November 14, 2014

Top News Stories –

Comet probe Philae shuts down, but not before transmitting valuable secrets –
Controllers have powered down the comet probe Philae after its batteries fell to dangeously-low levels – though the craft still managed to transmit reams of crucial data. The comet probe Philae appears to have reached the end of its historic mission after its batteries ran out of power, but only after it managed to transmit a treasure-trove of scientific data back to Earth. Mission controllers put the European Space Agency (ESA) lander to sleep after the power in its solar-powered batteries fell to dangerously low levels following its landing at a spot in the shadow of a crater wall, shrouded in darkness. An ESA blog post said: “Philae has fallen into ‘idle mode’ – a possibly long silence. In this mode, all instruments and most systems on board are shut down.” [Daily Telegraph]

Rik Mayall ‘Bottom’ bench unveiled in Hammersmith –
A street bench like one that featured in the BBC sitcom Bottom has been officially unveiled in memory of comedy legend Rik Mayall. It followed an online campaign by more than 7,000 of his fans. Mayall, who starred in a string of TV comedies, said before his death, aged 56, in June that he had been saddened by the removal of the bench. It had appeared in the opening credits of Bottom, in which he starred with Adrian Edmondson. [Daily Telegraph]

Rik Mayall

Video of the Day –

Animator vs. Animation IV from Alan Becker on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	JustinBieber	#BreakTheInternet	#ChildrenInNeed
2	#MeVendriaRePiola	#FailedCharities	#ThanksAlex
3	#GubernurAhok	#Gruber	Christmas
4	Weather Update	#rokerthon	#WeCanLandOnACometButWeCant
5	#iloveashton2014	Kim K	#BreakTheInternet
6	#SonraDedimKi	106 & Park	Ched Evans
7	Happy Children’s Day	#iloveashton2014	#snp14
8	#AdmitoQue	#LouisYouSangGreat	#WorldDiabetesDay
9	#BreakTheInternet	Dumb and Dumber	Jessica Ennis
10	#FailedCharities	Too Many Cooks	#CIN2014

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Islamic State of Iraq and Syria
- Iraqi forces expel ISIS from the refinery town of Baiji in northern Iraq. (Al Arabiya)

Arts and culture

Russia plans an “alternative Wikipedia“. (BBC)

International relations

Swedish submarine incidents:
- Sweden releases a sonar image it says is proof that a foreign submarine entered its waters in October. The grainy image shows underwater tracks allegedly left by the vessel. (BBC)

Politics

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is preparing to dissolve the Lower House of the Diet on Tuesday and call a snap election on December 14thin order to seek a public mandate on whether to delay a scheduled increase in the consumption tax. (NHK World)

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December 3, 2014

Top News Stories –

Google gets down with the kids –
Google reveals it is developing child-friendly versions of some of its products and is likely to include the Chrome browser and YouTube (which it bought for $1.65bn (£883m) in October 2006). The intention is to make the internet safer for under-12s.

Boris plays peacemaker –
London mayor Boris Johnson attempted to calm down an abusive passenger on a Malaysian Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur to Heathrow but the crew had to handcuff the man and strap him to his seat. The man was arrested when the plane landed.
Boris Johnson

Pope dismissing head guard –
Colonel Daniel Anrig, the commander of the 110 Swiss Guards that protect the pontiff is losing his job when his commission ends at the end of January 2015. Although no official reason has been given, Pope Francis is apparently unhappy at the officer’s strict authoritarian style.

Video of the Day –

FILM_FX L3.0 (2014) from ISART DIGITAL on Vimeo.

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January 12, 2015

Top News Stories –

US Central Command twitter account hacked –
The Twitter and YouTube accounts of US Central Command (US Centcom)have been hacked by a group claiming to back Islamic State. A message signed by Isis said: “American soldiers, we are coming, watch your back.” and military documents appeared on the feed. The Twitter account was later taken down.

Ronaldo wins Ballon d’Or –
Real Madrid’s Christiano Ronaldo has been awarded football’s Ballon d’Or or World Player of the Year Award. Votes are cast by the coaches and captains of all international teams and some selected journalists. The top three players were: Cristiano Ronaldo: 37.66%; Lionel Messi: 15.76%; Manuel Neuer: 15.72%. The winner of the women’s title was Nadine Kessler, the Wolfsburg and Germany midfielder. The Puskas award for goal of the year was awarded to Colombia midfielder James Rodriguez for his volley against Uruguay in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Joachim Low the manager of World Cup winners Germany won coach of the year.
Christiano Ronaldo

Branson rescues sailor –
Four-time Olympic sailing champion Sir Ben Ainslie and his new wife Georgie Thompson have been rescued by Sir Richard Branson. The couple, who were sailing around Branson’s Necker Island, got into trouble when their boat developed a problem with the sail.

Video of the Day –

Tall tales pt1 from Kilogramme on Vimeo.

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January 19, 2015

Top News Stories –

US Cop gets 14 million hits singing to Taylor Swift in car –
A policeman with Dover Force in Delaware has received over 17 million views of a YouTube video showing him singing along to the Taylor Swift song “Shake It Off”. The video (see below) has gained mix reactions but Taylor Swift gave it her seal of approval through her Twitter account to her 51 million followers:

Actress Anne Kirkbride dies –
She played Deidre Barlow in the British soap Coronation Street since November 20th 1972 and died at the age of 60.

Takes a hack to spot a hack –
Two newspapers, The New York Times and Germany’s De Spiegel report that the US knew North Korea was behind the Sony Pictures hack because it had secretly infiltrated the country’s computer networks in 2010. The NY Times believe that software planted by the US intelligence in North Korea’s computers alerted them to hacking activity on Sony.

Sun drops Page 3 topless images –
For 44 years the UK tabloid newspaper The Sun has by synonymous with a large topless picture of a model but that has come to an end today when a picture of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley wearing lingerie appeared. The paper is reported to be planning to reinstate the topless feature if sales drop. Among those who found fame were Linda Lusardi, Jilly Johnson and Samantha Fox.
Samantha Fox

Video of the Day –

Dover Police DashCam Confessional (Shake it Off)

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January 24, 2015

Top News Stories –

Islamic State terrorists execute Japanese hostage –
Japanese prime minister Shinzō Abe has called the footage of Islamic State hostage Kenji Goto apparently holding a photograph showing the body of fellow captive Haruna Yukawa “outrageous and unacceptable”. On January 20th 2015 Islamic State said it would kill the two men unless Japan paid a ransom of $200m (£130m) within 72 hours.
Japanese prime minister Shinzō Abe

Where are the richest 1% in the world? –
According to Credit Suisse anyone who has assets worth over $798,000 (£530,000) is one of 1% of the richest people in the world. 18 million of the top 47 million richest people are in the US, 3.5m in France, 2.9m in the UK and 2.8m in Germany. Ten percent of Swiss residents, a total of 800,000, are in the top 1%.

