September 22, 2014

September 22nd 2014

Bell baits Bieber again –
The Justin Bieber vs Drake Bell fans battle moved up a gear today with Bell baiting one of Justin’s fans on Instagram with ‘You [sic] idol doesn’t even do anything but cause trouble anymore. No music no movies he’s just an idiot’. This one will run.
Drake Bell

And the coolest brand is… –
Apple has been named the coolest brand in the UK for the third year running while Netflix broke into the Top 20 for the first time securing 10th place. The results are from a poll of over 2,000 British consumers and opinion including musicians Ella Eyre and models Jodie Kidd and Sophie Dahl.
Ella Eyre
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December 26, 2014

Boxing Day –

Top News Stories –

10 years since the tsunami –
Memorial services are being held to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami.

Bieber Bell battle continues –
The Justin Bieber v Drake Bell fans battle continued today with a Belieber hacking into Drake’s Instagram account. Retaliation for Bell baiting one of Justin’s fans
Justin Bieber and Drake Bell

Video of the Day –

Celluloid from ARTJAIL on Vimeo.

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February 9, 2015

Top News Stories –

Sam Smith grabs a Grammy (or four) –
Hours after the BAFTAs in London saw favourite Eddie Redmayne pick up the top actor award, Grammy’s favourite Sam Smith wins four trophies at the Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles. Smith won record of the year and song of the year for “Stay with Me”, artist of year and best new artist. Beck won album if the year for “Morning Phase”. Sam Smith posted this photo in Instagram with the words “The best night of my entire life”. List of awards below

He later tweeted:

Dr Who is expert on exiting when being chased by a bear –
British actor David Tennant makes a successful debut as a contestant on BBC Radio 4’s Just a Minute making it through a full 60 seconds without repetition, hesitation or deviation. The former Doctor Who and Broadchurch star talked for one minute on the subject of “Exit, Pursued by a Bear” without once being interrupted on his very first appearance on the show and it is thought to be the first time in nearly 50 years of the show that a debutant has made it through the 60 second challenge.
David Tennant
DIY store prepares for Fifty Shades of Grey specialist advice –
With the film version of Fifty Shades of Grey about to open, Britain’s biggest DIY store B&Q have told their staff to prepare for a big rise in demand for rope, cable ties and tape. It is also providing copies of the book to all 359 stores which can be lent out to staff so they can be ready for “sensitive” questions about the products.

Samsung TVs are listening in –
Samsung warns that it’s smart TV voice activation feature could be recorded by Samsung or the developers of the software. Because the TV is always “listening” for instructions in voice mode and is likely to be connected to the internet any conversations could in theory be recorded.

Video of the Day –

Sam Smith – Stay With me

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April 15, 2015

Top News Stories –

Gisele Bundchen Shares Throwback Photo in Honor of Last Runway Show –
The 34-year-old model will hang up her catwalking shoes after she struts her stuff during São Paulo Fashion Week tonight, walking for Brazilian street label Colcci, a brand she has represented since 2005. Before she takes the runway for the last time, Bündchen shared a sweet throwback photo to her Instagram account from her very first show. [Celebuzz.com]
Gisele Bunchen (Instagram – giseleofficial)

Unpaid spaceport workers appeal to Vladimir Putin with giant graffiti –
Construction workers at a £9 billion cosmodrome in eastern Russian have resorted to extreme measures to appeal to Vladimir Putin after going four months without pay. Employees of TMK at the Vostochny spaceport were so exasperated at failing to receive their money that they painted a message to the Russian president in huge white letters on top of their construction huts. The giant letters read, “Dear Putin, V.V.”, “Save the workers”, “Four months without pay” and “We want to work”. [Daily Telegraph]

Record dive rescues $50m wartime silver from ocean floor –
A British-led team has recovered a $50m (£34m; €47m) trove of silver coins that has lain on the seabed since the steamship carrying them from Bombay to England was sunk in 1942. The SS City of Cairo was torpedoed 772km (480 miles) south of St Helena by a German U-boat and sank to 5,150m. The 100 tonnes of coins, recovered in the deepest salvage operation in history, belonged to HM Treasury. The coins have now been melted down in the UK and sold, with the undisclosed sum divided between the treasury – which technically owns the coins – and the salvagers, who take a percentage of the sale. The salvage was completed in September 2013, but DOS has only now been given permission by the Ministry of Transport to announce it. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

HDD and Floppy Music: Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit –

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May 25, 2015

Top News Stories –

‘Dancing Man’ Sean O’Brien parties in Los Angeles –
A British man who attracted global support after “fat-shaming” images of him were posted online has attended a party in his honour in Los Angeles.
Liverpudlian Sean O’Brien, who now lives in London, was trolled in March after being spotted dancing at a gig. He was dubbed “The Dancing Man” by a social media campaign to uncover his identity and offer support. During his LA trip he has been feted by stars, appeared on TV shows and thrown the first pitch at an LA Dodgers game. Campaigner Monica Lewinsky, musicians Andrew WK and Moby attended his party, while Pharrell Williams recorded a special video message of support that was played at the party. [BBC]
Sean O’Brien aka Dancing Man

Galapagos volcano erupts for first time in 30 years –
A volcano in the Galapagos Islands erupted for the first time in more than 30 years on Monday, spilling streams of bright orange lava and raising fears for the world’s only colony of pink iguanas. The Galapagos National Park warned on Twitter that Isabela Island, where Wolf Volcano erupted at dawn, holds “the world’s only population” of the critically endangered Conolophus marthae, also known as the Galapagos rosy iguana. [Daily Telegraph]
Wolf Volcano
Galapagos pink iguana (Conolophus marthae)

Instagram spams users with ‘highlights’ from their friends’ feeds –
Instagram has started sending unsolicited emails to users with a selection of posts from their friends’ news feeds, in an attempt to re-engage people who have drifted away from the social network. Like Twitter, Instagram presents updates in reverse-chronological order, meaning that the posts people see when they log on are simply the most recent – not necessarily the most relevant. While this is an effective way of keeping people’s news feeds fresh, it also creates the risk that users miss the most interesting content, due to the constant stream of updates cascading through their news feeds. Instagram’s email updates are designed to offer a more curated experience, presenting users with only the most popular content from their network of contacts, TechCrunch reports. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Dior Secret Garden IV – Versailles – Long Version
In the Palace of Versailles and surrounded by darkness, Rihanna lights up the screen in this exclusive short film from the Secret Garden IV campaign, shot by Steven Klein.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#charliecharliechallenge	Ray McDonald	#charliecharliechallenge
2	EU TE AMO LIAM	#MemorialDay	#BankHolidayMonday
3	#PSYAngUnangPagIbig	#YouWontHearMeSay	#ReplaceMovieTitlesWithPubes
4	#MeCaesMalSi	#RIPGrandmaSepi	#3Queens
5	#MemorialDay	#MallMovies	#AfricaDay
6	#RIPGrandmaSepi	Which Beyoncé Song Are You	#MOTD
7	#OrgulloFriki	Ancelotti	Norwich
8	#UberSeQueda	#AfricaDay	#ENGvNZ
9	Enem	#charliecharliechallenge	Trevor Bayliss
10	Felices 114	#LHHWedding	#BGTlive

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- A suicide bomber and gunmen attack a court building in the provincial capital of Maidan Shahr in Maidan Wardak resulting in the deaths of two police officers and four of the attackers. (Tolo News)
Thirteen Kenyan police officers are missing after an Al-Shabaab ambush in Garissa County. (Standard Digital)

International relations

The President of Taiwan Ma Ying-jeou proposes a mechanism for resolving disputes in the South China Sea. (The Guardian)
The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force will participate in Exercise Talisman Saber, a joint exercise between the United States and Australia for the first time in July. (AFP via ABC Australia)

Disasters and accidents

Tornadoes of 2015
- Flash floods, tornadoes and dangerous thunderstorms have so far claimed 8 lives with 12 people missing in the American states of Texas andOklahoma with more rain on the way. (NBC News)
- Flash flood warnings are now in place in eight states with flood waters causing closures of roads, rail services and buses in the fourth largest city in the US Houston. (NBC News)
2015 India heat wave
- The death toll from the heat wave passes 800 as the roads in the capital New Delhi melting in the heat. (AFP via AsiaOne)

Law and crime

A petition to legalize same-sex marriage in the Philippines is filed in the Supreme Court. (Rappler)

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May 28, 2015

Top News Stories –

‘Buy button’ to be added to Google search results –
Google has confirmed that it is to introduce a “buy button” to its search results imminently. The button would give Google Search users the option to purchase without needing to visit a separate website. The company’s chief business officer, Omid Kordestani, said he wanted to reduce “friction” for users so they buy more things online. Google faces significant competition from Amazon, where many people now begin their search to buy products. [BBC]

Hashtag is ‘children’s word of year’ –
Hashtag has been declared “children’s word of the year” by the Oxford University Press. OUP analysed more than 120,421 short stories by children aged between five and 13 years old, submitted to the BBC’s 500 Words competition. According to the OUP, new technology is increasingly at the centre of the children’s lives but how they are writing about it is changing fast. Words including email, mobile and Facebook are in decline, it said.
They are being replaced by the likes of Instagram, Snapchat and emoji. And the word television has now been superseded by phone. The report also notes a sudden new arrival in children’s sentences. The use of the hashtag symbol # to add an extra meaning or comment at the end of a sentence has become commonplace. #IblameTwitter #AndInstagram. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

The A-Z of YouTube: Celebrating 10 Years | #HappyBirthdayYouTube

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	EU TE AMO LOUIS	#NationalBurgerDay	#WorkingClassTories
2	#FelizJueves	Justin and Selena	#ClickBaitAMovie
3	FIFA 16	Kung Fury	Derek Hatton
4	#TeenChoice	#io15	FIFA 16
5	#GeziyiUnutma	#AskPOTUS	#jamesyouareperfect
6	#ParaSiempre	Cheryl Lynn	Sevilla
7	Riley Curry	FIFA 16	#NationalBurgerDay
8	Justin and Selena	George Pataki	#TeenChoice
9	#اكتب_مقوله_مق�…	#ClickBaitAMovie	#HappyBirthdayRyan
10	#ClickBaitAMovie	Riley Curry	#bressure

Other News Stories –

Arts and culture

88th Scripps National Spelling Bee
- Vanya Shivashankar of Olathe, Kansas and Gokul Venkatachalam of Chesterfield, Missouri are declared co-champions of the Scripps National Spelling Bee held in National Harbor, Maryland. It is the second consecutive year that there have been two co-champions. (Sports Center via Twitter), (CNN)

Business and economy

The Solicitor General of the United States sides with Oracle in a much-watched copyright dispute with Google over Java APIs. (IDG News Service).

