November 29, 2014

Top News Stories –

Did North Korea order hack on Sony Pictures computers? –
Sony Pictures Entertainment is said to be investigating whether North Korea was behind a hack of its computer network, over a Hollywood film depicting a plot to assassinate Kim Jong-un. The hermit state’s anger over the comedy about CIA plans to kill its leader may have been behind the attack on the company’s system, according to tech news website Re/code. A group calling itself #GOP (Guardians of Peace) posted a warning on employees computers on Monday saying “If you don`t obey us, we’ll release the data shown below to the world”, giving a deadline of 11:00 the same day and listing five data links. #GOP said Sony Pictures had been warned before but did not detail its demands. North Korea had threatened “a strong and merciless countermeasure” against the US if it released the Sony Pictures’ film The Interview.

Angelina Jolie ‘set to become a peer’ –
The dusty old House of Lords has been considerably enlivened in the past few weeks when a number of half-famous people have been officially sworn in as members of Parliament’s second chamber. But the most excitement came last week when Arminka Helic – best known as a highly-regarded special adviser to former foreign secretary William Hague – was formally welcomed into the House of Lords as Baroness Helic of Millbank. Elderly Parliamentarians dozing off a good lunch were startled to glance up to the public gallery and spot actress Angelina Jolie, an old friend of Lady Helic, gazing down benignly. Now tongues are wagging in Westminster that Miss Jolie is being lined up herself set on a seat in the House of Lords. The idea is not so far-fetched. Last month Miss Jolie was made an honorary dame by the Queen for her campaign work fighting sexual violence and for services to UK foreign policy. And last week it emerged that Miss Jolie has decided to retire from acting and focus her energies on her humanitarian work.[Daily Telegraph]
Angelina_JolieAngelina Jolie

Video of the Day –

Sounds of Paragliding from shams on Vimeo.

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December 6, 2014

Top News Stories –

Typhoon Hagupit hits the Philippines –
Typhoon Hagupit is sweeping across the eastern Philippines, threatening coastal areas with a powerful sea-surge. Roofs have been blown off in the city of Tacloban, where thousands were killed by Typhoon Haiyan a year ago and more than half a million people have fled coastal villages.

Slice of Prince William and Kate’s wedding cake sells for $6,000 at auction –
A wedding cake slice from the 2011 wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge has been sold at an auction in Beverly Hills for $6,000 (£4,000).
The buyer of this romantic slice of history was bought by Gee Chuang, the CEO of online marketplace Listia.com, who plans to give away the piece of wedding cake on the company’s website in April of next year to celebrate the royal couple’s fourth wedding anniversary. The eight-tiered wedding cake, made by pastry chef Fiona Cairns and her team, was adorned with icing flowers, petals and leaves. [Daily Telegraph]
Wedding_of_Prince_William_of_Wales_and_Kate_Middleton

iPhone crash landing protection –
Apple Inc was granted a patent last week on an innovation that can detect when a handset is falling – and rotates it to avoid the screen hitting the ground. If sensors calculate the screen or camera will hit the ground, a motor is instantly activated within the phone which moves an internal weight fast enough to affect the ‘rotational velocity’ of the device and spin it around so that it lands on a reinforced area. The idea could also work with iPads and other devices.

Al-Qaeda hostage killed during rescue mission –
Luke Somers, a US journalist who was being held captive in Yemen since 2013, has been shot by his captors during a a military operation to rescue him and later died. A video was released earlier this week showing a member of al-Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula (AQAP) threatening to kill Mr Somers unless unspecified demands are met.

Video of the Day –

I’ve fallen and I can’t get up – Crowd dynamics test using Miarmy for Maya

I've fallen, and I can't get up! from Dave Fothergill vfx on Vimeo.

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January 6, 2015

Top News Stories –

Prince Ali challenges for FIFA presidency –
Fifa vice-president Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein will challenge incumbent Sepp Blatter for the leadership of world football’s governing body on 29th May 2105. The Jordanian Prince, son of the late King Hussein and the late Queen Alia will stand as a candidate at Fifa’s presidential election where Blatter, 78, will seek a fifth term of office. Prince Ali said: “It is time to shift the focus away from administrative controversy and back to sport. “The headlines should be about football, not about Fifa.” Former diplomat Jerome Champagne, who joined Fifa in 1999, is the only other challenger to run for the presidency.
Prince Ali bin Al HusseinPrince Ali bin Al Hussein

This is Quite Interesting –
QI presenter Stephen Fry is to marry his partner, Elliott Spencer. The 57 year-old has given formal notice to wed Mr Spencer, 27, at a registry office in Dereham, Norfolk, near where he grew up. He confirmed it to his 8 million plus followers on Twitter (@StephenFry) after The Sun newspaper revealed the marriage plans. Fry said: “Oh. It looks as though a certain cat is out of a certain bag. I’m very very happy of course but had hoped for a private wedding. Fat chance!”
Stephen Fry twitter 01

Footballing giant –
His football (soccer) team lost 2-1 to Liverpool in yesterday’s FA Cup but Adebayo Akinfenwa (@daRealAAkinfenwa), Wimbledon FC centre forward not only scored but set Twitter alight with over 39,000 related tweets. The 5’11”, 16 stone (224lb) striker known as the Beast is the world’s strongest player according to the FIFA 15 game. Before the match, the man who can bench press 180kg (392lb) warned team-mates “I want Steven Gerrard’s shirt,” he said before the match. “I’ve told the boys that if anyone gets his shirt before me we are going to have a problem.” He got Gerrard’s shirt.
AdebayoAkinfenwa

Lance Percival dies –
Actor Lance Percival, who starred in British hit comedy in Up Pompeii, has died at the age of 81.
Lance Percival

Nike shoes accepted as bail –
A man in the US state of Massachusetts has avoided jail for failing to pay court fees by leaving a pair of $85 (£55.94) Nike trainers as a bail bond. Judge Douglas Stoddart offered Jason Duval, who is charged with drug offences, the chance to “be creative”. He can get the shoes back by paying $100 or doing 10 hours of community service.

Video of the Day –

Toronto Skyline Porn from Ryan Emond on Vimeo.

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February 1, 2015

Top News Stories –

Patriots win the Super Bowl –
The New England Patriots become the first team in Super Bowl history to trail by double digits in the second half and win Super Bowl XLIX at the University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona. The Patriots took the lead from the Seattle Seahawks with two minutes left and held on for a 28-24 victory. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who completed a Super Bowl record 37 of 50 passes for 328 yards and four touchdowns, with two interceptions, was named Super Bowl MVP. The half-time show was fronted by Katy Perry, Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliot.
Tom Brady 2011Tom Brady

Djokovic defeats Murray to win Aussie Open again –
Novak Djokovic wins his fifth Australian Open, beating Andy Murray 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-0. Andy Murray’s fiancee Kim Sears laughed off the controversy over her colourful language caught on camera during Murray’s semi-final against Tomas Berdych on January 29th 2015 in Melbourne by wearing a ‘Parental Advisory: Explicit Content’ t-shirt at the Australian Open final.
Parental Advisory label

Adding insult to injury –
Democratic Republic of Congo footballer Gabriel Zakuani is run into by the stretcher buggy during his team’s semi final against Congo in the Africa Cup of Nations. The defender was already injured when the buggy hit him. DR Congo went on to win 4-2 without Zakuani who also plays for Peterborough United in the UK, but he was not badly hurt.
Gabriel Zakuani

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February 24, 2015

Top News Story –

Perks of the job –
The Brazilian judge presiding over criminal proceedings against charismatic entrepreneur Eike Batista, once Brazil’s richest man, has been spotted driving a Porsche belonging to the fallen tycoon that had been seized by the court. Flavio Roberto de Souza, who is overseeing Batista’s trial for insider trading, was seen driving the white Porsche Cayenne by reporters for Estado de S.Paulo’s news agency after a tip-off from Batista’s lawyer. [Daily Telegraph]
EIKE_BATISTAEike Batista

Video of the Day –

The best table tennis shot ever made?