50 years since the death of Winston Churchill –
Sir Winston Churchill, prime minister of England through World War II died 50 years ago today. He was Conservative prime minister from 10 May 1940 – 26 July 1945 and again in 26 October 1951 – 6 April 1955.
Winston Churchill

FA Cup upsets return –
In England and Wales the fourth round of the FA Cup sees some of the most surprising results for many years. Premier League leaders Chelsea are beaten on their own ground 4-2 by Bradford City after leading the League One team 2-0. Manchester City who are second in the Premier League also lose at home to Championship side Middlesborough. This followed Cambridge United holding on for a 0-0 draw against Manchester United yesterday.
Jose Mourinho

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January 30, 2015

Top News Stories –

Suge Knight arrested after fatal car incident –
Marion “Suge” Knight who founded Death Row Records with Dr Dre in 1991, gives himself up for arrest after a fatal hit-and-run incident in Compton, Los Angeles. Police and witnesses said Knight drove his truck over two men in the car park of a restaurant killing one (his friend Terry Carter, a record label owner in Compton) and injuring the other (Cle “Bone” Sloan). Bail is set at $2m. In 1996 Knight was driving a BMW in Las Vegas in 1996 when gunmen in another vehicle shot his passenger, the rapper Tupac Shakur who later died.
Suge Knight

Jay Z takes on Dr Dre in world of streaming –
Rapper and entrepreneur Jay Z who earned over $60 million in 2014 places a $56m bid for Scandinavian company Aspiro, the company behind streaming services WiMP a direct rival to Spotify in Scandinavia. Aspiro also have a higher-resolution version called WiMP HiFi that was rebranded as Tidal when it launched in the UK and US in October 2014. If Jay Z succeeds in the bid he will be competing with Dr Dre’s Beats Music, the streaming service bought by Apple as part of a $3bn acquisition of its parent company Beats Electronics in 2014.
Jay Z

Out of the woods but into a cactus –
Tiger Woods records the worst round of his professional career with an 11-over-par 82 in the second round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Woods carded six bogeys, two double bogeys, a triple bogey and two birdies and left the ball in the middle of a cactus.
Tiger Woods

David Ginola pulls out of the Fifa presidential election –
David Ginola fails to secure the backing of five football associations, a requirement for standing in the FIFA presidential election and hpulls out of the challenge. Ginola was paid £250,000 by betting firm Paddy Power, which denied the campaign was a publicity stunt.
David Ginola

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February 4, 2015

Top News Stories –

Plane crashes into Taipei river –
Dramatic video footage has been captured on a car dashboard camera of a TransAsia turboprop plane crashing into a river in Taiwan shortly after taking off from Taipei airport. The plane was carrying 58 people, mostly Chinese tourists, and initial figures show that 31 died, 15 survivors were pulled from the wreckage and 12 people remain missing.

Kim Kardashian tries to break the internet again –
A new picture of Kim Kardashian apparently leaked from a future edition of Love magazine, shows the reality star standing in a doorway, totally naked and glistening with baby oil. Her previous attempt on total internet meltdown was a naked shot on the cover of New York’s Paper magazine in November 2014.
Kim Kardashian

Scherzinger and Hamilton split for fourth time –
The on-off romance between Pussycat Doll’s lead singer Nicole Scherzinger and Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton is officially over… again. The have been together for about 7 years and this is the fourth time they have split up, this time apparently over Hamilton’s refusal to settle down with her and start a family.
Nicole Scherzinger

I don’t want a guinea pig, I want a Josephoartigasia monesi –
Researchers from York in the UK and Montevideo in Uruguay reveal that a 1000kg bull-sized cousin to the guinea pig known as Josephoartigasia monesi had huge front teeth like tusks and its bite was as strong as a tiger. Named Josephoartigasia monesi it died out around two million years ago, so you can’t have one as a pet.

Josephoartigasia monesi

Google starts to search tweets –
Twitter has done a deal with Google to make tweets part of the results from a web search. Tweets will immediately be included in searches as Google will have access to Twitter’s firehose the datastream of tweets created by Twitter’s 284 million users.

Video of the Day –

AirAsia plane crash

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February 8, 2015

Top News Stories –

BAFTA film awards –
The BAFTA Film Awards are held at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London. Sponsored by communications company EE who have just been bought by BT, the awards are seen as a guide to the Oscars. Eddie Redmayne wins the best actor prize for his role as Professor Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything. Boyhood which was filmed over 12 years won best film and Julianne Moore won the leading actress prize for Still Alice. Full winners list below.
Eddie Redmayne
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February 22, 2015

February 21, 2015

Top News Story –

Razzies 2015 Winners: Cameron Diaz and Kirk Cameron Get Bashed at the 35th Annual Golden Raspberry Awards
Cameron Diaz

Video of the Day –

The Torch Tower, Dubai on fire –

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February 23, 2015

February 22, 2015

Top News Stories –

The top winners at the Oscars are Eddie Redmayne (Best Actor in The Theory of Everything), Julianne Moore (Best Actress in Still Alice) and Birdman (Best Picture, Best original screenplay, Best cinematography and Best director).
Eddie Redmayne

Video of the Day –

Birdman Spoof – Fred Armisen and Kristen Bell | 30th Film Independent Spirit Awards

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February 28, 2015

Top News Stories –

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

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

Video of the Day –

Downton Funk (Uptown Funk/Downton Abbey mashup)

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March 2, 2015

Top News Stories –

Bill Gates still the richest man in the world –

Bill Gates has been declared the richest man in the world for the 16th time by Forbes magazine’s annual ranking of global billionaires. The Microsoft founder once again beat Mexican businessman Carlos Slim to the top spot. Mr Gates’ net worth rose by just over $3bn (£1.94bn) in the year to 13 February, to $79bn. There are a record 1,826 billionaires in the world, Forbes said, an increase of 181 in the past 12 months. See list below. [BBC]

New image for Queen on coins of the realm –
A new portrait of the Queen to appear on coins has been unveiled, but it might be some time before the new money starts appearing in people’s wallets. The effigy, designed by Jody Clark, is only the fifth definitive coin portrait to have been created during the Queen’s reign and the first since 1998.

^{The new coin}

The new portrait is revealed at a ceremony in London’s National Portrait Gallery. Coins carrying the design will now begin being struck, the Royal Mint said. [Daily Telegraph]
New Zealanders confiscating bad drivers keys –
Police are urging motorists not to take matters into their own hands, following the latest removal of car keys from drivers allegedly driving dangerously. While police are encouraging the use of *555 calls, the growing trend of motorists confronting bad drivers and removing keys is on the rise nationally – almost one a day during the past week. [New Zealand Herald]

Video of the Day –

Science explains the colour of “that dress”

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March 20, 2015

Top News Stories –

America’s longest-serving innocent prisoner receives $1m for 39 years in jail –
An Ohio man freed last year after spending 39 years in jail for a murder he did not commit will receive more than $1 million from the state for his wrongful imprisonment. Ricky Jackson, the longest-held US prisoner to be cleared of a crime, will receive just over $1 million (£680,000) following an order from an Ohio Court of Claims judge on Thursday. The 39 years Mr Jackson spent in jail was the longest time a prisoner had been held before being exonerated. [Daily Telegraph]

‘Breathtaking’ solar eclipse witnessed by millions –
Millions of people in the UK and northern Europe have glimpsed the best solar eclipse in years. A great swathe of the Earth’s surface was plunged into darkness as the Moon came between us and the Sun. From an aeroplane above the Faroe Islands, a BBC camera crew captured startling footage of the event reaching totality at 09:41 GMT. The deep shadow formed first in the North Atlantic and then swept up into the Arctic, ending at the North Pole. See video of the day [BBC]

Martin Guptill hits highest World Cup score in New Zealand victory –
New Zealand’s Martin Guptill smashed the highest score in World Cup history with 237 not out against West Indies to send his team into the semi-finals. The 28-year-old’s 163-ball innings featured 11 sixes and 24 fours and beat the 215 made by West Indies’ Chris Gayle earlier in the tournament. Guptill hit 137 from his last 52 balls to help his side post 393-6. Trent Boult then took four early wickets as New Zealand bowled out the Windies for 250 to seal a 143-run win. [BBC]
Martin Guptill