Disasters and accidents

The United States Air Force says that as many as 22 people have been inadvertently exposed to anthrax during a laboratory training exercise atOsan Air Base in South Korea. (AFP via Yahoo! News)
Tornadoes of 2015 and 2015 Texas–Oklahoma flood and tornado outbreak
- The death toll from the recent storms in the American states of Texas and Oklahoma rises to 21 with 11 people missing. Fourteen more people have been killed in northern Mexico. (AP via ABC News)
2015 Indian heat wave
- The death toll from the Indian heat wave rises to over 1,400 with over 1000 dead in Andhra Pradesh state alone. (CNN)
Seventeen students are killed and five injured when a truck carrying them to school overturns on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. (AFP via Abram Online)

International relations

The Hellenic Coast Guard rescues 218 migrants off the coast of Greece who sailed illegally from Turkey making the total number of people arriving more than 1,500 in a week. (AFP via Daily Star)

Law and crime

Former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Dennis Hastert is indicted for allegedly trying to evade banking reporting requirements and lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigations. (CNBC)
Independent lawmaker Catherine Murphy raises fresh allegations in Ireland’s Dáil against billionaire Denis O’Brien, prompting criticism over the silence of the country’s media (much of it owned by O’Brien). (RTE) (Broadsheet) (UP Report)

Politics and elections

Republican Party presidential primaries, 2016
- Former Governor of New York, George Pataki, announces that he is seeking the Republican Party nomination for the 2016 presidential election. (CNN)

Science and technology

NASA awards Boeing a commercial contract to build and fly the next passenger spacecraft, the CST-100. (Fin24)

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May 31, 2015

Top News Stories –

Enrique Iglesias injured in concert drone mishap –
Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias has been receiving treatment after two of his fingers were injured by a drone camera during a concert in Mexico.
The singer had been attempting to grab the drone, used to get crowd shots during his concerts. “Something went wrong and he had an accident,” a representative for the singer revealed on Instagram. Iglesias continued to perform after the accident before flying to Los Angeles to see a specialist. [BBC]
Enrique Iglesias

John Kerry breaks leg in bicycle crash in France –
The US Secretary of State John Kerry has broken his leg in a biking accident in the French Alps. Mr Kerry, 71, was in a stable condition in hospital in nearby Geneva, Switzerland, a spokesman said. He was expected to make a full recovery after breaking his right femur and was in good spirits, said John Kirby. It appeared Mr Kerry hit a kerb and there was no vehicle involved in the accident, a state department official was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. [BBC]
John Kerry

Harriette Thompson, 92, sets marathon record in San Diego –
A 92-year-old cancer survivor has become the oldest woman to finish a marathon. American Harriette Thompson ran the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in San Diego in seven hours, 24 minutes and 36 seconds. Having survived three bouts of oral cancer, Thompson crossed the line accompanied by her son Brenny, 56. Aged 92 years and 65 days, Thompson took the record of 92 years and 19 days set by Gladys Burrill in the Honolulu Marathon in 2010.

Video of the Day –

MCM London Comic Con May 2015 Cosplay Music Video

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#EstariaBuenoQue	Niall and Jade	Anthony Joshua
2	Niall and Jade	The 1975	Niall and Jade
3	#HappyBirthdayNormani	#HipsterBandNames	#HappyBirthdayNormani
4	#Gezi2Yasında	#IWouldAdviseAgainst	#ROWYSOBelfast
5	#SabadoDeConfesarQue	John Kerry	Beau Biden
6	#الهلال_الاتحاد	#ThingsThatSoundSexual	#iHeartPoolParty
7	#ZaynMalikInManila	#SundayFunday	Michelle Keegan
8	#فتاه_تبتز_شاب	#HappyBirthdayNormani	#NashsNewVideo
9	Sporting	#WWEChamber	#UFCGoiania
10	Beau Biden	#MattsNewVideo	Rangers

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Sinai insurgency
- Egyptian security officials report that militants have blown up a natural gas pipeline leading to Israel outside El-Arish, the provincial capital ofNorth Sinai. That pipeline was attacked at least 20 times in the last 5 years. (AP via KFox)
Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- A suicide bomber strikes a checkpoint near the city of Misrata causing several deaths. (Reuters via LBC)
Boko Haram
- A bomb explodes at a market place in the Nigerian city of Maiduguri killing at least four people. (Channel STV)

Disasters and accidents

2015 Indian heat wave
- The death toll from the heat wave reaches 2,100 with intense heat to continue until Monday. (NHK)
April 2015 Nepal earthquake
- Thousands of schools open in Nepal after the devastating earthquake of April 2015 which destroyed more than 25,000 classrooms and killed more than 8,000 people. (BBC)

International relations

Russia announces that it will join the People’s Republic of China in naval drills in the South China Sea in May 2016. (RT)
Russian Su-24 attack aircraft intercept the US destroyer Ross in the Black Sea at the edge of Russian territorial waters. (Reuters)
John Kerry, the United States Secretary of State, is taken to hospital in Switzerland with a broken leg following a cycling accident in the nearbyFrench town of Scionzier. Kerry had been in Geneva negotiating with the Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. (BBC), (NBC News)
Qatar agrees to temporarily extend travel bans on five senior Taliban leaders released last year from Guantanamo Bay in exchange for releasing American sergeant Bowe Bergdahl. (AP via Yahoo! News)

Law and crime

One man is dead and two are detained after an incident at Singapore‘s Shangri-La Hotel which is currently hosting a high-level international dialogue over the South China Sea. (Straits-Times)

Politics and elections

Key sections of the Patriot Act expire at midnight (Eastern Daylight Time) due to failure of the United States Senate to agree to an extension. It is highly likely that USA Freedom Act will be passed soon, but the bulk collection of domestic telephone data by the National Security Agency is expected to end. (Time), (USA Today)
The East African Community calls on Burundi to postpone its presidential election due to unrest sparked by the decision by President Pierre Nkurunziza to run for a third term. (AP)

Sport

2015 Giro d’Italia
- In cycling, Alberto Contador of Spain wins his second Giro d’Italia. (BBC)

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June 2, 2015

Top News Stories –

Fifa’s Sepp Blatter resigns Fifa presidency and is ‘under investigation in US’ –
Fifa president Sepp Blatter is being investigated by US officials as part of their inquiry into corruption at the world football body, US media say.
The news came hours after Mr Blatter announced that he was stepping down from his role. US prosecutors launched a criminal inquiry last week, with seven Fifa officials arrested in Switzerland, part of a group of 14 people indicted. Two days after the arrests, Mr Blatter was re-elected president of Fifa. However, he said on Tuesday that it appeared the mandate he had been given “does not seem to be supported by everyone in the world”. [BBC]
Sepp Blatter at the 2014 FIFA Tournament Announcement in 2007

Kim Kardashian catches fire at awards dinner –
Kim Kardashian has already got enough on her plate, what with her expecting her second child and all. So it probably didn’t help when her first outing since announcing her happy news ended in flames. Not actual Kim Kardashian, but her dress at the CFDA Awards. The feathers on her see-through embellished dress brushed against a candle, and she needed some A-list emergency help to put her out. Luckily Pharrell (sans big hat) and his wife Helen were nearby to “jump” on her to pat Kim out. [BBC] See List of the Day
Kim Kardashian Instagram

Four teenagers air-lifted to hospital with serious injuries on roller-coaster crash at Alton Towers –
Five people were hospitalised and a further eleven required medical attention yesterday following a crash on an Alton Towers roller-coaster that the theme park described as the worst in its 35-year history. Two men aged 27 and 18 and two women aged 19 and 17, were airlifted to hospital after suffering serious leg injuries and another man aged 20 was treated for neck and abdominal injury before being taken to hospital by land ambulance. A dozen riders were released one at a time over four hours after being stranded 25ft in the air at an angle of 45 degrees when a carriage carrying 16 people crashed into an empty carriage on The Smiler ride, which has a top speed of 50mph. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Winners of the 2015 Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Awards

Semi-Permanent 2015 Opening Titles. from Raoul Marks – MARXº on Vimeo.

