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Bad lip syncing –
Two Chinese pop singers face fines of up to $12,000 (£7,400) for allegedly miming at a concert. Miming was banned in China after a girl was revealed to have lip-synced at the 2008 Beijing Olympics opening ceremony.
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Birds on the Wires
Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.
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Syriza party wins Greek election –
In the Greece general election Alexis Tsipras’ party wins a clear victory with a projected 149 seats. The Syriza party ran on an anti-austerity ticket and has vowed to reverse many of the austerity measures adopted by Greece since a series of bailouts began in 2010. The party first came to prominence following the 2008 Greek riots.
Alexis Tsipras
Prime Minister, call on line hoax –
A hoax caller pretending to be GCHQ director Robert Hannigan today managed to get through to the British Minister on the phone; David Cameron quickly realised it was not the GCHQ head and ended the call.
GCHQ director Robert Hannigan
Proposal racquet down under –
At the Australian Open tennis tournament a man in the crowd proposed to his girlfriend during Novak Djokovic’s third round match against Fernando Verdasco. When the woman accepted the proposal the crowd and players burst into applause.
Rihanna new single rocks Twitter with #FourFiveSeconds –
Rihanna releases her new single Four Five Seconds, the first release from her new album and it features Kanye West and someone called Paul McCartney who has worked with a few stars before (see List of the day).
Rihanna
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Greek parties form anti-austerity coalition –
The winner of yesterday’s election in Greece, the far-left Syriza party won 149 seats, just two short of an absolute majority. It has formed an anti-austerity coalition right-wing party, the Greek Independents led by Panos Kammenos.
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Panos Kammenos, leader of the Greek Independents
Greek F-16 crashes at Spanish airbase –
A Greek F-16 jet “lost power” during take-off at the Los Llanos airbase in Albacete in central Spain and crashed into a number of parked planes and ground crew. Ten people have died including the two pilots of the plane.
Demis Roussos dies –
Demis Roussos, a Greek singer who sold more than 60 million albums worldwide most during the 1970s and 1980s has died aged 68 in Athens. He was best known for solo hits including Forever and Ever, Goodbye and Quand je t’aime as well as writing the soundtrack to the film Abigail’s party.
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Light Goes On from Darren Pearson on Vimeo.
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Whitney Houston’s daughter accident –
Bobbi Kristina Brown, the daughter of late American singer Whitney Houston is found unconscious in a bath in a house in Roswell, Georgia. She was taken to a hospital in Roswell where she was said to be breathing. Her mother was found dead in a bath on February 11th 2012 of accidental drowning due to the effects of cocaine use and heart disease.
Bobbi Kristina Brown and Whitney Houston in 2009
Cumberbatch and Fry sign petition to pardon gays –
Benedict Cumberbatch and Stephen Fry sign an open letter requesting the government to pardon 49,000 men who were prosecuted for being gay. Family members of the World War Two codebreaker Alan Turing who was convicted of gross indecency in 1952 (and later committed suicide in 1954) also signed the petition. Cumberbatch played Turing in the film “The Imitation Game”.
Benedict Cumberbatch
Balloon flight record broken –
Balloon pilots American Troy Bradley and Russian Leonid Tiukhtyaev complete their crossing of the Pacific in a helium filled balloon with a sea landing off Mexico after 6 days flying from Japan. They claim to have beaten the world distance and duration records by flying for more than 137 hours and travelling more than 5,209 miles (8,383km).
Serena Williams wins 19th grand slam title –
Serena Williams beats fellow American Maria Sharapova to win the Australian Open tennis title. Williams’ 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) victory gives here a 19th grand slam crown out of 23 finals – the best percentage performance in either the men’s or women’s game.