Video of the Day –

UK Solar Eclipse [Daily Telegraph]

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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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April 17, 2015

Top News Stories –

Lorry full of honey bees overturns in Washington State –
A lorry carrying honeybees has overturned in the US state of Washington, spewing bees across a motorway. The accident scattered boxes “containing millions of live bees across the highway”, KIRO 7 News reported. Each of the boxes contains about 5,000 live bees, some were crushed in the accident while others were freed. Beekeepers used smoke to try and calm the bees before the sun rose, which would raise temperatures and agitate the bees. At daybreak many of the boxes remained on the road and the bees became more active. The fire brigade was called to spray the bees with foam, which resulted in their death. [BBC]

All Nippon Airways Announces ‘Star Wars’ Project With R2-D2 Painted Jet –
In honor of the iconic movie series, the airline will paint one of its brand-new Boeing 787s with an R2-D2 motif. An apparent video rendering of the R2-D2 plane, released on YouTube Thursday, shows the nose of the plane decorated with R2-D2’s signature blue and white stripes, along with graphics depicting the robot’s various ports. A massive “Star Wars” logo dominates the rear of the plane. The R2-D2 jet marks the start of five-year All Nippon Airways “Star Wars” project, which will include “a range of novel initiatives,” the airline announced on its website. (also see Video of the Day) [The Huffington Post]

Japan’s magnetically levitated vehicle train sets new speed record –
Japan’s magnetically levitated (maglev) train has set a new speed record, hitting 366.61mph on a test track. Central Japan Railway Co., which is developing a vehicle that it sees as the long-distance, mass transportation system of the future, is aiming to break the 600km per hour (372.82mph) in more tests scheduled for next week. The seven-car maglev surpassed the previous record, which it sent in December 2003, for a period of 19 seconds on JR Central’s test track in Yamanashi Prefecture, west of Tokyo, on Thursday. The company is pushing ahead in its development of the maglev, which uses magnetic pulses to propel the carriages, doing away with the need for wheels, axles and bearings, after being granted approval to construct a track between Tokyo and Nagoya. [Daily Telegraph]
The SCMaglev test track in the Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan

James Anderson breaks Sir Ian Botham’s England wicket record –
English cricketer James Anderson surpassed Sir Ian Botham as England’s highest Test wicket-taker with his 384th dismissal in his 100th match. Anderson, 32, had West Indies’ Denesh Ramdin caught at first slip on the final day of the first Test in Antigua. The seamer, who began the Test on 380 wickets, was mobbed by his team-mates as his family celebrated in the crowd. [BBC]

England’s top Test wicket-takers
Player	Wickets	Tests	Years active	Average
James Anderson	384	100	2003-present	29.77
Ian Botham	383	102	1977-1992	28.40
Bob Willis	325	90	1971-1984	25.20
Fred Trueman	307	67	1952-1965	21.57
Derek Underwood	297	86	1966-1982	25.83

Video of the Day –

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Official Teaser #2 –

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May 20, 2015

Top News Stories –

Record fines for currency market fix –
Five of the world’s largest banks are to pay fines totalling $5.7bn (£3.6bn) for charges including manipulating the foreign exchange market.
Four of the banks – JPMorgan, Barclays, Citigroup and RBS – have agreed to plead guilty to US criminal charges. The fifth, UBS, will plead guilty to rigging benchmark interest rates. Barclays was fined the most, $2.4bn, as it did not join other banks in November to settle investigations by UK, US and Swiss regulators. Barclays is also sacking eight employees involved in the scheme. [BBC]

Chinese professor accused in ‘Breaking Bad’ drugs plot –
Police in China have arrested a chemistry professor for his part in producing a psychoactive drug in a case that has been likened to US crime drama Breaking Bad. State agency Xinhua said 17 people were arrested including a Xian university professor alleged to have helped provide the recipe for methcathinone. Police seized 128kg (282lb) of the drug and more than 5m yuan ($806,095; £519,450). The drug lab was raided last year. [BBC]

David Letterman saluted by stars on final Late Show –
Four US presidents have joined stars including Steve Martin, Tina Fey, Jerry Seinfeld and Foo Fighters to pay tribute to TV host David Letterman on his final late night talk show. Letterman has bowed out after 33 years and 6,028 late-night broadcasts.He joked that physicist Stephen Hawking had calculated it “works out to about eight minutes of laughter”.He gave emotional thanks to his family, crew and viewers, saying: “There’s nothing I can ever do to repay you.”The 68-year-old began his late-night career on NBC in 1982, before moving to CBS’s Late Show in 1993.[BBC] See Video of the Day and List of the Day.
David Letterman

Video of the Day –

Celebrity Top Ten Things I’ve Always Wanted to Say To David Letterman

List of the day –

David Letterman’s final Top Ten list – “Top 10 things I’ve always wanted to say to Dave:”

10. Alec Baldwin: “Of all the talk shows, yours is the most geographically convenient to my home.”

9. Barbara Walters: “Did you know you wear the same cologne as Muammar Qaddafi?”

8. Steve Martin: Your extensive plastic surgery was a necessity…and a mistake.”

7. Jerry Seinfeld: “I have no idea what I’ll do when you go off the air. You know what, I just thought of something: I’ll be fine.”

6. Jim Carrey: “Honestly Dave, I’ve always found you to be a bit of an over-actor.” (He gesticulated wildly).

5. Chris Rock: “I’m just glad your show is being given to another white guy.” (Dave: “You know, I had nothing to do with that.”)

4. Julia Louis-Dreyfus: “Thanks for letting me take part in another hugely disappointing series finale.” (Seinfeld smirks). (Dave: “I had nothing to do with that either.”)

3. Peyton Manning: “Dave, you are to comedy what I am to comedy.”

2. Tina Fey: “Thanks for finally proving men can be funny.”

1. Bill Murray: “Dave, I’ll never have the money I owe you.”

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#DescribeYourselfIn3Words	#DescribeYourselfIn3Words	#DescribeYourselfIn3Words
2	#undiasinmusica	#HumpDay	#TDC15
3	#MTVBattle1D	Riley Curry	#SoftenAFilm
4	#MasterChefBR	#SoftenAFilm	#supportbaharmustafa
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6	#EnQueIdiomaTeDigoQue	#StandWithRand	#HumpDay
7	PARABÉNS RANGEL	#Blackhawks	#5ONTHEWALL
8	#MiConsejoDeVida	#NXTTakeOver	#GeordieShore
9	Yiğit Bulut	#bucciovertimechallenge	Uwe Rosler
10	#JustinForMMVA	#NoWayThatsAHoliday	#TheFlashSeasonFinale

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant
- Islamic State captures the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra from the Syrian Army with grave concerns held about its world heritage site. (The Hindu) (BBC)
The People’s Liberation Army Navy issues warnings eight times as a United States surveillance plane flies over manmade islands in the South China Sea. (CNN)

Arts and culture

Tools found near Lake Turkana in Kenya by Sonia Harmand and Jason Lewis of Stony Brook University are dated at 3.3 million years making them the oldest yet discovered. (AP via ABC News America)
The last edition of the Late Show with David Letterman goes to air on CBS Television in the United States. Following his retirement, David Letterman will be succeeded by Stephen Colbert on September 8, 2015. (CNN Money)