List of the day –

Womenswear Designer of the Year: Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen for The Row

Menswear Designer of the Year: Tom Ford

Accessories Designer of the Year: Tabitha Simmons

Swarovski Award for Womenswear: Rosie Assoulin

Swarovski Award for Menswear: Shayne Oliver for Hood by Air

Swarovski Award for Accessory Design: Rachel Mansur and Floriana Gavrielfor Mansur Gavriel

Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award: Betsey Johnson

The Media Award in Honor of Eugenia Sheppard: Instagram

The Founder’s Award in Honor of Eleanor Lambert: Millard “Mickey” Drexler, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of J.Crew Group, Inc.

International Award: Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli for Valentino

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	MC Dinero	#WearingOrange	#BeatlesRecipes
2	Charles Kennedy	Nick Young	#CharityTuesday
3	#EstoyHartoDe	Mike Huckabee	Charles Kennedy
4	#FelizMartes	#BeatlesRecipes	Big Trouble in Little China
5	#QueBroncaCuando	#SummerOfAnswers	Alton Towers
6	#MiEstrategiaEnTuiterEs	Charles Kennedy	#nusnec
7	#bringbackmagcon	#BadTeamBuildingActivities	Jeremy Hunt
8	Drake Bell	Fallout 4	#bringbackmagcon
9	Fallout 4	#ImNotHappyIf	#CFDAAwards
10	Flor de la V	Swaggy P	Fallout 4

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Yemeni Civil War (2015)
- Armed tribesmen kill 18 Houthi fighters in an ambush in Yemen‘s Ibb Governorate. (Reuters)
Communist insurgency in the Philippines
- Adelberto Silva, the highest ranked leader of the Communist Party of the Philippines and New People’s Army, has been arrested. (AFP via Yahoo! News)
Boko Haram
- A suicide bombing in the city of Maiduguri in the north of Nigeria kills 20 people. (AP)

Disasters and accidents

2015 Indian heat wave
- The official death toll from the Indian heat wave rises to 2,330 with meteorologists warning that relief from the monsoon season could still be days away. (CNN)
Sinking of the Dong Fang Zhi Xing
- Rescue efforts continue for people on board the ship that sank on the Yangtze River in China‘s Hubei province with over 450 people on board. So far, fewer than 12 have been rescued and five bodies recovered. (New York Times), (CNN)
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
- Two brothers whose father was on Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 last year when it disappeared receive compensation from the government ofMalaysia and Malaysian Airlines. (AP via Asian Correspondent)

Health

Two people die of Middle East respiratory syndrome in South Korea. (NBC News)

Law and crime

Beijing bans smoking in indoor public places, including offices, shopping malls, restaurants, bars and airports, and in outdoor public places, including hospitals and schools. (CNN)
Thai Army Lieutenant General Manus Kongpan is suspended after police order his arrest on involvement in people trafficking. (Reuters via ABC Online)
2013 Boston Marathon bombings
- Dias Kadyrbayev, a college friend of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, is sentenced to six years for obstruction of justice and conspiracy charges after Kadyrbayev removed incriminating evidence from Tsarnaev‘s college dorm room. (CBS Local)

Politics and elections

The United States Senate passes the USA Freedom Act, which will transfer the responsibility of Americans’ bulk telephone metadata collection from the National Security Agency to telephone companies. (The Guardian)

Sport

2015 FIFA corruption case
- Sepp Blatter announces that he will resign as President of FIFA as a result of the corruption scandals with an emergency congress to be called as soon as possible. (BBC) (RTÉ News)
- In Cricket, New Zealand beats England by 199 runs to draw the test series. (Telegraph)

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June 19, 2015

Top News Stories –

National Kissing Day –
It’s got it’s own website (kissingday.co.uk) and has been going for 10 years. Every year it storms up the Twitter and Instagram feeds. David Beckham and Holly Willoughby are woted the most kissable men and women in the UK.
Holly Willoughby

Heinz ketchup customers directed to porn website –
Heinz has apologised after a QR code on a tomato ketchup bottle directed customers to a pornography website. The error was caused because the QR code had hosted a competition that ended and expired, allowing an adult entertainment firm to buy it. The fault was spotted by Daniel Korell, from Germany, who flagged up the error to Heinz. “I happened to scan it during lunch and I was a bit surprised where I got redirected to,” Mr Korell told the BBC. “I found it rather funny and thought it was worth [sharing] on Heinz’s Facebook page.” “We really regret the incident,” a Heinz representative said on Facebook. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Kung Fu Panda 3 | Official Trailer #1

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#NationalKissingDay	#NationalKissingDay	#fridayfeeling
2	Jon Stewart	Jon Stewart	#NationalKissingDay
3	#TodasLasMujeresTienen	#Juneteenth	#IfTheBeatlesHadBeenFat
4	Hayırlı Cumalar	#WarriorsParade	Jon Stewart
5	#MumbaiRains	#MyDreamDadIs	#britmumslive
6	#NadaMejorQue	Rick Perry	Tiger Woods
7	#AsVezesSóQueria	#5HonKimmel	UK Muslims
8	#TuPuedesMiVinotinto	Caucasian Heritage Night	#bbcqt
9	#HepimizPYDliyiz	Ralph Roberts	Kerry Dixon
10	#YoTeDejoEnVistoPorque	Beyond Scared Straight	#1GottaGo

Other News Stories –

Attacks and armed conflicts

A Palestinian cell affiliated with Hamas and named after the perpetrators of the 2014 kidnapping and murder of Israeli teenagers claims responsibility for an ambush style attack in which one Israeli was killed and another seriously injured. (Times of Israel)

Business and economy

The European Central Bank increased the cap on cash available to Greek banks through emergency liquidity assistance, as those banks continue to experience steady withdrawals. Greek citizens have withdrawn over 3 billion Euros in the last month. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

The centre-right opposition bloc led by Venstre wins the 2015 Danish general election, even though the Social Democrat party remains Denmark’s largest. The anti-immigration Danish People’s Party will be the second-largest in parliament. (BBC) (U.S. News & World Report)
Hawaii becomes the first U.S. state to raise smoking age from 18 to 21, effective January 1, 2016, and will also outlaw sales, purchases, or uses of electronic cigarettes for those under 21. (Reuters)

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June 23, 2015

Top News Stories –

Tom Holland is announced as the new Marvel Spider-Man –
Tom Holland, who was in Wolf Hall and the stage musical Billy Elliot, has grabbed the lead in the franchise reboot. Marvel and Sony confirmed the news in a statement on their website. The 19-year-old takes over from Andrew Garfield for the new film which is due out July 2017. In a statement posted on their website, Marvel said: “Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios are proud to announce that after a full worldwide casting search, Tom Holland will play Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the next Spider-Man film.” The statement also said: “The studios and producers were impressed by Holland’s performances in The Impossible, Wolf Hall, and the upcoming In the Heart of the Sea, and by a series of complex screen tests.” [BBC Newsbeat] He celebrated with some acrobatic videos on his Instagram account
Tom Holland

Titanic composer James Horner dies in plane crash –
The composer James Horner, who won Oscars for the theme song and score for the film Titanic, has died in a plane crash in California. He was 61. His credits included numerous other high-profile films, among them Avatar, Braveheart and Aliens. He was alone in his two-seater plane when the accident happened. [BBC]

Formula 1: US-Qatari investors ‘to bid for sport’ –
The Miami Dolphins American football team owner Stephen Ross is reportedly working with investors from Qatar to buy a stake in Formula 1 racing. RSE Ventures and Qatar Sports Investments plan a bid for CVC Capital Partners’ 35.5% stake in the holding company that owns F1. The Financial Times and Reuters said the deal could be worth up to $8bn, and help build F1’s presence in the US. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

7 Days in Hell: Trailer (HBO)

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#EnLaPrimaria	George Karl	James Horner
2	James Horner	Undo Send	#NWED
3	#FelizMartes	#RejectedPrezCampaignSlogans	#skinnyjeans
4	#PudimosSerTodoPero	#filmprequels	#charitytuesday
5	#UnaTrompadaAEsosQue	#LameSuperGroups	Calais
6	Ylenia	James Horner	#filmprequels
7	#DecimeQueGanasCon	Spider-Man	Spider-Man
8	#LameSuperGroups	#Smallzys5SOSCakeBake	Auschwitz
9	#MiProblemaEs	#O2LFOREVER	#Lionesses
10	Diddy	Dick Van Patten	#Smallzys5SOSCakeBake

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War, Military intervention against ISIL
- The Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) capture the military base Brigade 93 and enter the town of Ayn Issa, the first defense line of ISILnorth of its de facto capital al-Raqqah.
- ISIL claims it has started the destruction of the ancient complex of Palmyra. (euronews)

Arts and culture

South Korean author Shin Kyung-sook admits to plagiarising a short story from Japanese author Yukio Mishima. (AP)
Australian author Sofie Laguna wins the Miles Franklin Award for her novel The Eye of the Sheep. (ABC News Australia)

Business and economy

The deputy speaker of the Greek parliament, Alexis Mitropoulos, warns that the body may reject concessions the government had made to the country’s creditors. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2015 Pakistani heat wave
- The death toll from the 2015 Pakistan heatwave rises to 450. (AFP via Yahoo News)

Health

South Sudan declares a cholera outbreak after 18 people die and 171 are infected. (Al-Jazeera), (REUTERS)

International relations

Hungary unilaterally suspends European Union asylum seeker rules that require it to take back people who first enter Hungary, then travel to other nations. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Charleston church shooting
- Amazon.com announces that it is removing Confederate Flag merchandise from sale following the shootings. (Time)

Sport

The suspension appeal hearings for Tom Brady‘s 4-game suspension over Deflategate begin today. (New York Times)