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Serena Williams
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The Imitation Game trailer
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Sam Smith best new artist at BET Awards as Nicki Minaj wins rap prize –
Sam Smith has won best new artist at this year’s BET Awards in LA. He wasn’t at the Black Entertainment Television ceremony, so the prize was picked up for him by actor Anthony Anderson. Nicki Minaj, who won her sixth best female hip-hop artist award in a row, brought her mum onstage. Rapping on top of a police car with a large American flag waving behind him, hip-hop star Kendrick Lamar kicked off the BET Awards. He later won best male hip-hop artist. Janet Jackson was honoured with the ultimate icon award as she made a rare public appearance. [BBC Newsbeat] See List of the Day below
Nicki Minaj
SpaceX Rocket Falls Apart on Way to Space Station –
An unmanned cargo ship destined for the International Space Station disintegrated minutes after being launched from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Sunday morning, NASA said, raising questions about how the agency and its partners will continue keeping the station supplied. It was the third loss of a cargo ship headed to the space station in the past eight months. However, NASA officials said they had prepared for such a mishap, and do not anticipate any major disruptions to the operations of the space station. The countdown had proceeded without a hitch or worries about weather, and the 208-foot-tall Falcon 9 rocket, built by Space Exploration Technologies, better known as SpaceX, lifted off at 10:21 a.m. But 2 minutes, 19 seconds later, just as George Diller, the commentator during a NASA television broadcast said, “Data coming back shows vehicle on course, on track,” a white cloud emerged from the rocket’s midsection. Moments later, a rain of debris started falling toward the Atlantic Ocean more than 20 miles below. [NY Times] See Video of the Day
Greek debt crisis: Banks to remain shut all week –
The Greek government has confirmed that banks will be closed all week, after a decision by the European Central Bank not to extend emergency funding. In a decree, it cited the “extremely urgent” need to protect the financial system due to the lack of liquidity. Cash withdrawals will be limited to €60 (£42; $66) a day for this period, the decree says. Talks between Greece and the eurozone countries over bailout terms ended without an agreement on Saturday, and Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras then called a surprise referendum on the issue to be held on 5 July. Greece risks default and moving closer to a possible exit from the 19-member eurozone. [BBC]
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SpaceX Falcon 9 Explosion – June 28th 2015
List of the Day –
Black Entertainment Television Awards 2015 winners
Ultimate Icon, Music Dance Visual Award: Janet Jackson
Humanitarian Award: Tom Joyner
Best New Artist: Sam Smith
Best Female Hip-Hop Artist: Nicki Minaj
Best Male Hip-Hop Artist: Kendrick Lamar
Best Female R&B/Pop Artist: Beyoncé
Best Male R&B/Pop Artist: Chris Brown
Best International Act UK: Stormzy
Best International Act Africa: Stonebwoy
Best Group: Rae Sremmurd
Best Collaboration: Common & John Legend, “Glory”
Best Actress: Taraji P. Henson
Best Actor: Terrence Howard
Youngstars Award: Mo’ne Davis
Best Movie: Selma
Best Gospel Artist: Lecrae
Video of the Year: Beyoncé, “7/11”
Video Director of the Year: Beyoncé, Ed Burke & Todd Tourso
Sportswoman of the Year: Serena Williams
Sportsman of the Year: Stephen Curry
Coca-Cola Viewers’ Choice Award: Nicki Minaj f/ Drake, Lil’ Wayne & Chris Brown, “Only”
Centric Award: The Weeknd, “Earned It”
Fandemonium Award: Chris Brown
Lifetime Achievement Award: Smokey Robinson
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Greece votes ‘No’ and gambles its future –
Greek voters have delivered a defiant response to Europe. Political leaders and heads of government had lined up to warn the Greeks that a “No” vote would be a vote to leave the euro. It did not deter them. Indeed many voters seemed to revel in their resistance. The European Project is now facing its gravest crisis. [BBC]
USA beat Japan 5-2 in Women’s FIFA World Cup Final –
Carli Lloyd scored an incredible 13-minute hat-trick as the United States thrashed Japan to win their third Women’s World Cup title. In a repeat of the 2011 final, which Japan won on penalties, the Nadeshiko could not live with their stronger and quicker opponents, who went 4-0 up when Lloyd scored an astonishing third from the halfway line. The pulsating finale to an entertaining tournament was the highest-scoring final in the tournament’s history, and matched the highest scoring men’s final, when Brazil defeated Sweden by the same scoreline in 1958. [BBC] See Video of the Day
Carli Lloyd
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FIFA Women’s World Cup results [from Wikipedia]
| Year | Host | Champions | Score | Runners-up | Third Place | Score | Fourth Place | Teams | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 |  China |
 United States |
2–1 |  Norway |
 Sweden |
4–0 |  Germany |
12 | |||
| 1995 |  Sweden |
Norway |
2–0 | Germany |
United States |
2–0 |  China PR |
12 | |||
| 1999 |  United States |
United States |
0–0 a.e.t. (5–4 pen) |
China PR |
 Brazil |
0–0 [A] (5–4 pen) |
Norway |
16 | |||
| 2003 | United States |
Germany |
2–1 asdet | Sweden |
United States |
3–1 |  Canada |
16 | |||
| 2007 | China |
Germany |
2–0 | Brazil |
United States |
4–1 | Norway |
16 | |||
| 2011 |  Germany |
 Japan |
2–2 a.e.t. (3–1 pen) |
United States |
Sweden |
2–1 |  France |
16 | |||
| 2015 |  Canada |
United States |
5–2 | Japan |
 England |
1–0 a.e.t. | Germany |
24 |
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Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro held at gunpoint for second time in year as robbers steal his car –
Armed thieves carjacked Rio de Janeiro’s archbishop, making off with his car and briefly holding the driver hostage in the 2016 Olympic host city’s latest brazen act of street crime. Archbishop Orani Tempesta was returning home with two Italian friends late on Sunday after celebrating Mass when his car was attacked in northern Rio, police and the archbishop’s office said on Monday. [Daily Telegraph]
Rory McIlroy sustains major ankle injury in build-up to Open –
World number one and defending champion Rory McIlroy is a doubt for the Open after totally rupturing an ankle ligament playing football with friends. The 2015 Open begins in nine days’ time at St Andrews in Scotland. McIlroy, 26, wrote on Instagram: “Total rupture of left ATFL (ankle ligament) and associated joint capsule damage in a soccer kickabout with friends. “Continuing to assess extent of injury and treatment plan day by day. Rehab already started.” [BBC]
Rory McIlroy Instagram
Astronomers discover ‘monster black holes’ –
Five monster black holes that were previously hidden by dust and gas have been uncovered by astronomers. The British-led discovery suggests there may be millions more “supermassive” black holes in the universe than were previously thought. Supermassive black holes are powerful cosmic “drains” sucking material into a point of infinite density formed from the compressed mass of hundreds of thousands to billions of suns. High energy X-rays emitted from around the newly identified black holes revealed their presence at the centre of five galaxies. [Daily Telegraph]
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Elsewhere from Stefaan De Croock on Vimeo.