Disasters and accidents

A Shosholoza Meyl passenger train collides head-on with a goods train in Eastern Cape, South Africa, killing two people and injuring 20. (News24)
A rupture of an underground oil pipeline in California‘s Santa Barbara County near Refugio State Beach may have released 105,000 gallons ofcrude oil with tens of thousands gallons released into the Pacific Ocean. Jerry Brown, the Governor of California later declares a state of emergency. (Los Angeles Times), (ABC7 Los Angeles)
2015 Colombian landslide
- The death toll from Monday’s landslide in the town of Salgar rises to 80. (CNN)

International relations

South East Asian migrant crisis
- The foreign ministers of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand meet in Kuala Lumpur to discuss people smuggling and the migrant crisis. Malaysia and Indonesia agree to accept asylum seekers providing that they can be resettled or repatriated within a year. (Straits Times), (wires and ABC Online)
- Over 430 migrants are rescued off the coast of Indonesia‘s eastern Aceh province. (AP via New York Times)
North Korea
- North Korea abruptly cancels an invitation for Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, to visit. (AFP via Sydney Morning Herald)
- The Korean Central News Agency claims that North Korea has the ability to miniaturize nuclear weapons and place them on ballistic missiles.(CNN)

Law and crime

Zambia lifts a ban on hunting big cats imposed over corruption in hunting concessions in the past. (AFP via Yahoo News)
Five big banks Barclays, RBS, Citi, JP Morgan and UBS are fined $5.7 billion after a United States Department of Justice investigation into collusion by forex traders in several countries. (The Guardian)
An arrest warrant is issued for Daron Dylon Wint in the US capital Washington, D.C. in connection to the alleged murder of four people on May 14.(WJLA)
The legislature in the American state of Nebraska votes to abolish the death penalty. (Washington Post)

Sports

British driver Lewis Hamilton signs a three year contract with the German constructors Mercedes AMG. (CNN)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

May 21, 2015

Top News Stories –

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

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

Video of the Day –

List of the day –

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

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

Best contemporary song

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

Best album

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

PRS for Music most performed work

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

Best original film score

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

Best television soundtrack

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

Lifetime Achievement: Black Sabbath

Outstanding Song Collection: Albert Hammond

PRS for Music Outstanding Contribution to British Music: Boy George

PRS for Music Special International Award: Paul Williams

Songwriter of the Year: Ed Sheeran

The Ivors Classical Music Award: Judith Weir

The Ivors Inspiration Award: Manic Street Preachers

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

BASCA Fellowship: Annie Lennox

Top Twitter Trends –

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

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

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

Arts and culture

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

Health

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

Law and crime

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

Sports

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

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May 27, 2015

Top News Stories –

Fifa officials corrupted football – US prosecutors –
US prosecutors have accused several officials from football’s governing body Fifa of racketeering, fraud and money laundering involving tens of millions of dollars over 24 years. Prosecutors said they had discovered a dozen schemes, including one awarding the 2010 World Cup to South Africa.
Fourteen people have been indicted, with seven held in Zurich on Wednesday. Those indicted in the US case are accused of accepting bribes and kickbacks estimated at more than $150m (£97m) over a 24-year period beginning in 1991. [BBC] President Sepp Blatter has not been implicated by the US Presecutors. In December 2014 a complaint by US lawyer Michael Garcia who spent two years investigating World Cup corruption claims for Fifa was dismissed by football’s governing body.
Sepp Blatter at the 2014 FIFA Tournament Announcement in 2007

London is getting a cannabis-inspired restaurant –
Grub Club and the chefs at Grub London have teamed up to create ‘Cannabistro’, a two night pop-up event coming to London in June.Diners at London’s first weed-themed restaurant will be treated to a four-course gourmet meal of dishes inspired by “hazy memories of teenage years combined with the clichés of getting high – ‘The Way Up’ – and coming down – ‘The Munchies’.” [Daily Telegraph]

SpaceX cleared for US military launches –
Billionaire Elon Musk’s firm SpaceX has won long-waited approval from the US Air Force to launch military satellites, opening the way to a lucrative market that has been a virtual monopoly for a Boeing and Lockheed Martin joint venture. With the certification, California-based SpaceX can now compete against the United Launch Alliance – the giant Boeing-Lockheed joint venture – for defence contracts valued at about $9.5bn over the next five years. In January 2015 Musk announced that he will build a test track for his “Hyperloop” transport system that could theoretically travel at speeds of up to 700 miles per hour. [news24.com]
Elon Musk

Video of the Day –

A Guy’s Understanding of Women’s Underwear – Robbie Sherrard

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#CharlieCharlie	Rick Santorum	Point Break
2	FIFA	#TeenChoice	#QueensSpeech
3	#PSYAngPagsinta	#HumpDay	#FIFA
4	#MeTatuariaLaFrase	Sepp Blatter	#5WordWeddingToast
5	La MUD	#ARRAY	Andy King
6	#FelizMiercoles	FIFA	Tony Blair
7	#FIFA	#5WordWeddingToast	#GazaUnderAttack
8	Point Break	Jared Dudley	#StateOpening
9	#MasterChefBR	#Replace1DSongsWithNiallsHat	#JustinGiveUsYourSnapchat
10	Rafael Esquivel	#FIFA	#Replace1DSongsWithNiallsHat

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant
- Islamic State militants have carried out multiple suicide bombings targeting the Iraqi Army in Anbar Province killing at least 17 people. (AP)

Disasters and accidents

At least 12 people, associated with the Kangleyuan Rest Home in the Chinese city of Pingdingshan in Henan province which was destroyed by fire with the loss of 38 lives, are detained for questioning. (AP)
A sixth person is found to have died in this week’s floods in Harris County, Texas, which contains the city of Houston. (Houston Chronicle)
2015 Indian heat wave
- The death toll in the two worst affected states Andhra Pradesh and Telangana passes 800. (Times of India)

International relations

Representatives from the United States, Japan and South Korea meet in Seoul on how to respond to North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.(AP)
Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair resigns as the peace envoy of the Quartet on the Middle East. (ABC News)

Law and crime

FIFA corruption scandal
- Six FIFA officials are detained in Switzerland for extradition to the United States in relation to allegations of corruption between the 1990s and now. Those arrested include Jeffrey Webb, Jack Warner, Eduardo Li, Eugenio Figueredo and Jose Maria Marin. Fourteen people involved in world soccer. (AP), (BBC), (Washington Post)
- Swiss federal prosecutors open criminal procedures in relation to the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups. (AP)
- FIFA suspends eleven people from involvement in football over the scandal. (AP)
The Legislature of the US state of Nebraska votes to outlaw the death penalty, overriding a veto by Governor Pete Ricketts. (Lincoln Journal Star)

Politics

The newly-elected British House of Commons commences its session with the State Opening of Parliament ceremony in which the Queen’s Speech will be delivered. (BBC)
The Prime Minister of Denmark Helle Thorning-Schmidt calls an election for June 18. (Reuters via Straits Times)
Rick Santorum announces he will be seeking the nomination of the Republican Party in the United States presidential election, 2016. (Washington Post)

Science and technology

Elon Musk‘s SpaceX wins U.S. Air Force approval to launch military satellites. (AFP via News24)