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February 26, 2015

Top News Story –

Owl attacks in Nederlands –
Residents in the northern Dutch town of Purmerend have been advised to take umbrellas out at night after a spate of attacks by an owl. Dozens of residents have suffered head injuries over the past three weeks at the claws of the rogue European eagle owl. Two runners were attacked on Tuesday, with one requiring stitches for five separate head wounds. The European eagle owl’s usual prey are small mammals and birds. [BBC]
European-Eagle-Owl

Video of the Day –

Pilot successfully crash lands historic fighter plane

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June 11, 2015

Top News Stories –

Sir Christopher Lee death announced –
In one of his final interviews, Sir Christopher Lee declared his intention never to retire. “When I die, I want to die with my boots on,” he said.
The actor remained true to his word. He was preparing for his latest film role – a drama called The 11th, co-starring Uma Thurman – when he died on Sunday morning [June 7, 2015] at London’s Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. Sir Christopher was one of the greats of the 20th century, but his career hit new heights in the last 15 years of his life. He will be best remembered by those of a certain age for playing Count Dracula in his Hammer Horror days, but to younger film fans he was a star of two of the biggest franchises ever made: Saruman in Lord of the Rings and Count Dooku in Star Wars. [Daily Telegraph] He appeared in over 200 films (See List of the Day)
Sir-Christopher-Lee-in-2013Sir Christopher Lee (1922-2015)

Female scientists post ‘distractingly sexy’ photos –
Female scientists have been sharing “distractingly sexy” photos of themselves after a feminist website encouraged them to respond to comments by a Nobel laureate. Nobel Prize winner Tim Hunt was roundly criticised when he detailed his thoughts about the “trouble with girls” at a conference of science journalists. “Three things happen when they are in the lab,” he said, “you fall in love with them, they fall in love with you, and when you criticise them they cry.” He said his comments were meant to be “light-hearted, ironic comment”, but whatever the intention, it went over like a heavy metallic dirigible in a field with some widely acknowledged gender issues. Hunt has now resigned from his position at University College London. On Thursday the hashtag #DistractinglySexy began taking off, with more than 10,000 tweets in a matter of hours. [BBC Trending] See Top Twitter Trends (UK)

Video of the Day –

Saruman the White – from Lord of the Rings [from Youtube]

List of the Day –

Sir Christopher Lee film appearances (including voiceovers) [List from Wikipedia]

 

# Year Film Role Notes
1 1948 Corridor of Mirrors Charles
2 1948 One Night with You Pirelli’s Assistant
3 1948 Hamlet Spear Carrier Uncredited
4 1948 Penny and the Pownall Case Jonathan Blair
5 1948 A Song for Tomorrow Auguste
6 1948 My Brother’s Keeper Second Constable Deleted scenes
7 1948 Saraband for Dead Lovers Bit Part Uncredited
8 1948 Scott of the Antarctic Bernard Day
9 1949 Trottie True Bongo
10 1950 They Were Not Divided Chris Lewis
11 1950 Prelude to Fame Newsman
12 1951 Valley of Eagles Det. Holt
13 1951 Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. Spanish Captain
14 1951 Quo Vadis Chariot Driver Uncredited[1]
15 1952 The Crimson Pirate Joseph (attache)
16 1952 Top Secret Russian Agent Uncredited
17 1952 Paul Temple Returns Sir Felix Raybourne
18 1952 Babes in Bagdad Slave Dealer
19 1952 Moulin Rouge Georges Seurat
20 1953 Les vacances de Monsieur Hulot Voice Uncredited
21 1953 Innocents in Paris Lieutenant Whitlock Uncredited
22 1954 Destination Milan Svenson
23 1955 Man in Demand
24 1955 Crossroads Harry Cooper
25 1955 Final Column
26 1955 That Lady Captain
27 1955 Police Dog Johnny, a constable
28 1955 The Dark Avenger French Patrol Captain at Tavern Uncredited
29 1955 The Cockleshell Heroes Submarine Commander
30 1955 Storm Over the Nile Karaga Pasha
31 1956 Alias John Preston John Preston
32 1956 Private’s Progress Gen. von Linbeck’s aide Uncredited
33 1956 Port Afrique Franz Vermes
34 1956 Beyond Mombasa Gil Rossi
35 1956 The Battle of the River Plate Manolo
36 1957 Ill Met by Moonlight German Officer at Dentists
37 1957 Fortune Is a Woman Charles Highbury
38 1957 The Traitor Dr. Neumann
39 1957 The Curse of Frankenstein The Creature
40 1957 Manuela Voice Uncredited
41 1957 Bitter Victory Sgt. Barney
42 1957 The Truth About Women François
43 1958 A Tale of Two Cities Marquis St. Evremonde
44 1958 Dracula Count Dracula Alternative title: Horror of Dracula
45 1958 Battle of the V-1 Labor Camp Captain, Men’s Section
46 1958 Corridors of Blood Resurrection Joe
47 1959 The Hound of the Baskervilles Sir Henry Baskerville
48 1959 The Man Who Could Cheat Death Dr. Pierre Gerard
49 1959 The Treasure of San Teresa Jaeger
50 1959 The Mummy Kharis, the Mummy
51 1959 Uncle Was a Vampire Baron Roderico da Frankurten
52 1960 Too Hot to Handle Novak
53 1960 Beat Girl Kenny
54 1960 The City of the Dead Prof. Alan Driscoll Alternative title: Horror Hotel
55 1960 The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll Paul Allen
56 1960 The Hands of Orlac Nero the magician
57 1961 The Terror of the Tongs Chung King
58 1961 Taste of Fear Doctor Pierre Gerrard
59 1961 The Devil’s Daffodil Ling Chu
60 1961 Ercole al centro della terra King Lico (Licos) Alternative title: Hercules in the Haunted World
61 1962 Stranglehold
62 1962 The Puzzle of the Red Orchid Captain Allerman
63 1962 The Pirates of Blood River Captain LaRoche
64 1962 The Devil’s Agent Baron von Staub
65 1962 Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace Sherlock Holmes
66 1963 Katarsis Mephistoles
67 1963 La vergine di Norimberga Erich Aka Castle of Terror and Virgin of Nuremberg
68 1963 La frusta e il corpo Kurt Menliff Aka The Whip and the Body and Night Is the Phantom
69 1964 Il castello dei morti vivi Count Drago Alternative title: Castle of the Living Dead
70 1964 La cripta e l’incubo Count Ludwig Karnstein Aka Crypt of the Vampire and Crypt of Horror
71 1964 The Devil-Ship Pirates Captain Robeles
72 1964 The Gorgon Prof. Karl Meister
73 1965 Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors Franklyn Marsh
74 1965 She Billali
75 1965 The Skull Sir Matthew Phillips
76 1965 Ten Little Indians Voice of “Mr. Owen” Uncredited
77 1965 The Face of Fu Manchu Dr. Fu Manchu / Lee Tao
78 1966 Theatre of Death Philippe Darvas
79 1966 Dracula: Prince of Darkness Count Dracula
80 1966 Rasputin, the Mad Monk Grigori Rasputin
81 1966 Circus of Fear Gregor Alternative title: Psycho Circus
82 1966 The Brides of Fu Manchu Fu Manchu
83 1967 The Vengeance of Fu Manchu Dr. Fu Manchu
84 1967 Night of the Big Heat Godfrey Hanson
85 1967 Five Golden Dragons Dragon #4
86 1967 The Blood Demon Count Frederic Regula, Graf von Andomai Aka The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism and Castle of the Walking Dead
87 1968 Curse of the Crimson Altar Morley
88 1968 The Devil Rides Out Duc de Richleau
89 1968 Eve Colonel Stuart Alternative title: The Face of Eve
90 1968 The Blood of Fu Manchu Fu Manchu
91 1968 Dracula Has Risen from the Grave Count Dracula
92 1969 The Castle of Fu Manchu Fu Manchu
93 1969 The Oblong Box Dr. J. Neuhart
94 1969 The Magic Christian Ship’s vampire
95 1970 Scream and Scream Again Fremont
96 1970 Umbracle The Man
97 1970 The Bloody Judge (es) Lord George Jeffreys Alternative title: Night of the Blood Monster
98 1970 Count Dracula Count Dracula
99 1970 Taste the Blood of Dracula Count Dracula
100 1970 One More Time Count Dracula
101 1970 Julius Caesar Artemidorus
102 1970 Eugenie Dolmance Aka Eugenie – The Story of Her Journey into Perversion
103 1970 The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes Mycroft Holmes
104 1970 Scars of Dracula Count Dracula
105 1971 The House That Dripped Blood John Reid Segment: “Sweets to the Sweet”
105 1971 Cuadecuc, vampir Count Dracula/Himself
106 1971 I, Monster Dr. Charles Marlowe/Edward Blake
107 1971 Hannie Caulder Bailey
108 1972 Death Line Stratton-Villiers, MI5 Alternative title: Raw Meat
109 1972 Nothing But the Night Col. Charles Bingham
110 1972 Dracula A.D. 1972 Count Dracula
111 1973 Dark Places Dr. Mandeville
112 1973 The Creeping Flesh James Hildern
113 1973 The Satanic Rites of Dracula Count Dracula
114 1973 Horror Express Sir Alexander Saxton
115 1973 The Three Musketeers Rochefort
116 1973 The Wicker Man Lord Summerisle
117 1974 The Four Musketeers Rochefort
118 1974 The Man with the Golden Gun Francisco Scaramanga
119 1975 Diagnosis: Murder Dr. Stephen Hayward
120 1975 Le boucher, la star et l’orpheline Van Krig/Himself
121 1976 The Keeper The Keeper
122 1976 Killer Force Major Chilton Alternative title: The Diamond Mercenaries
123 1976 To the Devil, A Daughter Father Michael Rayner
124 1976 Dracula père et fils Prince of Darkness Alternative title: Dracula and Son
125 1976 Albino Bill Aka Whispering Death and Death in the Sun
126 1977 Airport ’77 Martin Wallace
127 1977 Meatcleaver Massacre On-screen narrator Aka Evil Force and Revenge of the Dead
128 1977 End of the World Father Pergado / Zindar
129 1977 Starship Invasions Captain Rameses
130 1978 Return from Witch Mountain Dr. Victor Gannon
131 1978 Caravans Sardar Khan
132 1978 Circle of Iron Zetan Alternative title: The Silent Flute
133 1979 The Passage Gypsy
134 1979 Arabian Adventure Alquazar
135 1979 Nutcracker Fantasy Uncle Drosselmeyer / Street Singer / Watchmaker Voice
136 1979 Jaguar Lives! Adam Caine
137 1979 Bear Island Lechinski
138 1979 1941 Capt. Wolfgang von Kleinschmidt
139 1979 Captain America II: Death Too Soon Miguel
140 1980 Serial Luckman Skull
141 1981 The Salamander Prince Baldasar, the Director of Counterintelligence
142 1981 Desperate Moves Dr. Carl Boxer
143 1981 An Eye for an Eye Morgan Canfield
144 1982 Safari 3000 Count Borgia
145 1982 The Last Unicorn King Haggard Voice; also in German language version
146 1983 New Magic Mr. Kellar
147 1983 The Return of Captain Invincible Mr. Midnight
148 1983 House of the Long Shadows Corrigan
149 1984 The Rosebud Beach Hotel Mr. Clifford King
150 1985 Mask of Murder Chief Supt. Jonathan Rich
151 1985 Howling II: Your Sister Is a Werewolf Stefan Crosscoe
152 1986 The Girl Peter Storm
153 1987 Jocks President White
154 1987 Mio min Mio Kato
155 1988 Dark Mission Luis Morel
156 1989 Murder Story Willard Hope
157 1989 La chute des aigles Walter Strauss
158 1989 The Return of the Musketeers Rochefort
159 1990 The Rainbow Thief Uncle Rudolf
160 1990 L’avaro Cardinale Spinosi
161 1990 Honeymoon Academy Lazos
162 1990 Panga
163 1990 Gremlins 2: The New Batch Doctor Catheter
164 1991 Curse III: Blood Sacrifice Doctor Pearson
165 1992 Jackpot Cedric
166 1992 Kabuto King Philip
167 1994 Police Academy: Mission to Moscow Cmndt. Alexandrei Nikolaivich Rakov
168 1994 Funny Man Callum Chance
169 1994 Flesh and Blood Narrator/Self Last collaboration with Peter Cushing
170 1995 A Feast at Midnight V. E. Longfellow, a.k.a. Raptor
171 1996 Welcome to the Discworld Death
172 1996 The Stupids Evil Sender
173 1998 Tale of the Mummy Sir Richard Turkel
174 1998 Jinnah Mohammed Ali Jinnah Lee considers this to be his favourite role/most significant[2]
175 1999 Sleepy Hollow Burgomaster
176 2001 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Saruman
177 2002 Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones Count Dooku / Darth Tyranus
178 2002 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Saruman
179 2003 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Saruman Extended Edition only
180 2004 Crimson Rivers II: Angels of the Apocalypse Heinrich von Garten
181 2005 The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby The Lord Provost
182 2005 Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith Count Dooku / Darth Tyranus
183 2005 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Dr. Wilbur Wonka
184 2005 Corpse Bride Pastor Galswells Voice
185 2007 The Golden Compass First High Councillor
186 2008 Star Wars: The Clone Wars Count Dooku / Darth Tyranus Voice
187 2009 Boogie Woogie Alfred Rhinegold
188 2009 Triage Joaquín Morales
189 2009 Glorious 39 Walter
190 2010 Alice in Wonderland Jabberwocky Voice
191 2010 Burke & Hare Joseph
192 2010 The Heavy Mr. Mason
193 2011 Season of the Witch Cardinal D’Ambroise
194 2011 The Resident August
195 2011 The Wicker Tree Old Gentleman
196 2011 Grave Tales Himself Original version only
197 2011 Hugo Monsieur Labisse
198 2012 The Hunting of the Snark Narrator Voice
199 2012 Dark Shadows Silas Clarney
200 2012 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Saruman
201 2013 Night Train to Lisbon Father Bartolomeu
202 2013 Necessary Evil Narrator Voice
203 2013 The Girl from Nagasaki Old Officer Pinkerton
204 2014 The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Saruman
205 2014 Extraordinary Tales Voice
206 2015 Angels in Notting Hill The Boss, Mr. President