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July 11, 2015

Top News Stories –

Williams Wins Wimbledon for ‘Serena Slam’ –
Serena Williams let herself briefly bask in the joy of a sixth Wimbledon championship, 21st Grand Slam singles trophy overall and fourth consecutive major title Saturday, even balancing the winner’s silver dish atop her head — Look, Ma, no hands! — as she sauntered off Centre Court. “I was peaceful, feeling really good,” Williams said. “Maybe a little after that, I started thinking about New York.” On to the next one. When the U.S. Open begins at Flushing Meadows in August, Williams will pursue pretty much the only accolade to elude her so far: a calendar-year Grand Slam, something no one has accomplished in tennis in more than a quarter-century. [NY Times]
Serena Williams

Earth heading for ‘mini ice age’ within 15 years –
The earth is 15 years from a “mini ice-age” that will cause bitterly cold winters during which rivers such as the Thames freeze over, scientists have predicted. Solar researchers at the University of Northumbria have created a new model of the sun’s activity which they claim produces “unprecedentedly accurate predictions”. They said fluid movements within the sun, which are thought to create 11-year cycles in the weather, will converge in such a way that temperatures will fall dramatically in the 2030s. Solar activity will fall by 60 per cent as two waves of fluid “effectively cancel each other out”, according to Prof Valentina Zharkova. [Daily Telegraph]

Kylie Jenner’s hair causes Instagram race row –
Kylie Jenner’s been accused of “appropriating black culture” in a row on Instagram. Hunger Games actress Amandla Stenberg made the claim after the reality star posted a picture of her hair in cornrows. The 16-year-old argued Kylie wasn’t using her fame to help black people. She accused her of “directing attention towards wigs instead of police brutality or racism”. Kylie replied: “Mad if I don’t, Mad if I do…. Go hang w Jaden or something.” Amandla went to a prom with Jaden Smith in May. [BBC Newsbeat]

©KylieJenner/Instagram

Manhunt for escaped Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman –
The Mexican President, Enrique Pena Nieto, says he has faith that the security forces will recapture one of the world’s most powerful drug lords, who has escaped from a high security prison. Mr Pena Nieto said he wanted a full investigation into Joaquin Guzman’s escape. Guzman, known as El Chapo, or “Shorty”, is believed to have made his way through a tunnel more than a kilometre long from showers near his cell. [BBC] See Video of the Day

Video of the Day –

Watch “El Chapo” Guzmán’s escape and his amazing 4,921-foot tunnel

List of the Day –

Serena Williams Grand Slam tournament performances

Tournament	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	SR	W–L
Australian Open	2R	3R	4R	QF	A	W	A	W	3R	W	QF	W	W	A	4R	QF	4R	W	6 / 15	68–9
French Open	4R	3R	A	QF	W	SF	QF	A	A	QF	3R	QF	QF	A	1R	W	2R	W	3 / 14	54–11
Wimbledon	3R	A	SF	QF	W	W	F	3R	A	QF	F	W	W	4R	W	4R	3R	W	6 / 16	79–10
US Open	3R	W	QF	F	W	A	QF	4R	4R	QF	W	SF	A	F	W	W	W		6 / 15	79–9
Win–Loss	8–4	11–2	12–3	18–4	21–0	19–1	14–3	12–2	5–2	19–3	19–3	23–2	18–1	9–2	17–2	21–2	13–3	21–0	21 / 60	280–39

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#MeEnamoroCuando	Roger Rees	Schweinsteiger
2	#KULOTPALASIHARRY	#WhyImNotGoingToYourFuneral	#WhiteGirlsDoItBetter
3	#SabadoDeGanarSeguidores	Capo	Bastian
4	Roger Rees	Hocus Pocus	#5YearsSinceLouisAudition
5	#PorCulpaDeTwitter	#BatmanvSuperman	Roger Rees
6	DAME ESTA NOCHE	#dontgotoseaworld	#BandsWithMeat
7	#EsteFinde	#FreeSlurpeeDay	#durhamminersgala
8	#5YearsSinceLouisAudition	#AngerABook	Jidenna
9	#CamComeThrough	Serena	#legup
10	Jidenna	#CamComeThrough	#TheForceAwakens

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Boko Haram insurgency
- A suicide bomber attacks the Nigerian city of Maiduguri killing at least one person. (Reuters)
- A suicide bomber in a burqa kills 14 people in Chad‘s capital of N’Djamena. (Reuters) (Chron via AP)
South Thailand insurgency
- At least seven people have been killed and dozens injured in a series of attacks in southern Thailand. (AFP via The Daily Star)
2015 Bombing of the Cairo Italian Consulate
- A car bomb explodes outside the Italian consulate in the Egyptian capital Cairo, resulting in at least one death and four people injured; ISISclaims responsibility. (The Daily Star) (BBC), (CNN)
War in Somalia (2009–present)
- At least six people and four militants are killed in attacks on two hotels in the Somali capital of Mogadishu. (Reuters)
Yemeni crisis, Saudi-led intervention in Yemen (2015-present)
- A truce brokered by the United Nations due to last for the remainder of Ramadan is broken within an hour with both sides exchanging blame.(AP via US News and World Report)

Business and economy

Greek government-debt crisis
- The Hellenic Parliament passes a package of economic reforms to end the current stage of the debt crisis. (BBC)
Steve Huffman is re-appointed as the CEO of Reddit as Ellen Pao steps down over a dispute with the website’s users over the firing of a popular employee. (Irish Times)

Disasters and accidents

2015 Pacific typhoon season
- Eastern China braces for the impact of Typhoon Chan-hom with the province of Zhejiang evacuating 865,000 people in coastal areas.(CNN), (Business Insider)
Volcán de Colima
- Hundred of villagers are evacuated from near the Colima volcano following recent eruptions. Authorities fear that it could be on the same scale as a 1913 eruption. (BBC)

Law and crime

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić is pelted with stones and other objects as he attempts to pay respects to the victims of the Bosnian Genocide, Vučić is a former member of the Serbian Radical Party, a far right anti-Islam party. (AP via New York Times)
Russian military intervention in Ukraine
- Dozens of Russian soldiers face trial for fleeing a training ground in Maikop, fearing deployment to Ukraine. (Deutsche Welle)
Mexican drug kingpin Joaquín Guzmán Loera escapes from a maximum security prison the Federal Social Readaptation Center No. 1. (AP)

Politics and elections

Aung San Suu Kyi announces that the National League for Democracy will participate in Myanmar’s general election later this year. (Wall Street Journal)

Sport

2015 Wimbledon Championships
- Serena Williams defeats Garbiñe Muguruza to win the 2015 Wimbledon Women’s Singles title. (The Guardian)

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August 22, 2015

Top News Stories –

7 Dead as Fighter Jet Crashes Into Highway at British Airshow –
A fighter jet taking part in a British airshow on Saturday crashed into a highway, killing seven people. The crash took place at the Shoreham Airshow in West Sussex, on England’s southern coast, at 1:20 p.m. Video footage showed the jet soar, loop and then plunge before it could complete a second loop. It crashed into a busy road, the A27, near the airfield where the show took place. Hours after the crash, the police had no comment about the pilot’s fate. Beyond the fatalities, one person was seriously hurt and 14 others had minor injuries, according to a statement from the Sussex Police. [NY Times]

Facebook and Instagram remove Project Harpoon page –
Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram have taken down the pages run by Project Harpoon. The internet movement sees people digitally edit pictures of women to make them appear thinner.
Now if you try to look at Project Harpoon on these social media sites, you are met with an error message. The online group started on Reddit, in a thread called Thinner Beauty which says it is not about “hate” but wants to provide people with “health goals”. [BBC Newsbeat]

Video of the Day –

Match Head Bomb at 2500fps – The Slow Mo Guys

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	BeliebersVoteForJustin	#TrueButYouShouldntSayIt	#MakeAFilmBroke
2	#ALDUBAgainstALLODDS	#ProtestPP	#Beijing2015
3	#SiMePagaranPor	#MakeSomeonesDayIn3Words	Neymar
4	#DragMeDownMusicVideoIsOut	#1989TourLA	Louise Mensch
5	Iñaki	Yeezys	Shoreham
6	#HoyViernesNoSalgoPorQue	#MakeAFilmBroke	#DragMeDownMusicVideoIsOut
7	#كلام_اخير_للا�…	#LLSYouTube	#bigbloggerconference
8	#طلعت_ريحتكم	#FocusOnMeIsComing	Callum Wilson
9	#TodosConNicolas	#UnauthorizedFullHouse	Pogba
10	#WelcomeToManilaArianaGrande	Mike Fiers	US Marines

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

South Korea evacuates residents near the North Korean border as tension escalates. High level talks are held in Panmunjom to defuse tensions. (Yonhap) (Yonhap)
War in Somalia (2009–present)
- An al-Shabaab suicide bomber attacks a Somali military training base in Kismayu with at least 16 people dead. Another five people are killed in a suicide bombing in Mogadishu. (Reuters)
Iran launches a new surface to surface missile called the Fateh 313. (Haaretz)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- An Afghan suicide bomber attacks a NATO convoy in Kabul killing at least twelve people and injuring 66. (CBS)
Syrian Civil War
- Over 50 people are killed in the Syrian rebel-held town of Douma near the capital Damascus following missile strikes by pro-Assad forces. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

Mei Xiang, a female giant panda at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C., delivers two cubs. (Washington Post), (Zoo’s Facebook page)
The 2015 Hugo Award winners are announced in Spokane, United States. (Hugo Awards)