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Fat people ‘are better at sniffing out food’ –
Fat people could be gaining weight because their sense of smell is stronger and more vivid, scientists have found. A study by Yale University showed a heightened ability to imagine odours was linked to food cravings and in turn to higher body weight. Researchers found the ability to vividly imagine the smell of popcorn, freshly baked biscuits and even non-food odours is greater in obese adults. They said most people can imagine the view of a favorite location or sing a song to themselves, but struggle to imagine smells associated with our favourite foods. [Daily Telegraph]
Bill Cosby admitted he gave woman drugs before sex –
US comedian Bill Cosby admitted he obtained sedatives with the intent of giving them to women he wanted to have sex with, court papers from 2005 show. The unsealed files, obtained by the Associated Press news agency, show Mr Cosby made the admission in a sex abuse civil case brought by a woman. That case was settled for an undisclosed sum in 2006. Mr Cosby, now 77, is facing a series of sexual assault accusations dating back decades. He has denied the claims. Mr Cosby has never been criminally charged. [BBC] See Top Twitter Trends
Bill Cosby in 2011
World’s oldest man dies in Japan aged 112 –
The world’s oldest man, Sakari Momoi, has died in Japan at the ripe old age of 112. Momoi, born months before the Wright brothers made their first successful flight, passed away late on Sunday, said the official at Saitama City, north of Tokyo, where he had lived for many years. The supercentenarian, recognised as the world’s oldest male at the age of 111 last year, died of kidney failure in a care home in Tokyo. [Daily Telegraph]
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This Is Your Body Over 24 Hours
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Omar Sharif, actor – dies aged 83 –
Omar Sharif was the most famous Egyptian actor of his generation. He brought a smouldering intensity to films such as Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago. A man of striking good looks he escorted some of the world’s most beautiful women. But he quit acting to become a ubiquitous presence at the world’s most exclusive gaming tables. [BBC]
Omar Sharif
Greece’s Parliament Approves Prime Minister’s Bailout Plan –
Setting the stage for a pivotal deal with Europe, the Greek Parliament early Saturday approved Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’s proposal for a three-year, $59 billion rescue package with harsh austerity terms that was remarkably similar to the one Greek voters rejected in a referendum less than a week ago. With a Sunday deadline looming for a decision on the bailout, a crunch point that all sides see as Greece’s last chance to avoid bankruptcy and stay in the euro currency zone, the plan passed by an overwhelming margin. [NY Times] Alexis Tsipras was elected on January 25, 2015 and vowed to reverse many of the austerity measures adopted by Greece since a series of bailouts began in 2010.
Alexis Tsipras
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Game of Thrones: Audition Reel (HBO)
List of the Day –
Omar Sharif filmography [from Wikipedia]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | Shaytan al-Sahra[56] | Known as Devil of the Sahara | |
| 1954 | Sira` Fi al-Wadi | Ahmed | Also known as The Blazing Sun or Struggle in the Valley or Fight in the Valley |
| 1955 | Ayyamna al-Holwa | Ahmed | Also known as Our Best Days |
| 1956 | Sira` Fi al-Mina | Ragab | |
| 1957 | Ard al-Salam | Ahmed | Known as Land of Peace |
| 1957 | The Lebanese Mission | Mokrir | Original title was La Châtelaine du Liban; credited as Omar Cherif |
| 1958 | La Anam | Aziz | Also known as Sleepless and No Tomorrow |
| Goha | Goha | Credited as Omar Cherif | |
| 1959 | Sayyidat al-Qasr | Adel | Lady of the Palace |
| Siraa fil Nil[57] | Muhassab | Struggle on the Nile | |
| 1960 | Bidaya wa Nihaya | Hassanien | |
| Hobi al-Wahid | My Only Love | ||
| Esha’a hob | Hussein | A Rumor of Love | |
| Nahr al-Hob | Khalid | The River of Love | |
| 1961 | A Man in our House[57] | Ibrahim | في بيتنا رجل |
| 1962 | Lawrence of Arabia | Sherif Ali | Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor Nominated – Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor |
| 1964 | The Fall of the Roman Empire | Sohamus | |
| Behold a Pale Horse | Francisco | ||
| The Yellow Rolls-Royce | Davich | ||
| 1965 | Genghis Khan | Genghis Khan | |
