January 22, 2010

Top Stories –
Entente non-concordial –
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has reacted to criticism of China in a speech on Internet censorship made by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, calling on the United States government “to respect the truth and to stop using the so-called Internet freedom question to level baseless accusations.”

One very big step for a man –
50 years since the American Joe Kittinger made the highest skydive by leaping from a balloon at 102,800ft, Austrian Felix Baumgartner, who is famous for stunts such as jumping off the Petronas Towers, plans to jump from a balloon sent up to 120,000 ft (37km) later this year. Red Bull will sponsor the attempt.
Felix_BaumgartnerFelix Baumgartner

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Joe Kittinger’s record breaking skydive

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April 12, 2015

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Hillary Clinton declares 2016 Democratic presidential bid –
Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has formally entered the 2016 race for the White House in a bid to become the first woman US president.
She launched her campaign website on Sunday, telling Americans she wanted to be their “champion”. Mrs Clinton ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008 but lost to Barack Obama. The overwhelming Democratic favourite, she had been expected to declare her candidacy for months. In a video on her website, Mrs Clinton declared: “I am running for president”. [BBC]
Hillary-ClintonHilary Clinton

Game Of Thrones season five leaked online –
The first four episodes of Game of Thrones season five have been leaked online a day before its official release. The copies were spotted on IPTorrents, The Pirate Bay, RARBG and KickassTorrents. The US TV network has yet to comment on the pirated episodes. [BBC]
Sophie-TurnerSophie Turner (Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones)

Masters 2015: Jordan Spieth wins first major with dominant display –
Jordan Spieth equalled the lowest winning score in Masters history to cap a record-breaking display at Augusta and win his first major. The 21-year-old American, second on his debut last year, shot a two-under 70 to triumph on 18 under. England’s Justin Rose hit 70 to finish 14 under, joint second with three-time champion Phil Mickelson (69) who ended runner-up in a major for the 10th time. World number one Rory McIlroy tied for fourth on 12 under after a 66. Spieth, the new world number two, dominated the headlines on each day, equalling Tiger Woods’s winning score of 18 under in 1997, when the former world number one won his first Green Jacket. Spieth also became the second-youngest Masters champion, winning the tournament at the age of 21 years and 259 days, 155 days older than Woods when he recorded his 1997 win. He also became the first player in 39 years to lead a Masters from start to finish, and the first to shoot 28 birdies at the tournament. [BBC]
Jordan_SpiethJordan Spieth

Bad move: Grandmaster caught cheating at chess in a lavatory –
A disgraced chess Grandmaster faces a 15-year ban from the game after being caught pretending to be desperate for the loo so he could use a mobile phone to cheat. Georgian champion Gaioz Nigalidze was expelled from the Dubai Open on Saturday after his opponent Tigran Petrosian, became suspicious about the amount of times he nipped to the lavatory. A complaint followed and Nigalidze was challenged. Tournament organisers then found Nigalidze had stored a mobile phone in a cubicle, behind the pan and covered in toilet paper. The device was found to be logged into Nigalidze’s social networking account and had one of his games being analysed by a smartphone chess app.
Gaioz-NigalidzeGaioz Nigalidze

Video of the Day –

Game of Thrones Season 5 Trailer

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January 29, 2016

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Italian town welcomes first baby for 28 years –
A small town in northern Italy is celebrating the arrival of its first baby since the 1980s. The mayor of Ostana, which lies in the mountains of the Piedmont region, says the new arrival is a “dream come true” for the tiny community, which has seen its population plummet over the past 100 years. Baby Pablo, who was born in a Turin hospital last week, takes the number of inhabitants to 85, although only about half live there permanently, La Stampa newspaper reports. Mayor Giacomo Lombardo says that while 1,000 people called Ostana home in the early 1900s, a steady drop in the birth rate began after World War Two. “The real decline started in 1975, with 17 babies between 1976 and 1987, when the last boy was born – until little Pablo,” he says. [BBC]