Disasters and accidents

2015 Pacific typhoon season
- Typhoon Goni leaves seven people dead and two people missing as it moves from the Philippines towards Taiwan and Okinawa, Japan. (AP via Hindustan Times)
2015 Tianjin explosions
- The State Council of the People’s Republic of China orders a thorough investigation of the explosions as the death toll rises to 121. (Xinhua via icrossChina), (AP via Fox News)
Shoreham Airport disaster
- A Hawker Hunter aircraft crashes during an airshow after failing to pull out of dive at Shoreham Airport, West Sussex, United Kingdom. Seven people are killed with 15 injured. (BBC News Online)(News24)
An explosion occurs at a chemical warehouse in China’s Shandong province, with nine injured according to Chinese media. (RT)
Three people are dead and eight missing after a landslide in China‘s Yunnan Province. (Xinhua)

International relations

The Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev visits the disputed Kuril Islands prompting a protest from Japan. (Reuters via Yahoo! News)

Law and crime

Indian police arrest Jammu and Kashmir separatist Shabir Shah ahead of a meeting with Pakistani National Security Adviser Sartaj Aziz. (iBN Live)
A second journalist is killed in the Philippines in a week. (CNN)
Fourteen members of the Barrio 18 street gang are killed in the Quetzaltepeque penitentiary in El Salvador; the killings are believed to be a result of a power struggle within the gang. (Reuters via Yahoo! News)

Politics

President of the State of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas resigns from the Executive Committee of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation along with 11 ministers to force an election. The last time there were elections in the Palestinian authority was in 2005. (Jerusalem Post)

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September 15, 2015

Top News Stories –

Michael Jordan earned more from trainers in 2014 than during entire basketball career –
It is no secret that Michael Jordan and Nike make a lot of money from Air Jordan trainers. But an infographic by PBS has revealed just how lucrative the line of sports shoes, which have obtained cult-like status among sneaker fans, is. In 2014 alone Jordan, 52, made $100 million from sales of trainers, more money than the $94 million he made in the entire of his stellar 15-year career as an NBA basktball player. His eye-watering income made him the highest-paid retired athlete in the world last year. [Daily Telegraph]
Michael Jordan

Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe delivers wrong speech in parliament –
Zimbabwe’s 91-year-old president Robert Mugabe read the wrong speech at the opening of a new session of parliament on Tuesday, repeating an address he gave to the legislature last month. The veteran leader read the 25-minute-long speech through to the end, apparently unaware that he was delivering the same text he presented during his state of the nation address last month. “There has been a mix-up of speeches resulting in a situation where… the president delivered the wrong speech,” said George Charamba, the presidential spokesman. “The mix-up happened in his secretarial office,” Mr Charamba was quoted as saying in the state-owned Herald newspaper’s online edition. “The error is sincerely regretted and corrective measures are being considered.” [Daily Telegraph] In February 2015 Mugabe allegedly suspended 27 bodyguards after they failed to stop him falling down steps.
President Robert Mugabe

Vladimir Putin ‘reaches out’ to Sir Elton John after singer asks to discuss gay rights –
Sir Elton John was engaged in a bizarre war of words with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday night after the singer publicly thanked the Russian leader for “reaching out” to him to discuss gay rights – but the Kremlin then denied the conversation ever took place. The veteran rock star said Mr Putin, who recently appeared to equate homosexuality with paedophilia and urged gay people to “leave kids alone”, had called him and suggested they might meet. “Thank you to President Vladimir Putin for reaching out and speaking via telephone with me today. I look to forward to meeting with you face to face to discuss LGBT equality in Russia,” he wrote on his Instagram account. However, in a bizarre twist last night, Mr Putin’s spokesman rejected the Rocket Man’s claim. “Putin did not have a conversation with Elton John, and most importantly, we did not receive any kind of proposal for a meeting from him,” said Dmitry Peskov, Mr Putin’s spokesman. At the weekend, Sir Elton condemned the Russian strongman’s “ridiculous” stance on gay rights, which has seen a law passed banning homosexual “propaganda” among children in June 2013.[Daily Telegraph]
Vladimir Putin

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos plans to build and launch rockets from Florida’s ‘Space Coast’
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has announced plans to build and launch rockets from Flordia’s “Space Coast”. At a news conference on Tuesday, Mr Bezos announced that his Blue Origin space company will build rockets and launch them into orbit from Cape Canaveral. He plans to send up satellites first, then people – including space tourists and even himself. He predicts the first launch will occur by the end of the decade; he declined to be more specific, saying more details would be forthcoming next year. The as-yet-named rocket will launch and land vertically, the same method the company is testing for suborbital flights from remote West Texas. The first-stage boosters will be reusable to save money. The crew capsules will fly themselves and not require pilots. [Daily Telegraph]
Jeff Bezos

Video of the Day –

The Jungle Book Official US Teaser Trailer

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#MiMamaUnaVezMeDijo	#EMABiggestFans5SOS	#BattleofBritain
2	#TengoTalentoPara	#MarriageAdviceIn3Words	#MarriageAdviceIn3Words
3	#الهلال_لخويا	Jungle Book	#charitytuesday
4	Eagles	#HorribleWaysToStartAStory	#EMABiggestFans5SOS
5	#EMABiggestFansJustinBieber	#HispanicHeritageMonth	#WakeUpPreOrder
6	#RompesuelasVivo	#DF15	Mary Poppins
7	#ALDUBForTALKNTEXT	Carlos Hyde	New Day
8	#FelizMartes	Trent Dilfer	Jack Wilshere
9	#MarriageAdviceIn3Words	Luke Shaw	#49ers
10	#WakeUpPreOrder	#MakeAMovieConfused	Nikki

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Boko Haram insurgency, 2015 West African offensive
- The Nigerian Army rescues dozens of women and children in Borno State. (AP via ABC News)
Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
- Houthi militants backed by Yemeni troops reportedly seize control of al-Rabu’ah, a town in Saudi Arabia‘s southwestern Asir region near the Yemeni border, forcing Saudi forces to pull out of the area. (Press TV)

Disasters and accidents

2015 Southeast Asian haze
- The Indonesian province of Riau declares a state of emergency due to high levels of smoke haze from forest fires in Riau, Jambi and South Sumatra that have led thousands of people to flee the capital Pekanbaru. (AFP via Straits Times)
- The 24 hour Pollutant Standards Index in Singapore remains in the unhealthy range due to smoke haze. (Channel News Asia)
Two students die and three others are injured after a school bus is struck by another vehicle and swerves off an Interstate 610 overpass in Houston, Texas. (Houston Chronicle), (Reuters)
The death toll from yesterday’s flash floods in the American towns of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona, rises to 12 with one person still missing. (AP via ABC News), (NBC News)
A floatplane crashes during takeoff near Iliamna in southwest Alaska, killing three people and injuring the other seven on board. (AP via Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)
Seven mountain climbers die in an avalanche in the French Alps near the town of Pelvoux. (Accuweather)

Health

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration orders R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company to stop further U.S. sale and distribution of four cigarette products because they may be more dangerous than similar older cigarettes. (Reuters)

International relations

European migrant crisis
- Hungary declares a state of emergency in two of its southeastern counties as tougher laws come into effect aimed at preventing asylum-seekers and other migrants from entering the country. (BBC), (AP via U.S. News & World Report)

Politics and elections

Liberal Party of Australia leadership spill, September 2015
- Malcolm Turnbull is sworn in as the Prime Minister of Australia following his election to the leadership of the Liberal Party of Australia. (ABC News Australia)
The Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia appoints a special prosecutor into a wiretapping scandal. (AP via ABC News)

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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)

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October 6, 2015

Top News Stories –

Kentucky pet store worker nearly crushed to death by python –
A man working at a Kentucky pet store has been seriously hurt after a massive python he was feeding nearly crushed him to death. Police said they were called to Captive Born Reptiles and found the snake wrapped around the man. Terry Wilkens was not breathing when the officers pried the snake off him but he resumed breathing shortly afterwards, officers said. The python weighed about 125lb (56kg) and measured 20ft (6m) long. “It was only by the grace of God that one of the officers knew how to deal with snakes,” Newport Kentucky Police Chief Tom Collins told the Cincinnati Enquirer. Officer Gregory Ripberger grabbed the snake by its head and uncurled the python from Mr Wilkens. [BBC]
Jungle Carpet python

Instagram says @music is just the start for music on the app –
The boss of Instagram has said “it’s just a matter of time before music becomes even more dominant” on the app. Kevin Systrom’s social media site has just turned five. But he told Newsbeat: “We never knew music would take off in the way it did but now 25% of our top [most followed] accounts are music related”. In April, Instagram launched @music, which Kevin explained set out to “feature off-the-beaten path, hard-to-find accounts.” [BBC Newsbeat]

Author jailed for flashing after prostitute disputes small penis claims –
A serial flasher has been jailed after a woman appeared in court and gave a detailed description of his penis. Hinton Sheryn, 68, had denied he would get his penis out in public – because he was embarrassed it was “unusually small”. But officers managed to find a prostitute he used who came to court at the last minute and contested his claims. The female sex worker described his manhood and told Plymouth Crown Court it was a “normal” size. Her late intervention helped convict the successful author, who has now been jailed for 17 years after being convicted of 18 crimes. The former pop promoter was so notorious for exposing himself in the village near Plymouth, Devon, where he lived in the 1970s and 1980s he was known as “the flasher”. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