| Marco the Magnificent | Sheik Alla Hou, ‘The Desert Wind’ | ||
| Doctor Zhivago | Dr. Zhivago (Yuri) | Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama | |
| 1966 | The Poppy Is Also a Flower | Dr. Rad | |
| 1967 | The Night of the Generals | Major Grau | |
| More Than a Miracle | Prince Rodrigo Fernandez | ||
| 1968 | Funny Girl | Nick Arnstein | |
| Mayerling | Archduke Rudolf | ||
| 1969 | Mackenna’s Gold | Colorado | |
| The Appointment | Frenderico Fendi | ||
| Che! | Che Guevara | ||
| 1970 | The Last Valley | Vogel | |
| 1971 | The Horsemen | Uraz | |
| The Burglars | Abel Zacharia | simultaneously shot in French as Le Casse with the same cast | |
| 1974 | The Tamarind Seed | Feodor Sverdlov | |
| Juggernaut | Captain Axel Brunel | ||
| 1975 | Funny Lady | Nicky Arnstein | |
| 1976 | Ace Up My Sleeve | Andre Ferren | also known as Crime and Passion |
| The Pink Panther Strikes Again | Egyptian assassin | uncredited cameo | |
| 1979 | Ashanti: Land of No Mercy | Prince Hassan | |
| Bloodline | Ivo Palazzi | ||
| 1980 | S*H*E[58] | Baron Cesare Magnasco | S*H*E: Security Hazards Expert |
| The Baltimore Bullet | The Deacon | ||
| Oh! Heavenly Dog | Bart | ||
| 1981 | Green Ice | Meno Argenti | |
| Inchon | Indian officer | uncredited cameo | |
| 1984 | Top Secret! | Agent Cedric | |
| 1987 | Grand Larceny | Rashid Saud | |
| 1988 | The Possessed | Stepan | Les Possédés |
| Les Pyramides bleues[59] | Alex | The Novice | |
| 1989 | Al-aragoz [60] | Mohamed Gad El Kareem | The Puppeteer |
| 1990 | The Rainbow Thief | Dima | |
| 1991 | Mowaten masri | An Egyptian Citizen | |
| 1992 | Beyond Justice | Emir Beni-Zair | |
| Mayrig | Hagop | ||
| 588 rue paradis | Hagop | Mother | |
| 1993 | Dehk we le’b we gad we hob[57] | Laughter, Games, Seriousness and Love | |
| 1997 | Heaven Before I Die | Khalil Gibran | |
| 1998 | Mysteries of Egypt | Grandfather | Documentary |
| 1999 | The 13th Warrior | Melchisideck | |
| 2001 | The Parole Officer | Victor | |
| 2003 | Monsieur Ibrahim | Monsieur Ibrahim | César Award for Best Actor |
| 2004 | Hidalgo | Sheikh Riyadh | |
| 2006 | One Night with the King | Prince Memucan | |
| “The 10 commandments“ | Jethro (شعيب) | ||
| 2008 | Hassan & Marcus | Hassan/Morcus | Hassan wa Morcus |
| 10,000 BC | Narrator | Voice only | |
| 2009 | The Traveller | Older Hassan | Commonly known as Al Mosafer |
| J’ai oublié de te dire[61] | Jaume | I forgot to Tell You | |
| 2013 | Rock the Casbah | Moulay Hassan | |
| 2015 | 1001 Inventions and the World of Ibn Al-Haytham | Grandfather/Narrator | Voice; final film role[4] |
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Pierce Brosnan tries to board plane with 10-inch knife –
Pierce Brosnan, the former James Bond actor, has been stopped by airport security as he tried to board a plane in America with a large knife. The star had the 10-inch hunting blade confiscated from his hand luggage after it showed up during screening at Burlington International Airport, in Vermont. Brosnan, 62, was reportedly left embarrassed and angry when the knife was taken away by US Transportation Security Administration agents. [Daily Telegraph]
Pierce Brosnan
Mormons reveal Seer Stone for first time –
The Mormon Church released photographs on Tuesday of a so-called “seer stone” that members believe was used by the Utah-based faith’s founder, Joseph Smith, to write the Book of Mormon, its principal sacred text. Photos of the egg-shaped, chocolate-brown rock are in a new publication that also carries images of the first printer’s manuscript of the Book of Mormon, which Smith said was based on ancient records and include an account of a visit to America by Jesus Christ. The LDS Church teaches that Smith found gold plates engraved with ancient Egyptian symbols in upstate New York 185 years ago. [Daily Telegraph]
Natalia Molchanova: Freediving champion feared dead –
Russian freediving champion Natalia Molchanova is feared dead after going missing on Sunday. The 53-year-old was diving for fun off Formentera, a Spanish island near Ibiza, when she failed to surface. Search efforts have been continuing but it is feared she may have been caught up in strong underwater currents. She became “the most decorated competitive freediver in the world”, with 41 world records, said her family and the global freediving federation AIDA in a joint statement. [BBC] See List of the Day. On May 14, 2015 Peter Colat, a Swiss freediver, held his breath underwater for 19 minutes and 21 seconds, smashing the world record.