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide USA UK
1 #LiamDay NOT AVAILABLE #MakeAMovieLessRomantic
2 #QueSeriaMiVidaSin NOT AVAILABLE #LiamDay
3 Marge y Homero NOT AVAILABLE Christopher Lee
4 Christopher Lee NOT AVAILABLE Ornette Coleman
5 #ConfiesoQue NOT AVAILABLE #SAScon
6 Perrie Malik NOT AVAILABLE #MyDadWouldAlwaysSay
7 #WorstChildhoodRumors NOT AVAILABLE #TimeToDeactivate
8 #RetoTelehit NOT AVAILABLE #distractinglysexy
9 Dusty Rhodes NOT AVAILABLE #VFintelligence
10 #BuenJueves NOT AVAILABLE #ROWYSOLiverpool

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June 20, 2015

Top News Stories –

Dylann Roof: The Charleston killer’s racist manifesto –
The white supremacist accused of massacring nine black people in a Charleston church is believed to have written a hate-filled manifesto shortly before the killings and posed with a gun as he spat on and burned the American flag. Describing himself as the “Last Rhodesian”, 21-year-old Dylann Roof gave a chilling account of the racist anger that allegedly led him to open fire on unarmed worshippers in the Mother Emanuel church. He posted it on a website called The Last Rhodesian along with dozens of bizarre photographs of himself, posing with a handgun and a Confederate flag and, in another, spitting on the American flag. [Daily Telegraph]

Shane Warne: Women don’t believe it’s me on Tinder –
He has been named one of the cricketers of the century and Elizabeth Hurley was his sometime fiancée, but Shane Warne still appears to be on a sticky wicket when it comes to romance.T he 45-year-old former Australian international has downloaded Tinder, a dating app popular among twentysomethings, but most women he messages do not believe he is really the famous cricketer. He said he was not “trying to find the love of his life” through the app, but spoke of his loneliness at being “very, very single”. He has now been on two dates organised through the app, one of which was “OK”. “One was horrific,” he said. “It was just bad. Bad.” [Daily Telegraph]
Shane-WarneShane Warne

The Simpsons say divorce rumours are ‘baseless’ –
They are one of TV’s longest married couples, but of late there have been rumours that it’s divorce-ville for Homer and Marge Simpson. Not true, says the animated couple. In a video posted online, called Together Forever, Marge says: “Homie and I are here to address baseless rumours that we are going to split up.” The rumour-mill kicked in after Al Jean, one of the original writers of the show, said that there could be a legal separation for the pair. He made the comments in an interview with Variety magazine, which discussed various future storylines. Marge and Homer have been married for 26 series of the cult TV show. See Video of the Day [BBC Newsbeat]