The New Microsoft Band: Live Healthier and Achieve More

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#NiallsNewGirlfriend	Rachel Dolezal	Theresa May
2	#EnTwitterSiempreEsta	#AllDayBreakfast	#NationalBadgerDay
3	Twilight	#SeeTheMomentWhen	#charitytuesday
4	Theresa May	#NiallsNewGirlfriend	#RAW
5	#MTVFanWars5SOSFam	#NewSpaceFacts	#IoDAC
6	Lolla	Twilight	#MTVFanWars5SOSFam
7	Lions	Victor Cruz	Busted
8	#شي_جميل_بحرف_ا…	#WildCard	#IsBritainRacist
9	#البنات_ايش_يا�…	Chantal Akerman	#IDSMurder
10	#HoyEstaPara	Chris Archer	#TravelTuesday

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Yemeni Civil War (2015)
- A hotel where Vice President of Yemen and Prime Minister Khaled Bahah was staying in Aden which was also being used as a de-facto military base by Arab coalition forces is hit by multiple explosions killing at least 15 coalition soldiers. Although theHouthis were first suspected and accused of being behind the attack, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has since claimed responsibility, marking the first attack on Arab coalition forces in Yemen by the extremist group. (CNN) (Al-Arabiyah News)
- In the Houthi-controlled Yemeni capital, Sanaa, at least seven people are killed following a suicide-bomb attack on the al-Nour mosque. (Reuters)
Syrian Civil War, Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War
- NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says Russia’s pair of violations of Turkish airspace over the weekend do not look like accidents. Russia, which said it’s looking into claims of a second violation, reported the first violation lasted a few seconds and was due to poor weather. (BBC)
- Russian warplanes bomb Islamic State positions in the central Syrian city of Palmyra and in the northern Aleppo province, releasing videos that show them destroying 20 vehicles and 3 weapons depots. (Reuters)
- Turkey says its jets patrolling the Turkish-Syrian border were directly threatened by a Russian MiG-29 and later by an an anti-aircraft missile system which locked-radar on the Turkish jets. (Independent)
Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- Russia says it would consider extending its air-strikes against Islamic State militants in Syria to Iraq if it receives such a request from the Iraqi government. Iraqi President, Fuad Masum has recently said he would welcome this assistance. (Reuters)
Boko Haram insurgency
- A Boko Haram attack near Lake Chad kills at least 11 Chadian troops while 17 Boko Haram militants are also reportedly killed in the fighting following the pre-dawn strike on Chadian army positions. (AFP via Yahoo)

Business and economy

The European Court of Justice decides an international agreement, generally known as a Safe Harbor rule, used by thousands of companies for moving people’s digital data between the European Union and the United States is invalid, effective immediately. The decision throws into doubt how global technology giants like Facebook, Amazon and Google can collect, manage, and analyze online information from their millions of users in the 28-member bloc. Decisions by this court, the highest legal authority in the EU, cannot be appealed. (The New York Times) (USA Today) (BBC) (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Typhoon Mujigae (2015)
- Sixteen campers are missing in south China‘s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region following a flash flood in a camping reserve. (Xinhua)
October 2015 nor’easter, Hurricane Joaquin
- Thirteen people are reported to have died during this storm, 11 in South Carolina and two in North Carolina. At least 18 dams have breached or failed since Saturday. Communities downstream face a mass of water working its way toward the low-lying coast. (CNN)
- Hurricane Joaquin missed the East Coast but brought tropical moisture aimed directly at South Carolina. (ABC News)
2015 El Cambray Dos landslide
- The death toll from Thursday’s landslide in the Guatemalan village of El Cambray Dos increased to 152 with more than 300 people missing. No survivors have been found at the site. Search crews have found entire families who died huddled together and buried alive. The Guatemala’s National Disaster Reduction Commission, known as the Conred, declared the area uninhabitable. (BBC) (Reuters) (Press TV)

International relations

Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Israel destroys the homes of three Palestinian terrorists. Rassen and Udai abu-Jamal who committed the 2014 Jerusalem synagogue attack and Moatez Hijazi who committed the excavator rampage in Jerusalem during the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict.(Jerusalem Post)

Law and crime

2015 Burkinabe coup d’état
- Associated Press reports that coup leader General Gilbert Diendéré has been formally charged. (AP via ABC News America)
Former President of the United Nations General Assembly John William Ashe is charged with taking US$1.3 million in bribes from Chinese businessmen. (AFP via Channel News Asia)

Science and technology

Takaaki Kajita and Arthur B. McDonald win the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics for their discovery of neutrino oscillations. (AP via Yahoo! News)

Sport

2015 FIFA corruption case
- South Korean FIFA presidential candidate Chung Mong-joon admits that he is facing charges before FIFA’s ethics committee but denies wrongdoing. (Reuters via Daily Nail)

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October 31, 2015

October 30, 2015

Top News Stories –

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

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

Video of the Day –

Nike: Snow Day

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#YaVieneNoviembreY	#HappyHalloween	#BuyFocusOniTunes
2	#HappyHalloween	#FridayFeeling	#FridayFeeling
3	貴サークル	Grantland	#scotlab15
4	#BuyFocusOniTunes	#YouMightBeSingleIn5Words	#HappyHalloween
5	#RespectForJustin	#FashionTipsIn4Words	Shaker Aamer
6	Olivia	#HowDidWeEndUpHere	Bob Ross
7	冬コミ	#BuyFocusOniTunes	Benedict Cumberbatch
8	#الهلال_الاتحاد	Piss On Your Grave	Olivia
9	Hayırlı Cumalar	Bob Ross	#TOPdebate
10	Grantland	Shaker Aamer	#HowDidWeEndUpHere

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- At least 65 people are killed and 250 injured in Syrian government airstrikes targeting a marketplace in the city of Douma, Syria. (WSJ) (Reuters) (Al Jazeera via Yahoo!)
- American-led intervention in Syria
  - U.S. President Barack Obama is set to send Special Operations forces to regions in northern Syria under Kurdish control to help local forces fight the Islamic State. (New York Times) (Reuters)
Andrew Parker, head of British security agency MI5, states that ISIS terrorists are planning attacks in Great Britain and current terror threat levels are the highest he’s witnessed in his career. (The Telegraph)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict (2015)
- Two assailants are shot dead by Israeli police after knife-wielding Palestinians attacked Israelis in Jerusalem and in the occupied West Bank. Another four people, including a Palestinian assailant, are injured in incidents at an Israeli checkpoint outside the West Bank city of Nablus and at a tram station in East Jerusalem. (Reuters) (Al Jazeera)
Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- The Iranian-funded Shi’ite Al-Mukhtar Army claims responsibility for Thursday’s deadly rocket attacks near the Baghdad International Airport that killed 23 members of an exiled Iranian opposition group, the People’s Mujahedin of Iran. (Reuters)

Arts and Culture

Happy Days actor Al Molinaro dies at 96. (Washington Post)

Business and economics

Quebec-based Valeant Pharmaceuticals International cut all ties with Philidor Rx Services. This comes in the wake of recent revelations that Valeant was looking to acquire Philidor, a relationship that raised questions from various quarters. Valeant is the subject of U.S. federal investigations. (New York Times)
- America’s two largest pharmacy benefit managers, CVS Health Corp. and Express Scripts, drop Philidor from their networks after an audit showed the company’s “noncompliance” with its provider agreement. Bloomberg reports Philidor had written instructions to, in some cases, change codes on prescriptions so it would appear physicians required or patients desired Valeant’s brand-name drugs — not less expensive generic versions. (Reuters via Business Insider) (Bloomberg)
Volkswagen emissions scandal
- U.K. transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin says Volkswagen has to start financially addressing this problem by compensating motorists with, the estimated total is £600m (US$925 million). (Sky News) (Bitterwallet)

Disasters and accidents

2015 Bucharest nightclub explosion
- At least 27 people are killed and more than 180 hospitalized with injuries after a fire in a nightclub in the Romanian capital Bucharest. Officials say a heavy metal band’s pyrotechnical show sparked a fire inside the Colectiv nightclub. (Sputnik News),(BBC) (Fox News)
2015 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
- Cyclone Chapala intensifies in the Arabian Sea as it heads towards Yemen and Oman which rarely experience tropical cyclones. The cyclone is expected to dump two years worth of rain on the normally arid Arabian Peninsula in two days. (Sydney Morning Herald via WA Today)
One construction worker dies and at least one more is under the rubble from the collapse of a building being demolished to make way for a Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide luxury boutique hotel in New York City. (AP via ABC News) (Reuters)
European migrant crisis
- Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras lashes out at European “ineptness” in handling the continent’s massive immigration crisis. The Associated Press reports 31 more people — mostly children — drowned in shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea near the islands of Kalymnos and Rhodes. Turkey’s state-run agency says four children drowned and two others are missing after two new accidents with boats headed to Greece’s Lesbos and Samos islands. The death toll in the Aegean Sea over the past three days is at least 50. The Greek coast guard says they rescued 600 people in the past 24 hours, while thousands more made it safely from Turkey to Greece’s southeastern islands. (AP via Huffington Post) (Reuters)
Storms hit the American state of Texas causing at least two deaths with one person reported missing. Rivers overflowed as more than a foot of rain fell in some areas while tornadoes ripped through buildings outside San Antonio. (NBC News) (Reuters)
A building collapse in Henan province in central China leaves 17 workers dead and 23 injured. (Xinhua via iCrossChina
A Virginia (U.S.) school bus overturns after being struck by a van, sending 28 students to local hospitals with five seriously injured. (Inside Edition)