Natalia Molchanova in 2009
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The Lexus Hoverboard: It’s here
List of the Day –
AIDA recognised freediving records (as of May 15, 2015)
| Discipline | Gender | Depth [m] | Distance [m] | Time | Name | Date | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Static apnea (STA) | Men | – | – | 11 min 35 sec |  Stéphane Mifsud (FRA) |
2009-06-08 | Hyères, Var, France |
| Women | – | – | 9 min 02 sec |  Natalia Molchanova (RUS) |
2013-06-29 | Belgrade, Serbia | |
| Dynamic apnea with fins (DYN) | Men | – | 281 | – |  Goran Čolak (HRV) |
2013-06-28 | Belgrade, Serbia |
| Women | – | 237 | – | Natalia Molchanova (RUS) |
2014-09-26 | Sardinia, Italy | |
| Dynamic apnea without fins (DNF) | Men | – | 226 | – |  Mateusz Malina (POL) |
2014-11-09 | Brno, Czech Republic |
| Women | – | 182 | – | Natalia Molchanova (RUS) |
2013-06-27 | Belgrade, Serbia | |
| Constant weight apnea (CWT) | Men | 128 | – | – | Alexey Molchanov (RUS) |
2013-09-19 | Kalamata, Greece |
| Women | 101 | – | – | Natalia Molchanova (RUS) |
2011-09-22 | Kalamata, Greece | |
| Constant weight apnea without fins (CNF) | Men | 101 | – | – |  William Trubridge (NZL) |
2010-12-16 | Dean’s Blue Hole, Long Island Bahamas |
| Women | 71 | – | – | Natalia Molchanova (RUS) |
2015-05-13 | Dahab, Egypt | |
| Free immersion apnea (FIM) | Men | 121 | – | – | William Trubridge (NZL) |
2011-04-10 | Dean’s Blue Hole, Long Island Bahamas |
| Women | 91 | – | – | Natalia Molchanova (RUS) |
2013-09-21 | Kalamata, Greece | |
| Variable weight apnea (VWT) | Men | 145 | – | – | William Winram (CAN) |
2013-09-03 | Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt |
| Women | 127 | – | – | Natalia Molchanova (RUS) |
2012-06-06 | Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt | |
| No-limits apnea (NLT) | Men | 214 | – | – |  Herbert Nitsch (AUT) |
2007-06-14 | Spetses, Greece |
| Women | 160 | – | – |  Tanya Streeter (GBR) |
2002-08-17 | Turks and Caicos |
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Usain Bolt beats Justin Gatlin to win world 100m title –
Usain Bolt produced perhaps his greatest performance of all as he put a troubled build-up behind him to beat two-time doper and clear favourite Justin Gatlin to retain his world 100m title. The controversial Gatlin came into the final on a 28-race unbeaten run and apparently relishing his role as the sport’s bad guy. But at the same Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing where Bolt announced himself to the world with two Olympic golds and two world records in 2008, the Jamaican superstar came past a faltering Gatlin at the death to snatch victory by one hundredth of a second. Bolt’s 9.79 seconds was more than two tenths off his world record, but this was a night for athletics to celebrate victories rather than times. [BBC] See List of the Day
Usain Bolt
Banksy’s ‘Dismaland’ in England: It’s a Strange World, After All –
WESTON-SUPER-MARE, England — Rain pelted down for much of Sunday afternoon on this drooping beachside resort town where “Dismaland,” the gloomy anti-Disneyland created by the artist Banksy, opened this weekend. “Dismaland,” a satirical take on a theme park, features grumpy guards, funereal theme park games and art by about 60 artists — including Banksy, Damien Hirst and Jenny Holzer. The exhibition had a “locals” day on Friday and opened to the public on Saturday; it runs through late September. The exhibition came largely as a surprise: Members of the British news media had spotted construction at the exhibition site — the abandoned grounds of a former family swimming pool — early last week, and had begun to speculate on what was taking place there. The exhibition includes new and old artwork by Banksy, including a pool with mobile boats full of figurine immigrants in what apparently is the English Channel, and a mural-style work in the his signature silhouette style, which shows a fat cat in a suit gorging himself while a gaunt woman with children stands across from him. [NY Times]
Logo_of_Dismaland
Met Office loses multi-million pound BBC weather contract –
The Met Office has lost its lucrative weather forecasting contract with the BBC after nearly a century of providing the service. Negotiations to renew the deal hit a dead end and a new firm is expected to take over next year. The BBC said it was legally required to open up the contract to outside competition and secure the best value for money for licence fee payers. Dutch and New Zealand firms are said to be in the running for the contract, which is believed to make up a sizeable share of the £32.5 million a year the Met Office receives from commercial organisations, according to the Mail on Sunday. [Daily Telegraph] See Top Twitter Trends
Mel Gibson accused of pushing female photographer –
Oscar-winning actor Mel Gibson has been accused of pushing a female photographer in Sydney. The Daily Telegraph’s Kristi Miller told Australian media she was pushed and verbally abused while taking pictures of Gibson and his girlfriend. She alleges Gibson’s tirade ended when his partner, 24-year-old US equestrian vaulter Rosalind Ross, intervened. “I thought he was going to punch me in the face,” Ms Miller said. “He was spitting in my face as he was yelling.” Police confirmed they are investigating reports a female photographer was pushed outside a cinema on Sunday night. [BBC] Gibson swore at a TV journalist in February 2010.