Video of the Day –

THE SIMPSONS | Homer And Marge, Together Forever | ANIMATION on FOX

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide USA UK
1 #7YearsOfCampRock #7YearsOfCampRock #EndAusterityNow
2 #MeEnamorasCuando #ROWYSOSydney #WestEndLIVE
3 #NiallWeLoveYourVoice #GoodBandNameBadFirstDate Claude
4 #SabadoDeGanarSeguidores Jack Hemmings #7YearsOfCampRock
5 フォロワーA Mitt Romney #ROWYSOSydney
6 #EndAusterityNow #thankyouNash #NiallWeLoveYourVoice
7 Anitta Nós Te Amamos #birdafilm #birdafilm
8 #ExijoYAQue #UFCBerlin John Eustace
9 Boechat Max Scherzer Dolapo
10 #لو_بتالف_لنا_ك… #AgeAMovie James Salter

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June 21, 2015

Top News Stories –

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

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

Video of the Day –

Remnants from Nate Atwater on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

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

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  • Prime Minister of Greece Alexis Tsipras makes a new offer for reforms which could signal a late deal in the country’s debt talks. (ITV News)
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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 ©tomholland2013/InstagramTom 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

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June 26, 2015

Top News Stories –

Same-sex marriage is now legal across the U.S. –
Same-sex marriage is now legal in the United States. The Supreme Court handed down a historic 5-4 ruling that state-level bans on gay marriage are unconstitutional. The court agreed to hear cases filed by gay and lesbian couples from Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, and Michigan in January, setting the stage for the decision that has been highly anticipated by gay rights groups ever since. The Obama administration supported the cause. After the ruling came down, the White House changed its official Facebook photo to a rainbow variation. [The Daily Dot]
White House facebook logo Rainbow The White House Facebook Page official photo today

Whitehouse Facebook likes

Hilary Clinton made a similar change to her logo when the Supreme Court was earlier ruling in April.
Hilary Clinton Twitter Page April 28 2015Hilary Clinton Twitter (April 28 2015)

British And Irish Tourists Die In Beach Horror –
A gunman disguised as a holidaymaker has killed at least 37 people, including five Britons, in an attack on a popular tourist resort. Terrified sunbathers ran for their lives as the attacker, dressed in shorts and hiding his Kalashnikov inside an umbrella, opened fire on the beach in Port el Kantaoui on the outskirts of Sousse, Tunisia. He then entered the Imperial Marhaba hotel through the swimming pool area, shooting people as he went and also threw an explosive, witnesses said. The gunman in Tunisia was a young student from the city of Kairouan who was reportedly unknown to authorities. He was later shot dead by police. [Sky News]

France attack: Man decapitated at factory near Lyon –
A van driver who was investigated for links to Islamist radicals has attacked a gas factory near the south-eastern city of Lyon, a French prosecutor says. Yassin Sali, 35, caused an explosion by ramming his car into an area containing flammable liquids and was arrested at the scene, Francois Molins said. Mr Sali’s boss, the owner of a delivery firm, was found beheaded alongside flags containing Arabic inscriptions. The attack put France back on to its highest terror alert. An investigation has been launched by French anti-terror police. [BBC]

Bobbi Kristina Brown: Legal action filed against boyfriend –
The boyfriend of Bobbi Kristina Brown has been accused of assault and theft, on the same day her family announced she was being moved into hospice care. Brown, the only child of Whitney Houston, was discovered face down in a bath at her Atlanta home in January. She has never regained consciousness. Her boyfriend Nick Gordon has now been accused of causing her “substantial bodily harm” in a $10m civil case. [BBC]
Flickr Whitney Houston performing on GMA 2009 5
Bobbi Kristina Brown and Whitney Houston in 2009

 

Video of the Day –

#ProudToLove – Celebrating Marriage Equality and LGBT Pride Month [The Top YouTube video of the day]

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide USA UK
1 #weknowtherealharry #weknowtherealharry #NationalCreamTeaDay
2 #تفجير_مسجد_ال�… #LoveWins Tunisia
3 #LoveWins #5sosfamisconfident #HappyBirthdayMoonlight
4 #NBADraft #HappyBirthdayAriana #weknowtherealharry
5 Knicks #askthenearesthippie #LoveWins
6 #GoodForYouMusicVideoTODAY #UrbanOutfittersBeLike #5sosfamisconfident
7 #TeSigoDeUnaSiTeGusta Justice Kennedy #JackAndJackGirlsAreConfident
8 アベンジャーズ Aaron Harrison #fridayfeeling
9 Hayırlı Cumalar Bruins #EqualMarriage
10 Tyus Jones #HispanicGirlsUnited #NBADraft

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July 5, 2015

Top News Stories –

Greece votes ‘No’ and gambles its future –
Greek voters have delivered a defiant response to Europe. Political leaders and heads of government had lined up to warn the Greeks that a “No” vote would be a vote to leave the euro. It did not deter them. Indeed many voters seemed to revel in their resistance. The European Project is now facing its gravest crisis. [BBC]

USA beat Japan 5-2 in Women’s FIFA World Cup Final –
Carli Lloyd scored an incredible 13-minute hat-trick as the United States thrashed Japan to win their third Women’s World Cup title. In a repeat of the 2011 final, which Japan won on penalties, the Nadeshiko could not live with their stronger and quicker opponents, who went 4-0 up when Lloyd scored an astonishing third from the halfway line. The pulsating finale to an entertaining tournament was the highest-scoring final in the tournament’s history, and matched the highest scoring men’s final, when Brazil defeated Sweden by the same scoreline in 1958. [BBC] See Video of the Day
Carli-Llyoyd Carli Lloyd

Video of the Day –

List of the Day –

FIFA Women’s World Cup results [from Wikipedia]

Year Host Champions Score Runners-up Third Place Score Fourth Place Teams
1991   China
United States
2–1
Norway

Sweden
4–0
Germany
12
1995   Sweden
Norway
2–0
Germany

United States
2–0
China PR
12
1999   United States
United States
0–0 a.e.t.
(5–4 pen)

China PR

Brazil
0–0 [A]
(5–4 pen)

Norway
16
2003   United States
Germany
2–1 asdet
Sweden

United States
3–1
Canada
16
2007   China
Germany
2–0
Brazil

United States
4–1
Norway
16
2011   Germany
Japan
2–2 a.e.t.
(3–1 pen)

United States

Sweden
2–1
France
16
2015   Canada
United States
5–2
Japan

England
1–0 a.e.t.
Germany
24

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1 #ToNoTwitterPq Happy 5th of July #greekreferendum
2 #QueLindoEstariaQue #USAvJPN Chile
3 デスノート #dontjudgechallange Messi
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5 AGUANTE MESSI CARETAS #YouMightBeARacist #PutWalesinaFilm
6 Dragon Ball Super #WeLoveYouHalsey Argentina
7 #كم_رصيد_حسابك #BadCharitiesToDonateTo #YouMightBeARacist
8 #شي_مانستغني_عنه #MakeAMovieMoreAmerican Sanchez
9 Messi Best 4th of July #BritishGP
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July 17, 2015

Top News Stories –

Jules Bianchi: F1 driver dies from Suzuka crash injuries –
French Formula 1 driver Jules Bianchi has died, nine months after suffering severe head injuries in a crash at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix. Bianchi, 25, had been in a coma since crashing his Marussia into a recovery vehicle at October’s rain-hit race. His family said: “Jules fought right to the very end, as he always did, but today his battle came to an end.” The Marussia team, now known as Manor, said Bianchi had left an “indelible mark on all our lives”.
Jules-BianchiJules Bianchi

Video of the Day –

Ciara – Dance Like We’re Making Love

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1 #1DRADIOPARTY #1DRADIOPARTY #1DRADIOPARTY
2 #WorldEmojiDay #WorldEmojiDay #fridayfeeling
3 #SHESKINDAHOT #SHESKINDAHOT #WorldEmojiDay
4 Kiko Casilla David Brooks Eid Mubarak
5 #GrowingUpWithStrictParents #EidMubarak #SHESKINDAHOT
6 #BuenViernes The Revenant Fabian Delph
7 Fabian Delph #LyricsThatShouldBeShouted #GrowingUpWithStrictParents
8 Luis Coronel #GrowingUpWithStrictParents #DavisCup
9 時かけ #Take10MinutesADayTo James Holmes
10 Gawker Gawker Gawker