Sport

2014–15 UEFA Europa League
- In association football, Sevilla FC of Spain becomes the first club to win the UEFA Europa League four times defeating Dnipro Dnipropetrovskof Ukraine 3-2 with Colombian striker Carlos Bacca scoring twice in the final. (CNN)
- Matheus Leite Nascimento collapses on the field of play during the 2015 UEFA Europa League Final in Warsaw. (SM)
2015 NBA Finals
- In basketball, the Golden State Warriors defeat the Houston Rockets 104-90 to win the Western Conference 104-90 and go to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1975. (Bleacher Report)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

May 29, 2015

Top News Stories –

Silk Road drug website founder Ross Ulbricht jailed –
The founder of online illegal drug marketplace the Silk Road has been sentenced to life in prison in the US. Federal prosecutors said Ross Ulbricht’s website, hosted on the hidden “dark web”, sold more than $200m (£131m) worth of drugs anonymously. The 31-year-old was found guilty in New York of charges including conspiracy to commit drug trafficking, money laundering and computer hacking. The site was shut down in 2013 after police arrested Ulbricht. In February he was convicted of operating the site for nearly three years from 2011. [BBC]

Sepp Blatter wins FIFA President election –
Under-fire Sepp Blatter has been voted in for four more years as Fifa president – but only after his rival inflicted a ”bloody nose” on him.
More than a third of FIFA’s 209 associations voted for Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan as significant numbers turned against Mr Blatter following the crisis that has struck the world governing body this week. The Swiss bureaucrat, 79, won the first round by 133 votes to 73, but he failed to gain a two-thirds majority, and Prince Ali, the 39-year-old Sandhurst graduate, then withdrew from the contest rather than force a second round of voting.
Sepp Blatter at the 2014 FIFA Tournament Announcement in 2007

Sepp Blatter will be ousted from Fifa, declares FA Chairman Greg Dyke –
Greg Dyke declared the fight to oust Sepp Blatter as Fifa president had only just begun after watching him defy the worst crisis in the world governing body’s history to sweep to a fifth term in office on Friday. Dyke, the FA chairman, said: “This is not over by any means. To quote the Attorney General, this is the beginning of the process not the end. I’d be very surprised if Mr Blatter was still in this job in two years’ time.”
Confirming the FA would consider joining any Uefa-led World Cup walkout, he added: “There would be no point pulling England out if everyone else stays in. But if you could pull Uefa out, that might have an impact.”
Greg Dyke

Video of the Day –

MIT cheetah robot lands the running jump

List of the day –

Presidents of FIFA

Presidency		Date of Birth	Date of Death	Took office	Left office	Years Active	Nationality
1	Robert Guérin	June 28, 1876	March 19, 1952	1904	1906	2	France
2	Daniel Burley Woolfall	June 15, 1852	October 24, 1918	1906	1918	12	England
3	Jules Rimet	October 14, 1873	October 16, 1956	1921	1954	33	France
4	Rodolphe Seeldrayers	December 16, 1876	October 7, 1955	1954	1955	1	Belgium
5	Arthur Drewry	March 3, 1891	March 25, 1961	1955	1961	6	England
6	Stanley Rous	April 25, 1895	July 18, 1986	1961	1974	13	England
7	João Havelange	May 8, 1916	Living	1974	1998	24	Brazil
8	Sepp Blatter	March 10, 1936	Living	8 June 1998	Incumbent	Present	Switzerlan

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	EU TE AMO ZAYN	Lil Mama	#FridayFeeling
2	#BlackMagicVideo	#FlashbackFriday	#NationalBiscuitDay
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4	메르스	#jacobsbigreveal	#FIFACongress
5	Hayırlı Cumalar	#Surf	#NotQuiteSoAwesomeMovies
6	#تفجير_العنود	#NationalBiscuitDay	Phil Neal
7	#BuenViernes	#IWalkedADayInYOURshoesAnd	Olly Murs
8	#MeArruinaElDia	Prince Shembo	#bbcqt
9	#QueLindoCuando	#FIFACongress	Heysel
10	#MitTırlarındanSilahÇı…	#FridayReads	Kung Fury

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
- Singapore says the Islamist group plans to take the conflict into Southeast Asia. (Straits Times)
- Dammam Mosque bomb blast:Islamic State claims responsibility for a car bomb in the parking lot of the Imam Hussain Mosque situated inDammam, Saudi Arabia, during Friday prayers, with at least four people killed and dozens injured. Authorities state that the mosque itself was not hit. (The Express Tribune), (CNN)
Balochistan conflict
- Gunmen in Pakistan‘s Balochistan province attack two buses killing at least 19 people. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

A volcano erupts on the Japanese island of Kuchinoerabu-jima prompting the evacuation of all residents and the diversion of all flights. (Kyodo viaJapan Times), (GMA Network)
2015 Texas–Oklahoma flood and tornado outbreak
- Dozens of people are rescued in the US state of Texas. The death toll from floods in Texas and Oklahoma has reached 24 dead with 13 missing with another 15 people dead from tornadoes in northern Mexico and Texas. (NBC News)
- The Governor of Texas Greg Abbott asks for a Presidential declaration of a disaster to obtain United States Government assistance for the worst affected areas of the state. (AP)
2015 Indian heat wave
- The official death toll from the Indian heat wave passes 1,800 making it the deadliest heatwave in more than two decades. (AFP via Yahoo! News)

Health

The number of cases in an outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome in South Korea rises to 12. (Yonhap News)

International relations

2015 Rohingya refugee crisis
- Thailand will allow the United States to fly surveillance planes through their airspace, allowing the United States to identify boats carrying refugees. (ITV)
Irish Naval Service patrol vessel LÉ Eithne rescues 300 migrants in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Libya. (BBC)
The United States officially removes Cuba from its list of State Sponsors of Terrorism. (NBC News)
War in Donbass
- The President of France François Hollande and the Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel call on the President of Russia Vladimir Putin to implement measures agreed on the Minsk ceasefire. (Reuters)
- Russia blacklists dozens of European Union officials from entering the country. (AFP via France 24)

Law and crime

Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht is given a life sentence after being convicted for narcotics trafficking. (The Verge)
American television actor Dustin Diamond is convicted of two misdemeanor charges stemming from a stabbing at a Wisconsin bar last year but acquitted on felony charges. (AP)

Politics and elections

Muhammadu Buhari is sworn in as the President of Nigeria following a recent election. (AP)
Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2016
- Former Governor of Maryland Martin O’Malley will announce his candidacy for President of the United States at 10:00 am on May 30. (USA Today)

Sports

Sepp Blatter is elected to a fifth term as president of FIFA after Prince Ali bin Hussein withdraws his candidacy before a second round of voting could take place. The first round of voting had ended with Blatter falling seven votes short of the 2/3 majority needed to win. (ESPN), (CNN)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

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]
The White House Facebook Page official photo today

Hilary Clinton made a similar change to her logo when the Supreme Court was earlier ruling in April.
Hilary 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]

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
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3	#LoveWins	#5sosfamisconfident	#HappyBirthdayMoonlight
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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

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Al Shabaab militants attack an African Union base in the Leego district of Somalia and kills more than 70 African Union soldiers and seizes control of their military base. (Reuters) (VOA News)
Saint-Quentin-Fallavier attack
- A man is decapitated and at least two others are injured during an attack in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier as a man carrying an Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant flag attacks a factory near the French city of Lyon. (The Local)
2015 Kuwait mosque bombing
- At least 27 people are killed and 227 injured after a suicide bombing at the Shia Imam Sadiq mosque in Kuwait City, Kuwait. ISIL claims responsibility for the attack. (Al Jazeera), (Reuters)
2015 Sousse attack
- Two hotels in Sousse, Tunisia came under attack from an unknown number of gunmen; at least 37 people have been killed and 36 injured. Libyan branch of ISIL is suspected. (Sky News), (BBC), (USA Today)
Syrian civil war
- June 2015 Kobani attack
  - Islamic State kills 146 civilians in Kobani, the second largest massacre since the start of conflict when the extremist group executed 700 members of the al-Sheitaat tribe in eastern Syria. (IBT), (VOA NEWS)
- An Islamic State suicide bomber kills at least 20 people in the city of Hasakeh. (AFP via Yahoo! News)