Mel Gibson
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Subway Love
Subway Love from Max Stossel on Vimeo.
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Usain Bolt international competition record
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Facebook sets user record as more than 1bn people log on in single day –
Facebook has revealed that more than 1bn people used the site on Monday – the first time the social network has hit the milestone. Mark Zuckerberg, who founded the company in 2004 while studying at Harvard, said he felt “proud” that one-in-seven people on Earth logged on to the website during the day. The 31-year-old wrote in a post on Facebook:
Mark Zukerberg tweet
Although Mr Zuckerberg did not specify what had caused the rise in the number of users, the website has consistently attracted more followers. Last month Mr Zuckerberg revealed Facebook had 1.49bn monthly active users, up 13pc from a year earlier. [Daily Telegraph]
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LEVEL from joe pease on Vimeo.
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The top ten most unexpected words added to the online Oxford dictionary [according to the Daily Telegraph]
1. manspreading (noun): the practice whereby a man, especially one travelling on public transport, adopts a sitting position with his legs wide apart, in such a way as to encroach on an adjacent seat or seat
2. awesomesauce (adjective): extremely good; excellent
3. bants (noun): playfully teasing or mocking remarks exchanged with another person or group; banter
4. fat-shame (verb): cause (someone judged to be fat or overweight) to feel humiliated by making mocking or critical comments about their size
5. Brexit (noun): a term for the potential or hypothetical departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union
6. bruh (noun): a male friend (often used as a form of address)
7. cakeage (noun): a charge made by a restaurant for serving a cake they have not supplied themselves
8. fatberg (noun): a very large mass of solid waste in a sewerage system, consisting especially of congealed fat and personal hygiene products that have been flushed down toilets
9. Grexit (noun): a term for the potential withdrawal of Greece from the eurozone (the economic region formed by those countries in the European Union that use the euro as their national currency)
10. hangry (adjective): bad-tempered or irritable as a result of hunger
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North Korean all-girl band ‘created by Kim Jong-un’ –
Seven-strong group to serve as ‘ideological scouts, the bugles of revolution and ideological flag-bearers’. A new all-girl band that North Korean state media says was created by Kim Jong-un has made its debut in Moscow. The female vocalists of the Chongbong Orchestra have been tasked with “creating music for the masses”, North Korean state media reported. The singers and their brass backing band play “light music” and are a “revolutionary art organisation that represents and leads the era”, North Korean television reported, adding that the group was set up as part of the “grand plan” of the “respected Kim Jong-un”. [Daily Telegraph]
Egyptian billionaire offers to buy an island off Italy or Greece to rehouse refugees –
If Greece or Italy sell him an island, Naguib Sawiris, the 10th richest man in Africa, says he will host the migrants and offer them jobs in the new country. Naguib Sawiris, the 10th richest man in Africa, announNaguib Sawirisced the initiative on Twitter, but said that he had not yet approached the Italian or Greek governments about his plan. “Greece or Italy sell me an island, I’ll call its independence and host the migrants and provide jobs for them building their new country,” he wrote. [Daily Telegraph] Naguib Sawiris is the founding member of Al Masreyeen Al Ahrrar political party.