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July 18, 2015

Top News Stories –

South Korea spy kills himself amid hacking scandal –
An employee of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) spying agency has been found dead in his car after apparently taking his own life on a mountain road, police say. His death comes as a scandal over phone-hacking gathers pace. The man left a suicide note admitting that he had deleted important information about the hacking. It has emerged that mobile phones were tracked and monitored just before the presidential election in 2012. [BBC]

North Korean elections – not too close to call –
Worker’s Party expected to fare well in polls this Sunday with only one name on ballot paper and punishment for anyone who fails to endorse Kim Jong-un’s policies. To indicate support for the approved candidate, the voter goes into a booth and carries out his democratic duty. Anyone who does not agree with the name on the ballot paper must go to a different booth and cross out the candidate’s name. With the every move closely scrutinised, it would be an act of extreme bravery in a nation that is not known for tolerating dissenting voices for that to happen. [Daily Telegraph]
Kim_Jong-unKim Jong-un (sketch)

Bratz are back after Barbie owner fails to kill franchise –
After almost a decade of a back-and-forth legal battle between Mattel and Bratz-owner MGA, the spunky dolls are back and ready to take on an already weak Barbie. Years before toys of Frozen characters knocked Barbie off her perennial perch, a gaggle of ethnically-diverse fashionistas known as Bratz temporarily toppled the word-famous doll – and now they’re back after winning a protracted legal battle with Barbie-owner Mattel.
Bratz, which first came to market in 2001, is relaunching this weekend with a revamped look, an extra character and new range of accessories in an attempt to regain its place at the top of toytown. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Chuck Jones – The Evolution of an Artist from Tony Zhou on Vimeo.

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1 #ZaynAppreciationDay McCain #lyricsthatshouldbeshouted
2 Stereo Kicks #UFCGlasgow #ZaynAppreciationDay
3 #ArianaRESPECTLouis #MandelaDay Nazi
4 あなたの心の壁 #arianarespectlouis #ImInWorkJeremy
5 #MeGustaCuando #OTRAVancouver #RIPJules
6 #RIPJules #LyricsThatShouldBeShouted Jules Bianchi
7 DEIXA ELE SOFRER MUSIC VIDEO #GrowingUpWithSiblings #UFCGlasgow
8 ICFES Van Miller #ArianaRESPECTLouis
9 #OTRAVancouver #ROWYSOVegas Stereo Kicks
10 jules bianchi #LouisAppreciationDay #DavisCup

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July 27, 2015

Top News Stories –

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

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

Video of the Day –

The High Voltage Ejector Bed

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

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August 16, 2015

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Guardian Angels return to New York’s Central Park –
With their bright red jackets and berets, the Guardian Angels were once a common sight in a city riddled with violent crime. And this week they made a pointed return to New York’s Central Park for the first time in more than two decades, citing a 26 per cent rise in crime there so far this year. “We realise things are much better than they were” in the crime peak of the 1980s and early 90s, said Curtis Sliwa, the group’s founder, but “we want it to stay that way.” After years of celebrating reductions in crime, the nation’s biggest city has seen murders rise by 9 per cent so far this year, although serious crime overall is down 5 per cent. [Daily Telegraph]

PGA Championship: Australia’s Jason Day breaks major drought with three-shot win over Jordan Spieth –
Australia’s Jason Day has ended a long wait for his first major, shooting a final round 67 to clinch victory in the PGA Championship by three shots. He led by three shots at the turn and held his nerve through the back nine to seal a memorable win over America’s Masters and US Open champion Jordan Spieth at the Whistling Straits course in Wisconsin. Day’s four-round total of 20-under was a record low score for a major championship. [ABC]
Jason_DayJason Day

Video of the Day –

Visualization of nuclear detonations from 1945 to present.

Trinity from Orbital Mechanics on Vimeo.

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1 #DragMeDownDay Julian Bond #7YearsOfJLS
2 #ZAYNHASNOCHILL #WordsNotUsedOftenEnough #DragMeDownDay
3 #TeJuroQueMeCuesta #ZAYNHASNOCHILL Gordon Brown
4 Julian Bond #TeenChoiceAwards Jason Day
5 Chelsea #DragMeDownDay Tracy
6 Goiás Jason Day #CorbynMediaFear
7 #CarnaCoxinha #MaybeYouShould Sunderland
8 #اشخاص_ترفع_له�… Little Mix Mourinho
9 #DomingoDeGanarSeguidores Tebow Chelsea
10 #كلمتين_عن_شخص�… Chris Sale #MOTD

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August 24, 2015

Top News Stories –

Edinburgh Fringe: Mobile phone joke voted funniest –
A pun by comedian Darren Walsh has scooped the prize for funniest joke of the Edinburgh Fringe. The 39-year-old, whose show Punderbolt is on at the Pleasance, took first place in the vote by TV channel Dave. The winning joke was: “I just deleted all the German names off my phone. It’s Hans free. Walsh, from Peterborough, who won the first UK Pun Championship last year, said he was delighted. “What a punderful feeling,” he said. [BBC] See List of the Day

British IndyCar Driver Justin Wilson Dies of Injuries From Pocono Crash –
Justin Wilson, a British racecar driver who was struck by debris from another car during the closing laps of the penultimate race in the IndyCar Series season, died Monday, racing officials said. He was 37. Wilson was struck in the head on Sunday at Pocono Raceway by a piece of debris that broke off from the car of Sage Karam, who was leading the race before he crashed. Wilson had tried to avoid the subsequent pileup, but his car hit the debris and veered into an interior wall. He was airlifted to a hospital in Allentown, Pa., where he was in a coma in critical condition before he died. [NY Times]
Justin-WilsonJustin Wilson in 2008

China’s ‘Black Monday’ sends markets reeling across the globe –
China has been a major contributor to economic growth and low global inflation for more than two decades. But tonight, investors around the globe are catching their breath after one of the worst day’s trading in many years. They’re now pondering whether today marks the start of a new and alarming phase of the crisis which began some eight years ago. And while today’s losses are sizeable, they’re not among the worst losses in market history. For all the talk of Black Monday in China,and gloomy photos to match, this was more of a correction in Western markets. [The Guardian]

Windows 95 turns 20 –
Windows 10 might be the current OS of choice for many, but 20 years ago today (August 24) the world of home computing underwent a seismic shift as Windows 95 rolled off the production lines and into people’s lives. The basis for many consumers’ first computing experience, Windows 95 revolutionised the computing space not only on the surface, but beneath it too. From an all new graphical user interface to a switch to 32-bit foundations, it’s hard to overstate the impact this Start menu introducing software has had on the world. If you can even remember the days of floppy disks then you’ll know how much of a nightmare the Windows 95 update must have been to install, compared to today when waiting 17 seconds for a film to buffer on Netflix seems outrageous. For those without a CD-ROM drive, each of the 3.5-inch cartridges held a measly 1.44MB of data. Later updates, for those refusing to accept CDs had taken off, jumped to 26 floppy disks. [Digital Spy] See Top Twitter Trends
Windows-95-logo

Video of the Day –

Guy annoys girlfriend with puns at Ikea – We moved in together recently so had to make the unavoidable trip to IKEA; I figured out how to get through there as quickly as possible.
Yeah, yeah I know, vertical video and all that. I filmed it in Snapchat, you’ll survive.

List of the Day –

The top 10 funniest jokes of the Edinburgh Fringe

  1. “I just deleted all the German names off my phone. It’s Hans free” – Darren Walsh
  2. “Kim Kardashian is saddled with a huge arse … but enough about Kanye West” – Stewart Francis
  3. “Surely every car is a people carrier?” – Adam Hess
  4. “What’s the difference between a ‘hippo’ and a ‘Zippo’? One is really heavy, the other is a little lighter” – Masai Graham
  5. “If I could take just one thing to a desert island I probably wouldn’t go” – Dave Green
  6. “Jesus fed 5,000 people with two fishes and a loaf of bread. That’s not a miracle. That’s tapas” – Mark Nelson
  7. “Red sky at night. Shepherd’s delight. Blue sky at night. Day” – Tom Parry
  8. “The first time I met my wife, I knew she was a keeper. She was wearing massive gloves” – Alun Cochrane
  9. “Clowns divorce. Custardy battle” – Simon Munnery
  10. “They’re always telling me to live my dreams. But I don’t want to be naked in an exam I haven’t revised for…” – Grace The Child