Business and economy

The Prime Minister of Greece Alexis Tsipras says that Greece will hold a referendum on a bailout deal with creditors on July 5. (BBC), (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

An early monsoon arrives in India resulting in floods in Gujarat state that have killed 60 people so far this week. (Hindustan Times)

International relations

The European Union has reached agreement to share at least 40,000 migrants over two years. (Reuters), (BBC)
Authorities in Thailand stop the launch of a report by Human Rights Watch on alleged persecution of Montagnard Christians in Vietnam. (AP via ABC News America)

Law and crime

A South Korean court rules that South Korea is not obliged to pay compensation to its nationals who were victims of the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki who have not been compensated by Japan. (Yonhap)
Obergefell v. Hodges:
- In a 5-4 decision, the United States Supreme Court declares state bans on same-sex marriage unconstitutional and effectively legalizes it across the United States. (CNN)
2015 Clinton Correctional Facility escape
- Richard Matt, one of the two escapees, has been shot dead south of the town of Malone, New York. (New York Times)

Politics and elections

Sri Lankan parliamentary election, 2015
- Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena dissolves the Parliament to pave the way for the upcoming parliamentary election. (BBC)

Sports

2015 NHL Entry Draft
- The NHL Draft is held at the BB&T Center with the Edmonton Oilers selecting Connor McDavid as their number 1 pick. (Bleacher Report)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

June 29, 2015

Top News Stories –

Floyd Mayweather tops the 2015 Forbes Celebrity Rich List –
Since 1999 Forbes have been ranking the wealth and influence of the world’s biggest stars. Factors taken into account include income, Google hits, fan base, press clips and magazine covers. But for the the first time, this year’s list has ranked the world’s top earning entertainers by annual income only. Mayweather’s $300 million year shatters the record for athlete earnings, which was previously held by Tiger Woods who banked $115 million in 2008. Mayweather earned an estimated $180m from his fight with Manny Pacquiao on May 2, 2015. Katy Perry has been crowned the highest earning female celebrity. [Daily Telegraph] See List of the Day below
Floyd Mayweather

Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris top highest paid couple list –
Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris have become the highest paid celebrity couple, overtaking Beyonce and Jay Z. The relatively new romance of Swift with her superstar DJ boyfriend see them top this year’s Forbes list; with a combined income of $146m (£92m). It means Queen Bey and her rapper husband slip down to second place with earnings of $100m (£70m). The power couple have been number one on the list since 2013. [BBC]
Taylor Swift

Video of the Day –

Avril Lavigne says having Lyme disease has been the ‘worst time’ of her life –
Avril Lavigne has opened up about her struggle with Lyme disease, calling it the “worst time” of her life. The 30-year-old singer contracted the disease, spread by infected ticks, whilst touring last year. The Canadian says she became “bedridden” in October but is now expected to make a full recovery. She told Good Morning America: “I was seeing every specialist and every doctor. They’d say ‘chronic fatigue syndrome?’ or ‘are you depressed?’ “I woke up and had night sweats and felt like I had the flu. She says it took took months for someone to finally figure out that she had Lyme Disease. [BBC Newsbeat]
Avril Lavigne

Video of the Day –

Do We Have to Get Old and Die? – Minute Earth

List of the Day –

The World’s Highest-Paid Celebrities 2015 according to Forbes Magazine

Rank	Name	Age	Earnings	Category
#1	Floyd Mayweather	38	$300 M	Athletes
#2	Manny Pacquiao	36	$160 M	Athletes
#3	Katy Perry	30	$135 M	Musicians
#4	One Direction	–	$130 M	Musicians
#5	Howard Stern	61	$95 M	Personalities
#6	Garth Brooks	53	$90 M	Musicians
#7	James Patterson	68	$89 M	Authors
#8	Robert Downey Jr.	50	$80 M	Actors
#8	Taylor Swift	25	$80 M	Musicians
#10	Cristiano Ronaldo	30	$79.5 M	Athletes

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	Zeca Camargo	#MondayMotivation	#Wimbledon2015
2	#WhereAreUNowMusicVideoTODAY	#NashsNewVideo	#MondayMotivation
3	#StopTerorismInChina	#SignsYoureInTheUSA	#BETAwards2015
4	#FelizLunes	#AskELJames	#AskELJames
5	#BestFandom	Bo Ryan	Rihanna
6	#BETAwards2015	You’re Fired	#Slammiversary
7	#FormasFrikisDeDecirTeQuiero	#DirtyWorkJuly10	Diddy
8	Big Sean	#Wimbledon2015	Paulinho
9	K Michelle	#WhoIsBurningBlackChurches	The Who
10	#OdioEternoA	#ROWYSOPerth	Olympics

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- The Turkish military is reportedly preparing for an imminent invasion of northern Syria following a National Security Council meeting. The aim is to establish a buffer zone for refugees and drive back Islamic State militants. The Kurdish militia group YPG have said they will oppose any Turkish intervention in Syria. (Telegraph)
Four Israelis were shot and injured in a drive-by shooting attack near Shilo, as a manhunt begins for the suspects. (YNet)
A Palestinian woman was arrested after stabbing and seriously wounding a female IDF soldier at a checkpoint near Bethlehem. (Haaretz)
Five Chadian security officials and six militants have been killed during an explosion in a raid in the capital N’Djamena. (BBC)
Egypt‘s state prosecutor Hisham Barakat dies in a bomb attack in Cairo. (AP via Fox News)
Afghan Civil War:
- According to witnesses who fled fighting in Nangarhar province, fighters loyal to Islamic State seize substantial territory in Afghanistan for the first time, wresting areas in the east from rival Taliban insurgents in a new threat to stability, scorching opium poppy fields that help to fund the Taliban’s campaign to overthrow the Afghan government. (Newsweek)
Yemeni Crisis (2011–present)
- A car bomb explodes behind a military hospital in the Yemeni capital Sanaa causing 28 casualties. Islamic State has claimed responsibility.(AP), (AFP via France 24)

Arts and culture

Chinese state-run media reports the Great Wall losing around 30% of its structure due to natural conditions and human activities. (AFP via Discovery)

International relations

The Israeli Navy intercepts and takes control of the lone ship still involved in Freedom Flotilla III and pilots it to Ashdod. The other three ships involved had already turned back after being intercepted. Israel offered all ships to unload their humanitarian aid cargo in Israeli ports and transport it into Gaza for free but the ships refused. (Israel National News)(Times Of Israel)
The United States Office of Personnel Management closes down its system for employee background checks following the theft of millions of records in a computer hacking incident suspected to be conducted by Chinese hackers. (Breaking News)

Law and crime

The Supreme Court of the United States upholds the use of capital punishment by lethal injection involving midazolam. (USA Today)
The Supreme Court of the United States strikes down the Environmental Protection Agency‘s limit on mercury emissions from power plants because it did not take costs of the regulations into consideration. (Wall Street Journal)
The California State Legislature passes a bill which would enact a state requirement for the vaccination of children enrolled in schools. The bill is now pending Governor Jerry Brown‘s approval before going into law. (Los Angeles Times)