Naguib Sawiris tweets
Hatton Garden jewelry heist: Four men admit part in £10m Hollywood-style robbery of ‘impenetrable’ London vault –
Four men have admitted their involvement in the £10m Easter weekend Hatton Garden Safety Deposit raid, at Woolwich Crown Court. John Collins, Daniel Jones, Terry Perkins and Perry Reader all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle the Hatton Garden deposit. The admission does not mean the men carried out the burglary but that they participated in an agreement or encouragement of the offence. The pleas come after Hatton Garden Safe Deposit Company went into liquidation after falling into insolvency. A law firm representative said the company owed money “to companies and people”. The dramatic raid of Hatton Garden Safety Deposit, near the City of London, happened over the Easter Weekend when a masked gang used power tools, including an angle grinder, concrete drills and crowbars to break into the facility on Thursday, 2 April. [International Business Times]
Hatton Garden road sign
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Что будет если в Колу добавить ПРОПАН ? Coca Cola + propane = Mega ROCKET
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Bridge cheating scandal grows as top German players admit ‘ethical violations’ –
Three weeks after a fellow bridge professional threatened to name and shame those he believed were cheating, German bridge partners Josef Piekarek & Alex Smirnov have publicly confessed to “ethical violations”. In apparent attempt to jump before they were pushed, the pair even suggested their own punishments for their behaviour, saying in a statement: “We are aware of the “whispers” circulating about our ethical conduct, and we are sorry to say there is some truth to them. We have voluntarily agreed never again to play competitive bridge together and to take two years off from playing competitive bridge.” The German Bridge Federation and the World Bridge Federation have yet to respond to the admission by Smirnov & Piekarek, [Daily Telegraph]
Apple’s iOS App Store suffers first major attack –
The company [Apple] disclosed the effort after several cyber security firms reported finding a malicious program dubbed XcodeGhost that was embedded in hundreds of legitimate apps. It is the first reported case of large numbers of malicious software programs making their way past Apple’s stringent app review process. Prior to this attack, a total of just five malicious apps had ever been found in the App Store, according to cyber security firm Palo Alto Networks Inc (PANW.N). The hackers embedded the malicious code in these apps by convincing developers of legitimate software to use a tainted, counterfeit version of Apple’s software for creating iOS and Mac apps, which is known as Xcode, Apple said. [Reuters]
Greek elections: Alexis Tsipras emerges as clear winner in shock result –
Greece’s radical former prime minister Alexis Tsipras returned to office on Sunday night after his far-left Syriza party won a clear victory in Greece’s general election. Despite a tepid campaign that saw Mr Tsipras’s personal popularity fall sharply, preliminary results showed the 41-year-old’s far-left Syriza party had won sufficient seats to form a coalition government in the coming days. After a tight race, Syriza ran out comfortable winners, with initial projections showing them falling only five or six seats short of the 151 seats needed to govern. [Daily Telegraph] Tsipras announced he was resigning has called an early election on August 20, 2015
Alexis Tsipras winning tweet
Alexis Tsipras
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Agostina Gálvez captures three Olympic gymnast hopefuls in action from NOWNESS on Vimeo.
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Primetime Emmy Award winners [Reuters]
BEST DRAMA SERIES – “Game of Thrones”
BEST COMEDY SERIES – “Veep”
ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES – Jon Hamm, “Mad Men”
ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES – Viola Davis, “How To Get Away With Murder”
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES – Peter Dinklage, “Game of Thrones”
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES – Uzo Aduba, “Orange is the New Black”
ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES – Jeffrey Tambor, “Transparent”
ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES – Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep”
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES – Tony Hale, “Veep”
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES – Allison Janney, “Mom”
VARIETY TALK SERIES – “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”
VARIETY SKETCH SERIES – “Inside Amy Schumer”
REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM – “The Voice”
LIMITED SERIES – “Olive Kitteridge”
ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE – Richard Jenkins, “Olive Kitteridge”
ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE – Frances McDormand, “Olive Kitteridge”
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Kanye West appears to have torrent site Pirate Bay open in a photo he’s tweeted –
Kanye West is in trouble over his tweets – again – after the background to a photo he posted made it look like he was illegally downloading files. He sent out a picture on Twitter showing him listening to a Sufjan Stevens track on YouTube, but fans quickly spotted other tabs he had open. One of them says “Xfer Records Serum”, but is next to others saying “Pirate Bay Torrent Xfe” and “MediaDownloader”. Deadmau5 hit out at Kanye, saying: “@kanyewest – can’t afford Serum?” Kanye’s original tweet simply said “Day 3” alongside the photo. [BBC Newsbeat]
In September 2015 West announced he will be running for US President in 2020.
Kanye West
Emirates A380 makes longest non-stop flight as airlines launch long-haul battle –
An Emirates superjumbo touched down in Auckland, New Zealand, on Wednesday, after spending more than 17 hours in the air from Dubai – making it the world’s longest commercial scheduled flight. The Emirates A380 covered a route of about 8825 miles, before turning around and doing it all again on the way home. It beat the previous record – Qantas’s Dallas to Sydney route – by about 250 miles. [Daily Telegraph]
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STREET SWEEPER from Rupert Walker on Vimeo.