International relations

Shaker Aamer, the last British resident held at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, is released. Aamer faces no charges in Britain; Scotland Yard detectives questioned him for three days during his detention. (BBC) (AP via Seattle Times)
Territorial disputes in the South China Sea
- The European Union sides with the United States over Tuesday’s U.S.-Chinese patrolling incident in the South China Sea. (Reuters)
Syria peace talks in Vienna, Syrian Civil War
- Representatives from about 20 countries meet in Vienna, Austria, seeking a political solution to Syria’s four-year civil war that has killed more than 250,000 people, including dozens more today. For the first time Iran is at the table, where diplomats seek peace through a ceasefire plan followed by a transitional government. (USA Today) (Payvand.com)

Law and crime

Territorial disputes in the South China Sea
- The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague rules it has jurisdiction to hear the Philippines‘ case against China over maritime disputes in the South China Sea. (The Diplomat) (BBC News)
U.S. Army judge Col. James Pohl denies Guantanamo detainee Walid bin Attash’s request to drop his legal counsel clearing the way for the trial’s continuation. (Military Times)
Polish Judge Dariusz Mazur rules the law forbids film director Roman Polanski’s extradition to the U.S. where he pleaded guilty nearly four decades ago to having sex with a minor. The prosecutors can appeal the ruling. (Sky News) (BBC)

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November 9, 2015

Top News Stories –

David Beckham dons Argentina shirt to play in Buenos Aires shanty-town –
David Beckham has delighted children in one of the poorest districts of Buenos Aires by pulling on an Argentine shirt and joining them for a kick around. The former England captain, who was famously given a red card during a bruising encounter with Argentina in the 1998 World Cup, was in Argentina to film a documentary about football around the world. Beneath a mural of Pope Francis, an Argentine football fanatic, Beckham darted about on the concrete with the evidently delighted children. Beckham posted a photo on Instagram of himself beaming, with the caption: “Smiles all around. The passion of these kids and people for the game in the country is truly amazing. #Love of the game.” [Daily Telegraph]
David Beckham on Instagram

Indonesia drugs: Crocodiles ‘to guard death row prisons’ –
The head of Indonesia’s anti-drugs agency has proposed building a prison island guarded by crocodiles to house death-row drug convicts. Budi Waseso said crocodiles often made better guards than humans – because they could not be bribed. He said he would visit different parts of the Indonesian archipelago in order to find the fiercest reptiles. Indonesia has some of the toughest drug laws in the world and ended a four-year moratorium on executions in 2013. “We will place as many crocodiles as we can there,” Mr Waseso was quoted as saying by local news website Tempo. “You can’t bribe crocodiles. You can’t convince them to let inmates escape.” The plan is still in the early stages, and neither the location nor the potential opening date of the jail have been decided, the AFP news agency reports. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Star Wars: Battlefront Live Action Trailer – Become More Powerful

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	Hedy Lamarr	#mondaymotivation	#mondaymotivation
2	#4DaysUntilMITAM	Hedy Lamarr	#EqualPayDay
3	#EndOfTheDay	#EndOfTheDay	#CBI2015
4	#OhNoBriana	#LoveYourself	#LoveYourself
5	#LoveYourself	#BeBraveIn4Words	#ScotlandBill
6	#FelizLunes	#Mizzou	David Moyes
7	#السعوديه_فلسط…	Baby Hitler	The Sun
8	#TWD6naFOX	#PickUpLinesForRepublicans	#AskDemi
9	재규어	Andre Drummond	Garry Monk
10	Jack Gilinsky	Jordan Matthews	Good Charlotte

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Amman shooting attack
- A Jordanian policeman shoots dead two American instructors and a South African before being killed at a police training centre in Al-Muwaqqar, on the eastern outskirts of Amman. U.S. contractors are sent to the facility to assist Jordanian police trainers.(BBC)
Boko Haram insurgency
- The government of Chad declares a state of emergency in the Lake Chad area a day after a double suicide bombing that has killed two people. (AFP via Yahoo News)
Syrian Civil War, Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War
- Using social media, Russian investigative bloggers from the Conflict Intelligence Team photo-geolocate three Russian military personnel outside expected air support operations areas — evidence of what the group says may be a broader Russian military role in Syria.(Reuters)

Art and culture

In the U.S., University of Missouri System president Tim Wolfe announces his resignation after mounting criticism of his handling of racial issues; the Board of Curators votes to accept his resignation. R. Bowen Loftin, chancellor of the flagship Columbia campus, announces he will step down from his post by the end of the year. (ESPN) (USA Today) (ABC News)
Amedeo Modigliani‘s 1917 painting Nu couché sells at an auction at Christie’s for $170.4 million, the second highest price for a painting on record. (New York Times)

Business and economy

The German airline Lufthansa suspends 929 flights leaving 113,000 passengers stranded as a result of a cabin crew strike. (AFP via Yahoo! finance)

Disasters and accidents

2015 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
- Cyclone Megh
  - Cyclone Megh had sustained winds of 204 km/h (127 mph), the equivalent of a Category 3 hurricane, when it hit the island of Socotra. According to AFP, Megh killed six, injured dozens with three reported missing and 5,000 people forced to leave their homes. (Reuters) (USA Today) (Al Jazeera) (AFP via Yahoo)
  - Megh is expected to cross the Yemen coast Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. Arabia Standard Time (6:00 a.m. UTC). In the Gulf of Aden, the storm has maximum sustained winds of 111 km/h (69 mph), gusting to 130 km/h (81 mph). Its strength will significantly erode once it makes landfall and continue to decay after it moves inland into the dry and rugged terrain of Western Yemen. It is not expected to track back over water. (United States Naval Observatory) (Regional Specialized Meteorological Center)

International relations

European migrant crisis
- Slovenia tightens controls over its Schengen border with Croatia due to concerns of an influx of migrants. (AFP via Yahoo News)
Syrian Civil War
- Human Rights Watch releases a report finding, because of a language barrier, integration issues, and financial difficulties, more than 400,000 Syrian refugee children in Turkey are not able to attend school despite the Turkish government allowing them access to the Turkish schooling system. (AP)

Law and crime

Detainees at Australia‘s Christmas Island Immigration Reception and Processing Centre riot, following the death of an asylum seeker. (The Australian)
Federal district court judge Richard Leon rules the National Security Agency’s bulk collection of U.S. phone records is unconstitutional. This ruling has limited impact since it applies to only one case, and the NSA is scheduled to replace this protocol with a more targeted system the end of this month. (Reuters) (Foreign Policy)
In the United States, the University of Virginia fraternity that was the subject of a Rolling Stone article about a brutal campus rape, filed a $25 million defamation lawsuit against the magazine and the article’s writer. (NBC News) (The Washington Post)
The U.S. Court of Appeals in New Orleans, Louisiana, in a 2-1 decision, upholds a lower court’s injunction that blocks implementation of an Executive order to shield from deportation millions of undocumented immigrants who entered the United States as children. The White House is considering an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. (Reuters) (The Washington Post)

Politics and elections

The Catalan Parliament passes a resolution calling for the Catalonian region to secede from Spain. Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy says his government will seek to invalidate the motion with an appeal to the Constitutional Court in the coming days.(AP) (Reuters) (The Himalayan Times)
Myanmar general election, 2015
- Myanmar’s ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) concedes defeat in Sunday’s first free nationwide election in a quarter of a century. Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD), which has won 49 of the first 54 declared seats for the 330-seat lower house, appears headed for a landslide victory that would ensure it forms the next government. (Reuters) (Tribble Agency)
- United to End Genocide, an American-based human rights group, in the aftermath of the country’s historic election, warns that ethnic and religious tension in Myanmar could boil over and lead to violence. (The Washington Post)
The United Kingdom House of Commons passes the Scotland Bill devolving powers to Scotland. (BBC)

Science and technology

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere reached a record high in 2014 and the relentless fueling of climate change is endangering the planet for future generations. (Scientific American) (USA Today)

Sport

A World Anti-Doping Agency investigation into a Russian doping scandal recommends the suspension of Russian athletes from international competition and lifetime bans for five athletes, four coaches and an administrator. Among the athletes are London Olympic medalists Mariya Savinova-Farnosova and Ekaterina Poistogova. (AP via ABC News America)

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December 13, 2015

Top News Stories –

Ed Sheeran ‘quits’ social media –
Singer Ed Sheeran has announced he is “taking a break” from social media as he is “seeing the world through a screen and not my eyes”. Writing on his Instagram account, the singer explained he was “taking the opportunity of not having to be anywhere… to travel the world”. He also confirmed to fans that his third album is “on its way” and “is the best thing I have made thus far”. Sheeran has 16 million Twitter and 5.5 million Instagram followers. He has just completed a world tour of his number one album x (pronounced “multiply”) in Auckland, New Zealand. Before the final show, he also tweeted that he was “buggering off for a while”. [BBC]

Ed Sheeran

UFC 194: Conor McGregor knocks out Jose Aldo after 13 seconds –
Conor McGregor knocked out Jose Aldo after just 13 seconds at UFC 194 to win the featherweight title in Las Vegas. Irishman McGregor, 27, beat the long-time champion by landing a strong left hand with his first connecting punch to secure the fastest ever knockout in a UFC title fight. McGregor claimed in the build up to the fight that he would “embarrass” Aldo with a first-round knockout. “Precision beats power, timing beats speed,” McGregor said afterwards. “I feel for Jose. He’s a phenomenal champion. He deserved to go a little bit longer.” It was also Brazilian Aldo’s first defeat in 10 years after winning 18 straight fights. [BBC]
Conor McGregor