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1 Windows 95 #BlackMonday Justin Wilson
2 #SummerSlam #HeadlinesWeWouldLove #3YearsOfUnionJ
3 #OTRAChicago #NationalWaffleDay #mondaymotivation
4 #كرتون_ادمنتو_�… Windows 95 #TubeStrike
5 Yarbay Alevi #firstdayofschool #BlackMonday
6 #هل_تتزوج_فتاه_… Quentin Tarantino #SummerSlam
7 #شي_تحتاجه_حال�… Reggie Wayne #OneDirection
8 Aamir Khan #ask5sos Fight Club
9 #BlackMonday #InBedThinkingAbout #iamgratefulfor
10 #FelizLunes David Wright #RuinASongYouLike

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August 25, 2015

Top News Stories –

Italian woman, 46, arrested for locking ‘toy boy’ in basement over sex demands –
An Italian woman has been arrested after allegedly locking up her “toy boy” boyfriend for refusing to have sex with her, in a story that has evoked comparisons with the classic film The Graduate. The woman, 46, who was divorced, met the 25-year-old during a holiday romance in Campania in southern Italy. Initially they got on well but the young man reportedly became increasingly vexed by the amount of sex that the older woman was demanding. He declined her advances on several occasions but she then took revenge by locking him up, against his will, in the basement of her house at Arzano, near Naples. The young man managed to raise the alarm, calling for help from passers-by. [Daily Telegraph]

George Clooney photobombs Cindy Crawford as she takes romantic selfie with husband –
Does anyone enjoy looking at “romantic selfies” of couples kissing on Instagram? It’s worse than a public display of affection (PDA), as it is done purely to show off how in love you are with the person you’re smooching. Cindy Crawford and her husband Rande Gerber were taking a tender selfie together, when George Clooney decided to ruin it by pulling a strange face in the background. [Daily Telegraph]
Cindy Crawford Instagram with George ClooneyCindy Crawford Instagram with Rande Gerber and George Clooney

International bridge champions accuse teammates of cheating –
Two Israeli men, Lotan Fisher and Ron Schwartz, have been accused by their team mates of cheating in three matches including the Spingold tournament – one of the most famous of all.
A triumphant team of bridge players has been ripped apart by accusations that would, in the words of the whistleblower, “even make a Hollywood movie surreal.” Two Israeli men, Lotan Fisher and Ron Schwartz, have been accused by their team mates of cheating. Quite how they cheated is unclear, but Norwegian bridge professional Boye Brogeland, one of the world’s highest-rated bridge players, said the other four members of the team were handing back three titles they had won together. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Dismaland [See August 23, 2015]

 

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1 #5monthswithoutzayn #SolveMyProblemsIn4Words #ask5sos
2 #RelationshipGoalsIn3Words #RelationshipGoalsIn3Words #RelationshipGoalsIn3Words
3 #Tucumanazo Vick #charitytuesday
4 #فتاه_تغتصب_شاب #5monthswithoutzayn House of Fools
5 #NuncaMePasoEsoDe Curt Schilling #1YearOfMyEverything
6 BeliebersVoteHottest Aaliyah #5monthswithoutzayn
7 #SolveMyProblemsIn4Words #ask5sos #TravelTuesday
8 LANA EU TE AMO #BornToRun Colin Fry
9 #FelizMartes You Oughta Know Harvey Proctor
10 NCAE Jorge Ramos Greg Rutherford

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News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resourceAugust 23, 2015

September 10, 2015

Top News Stories –

New human-like species discovered in S Africa –

Scientists have discovered a new human-like species in a burial chamber deep in a cave system in South Africa. The discovery of 15 partial skeletons is the largest single discovery of its type in Africa. The researchers claim that the discovery will change ideas about our human ancestors. The studies which have been published in the journal Elife also indicate that these individuals were capable of ritual behaviour. The species, which has been named naledi, has been classified in the grouping, or genus,Homo, to which modern humans belong. [BBC] See List of the Day

Pope Francis emojis launched for US visit –
Pope Francis draws huge crowds wherever he goes and now his fans can share their admiration with papal emojis. A new keyboard app is being released to mark the Pope’s upcoming visit to America. You can have the Pope balancing a basketball or riding a taxi (although we suspect he’d prefer his Popemobile). They’re among 52 emojis and 14 GIFs in the app from Swyft Media, the company which created the first ginger emojis.
Pope emojis Pope emojis by Swyft Media

Giant Lenin ‘head’ unearthed 24 years after burial in Berlin –
The giant head of a statue of Russian revolutionary Lenin has been unearthed, 24 years after it was buried in a German forest. Workers dug up the granite structure from woodland outside Berlin, following a campaign by historians. The head was once part of a 19m (62ft) monument to the communist leader, which towered over the east of the city. It was dismantled in 1991 after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the pieces were buried in a secluded forest. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

iPhone 6s – The Only Thing That’s Changed Is…

List of the Day –

Comparative table of Homo species
Species Temporal range Mya Habitat Adult height Adult mass Cranial capacity (cm³) Fossil record Discovery / publication of name
H. habilis 2.1 – 1.5[136] Africa 150 cm (4 ft 11 in) 33–55 kg (73–121 lb) 510–660 Many 1960/1964
H. erectus 1.9 – 0.07[137] Africa, Eurasia (Java, China, India, Caucasus) 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) 60 kg (130 lb) 850 (early) – 1,100 (late) Many[138] 1891/1892
H. rudolfensis
membership in Homo uncertain
1.9 Kenya 700 2 sites 1972/1986
H. gautengensis
also classified as H. habilis
1.9 – 0.6 South Africa 100 cm (3 ft 3 in) 3 individuals[139] 2010/2010
H. ergaster
also classified as H. erectus
1.8 – 1.3[140] Eastern and Southern Africa 700–850 Many 1975
H. antecessor
also classified as H. heidelbergensis
1.2 – 0.8 Spain 175 cm (5 ft 9 in) 90 kg (200 lb) 1,000 2 sites 1997
H. cepranensis
a single fossil, possibly H. erectus
0.9 – 0.35 Italy 1,000 1 skull cap 1994/2003
H. heidelbergensis 0.6 – 0.35[141] Europe, Africa, China 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) 90 kg (200 lb) 1,100–1,400 Many 1908
H. neanderthalensis
possibly a subspecies of H. sapiens
0.35 – 0.04[142] Europe, Western Asia 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) 55–70 kg (121–154 lb) (heavily built) 1,200–1,900 Many (1829)/1864
H. rhodesiensis
also classified as H. heidelbergensis
0.3 – 0.12 Zambia 1,300 Very few 1921
H. tsaichangensis
possibly H. erectus
0.25 – 0.2 Taiwan 1 individual pre-2008/2015
H. sapiens
(modern humans)
0.2[143] – present Worldwide 150 – 190 cm (4 ft 7 in – 6 ft 3 in) 50–100 kg (110–220 lb) 950–1,800 (extant) —/1758
H. floresiensis
classification uncertain
0.10 – 0.012 Indonesia 100 cm (3 ft 3 in) 25 kg (55 lb) 400 7 individuals 2003/2004
Denisova hominin
possible H. sapiens subspecies or hybrid
0.04 Russia 1 site 2010
Red Deer Cave people
possible H. sapiens subspecies or hybrid
0.0145–0.0115 China Very few 2012

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1 #WorldSuicidePreventionDay #WorldSuicidePreventionDay #WorldSuicidePreventionDay
2 #SameOldLove Pokemon Go #RenameAFilmLiterally
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4 #ChamuyeCuandoDije Grace Jones Pokemon Go
5 #CizreUnderAttack #pitmad #RejectedAppleProducts
6 #MeCambiaLaCara #RejectedAppleProducts Bonang
7 #ZaynWeAreAlwaysHere #BieberTODAY #HomoNaledi
8 #SemiIsBack Bobby Jindal Jonathan King
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October 20, 2015

Top News Stories –

‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Crushes Presale Ticket Records –
Fan demand led to crash of multiple websites like Fandango and MovieTickets.com. “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” broke the record for the highest number of first-day presale tickets for Fandango, AMC and IMAX. According to Fandango, the site has sold eight times as many tickets as it did on the first day for the previous record holder, “The Hunger Games” in 2012 — and that’s even before the 24-hour mark was reached. “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” in 2010 slipped to third place in first-day advance sales. Traffic on Fandango surged to seven times the site’s typical peak levels, a site spokesperson reported. Similarly, MovieTickets.com reported that the online ticketer saw traffic “three times higher than the highest peak in the company’s 15 plus year history.” Comparably, the advance ticket sales for “The Force Awakens” are already four times greater than advance tickets sold for “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.” [The Wrap] See Video of the Day