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All 24 Types Of Males Explained

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March 23, 2016

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Foo Fighters singer Dave Grohl backs teenage metal band in Cornwall noise row –
US rocker Dave Grohl has leapt to the defence of a teenage heavy metal band from Cornwall – after their local council said they were too loud. The Black Leaves of Envy were told they would have to stop practising in a family garage after noise complaints from neighbours. Foo Fighters frontman Grohl penned an open letter to the authority after the band reached out to him. He asked Cornwall Council to “reconsider the restrictions”. In the open letter, former Nirvana drummer Grohl says he started out practising in a garage and says music is a “wonderful, creative outlet for kids”. Grohl also penned a separate letter to the band, giving them advice on soundproofing. He advised the group to fill the garage walls with sand and cover the floor in gym mats. Band member Adam Jones, 17, said: “It’s just been surreal – I’m speechless.” “Seeing the Foo Fighters tag you in a post on Facebook was just incredible,” he said. [BBC] Grohl famously broke his leg when he fell off the stage at a gig in Gothenburg, Sweden in June 2015 but returned to finish the concert.
Dave_GrohlDave Gohl

Formula 1 drivers warn success of sport could be jeopardised –
Formula 1 drivers have demanded change at the top of the sport, saying its decision-making process is “obsolete and ill-structured”. Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) directors Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel and Alex Wurz have written a letter on behalf of the drivers. It “urges the owners and stakeholders of F1 to restructure its governance”. Many issues can be traced back to F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, but the letter does not mention the 85-year-old. Some recent decisions are “disruptive”, avoid “the bigger issues” and “could jeopardise F1’s success”, it adds. Writing the letter is an extraordinary step by the drivers, which reflects the strength of their feelings on the matter.
Jenson_ButtonJenson Button

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iPhone SE (parody)

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June 4, 2016

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Fifa: Sepp Blatter, Jerome Valcke & Markus Kattner ‘awarded themselves £55m’ –
Former high-ranking Fifa officials Sepp Blatter, Jerome Valcke and Markus Kattner awarded themselves pay rises and bonuses worth $80m (£55m) over five years, say Fifa lawyers. Football’s governing body revealed the contracts of ex-president Blatter, fired ex-secretary general Valcke and sacked former finance director Kattner one day after a Swiss police raid. Fifa’s lawyers said there was evidence that the trio made “a coordinated effort” to “enrich themselves” between 2011 and 2015. Documents and electronic data were seized from Kattner’s old office during Thursday’s operation, which relates to investigations into Blatter and Valcke, according to sources close to Fifa’s internal investigation. [BBC]
Jérôme_ValckeJérôme_Valcke

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Slow Mo Rainbow Flame – 4K – The Slow Mo Guys

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  • Scientists report, in the AHA journal Stroke, that a small trial of stroke victims showed significant improvement following injection of stem cells directly into their brains. The study had been designed just to test whether the highly experimental therapy was safe. Such treatments were available in China for many years but treatment results were very inconclusive. (Tech Insider) (Stroke)
Sport

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April 19, 2016

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Liking mornings linked to being stupid –
People who are upbeat in the morning have extremely low intelligence, it has been confirmed. Researchers at the Institute for Studies found that self-styled ‘morning people’ have IQ levels below that of most people and even some animals. Professor Henry Brubaker said: “People who jump eagerly out of bed to begin their ‘morning rituals’ have the simplistic upbeat mentality that comes from a general lack of awareness. Labradors are also like that. “Their only evolutionary purpose is to clatter around in the kitchen making smoothies, annoying the more intelligent humans so much that they are forced to crawl grudgingly out of bed and start doing the things that are truly necessary to society. “‘Morning people’ love poor quality cheerful art like ‘beach grooves’ compilation CDs and films about street dancers succeeding against the odds. They’re nice. They just aren’t very bright.” [Daily Mash]

