff that has claimed the lives of five soldiers and one civilian.(AP via Washington Post)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- A suicide bomber kills at least 13 people and injures 19 in Afghanistan‘s Parwan province. The Taliban claims responsibility. (Reuters)

Business and economics

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe assigns all diamond mining operations to the newly formed, government-run Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company, and orders eight foreign diamond mining companies from the country. (UPI)

Disasters and accidents

2015–16 South Pacific cyclone season
- Cyclone Winston
  - The death toll in Fiji rises to at least 17 as authorities continue to assess the damage. All schools in the country are closed for the week. A nationwide curfew remains in effect. (Weatherzone) (CNN)

International relations

Russia–United States relations
- Russia has announced that it will ask permission to fly unarmed surveillance planes over the United States citing the Open Skies Treaty. (CBS)
European migrant crisis, Austria–Germany relations
- German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière strongly criticizes Austria‘s decision to put a daily cap on the number of refugees the country can accept. Austria has set a limit of dealing with 80 asylum applications a day, while letting thousands of others transit to Germany. Maiziere said this sends “the wrong signal” and is “unacceptable”. (AFP via Yahoo! News)
Iran–Russia relations
- Iran holds talks with Russia over buying an upgraded version of the S-300 surface-to-air missile defense system. (Reuters)
Syrian Civil War
- The United States and Russia broker a truce which is due to come into effect on midnight 27 February. (BBC)

Law and crime

2016 Kalamazoo shootings
- Jason Dalton is charged with six counts of murder in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. (CNN)
The Maryland Court of Appeals rules the state’s Public Information Act does not apply to abortion clinic license applicants’ names, denying the Maryland Coalition for Life’s appeal which had noted that courts in Illinois, Kansas and Minnesota have ordered these names released. The ruling can not be appealed to federal courts. (AP via ABC News)

Politics and elections

Philippine Senate election, 2016
- Walden Bello, a socialist candidate for the Philippine Senate, files a petition that may disqualify boxer Manny Pacquiao for violating election rules regarding publicity. Based on the commission’s rules, Pacquiao’s wife, Jinkee Pacquiao, may substitute. (Rappler), (The New York Times), (Fox Sports)
Ugandan general election, 2016
- Opposition leader Kizza Besigye is arrested while trying to obtain copies of the official election results. (AAP via News Limited)
Jat reservation agitation
- Jat protesters reach an agreement with the Indian government on increased reservations similar to those authorized for economically disadvantaged lower castes. Authorities say at least 19 people have been killed in the three-day demonstrations. Protest leaders call for reopening blockaded roads in the northern state of Haryana. Water restrictions, implemented after protesters damaged the water station’s New Dehli feed, remain in effect while engineers repair the equipment. (The Indian Express)
United States presidential election, 2016
- Republican candidate Ted Cruz fires campaign spokesman Rick Tyler who posted incorrect information on Twitter about candidate Marco Rubio. (Fox News) (The Washington Post)
Comorian presidential election, 2016
- Comoros authorities are counting ballots from Sunday’s incident-free, presidential primary on Grande Comore island. The presidency rotates between the nation’s three semi-autonomous islands, which also held gubernatorial elections. Provisional results are due Wednesday. Then, on April 10, 2016, the three leading candidates will vie in a runoff. (Bloomberg)

Science and technology

A new study by scientists from 14 research institutions, that is published in the March 2016 Global Change Biology Journal, finds all U.S. forests are threatened by drought and climate change. (Global Change Biology) (Eureka Alert) (Nature World News)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

The 2010s

The story of a decade

Tag Archives: court

January 1, 2010

December 4, 2014

January 2, 2015

January 22, 2015

February 18, 2015

February 25, 2015

February 28, 2015

March 10, 2015

March 19, 2015

March 27, 2015

April 7, 2015

April 9, 2015

April 10, 2015

April 21, 2015

May 21, 2015

June 21, 2015

July 27, 2015

July 30, 2015

September 16, 2015

September 25, 2015

October 12, 2015

October 15, 2015

October 16, 2015

November 26, 2015

December 3, 2015

December 10, 2015

December 23, 2015

January 15, 2016

January 22, 2016

February 19, 2016

February 22, 2016