Fed-up cafe bans money from underwear –
In this tough economic climate, small business owners need every dollar they can get their hands on. Unless said dollar comes from a customer’s undies, apparently. Staff at a Carnarvon cafe were so fed up with patrons paying with money retrieved from undergarments they put the attached sign at the cash register for a six-week period. Fascine Coffee Lounge owner Robin Weeks said the straw that broke the camel’s back was a man who tried to pay his bill with money from his jocks. “My son thought people shouldn’t put money there and he shouldn’t have to touch it,” Weeks said. “We had four or five people that did it. A lot of women think their bra is the best place for their money because they don’t have pockets.” Weeks said while most people approved of the sign, there were some who refused to change their ways. [Western Australian]
Australian cafe signFascine Coffee Lounge sign

Video of the Day –

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer (Official)

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5 Drake #TacoTuesdayAlternatives Sajid Javid
6 Star Wars Ryan Kelly #charitytuesday
7 #الهلال_الاهلي #PerfectMusicVideo Canada
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  • Lamar Odom, who had been hospitalized in grave condition after ingesting, in a binge, herbal Viagra, alcohol, and other substances in a 3-day, $75,000 stay at a legal brothel in Nevada, comes out of his coma, improves, and is able to have conversations, though he is still on dialysis to deal with the renal damage he suffered. He is released from intensive care and Sunrise Hospital, to a hospital closer to his Los Angeles home. (MSN via Sporting News)

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October 27, 2015

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Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez announce divorce after two years of marriage –
Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry and her French actor husband, Olivier Martinez, said on Tuesday they are divorcing after two years of marriage. It is the third divorce for Berry, 49, who has a two-year-old son with Martinez. The couple cited irreconcilable differences, according to celebrity website TMZ.com. Berry in 2002 became the only black actress to win an Academy Award for a lead role, clinching the Oscar for her performance in Monster’s Ball. [Daily Telegraph]
Halle_BerryHalle Berry

Darth Vader supporter Chewbacca arrested in Ukraine –
It’s a sentence we never thought we’d write, but here goes: Chewbacca has been arrested in Ukraine after police say they caught him campaigning for Darth Vader. A candidate, using the identity of the Star Wars Sith Lord has been running in local elections in the city of Odessa. It’s claimed the man dressed as Chewbacca had broken election day rules by campaigning on voting day. It’s being reported Chewbacca was fined the equivalent of a fiver. He’d arrived at a polling station along with the candidate when police stepped in. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Create & Explore 009 – Braden Lee x HWLS from Create & Explore on Vimeo.

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4 Pujol Don Lemon Philip French
5 #شي_حلو_بحرف_ال… Greenland Is Melting Away Trigger
6 #TengoGanasDe Halle Berry #AMAs1D
7 Ravens #AdviceForTeenagersIn4Words Chris Grayling
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November 14, 2015

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South Africa’s ‘Blade Runner’ Pistorius starts community service –
South Africa’s “Blade Runner” Oscar Pistorius on Saturday started performing community service as part of his parole conditions after being released from prison last month, local media reported. The Paralympic gold medalist was freed on parole less than a year into a five-year sentence for the “culpable homicide” of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, who he killed on Valentine’s Day in 2013. Pistorius, dubbed “Blade Runner” because of the carbon fiber prosthetic blades he uses to compete, was freed from prison in line with sentencing guidelines that say non-dangerous prisoners should spend only a sixth of a custodial sentence behind bars. [Reuters] Pistorius was originally refused early release in August 2015
Oscar_PistoriusOscar Pistorius competing

Video of the Day –

Kaleidoscope: See Things Differently

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4 #PrayForWorld #JackAndJackUSTixOnSale #PrayForPeace
5 우리나라 #MuslimsAreNotTerrorist #ParisAttacks
6 David Luiz #EveningWithJB Muslims
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10 광화문 #PurposeTheMovement Paris

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  • Scott N. Johansen, a Utah Juvenile Court judge, reverses his original order to remove a foster child from same sex-parents. The state Division of Child and Family Services and foster parents all filed motions asking for the reconsideration and promising an appeal. The new decision eliminates the phrase, “It is not in the best interest of children to be raised by same-sex couples” and strikes an order for the child to be placed with a non-same-sex couple. (New York Times)
  • Police in South Korea fire tear gas and water cannons at anti-government protesters in Seoul. Around 70,000 people took part in the protests, the largest in Seoul since the 2008 US beef protest in South Korea. (Christian Science Monitor).

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November 19, 2015

Top News Stories –

World’s second-largest diamond ‘found in Botswana’ –
The world’s second-largest gem quality diamond has been discovered in Botswana, the Lucara Diamond firm says. The 1,111-carat stone was recovered from its Karowe mine, about 500km (300 miles) north of the capital, Gaborone. It is the biggest diamond to be discovered in Botswana and the largest find in more than a century. The 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond was found in South Africa in 1905 and cut into nine separate stones, many of which are in the British Crown Jewels. [BBC]
Lucara Diamondcopyright Lucara Diamond Corp.

Scientists have trained pigeons to diagnose breast cancer –
Doctors train for years in order to be able to correctly diagnose cancer – but could they soon be replaced by pigeons? Well, no. Obviously not. However, scientists have now discovered that pigeons are surprisingly adept when it comes to spotting cancerous cells. In a study led by Professor Richard Levenson of the University of California, pigeons were shown microscope images of breast tissue, and then rewarded with food if if they correctly pecked a coloured button that corresponded to either cancerous or healthy tissue. [Daily Telegraph]

Bangladesh: Government ‘mistakenly’ cuts off internet –
An internet shutdown in Bangladesh which lasted for more than an hour was a “mistake”, according to the authorities. Officials announced on Wednesday that access to Facebook, Viber and WhatsApp had all been blocked in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling upholding death sentences for two men convicted of war crimes. But the country’s Telecommunication Regulatory Commission says it accidentally cut off access to the internet across the whole country. The web blackout started at around 13:00 local time and lasted at least 75 minutes, according to the Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Star. “We restored the internet as soon as we realised the mistake,” says Shahjahan Mahmood, the commission’s chairman. The messaging services were blocked as originally planned in order to maintain security, he says. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Zoolander 2 Trailer – Paramount Pictures

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1 #TemporaryFixProject #InternationalMensDay #InternationalMensDay
2 #InternationalMensDay #JaredFogle #WorldToiletDay
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4 #Empire #SexyHolidays Richie McCaw
5 #PrayForMegaFilmes #WorldToiletDay #ChampagneCampaign
6 #ALDUB18thWeeksary Blac Chyna #IStillFacebookBecause
7 Marta Domínguez #TemporaryFixProject #SixWordSciFi
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November 20, 2015

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Indian Railways holds disabled recruitment drive on top floor – with no lifts –
A bid to recruit more disabled employees to work on India’s railways has ended in farce after test centres were set up on the top floors of buildings with no lifts or ramps. Many candidates who arrived at recruitment offices across India on Thursday either had to be carried or drag themselves up the stairs to their designated computers. Some were forced to abandon their applications entirely. [Daily Telegraph]

Vengeful surfer vows to eat the shark that bit him –
Don’t get on the wrong side of Allen Engelman – he has exacted the ultimate revenge on a shark that bit him. The Florida surfer was bitten by a shark, so the next day went out on a vengeful hunt. He killed a shark which he believes to be the same one that bit him. Not only did he kill it, but he now vows to eat it in order to punish the animal for the bite inflicted upon him. The surfer received 15 stitches, and from then on he was hell-bent on revenge. Him and his five-year-old son went back to the beach the following day and caught a shark with the same markings as the one which bit him. [Daily Telegraph]

New York follows UK in banning ‘hoverboards’ in public places –
New York has become the latest city to ban self-balancing scooters, known as “hoverboards”, warning that anyone caught riding them in public places could face a fine of up to $500. The two-wheeled electric vehicles, which use gyroscope technology to keep the rider upright, have exploded in popularity over the last few months – with celebrities including Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, Lily Allen and Jamie Foxx all spotted riding them. However, according to the the New York City Police Department, hoverboards are prohibited by New York state law since they are considered “motor vehicles that cannot be registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles”. [Daily Telegraph] October 21 2015 was the Back to the Future Day that featured real hoverboards