Video of the Day –

Giant Pictionary Team Battle | Dude Perfect

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May 25, 2016

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‘Beauty and the Beast’ Teaser Tops ‘Star Wars: Force Awakens’ in First Day –
The first teaser trailer for Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast was viewed a record 91.8 million times in its first 24 hours — besting previous champ Star Wars: The Force Awakens, as well as Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Age of Ultron (each of them Disney films as well). The second teaser trailer for Force Awakens garnered 88 million views, followed by 61 million views for Captain America: Civil War, 55 million views for the second teaser for Force Awakens, and 34 million views for Avengers: Age of Ultron, according to Disney. [Hollywood Reporter] See Video of the Day

Norway consumer body stages live app terms reading –
Norwegians have spent more than 30 hours reading out terms and conditions from smartphone apps in a campaign by the country’s consumer agency. The average Norwegian has 33 apps, the Norwegian Consumer Council says, whose terms and conditions together run longer than the New Testament. To prove the “absurd” length, the council got Norwegians to read each of them out in real time on their website. The reading finished on Wednesday, clocking in at 31:49:11. [BBC]

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Beauty and the Beast Official US Teaser Trailer

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June 6, 2016

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Playboy mansion bought by Hugh Hefner’s neighbour –
The Playboy mansion, home to Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, is being sold to a private equity boss who lives next door. Daren Metropoulos, 32, is buying the 200,000 sq ft ((1,858 sq m) property, which was on the market for $200m (£138m). He bought the neighbouring property from Mr Hefner in 2009 for $18m. Mr Metropoulos is a principal at Metropoulos & Co, which is run by his father Dean. “The heritage of this property transcends its celebrity and to have the opportunity to serve as its steward would be a true privilege,” Daren Metropoulos told The Wall Street Journal. The mansion was built in 1927 and purchased by Playboy in 1971 for a reported $1.1m, making it the most valuable real estate deal in Los Angles at the time. It features a tennis court, free-form swimming pool, wine cellar, home theatre and games house but needs renovating to meet the same standards as other Beverly Hills homes. Neither party has confirmed what the mansion was sold for. Mr Hefner, 89, has the right to remain living in the property until his death. The LA estate eventually replaced the original Playboy Mansion, which opened in 1959 in Chicago. [BBC]
Hugh_HefnerHugh Hefner in 2010

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MAR from Finisterre on Vimeo.

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June 7, 2016

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Chelsea doctor Eva Carneiro settles dismissal case –
Former Chelsea doctor Eva Carneiro has settled her dismissal claim against the club on confidential terms. Dr Carneiro, who claimed constructive dismissal against Chelsea, also reached a discrimination settlement against the club’s former manager Jose Mourinho. Chelsea said it apologised “unreservedly” to the former first team doctor for the distress caused. On Monday it emerged Chelsea had offered Dr Carneiro £1.2m to settle her claims, which she had rejected. Dr Carneiro claimed she was sexually discriminated against after she went on to the pitch to treat Chelsea player Eden Hazard during the opening day of the Premier League season last August. She claimed that Mr Mourinho shouted the Portuguese phrase “filha da puta” at her, which means “daughter of a whore”, as she ran on to the pitch. Dr Carneiro left the club in September after being demoted. [BBC]
Eva_CarneiroEva Carneiro in 2014

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Max Man & Maya Man from WOW inc on Vimeo.

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  • Johns Hopkins University researchers report, in the journal Health Affairs, that media reports about people accused of committing violent crimes having mental illnesses rarely discuss successful treatment of patients, and thereby overstate the problem. Most people exhibiting the types of psychological conditions the media mention are not generally violent. The researchers suggest coverage reinforces fear of mental illness and the people who have it, and, because of the social stigma, discourages people from seeking treatment. (UPI) (Health Affairs)
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July 5, 2016