Video of the Day –

Tiny Hamster Agility Course – Dumptruck Vs Porkchop

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#زد_رصيدك30	#ExplainAFilmPlotBadly	#HappyBirthdayTaylor
2	#HappyBirthdayTaylor	#HappyBirthdayTaylor	#explainafilmplotbadly
3	#ExplainAFilmPlotBadly	#thisisnottheendofonedirec…	#XFactorFinal
4	#اجمل_عباره_تح�…	#NicholasRobertson	#avfcvafc
5	#DomingoFelizDetremuraSdv	#GeriatricStripClubNames	#UFC194
6	#electionsregionales	Independence Day	#Strictly
7	#UFC194	#DALvsGB	Shaker Aamer
8	#podemosremontada	#MundialDeClubes	#JoshuaWhyte
9	#اكبر_تجمع_للي�…	#NocheDeConfesiones	Reggie and Bollie
10	#اريد_من_الوزي�…	Bucks	Robert Dyas

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in North-West Pakistan
- At least 25 people are killed and dozens injured in a bombing at a second-hand clothes market in the city of Parachinar in the Kurram Valley. (Pakistan Tribune) (The News)
Syrian Civil War
- Syrian rebels fire volleys of mortar shells into Damascus, killing three people and wounding at least 30. Government forces respond with airstrikes into rebel-controlled Douma, just northeast of the capital, and surface-to-surface missiles into Eastern Ghouta and Saqba, that kill at least 35 people and injure many more, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (AP via The Washington Post) (Reuters)
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
- Israel says an Arab-Israeli man who served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has joined Islamic State militants in Syria. (Reuters)
2015 Burundian unrest
- The U.S. State Department issues a travel advisory for Burundi and advises its citizens there to leave as soon as possible due to the increased violence in the capital Bujumbura where 87 people were killed this weekend. Families of U.S. government personnel and non-emergency personnel have been ordered to leave immediately. (UPI) (US State)
Gaza–Israel conflict
- Israeli Air Force planes hit two Hamas targets in Gaza in retaliation for rocket fire from the Palestinian territory. (Ynet News) (The Times of israel)

Disasters and accidents

At least 23 patients are killed and 23 injured in a psychiatric hospital fire in the Voronezh Oblast in western Russia. The remaining 24 patients were safely evacuated. (ABC News America) (AP via The Charlotte Observer)

International relations

European migration crisis
- On the eve of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party’s convention in Karlsruhe, Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel says, “We want to noticeably reduce the number of people who come to us, but not through unilateral national measures alone.” She acknowledges the crisis could overwhelm Germany if it went on much longer. Merkel warded off pressure from immigration skeptics within the CDU to include a quota in the refugee policy motion the convention will vote on. (Jerusalem Post)(Bloomberg) (Reuters via International Business Times) (The Financial Times)
Russia–Turkey relations
- A Russian warship fires warning shots at a Turkish vessel in the Aegean Sea to “avoid a collision”, according to the Russian Defence Ministry. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Houston mayoral election, 2015
- Veteran Texas lawmaker Sylvester Turner edges out businessman Bill King by just over 4,000 votes in Houston’s runoff mayoral election. Turner, a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives since 1989, took 51 percent of the vote. King conceded defeat and encouraged Houston citizens to support the incoming mayor. Turner succeeds Annise Parker who was not eligible to run for re-election. (Reuters) (KHOU)
Saudi Arabian municipal elections, 2015
- Unofficial results show at least 17 Saudi Arabian women won municipal council seats in the kingdom’s third-ever election, and the first to allow female participation. Voters elected representatives for two thirds of the municipal council seats. The government announced that 979 women were candidates. (Reuters) (NPR) (Daily Pakistan)
French regional elections, 2015
- With most of the votes counted, the opposition conservatives of former president Nicolas Sarkozy’s party win in six of the country’s 13 regions and lead in the Paris region. The ruling Socialists of President François Hollande’s party capture five regions. The winner in Corsica is not affiliated with a major party. France’s far-right National Front (FN) fails to win a single region but did record its best showing in its history. Voter turnout was 58 percent. Definitive results are expected Monday. (The Guardian)(Politico) (The Straits Times) (Sky News) (Reuters)
Central African Republic constitutional referendum, 2015
- While voters in Central African Republic cast their ballots in a constitutional referendum aimed at ending years of sectarian strife, clashes erupt in the capital Bangui’s PK5 Muslim neighborhood, killing at least two and injuring over 20. PK5 residents, visited by Pope Francis two weeks ago, marched to the U.N. headquarters in the country to complain they were unable to cast their ballots. The proposed constitution would limit a president to two terms, add an upper house to go along with the National Assembly, and fight institutional corruption. (France24) (Reuters) (Al Jazeera)
2015 protests in Brazil
- Tens of thousands of Brazilians protest in cities around the country to demand that Congress impeach President Dilma Rousseff. The lower house of Congress opened impeachment proceedings on 2 December 2015. (Reuters) (AP via ABC News)(Reuters-Congress)

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May 4, 2016

Top News Stories –

Instagram hacked by 10-year-old boy –
A 10-year-old Finnish boy named Jani has been given $10,000 (£7,000) after he found a security flaw in image-sharing social network Instagram. The boy, who technically is not allowed to even join the site for another three years, discovered a bug that allowed him to delete comments made by other users. The issue was “quickly” fixed after being discovered, said Facebook, which owns Instagram. Jani was paid soon after – making him the youngest ever recipient of the firm’s “bug bounty” prize. After discovering the flaw in February, he emailed Facebook. Security engineers at the company set up a test account for Jani to prove his theory – which he did. The boy, from Helsinki, told Finnish newspaper Iltalehti he planned to use the money to buy a new bike, football equipment and computers for his brothers. Facebook told the BBC it had paid $4.3m to bug bounty recipients since 2011. [BBC]

Apple loses trademark fight over ‘iPhone’ name in China –
Apple has lost a trademark fight in China, meaning a firm which sells handbags and other leather goods can continue to use the name “IPHONE”. The Beijing Municipal High People’s Court ruled in favour of Xintong Tiandi Technology, said the official Legal Daily newspaper. Xintong Tiandi trademarked “IPHONE” for leather products in China in 2010. Apple filed a trademark bid for the name for electronic goods in 2002, but it was not approved until 2013. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

7 Tips To Wake Up Without Coffee – ASAP Science

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Moro conflict
- The Abu Sayyaf militant group threatens to behead a Canadian hostage, a Filipina hostage, and a Norwegian hostage. (The Guardian)
Syrian Civil War
- Dozens of people have died in heavy fighting between Syrian government and opposition forces in the western Aleppo Governorate. (Reuters)
Kurdish–Turkish conflict (2015–present)
- Suspected Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants launch a car bomb attack on a military installation in Turkey, killing one soldier; Turkey’s army destroyes PKK targets in air strikes and kills more than 20. (Reuters)
Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
- Assailants from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) armed with machetes hacked at least 16 civilians to death in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. (FOX News) (Leadership)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Hamas says it has reached a truce with the Israeli military following hostilities today along the Gaza–Israel border. There were no casualties. (The Jerusalem Post) (Reuters)

Business and economy

Philippine presidential election, 2016
- The Philippine stock market continues to fall for the fifth straight day due to fears about the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte. He continues to lead in opinion polls. (The Philippine Star), (Rappler)
British publisher Trinity Mirror announces that its daily newspaper, The New Day, will close after just two months since its launch, after sales fell to around 30,000 copies per day. The last edition will be printed on May 6. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Fort McMurray wildfire
- Alberta Premier Rachel Notley says the wildfire has destroyed about 1,600 structures in Fort McMurray, which is in Canada’s oil sands region. No major oil sands facilities are in the fire’s path, though twoRoyal Dutch Shell mines are closing, and a Suncor Energy facility is reducing crude production. The fire is threatening the Alberta Highway 63 bridge across the Athabasca River, the sole route south. TheCanadian Red Cross is encouraging people to donate funds rather than clothing. (Reuters) (USA Today) (Métro)
At least 13 people are killed and 53 injured after a bus skids off a bridge while travelling between India‘s Jharkhand state to Raipur, capital of Chhattisgarh state. (AFP via Daily Mail)

International relations

European migrant crisis, EU-Turkey relations
- The European Union proposes visa-free travel for Turkish citizens within Europe’s Schengen Area and invites member states and EU lawmakers to endorse the move by June 30. The EU says Turkey has met all but five of the 72 criteria included in the agreement in exchange for its efforts to stop asylum seekers from reaching Europe. This visa deal also needs approval from the European Parliament.(AP) (UPI)

Law and crime

North Carolina Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act
- The U.S. Justice Department notifies North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory that the state’s new law which limits restroom access for transgender people violates the U.S. Civil Rights Act, and asks for a response by May 9 whether the state will correct “these violations of Title VII.” The Governor’s statement in response does not specifically say what the state will do. (Reuters) (CNN)

Politics and elections

The Nepalese Maoist Party says that they will withdraw support from Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli and form a new government. (Reuters)
United States presidential election, 2016
- Ohio Governor John Kasich suspends his campaign. He was the last Republican Party challenger to Donald Trump for the GOP presidential nomination. (VICE)(CNN)

Science and technology

IBM allows the public to access a five-qubit quantum computer its researchers have developed in Yorktown Heights, New York. (Wired)

Sport

2015–16 UEFA Champions League
- Real Madrid beat Manchester City 1–0 to set-up a UEFA Champions League Final against city rivals Atlético Madrid on May 28, in Milan, Italy. It will be a repeat of the 2014 UEFA Champions League Final.(UEFA Champions League)

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The 2010s

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