Video of the Day –

Blue Hue
Blue Hue

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1 #LatinGrammys2015 #Adele25 #HappyBirthdayMichael
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5 基本給 #ThanksgivingIn5Words Blac Chyna
6 1 in the UK #JessicaJones #bbcqt
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9 Hayırlı Cumalar #TDOR Katie Hopkins
10 #DosPalabras Tyga Baker Street

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Britain’s National Union of Journalists announces a strike against the Financial Times, protesting the changes in pension arrangements since the acquisition of the FT by a Japanese media group, Nikkei. (BBC)

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November 26, 2015

Top News Stories –

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

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

Video of the Day –

SDÍLENÍM TO ZAČALO, SDÍLENÍM TO MŮŽE SKONČIT

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5 #اوصف_مجتمعك_ب�… #BringBackMST3K #pizero
6 #ALDUB19thWeeksary #ARIAs BBC Three
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8 Nilson Eagles #WWENXT
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November 28, 2015

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Jamie Vardy breaks record for goals in consecutive games –
Jamie Vardy broke Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record as he became the first player to score in 11 consecutive Premier League matches. The Leicester striker netted in the first half of his side’s 1-1 draw against Manchester United. Dutchman Van Nistelrooy achieved his feat for Manchester United across two seasons in 2003. Vardy’s run has included 13 goals, making him the league’s top scorer with 14 goals in total. [BBC] See List of the Day
Jamie_VardyJamie Vardy

Video of the Day –

Je Suis Paris – Paris Saint-Germain

List of the Day –

Jamie Vardy’s record breaking goals run

Date Match Goals
29-Aug-15 Bournemouth 1 – 1 Leicester 1
13-Sep-15 Leicester 3 – 2 Aston Villa 1
19-Sep-15 Stoke 2 – 2 Leicester 1
26-Sep-15 Leicester 2 – 5 Arsenal 2
03-Oct-15 Norwich 1 – 2 Leicester 1
17-Oct-15 Southampton 2 – 2 Leicester 2
24-Oct-15 Leicester 1 – 0 C Palace 1
31-Oct-15 West Brom 2 – 3 Leicester 1
07-Nov-15 Leicester 2 – 1 Watford 1
21-Nov-15 Newcastle 0 – 3 Leicester 1
28-Nov-15 Leicester 1 – 1 Man Utd 1

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November 30, 2015

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New Zealand: Auckland aims to become trilingual city –
New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland, has announced plans to encourage the entire population to speak English, Maori and a third language. The initiative, launched by the council-controlled educational organisation COMET, aims to get all of Auckland’s 1.4 million residents speaking the national language of Te Reo Maori, Radio New Zealand reports. Currently, only 2.3% of Aucklanders speak the language, the lowest rate in the country, while over 1m of the city’s residents are monolingual – usually English, the radio says. Some 377,000 residents already have two languages as a result of the city’s diverse ethnic mix, where 40% of Aucklanders were born overseas, but their languages tend to be overlooked in favour of English. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Domestic Appliances from Lewis Firth Bolton on Vimeo.

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5 #SoulTrainAwards #RejectedReindeer Kobe Bryant
6 Balón de Oro #COP21 #AuthorDay
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  • The capitals of the world’s two most populous nations, China and India, are blanketed in hazardous, choking smog. Beijing, on the second-highest pollution alert, is closing highways, halting or suspending construction while warning residents to stay indoors. The U.S. New Delhi embassy’s monitoring station recorded an air quality index of 372, putting air pollution levels into “hazardous” territory. No action by the New Delhi government. (Hindustan Times)
  • A UNICEF report finds AIDS is now the leading cause of death for African teenagers and the second most common killer for adolescents across the globe. While the Asia Pacific region has seen a 31 percent drop in new HIV infections, and 28 percent decline in AIDS-related deaths, the estimated number of adolescents dying of AIDS in the region has more than doubled since 2005. Tomorrow is World Aids Day. (AP via Huffington Post) (Reuters)
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December 1, 2015

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Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg to give away 99% of shares –
Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan say they will give away 99% of their shares in the company to good causes as they announce the birth of their daughter Max. Mr Zuckerberg made the announcement in a letter to Max on his Facebook page. He said they were donating their fortune to the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to make the world a better place for Max to grow up in. The donation amounts to $45bn (£30bn) at Facebook’s current value. [BBC]
Mark_ZuckerberMark Zuckerberg

Mariah Carey gets $300,000 for a one-hour store visit –
[Maria] Carey’s kicking off December with an appearance Tuesday night at a Pier 1 pop up store in New York, where Confidenti@l has learned she’s being paid a whopping $300,000 to attend the event for just one hour. “Let’s call it 45 minutes,” laughs our source, who adds that the “Hero” singer also had a few demands about her appearance. “She specifically wanted (it noted) that she was ‘appearing’ not ‘performing.’ They would have loved her to perform but just getting her is worth it.” Our insider adds that Carey gave final approval on the invite before it went out, requesting that she be called “The Queen of Christmas,” at the “Pier 1 Imports: Christmas Pop-Up Storybook” at 503 Broadway. [NY Daily News]
Mariah_CareyMariah Carey

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Amazon Prime Air

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6 トリプルスリー David Price #newsnight
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  • Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg announces the plan to donate 99 percent of the company stock he and his wife Priscilla Chan own over their lifetimes, shares today worth about $45 billion, to “advance human potential and promote equality for all children.” (The Washington Post)
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December 2, 2015

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British parliament votes to bomb Islamic State in Syria –
Britain’s parliament voted on Wednesday to launch bombing raids against Islamic State in Syria, supporting Prime Minister David Cameron’s case that the country needs to help destroy militants who are “plotting to kill us”. After more than 10 hours of tense debate, lawmakers voted in favour of air strikes, by 397 to 223. British Tornado GR4 bombers could leave an air base in Cyprus within hours to launch the country’s latest military action in the Middle East. [Reuters] See Top Twitter Trends.
David_CameronDavid Cameron

Video of the Day –

The Dreams of an Astronaut – with Helen Sharman from The Royal Institution on Vimeo.

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5 #MAMA2015 #WeLoveYouLiam #GeordieShore
6 Gary Neville #FirstDraftCartoons #RSAMake
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December 9, 2015

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Angela Merkel named as Time magazine’s person of the year –
Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, has been named by Time magazine as its person of the year – the first woman to receive the accolade in almost 30 years. Mrs Merkel, 61, was chosen for her leadership at a time of immense difficulty in Europe, and becomes the first woman to be named as person of the year since 1986. Last year’s winners were the Ebola fighters. “Not once or twice but three times there has been reason to wonder this year whether Europe could continue to exist – not culturally or geographically but as a historic experiment in ambitious statecraft,” said Nancy Gibbs, editor of the magazine. [Daily Telegraph] See List of the Day
Angela_Merkel_Times_Magazine_CoverAngela Merkel Time Magazine Cover

Knightsbridge to fine boy-racers up to £1,000 if they rev their supercar engines –
For years they have infuriated residents in London’s Knightsbridge with their incessant racing around the neighbourhood in noisy supercars. But boy-racers found guilty of wrecking the peace will now be fined £1000 after locals won a battle to make the uncouth behaviour a criminal offence. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which plays host to Harrods department store, has introduced a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) which hopes to restore peace to the neighbourhood. [Daily Telegraph]

Denmark: Nature agency offers free ponds to landowners –
Denmark’s nature agency is offering to pay for people to have ponds installed on their land in an effort to protect endangered wildlife. The government’s AgriFish Agency is offering to foot the bill for creating water features up to 1,000 sq m (10,764 sq ft) in size, the Danish Broadcasting Corporation reports. But such is the level of interest in the new scheme, officials say they probably won’t be able to meet demand. So far there have been more than 100 inquiries by interested landowners, the report says. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

YouTube Rewind: Now Watch Me 2015 | #YouTubeRewind [Over 13 million views in 24 hours]

List of the Day –

The Shortlist for Times Person of the Year 2015
Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi
Donald Trump
Black Lives Matter
Hassan Rouhani
Travis Kalanick
Caitlyn Jenner

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4 #زد_رصيدك26 Grammy #VSFashionShow 10:35
5 #ParaEl2016Yo Stan Grant #newsnight 10:00
6 #PurposeWorldTour Saint West De Gea 09:00
7 #felizmiercoles #Run1stWin #ScreamQueensFinale 08:55
8 #رقص_سالم_الدو�… #HourOfCode Block Donald J Trump 08:55
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December 10, 2015

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

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

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

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

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