Politics and elections

Burundian legislative election, 2015
- Voters in Burundi go to the polls for a legislative election with several polling places attacked overnight. (Al-Jazeera)
Puerto Rico government-debt crisis
- Governor Alejandro García Padilla said the region has failed attempts and is unable to pay off the $72 billion debt. (USA Today)

Sports

Guus Hiddink, the head coach of the Netherlands national football team, prematurely resigns before the end of his term. (Espnfc)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

July 4, 2015

Top News Stories –

Matt Stonie beats Joey Chestnut in Fourth of July hot dog eating contest –
America’s Independence Day celebrations were overshadowed on Saturday by the shock defeat of the country’s champion hot dog eating star. Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, 32, began strongly at the annual Nathan’s Famous contest in Coney Island, New York, before being overhauled and beaten by Matt “Megatoad” Stonie, who polished off 62 frankfurters and buns in 10 minutes (to add to a bacon eating record he claimed earlier this year). Mr Chestnut, unbeaten for eight years, fell two short. He managed a smile as he conceded defeat in front of thousands of fans. [Daily Telegraph] See List of the Day
Joey Chesnut

Chile beat Argentina on Penalties to win Copa America –
Chile secured the first major trophy in their history on home soil courtesy of a penalty shootout win over Argentina in the Copa America final.
Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez slotted in the winning spot-kick after Argentina’s Gonzalo Higuain fired over and Ever Banega was denied by Claudio Bravo.
Higuain had earlier missed from close range after 90 minutes of few chances. Sanchez came closest in extra time for Chile, who scored all four of their penalties in the shootout. [BBC]
Alexis Sanchez (playing for Arsenal)

England finish third in the Women’s World Cup beating Germany 1-0 –
Fara Williams’s extra-time penalty ensured England beat Germany for the first time in 31 years to finish third at the Women’s World Cup. The performance was the second best by an England team following the 1966 win by the men’s side and eclipsed the 1990 men’s team, who finished fourth in Italy. The Lionesses had not beaten two-time World Cup winners Germany in 20 attempts but they more than matched their opponents and won the spot-kick in the second period of extra-time after substitute Lianne Sanderson was brought down by Tabea Kemme. Williams, who is England’s record cap holder and was homeless at one point in her England career, beat retiring German goalkeeper Nadine Angerer for her third penalty of the tournament. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Car Chase by Vania Heymann

List of the Day –

Joey Chesnut World Eating Records (as of July 4, 2015)

Deep Fried Asparagus Eating Championship in Stockton, California, May 2014: 12.8 lbs. deep fried asparagus in 10 minutes.
Pork ribs: 13.76 pounds pork rib meat in 12 minutes at John Ascuaga’s Nugget Casino Resort during the Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-off in Sparks, Nevada on August 28, 2013.
(Hot Dogs) Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs and buns (HDB): 69 HDB in 10 minutes during the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, New York on July 4, 2013.
Matzoh Balls: 78 matzoh balls in 8 minutes at Kenny & Ziggy’s New York Delicatessen Restaurant in Houston, Texas on March 2, 2008
Bratwurst: 70 bratwursts in 10 minutes at Oktoberfest Zinzinnati in Cincinnati, OH on September 22, 2013.
Hard Boiled Eggs: 141 hard-boiled eggs in 8 minutes at the Radcliff Fall Festival in Radcliff, KY on October 5, 2013.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	Happy 4th of July	Happy 4th of July	Happy 4th of July
2	#MeEncantaQue	Joe Budden	#IndependenceDay
3	#HarrysFriendIsMissing	#BeastInTheEast	#storm
4	#VamosVamosArgentina	#MakeABandUnhealthy	#ToughenUpACartoon
5	#EsMuyComunEnMiQue	#dontjudgechallenge	Skepta
6	Çinli	#CookoutNewsNetwork	#MakeABandUnhealthy
7	#IndependenceDay	#HarrysFriendIsMissing	#BeastInTheEast
8	#LasMinasQueremos	#americanproblemsnight	#HarrysFriendIsMissing
9	#musicday	Roy Hibbert	Fawkes
10	Beligoy	#DescribeYourSexLifeWithAMeal	Joe Budden

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Donbass
- A rally of war veterans in Kiev calls for Ukraine to abandon the Minsk II ceasefire agreement and to declare war on pro-Russian separatists in the Donbass region. Despite two ceasefire agreements since September combat operations, including the use of heavy artillery and ballistic missiles, never stopped.(BBC)
Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
- Yemen‘s Houthi rebels shell the Saudi Arabian cities of Jizan and Najran with claims of several Saudi soldiers being killed. (Reuters via Daily Star)
Second Libyan Civil War
- At least ten civilians are killed when three separate car bombs exploded simultaneously in the eastern coastal city of Derna. (Yahoo news via AP)
Sinai insurgency
- A shell kills a woman and her two children as fighting continues on the Sinai Peninsula between the Egyptian Army and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant militants. (AFP via Times of India)
Syrian Civil War
- Mosque bombing in northern Syria kills 15 members of Al Qaida’s affiliate Nusra Front. (Fox News via Associated Press)
- The Syrian Army and Hezbollah launch an offensive to capture the rebel-held Syrian city of Zabadani. (Al-Arabiyah)
- Kurdish People’s Protection Units advance on the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant de-facto capital city of Raqqa. (ALJazeera)
- ISIL militants execute 25 Syrian Army soldiers in the ancient city of Palmyra. (Al-Arabiya)
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
- The Azerbaijani military shoots down two Armenian drones over Azeri positions according to Azerbaijan’s defense ministry. (TREND)

Arts and culture

The Republic of China (Taiwan) holds a large military parade in Taipei to commemorate World War II in support of its claims that Kuomintangforces led by Chiang Kai-Shek played a leading role in the defeat of the Empire of Japan with the Chinese Communist Party under Mao Tse-Tungplaying a minor role. (AP)
UNESCO adds new sites to the World Heritage List including the French wine producing regions of Champagne and Burgundy. (AFP via Straits Times)

Disasters and accidents

At least nine people have been killed and 30 injured following a factory collapse in the city of Wenling in Zhejiang province. (AP via Star Tribune)
A wildfire in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan forces 8,000 people from their homes. (CBC)

Law and crime

A South Korean navy officer is charged with leaking confidential information to China. (RTHK)(AFP via Sky News)
Abdul Gani Patail, the Attorney General of Malaysia, says that a probe of troubled state owned investment bank 1Malaysia Development Berhadhas uncovered documents that show the transfer of money into private accounts of the Prime Minister Najib Razak. (Market Watch)

Politics

2015 Sousse attacks
- Tunisia’s President Beji Caid Essebsi declares state of emergency. (VOA News)
Tupou VI is officially crowned as the King of Tonga. (BBC)
Fidel Castro makes his first public appearance at a Cuban cheese factory since February 2015. (UPI)

Sport

2015 Tour de France
- In cycling, the 2015 Tour de France gets underway in the Dutch city of Utrecht with an individual time trial. (The Guardian)
2015 Super Rugby season
- The Highlanders from the New Zealand region of Otago defeat the Hurricanes from the New Zealand capital Wellington in the Super Rugby final 21-14. It is the Highlanders first Super 15 final. (The Age)
2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup
- In association football, England defeats Germany 1-0 through a extra time penalty goal by Fara Williams to win third place in the FIFA Women’s World Cup. (BBC)
2015 Copa América
- In football, the Chile national football team win the Copa América for the first time, defeating Argentina 4–1 in a penalty shoot-out following a 0–0 draw.(The Guardian), (BBC)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