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Scientists ‘find cancer’s Achilles heel’ –
Scientists believe they have discovered a way to “steer” the immune system to kill cancers. Researchers at University College, London have developed a way of finding unique markings within a tumour – its “Achilles heel” – allowing the body to target the disease. But the personalised method, reported in Science journal, would be expensive and has not yet been tried in patients. Experts said the idea made sense but could be more complicated in reality. However, the researchers, whose work was funded by Cancer Research UK, believe their discovery could form the backbone of new treatments and hope to test it in patients within two years. [BBC]
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Microsoft to buy LinkedIn in $26.2 billion deal –
The networking site for white-collar workers will be acquired by technology titan Microsoft for $26.2 billion in an all-cash deal, the companies said Monday. LinkedIn Chief Executive Jeff Weiner will continue at the helm of the company but will report to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, according to a joint statement. LinkedIn will keep its “distinct brand, culture and independence,” the companies said. Over the past year, LinkedIn has been striving — and struggling — to grow beyond its roots as a resume-on-the-web service and become more of a daily hub for professionals, much as Facebook has become more than simply a site for sharing family photos. Steps in that direction include last year’s $1.5 billion acquisition of online training site Lynda.com and a thorough upgrade of its mobile app. The 13-year-old service has 433 million users worldwide. It’s free to use, but charges for features such as advanced search and the ability to send messages to strangers. [CNET]
Jeff Weiner
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Are You More Forgetful Than A Fish? – ASAP Science
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Olympics 2016: Usain Bolt completes sprint double –
Usain Bolt completed a Rio 2016 sprint double by winning the 200m; he has already won the 100m in Rio. Bolt’s eighth Olympic title came in a time of 19.78 seconds, and the Jamaican has one final chance to win gold in Friday’s 4x100m relay final. Bolt, the overwhelming pre-race favourite, once again dominated a 200m Olympic final. The Jamaican has now won the Olympic sprint double three times, having repeated his exploits from Beijing in 2008 and London four years ago. Bolt said he was not happy with his time and added it was unlikely he would compete in the event at the World Championships in London next year – his career swansong. “I said it would be 100m and that’s it,” he told BBC Sport. “My coach has a way of trying to convince me, but personally I believe this is my last one.” [BBC] See List of the Day
Usain Bolt
Rio Olympics 2016: USA’s Ryan Crouser breaks 28-year record to win shot put gold –
Ryan Crouser broke a 28-year Olympic record to win gold for the United States in the men’s shot put final. Crouser, 23, threw 22.52m with his fifth throw to break East German Ulf Timmermann’s record of 22.47m set in Seoul in 1988. Joe Kovacs, the 2015 world champion, made it a USA one-two with a best throw of 21.78m, as New Zealand’s Tomas Walsh took bronze with 21.36m. Poland’s Tomasz Majewski, who won gold in 2012, finished sixth with 20.72m. [BBC]
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Man solves Rubik’s Cube faster than Usain Bolt can win 100 meter race
List of the Day –
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | World Youth Championships | Debrecen, Hungary | 5th (semis) | 200 metres | 21.73 |
| 2002 | World Junior Championships | Kingston, Jamaica | 1st | 200 metres | 20.61 (wind: +0.9 m/s) |
| 2nd | 4×100 metres relay | 39.15 NJR | |||
| 2nd | 4×400 metres relay | 3:04.06 NJR | |||
| 2003 | World Youth Championships | Sherbrooke, Canada | 1st | 200 metres | 20.40 |
| Pan American Junior Championships | Bridgetown, Barbados | 1st | 200 metres | 20.13 WYB | |
| 2nd | 4×100 metres relay | 39.40 | |||
| 2004 | CARIFTA Games | Hamilton, Bermuda | 1st | 200 metres | 19.93 WJR |
| Olympic Games | Athens, Greece | 5th (heats) | 200 metres | 21.05 | |
| 2005 | Central American and Caribbean Championships | Nassau, Bahamas | 1st | 200 metres | 20.03 |
| 2006 | World Athletics Final | Stuttgart, Germany | 3rd | 200 metres | 20.10 |
| IAAF World Cup | Athens, Greece | 2nd | 200 metres | 19.96 | |
| 2007 | World Championships | Osaka, Japan | 2nd | 200 metres | 19.91 |
| 2nd | 4×100 metres relay | 37.89 | |||
| 2008 | Olympic Games | Beijing, China | 1st | 100 metres | 9.69 WR OR |
| 1st | 200 metres | 19.30 WR OR | |||
| 1st | 4×100 metres relay | 37.10 WR OR | |||
| 2009 | World Championships | Berlin, Germany | 1st | 100 metres | 9.58 WR |
| 1st | 200 metres | 19.19 WR | |||
| 1st | 4×100 metres relay | 37.31 CR | |||
| 2011 | World Championships | Daegu, South Korea | DSQ[260] | 100 metres | — |
| 1st | 200 metres | 19.40 WL | |||
| 1st | 4×100 metres relay | 37.04 WR | |||
| 2012 | Olympic Games | London, United Kingdom | 1st | 100 metres | 9.63 OR |
| 1st | 200 metres | 19.32 | |||
| 1st | 4×100 metres relay | 36.84 WR | |||
| 2013 | World Championships | Moscow, Russia | 1st | 100 metres | 9.77 |
| 1st | 200 metres | 19.66 | |||
| 1st | 4×100 metres relay | 37.36 | |||
| 2014 | Commonwealth Games | Glasgow, Scotland | 1st | 4×100 metres relay | 37.58 GR |
| 2015 | World Relay Championships | Nassau, Bahamas | 2nd | 4×100 metres relay | 37.68 |
| World Championships | Beijing, China | 1st | 100 metres | 9.79 | |
| 1st | 200 metres | 19.55 WL | |||
| 1st | 4 × 100 metres relay | 37.36 WL | |||
| 2016 | Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 1st | 100 metres | 9.81 |
| 1st | 200 metres | 19.78 |
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