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Juno probe enters into orbit around Jupiter –
The US space agency has successfully put a new probe in orbit around Jupiter.
The Juno satellite, which left Earth five years ago, had to fire a rocket engine to slow its approach to the planet and get caught by its gravity. A sequence of tones transmitted from the spacecraft confirmed the braking manoeuvre had gone as planned. Receipt of the radio messages prompted wild cheering at Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. “All stations on Juno co-ord, we have the tone for burn cut-off on Delta V,” Juno Mission Control had announced. “Roger Juno, welcome to Jupiter.” Scientists plan to use the spacecraft to sense the planet’s deep interior. They think the structure and the chemistry of its insides hold clues to how this giant world formed some four-and-a-half-billion years ago. Engineers had warned in advance that the engine firing was fraught with danger. No previous spacecraft has dared pass so close to Jupiter; its intense radiation belts can destroy unprotected electronics. One calculation even suggested the orbit insertion would have subjected Juno to a dose equivalent to a million dental X-rays. [BBC]

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Mission Juno – NASA

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July 6, 2016

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Chilcot report: Tony Blair’s Iraq War case not justified –
Tony Blair overstated the threat posed by Saddam Hussein, sent ill-prepared troops into battle and had “wholly inadequate” plans for the aftermath, the UK’s Iraq War inquiry has said. Chairman Sir John Chilcot said the 2003 invasion was not the “last resort” action presented to MPs and the public. There was no “imminent threat” from Saddam – and the intelligence case was “not justified”, he said. Mr Blair apologised for any mistakes made but not the decision to go to war. Sir John, the ex-civil servant who chaired the inquiry, describes the Iraq War as an intervention that went “badly wrong” with consequences still being felt to this day – and he set out lessons to be learned for future conflicts. His report, which is 2.6 million words, does not make a judgement on whether Mr Blair or his ministers were in breach of international law. [BBC]
Tony_BlairTony Blair in 2014

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Explore Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park in Two Minutes

List of the Day –

Chilcott Report – errors in political and military decision-making in going to war in Iraq:

  • UK military commanders made “over-optimistic assessments” of their capabilities which had led to “bad decisions”
  • There was “little time” to properly prepare three military brigades for deployment in Iraq. The risks were neither “properly identified nor fully exposed” to ministers, resulting in “equipment shortfalls”
  • Policy on the Iraq invasion was made on the basis of flawed intelligence assessments. It was not challenged, and should have been
  • Mr Blair overestimated his ability to influence US decisions on Iraq; and the UK’s relationship with the US does not require unconditional support

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November 8, 2016

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Toblerone triangle change upsets fans –
A decision to space out the distinctive triangular chocolate chunks in two Toblerone bars sold in the UK has upset fans who say that they do mind the gap. The product’s makers, US-based Mondelez International, said it had changed the design to reduce the weight of what were 400g and 170g bars. Some consumers have described the move as “the wrong decision” and said the bigger spaces looked “stupid”. Mondelez said the move was down to a rise in the cost of ingredients. In a statement on the Toblerone Facebook page, the company said it had to make a decision between changing the look of the bars or raising the price. [BBC]
TobleroneThe old shaped Toblerone

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The Flying Frenchies Surf and BASE Jump From a Zipline

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How many peaks in a bar of Toblerone?
According to Schott’s Food & Drink Miscellany the sizes and number of peaks for Toblerones are as follows:

Size Tiny Mini 35 g 50 g 75 g 100 g 200 g 400 g 750 g 4.5 kg
Peaks 3 3 8 11 11 12 15 15 17 12

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  • India abolishes larger banknotes in a bold and unexpected move to curb circulation of counterfeit notes and to fight black money. (BBC)(NDTV)
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January 6, 2017

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Intel report says Putin ordered campaign to influence US election –
A declassified U.S. intelligence report released Friday directly accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of ordering a campaign to influence the U.S. election and hurt Hillary Clinton’s candidacy – findings made public after officials briefed President-elect Donald Trump. The report said: “We assess with high confidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election, the consistent goals of which were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency. We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump.” [Fox News]
Vladimir-PutinVladimir Putin

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