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-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.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
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

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Terrorism in Pakistan
- In a failed suicide blast, a security guard intercepted a suicide bomber clad in female clothing attempting to enter Quetta’s Hazara town, who then detonated their device that contained 6 to 7 Kg of explosive material, killing themselves and the guard. (Dawn).
Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)
- The Kurdish‘s People’s Protection Units and independent monitors accuse ISIL of using poison gas while fighting in northern Syria late in June.(Reuters)
- Saudi Arabia arrests 431 people accused of links to Islamic State. (Al-Arabiyah)
- ISIL claims responsibility for kidnapping three African Christians in Libya. (Reuters via Trust)
War in Donbass, Timeline of the war in Donbass (July 2015–present)
- Three civilians have been killed in shelling in the Donbass town of Avdiivka. Despite being in government-held territory local residents claimed they were fired on by pro-Ukrainian forces. (Reuters)
Sinai insurgency
- Militants kill at least five soldiers in attacks on two Egyptian Army checkpoints. (AP via ABC America)

Disasters and accidents

At least four people are dead, seven injured and a girl trapped as a four story building collapses in West Delhi in India‘s National Capital Territory of Delhi. (NDTV)

2015 Cajon Pass wildfire
- The wildfire burning in San Bernardino County, California has burned over 3,500 acres, and destroyed 16 homes and other buildings. The fire has also burned over 60 passenger vehicles and tractor-trailers. (CBS-Los Angeles)

Law and crime

2015 Chattanooga shootings
- The sailor wounded in Thursday’s shooting at two military installations in Chattanooga, Tennessee, dies a little after 2 a.m. Saturday, bringing the death toll of the shooting to five. (Chattanooga Times-Free Press)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

August 6, 2015

Top News Stories –

Facebook launches live video for celebrities in Mentions app –
Facebook has launched a live video function for celebrities on its Mentions app. The feature will allow any star with a verified account to broadcast to fans who follow them. It’ll be in competition with services like Periscope and Meerkat and will appear in people’s News Feed.
The Facebook Mentions app allows athletes, musicians, politicians and other stars to talk with their fans and each other. [BBC Newsbeat]

George Cole, Arthur Daley in Minder, dies at 90 –
Stars of stage and screen have been paying tribute to “immaculate” and “unforgettable” Minder actor George Cole following his death at the age of 90. Cole, whose showbusiness career spanned 70 years, is best remembered for his portrayal of small-time wheeler dealer and crook Arthur Daley in the TV show Minder, alongside his likeable bodyguard Terry McCann, played by Waterman. He died yesterday in hospital with his family at his side after a short illness, it was announced today. [Daily Telegraph]

Apple Music signs 11 million up to free trial in first five weeks –
Apple has signed up 11 million users to a free trial of Apple Music since the service launched at the end of June. Jimmy Iovine, who co-founded the Beats Music streaming service bought by Apple before it launched Apple Music, told USA Today he was “pleasantly shocked” by the service’s growth in its first five weeks, while Eddy Cue, the company’s senior vice president of internet software and services, said: “We’re thrilled with the numbers so far.” Should all of the trial members choose to keep paying for their subscriptions, Apple Music will have accumulated the equivalent of around half of rival streaming service Spotify’s paying membership – some 20 million – within three months. [Daily Telegraph]
Jimmy Iovine

Video of the Day –

Husband shocks wife with pregnancy announcement!

Top Twitter Trends –

1	Chano	#GOPDebate	#secschoolinnigeria
2	#OTRAMETLIFE	Patrick Kane	#Hiroshima
3	#تفجير_طواري_ع�…	#Hiroshima	#ThankYouThursday
4	River	#GLS15	Jamaicans
5	#لماذا_السعودي…	#SuperVillainCelebs	George Cole
6	BET Uncut	#DebateQuestionsWeWantToHear	#OTRAMETLIFE
7	#FelizJueves	Jennifer Aniston	#Ashes2015
8	#Hiroshima	#WelcomeBackToTexas1D	#EatAn80sBand
9	#LaVidaNoValeNadaSin	#VRA50	#NashsNewVideo
10	Jennifer Aniston	Lizzie McGuire	#tubestrike

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- A suicide bomber kills at least eight people and injures twelve in the city of Pul-i-Alam in Logar Province. (AP via ABC News America)
Terrorism in Saudi Arabia, Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant
- A suicide bomb attack kills at least 15 people at a mosque in the south-western Saudi city of Abha. IS claims responsibility. (Reuters), (AFP via Yahoo! News)
Syrian Civil War
- Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant conquers the key transport hub Al-Qaryatain, allowing its forces in the Qalamun region to be supplied through this city. (The News Hub)
Russian hackers are suspected of infiltrating the U.S. Pentagon e-mail system last week. (The Daily Telegraph)

Arts and culture

American news satire program The Daily Show airs its last broadcast with comedian Jon Stewart as host. (The New Yorker)
Many people throughout the world commemorate the 70th anniversary of the dropping of an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.(Reuters via Melbourne Age)

Disasters and accidents

At least 17 people, including 12 Afghan army soldiers were killed following a helicopter crash in the southern province of Zabul. (Al-Jazeera)
A Pakistani military helicopter crashes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province resulting in at least 11 deaths. (AP)

International relations

Yemeni Civil War:
- Saudi Arabia sends new military equipment including tanks from Sharura into northern Yemen to support government forces fighting Iran-backed Houthi militants. (Voice of America)

Politics and Elections

The Republican Party candidates for President of the United States debate, in two events (top tier candidates and lower-tier candidates separated) in an informal kick-off event for the 2016 campaign. (LA Times)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

August 7, 2015

Top News Stories –

One Direction number one breaks streaming records –
One Direction have topped the UK singles chart with their new single Drag Me Down. The track broke streaming records, earning the highest first-week streams for a single in the UK with 2.03m plays. Drag Me Down is One Direction’s first single as a foursome since the departure of Zayn Malik. Its release came a surprise to fans who had not been expecting a new single. [BBC Newsbeat]
One Direction in 2013 before Zayn left

North Korea sets up own time zone in rebuke to ‘wicked Japanese imperialists’ –
The hermetic communist state of North Korea is often said to be locked in a Stalinist time warp. But it is now turning the clocks back – by 30 minutes a day – by official decree. The state news agency has announced the creation of a new Pyongyang time zone as a rejection of the legacy of “wicked Japanese imperialists”. North Korea will step back in time by half an hour on Aug 15th – the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Korean peninsula from Japanese rule at the end of the Second World War. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Uber meets Tinder

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#DragMeDownMusicVideo	#StraightOutta	#Compton
2	Spice Girls	#TheWorstPartOfDepressionIs	Spice Girls
3	#GOPDebate	#InternationalBeerDay	#FridayFeeling
4	Aldon Smith	#DragMeDownMusicVideo	#InternationalBeerDay
5	NASA	Aldon Smith	#GOPDebate
6	#JonVoyage	#MyMotherAlwaysToldMe	Jenson Button
7	#TheVoiceChile	#MakeAHorrorMovieHarmless	#ReligiousUpaMovie
8	#BuenViernes	#ReligiousUpaMovie	#DragMeDownMusicVideo
9	#LaVidaEsAburridaSin	James Holmes	Cassper
10	Hayırlı Cumalar	#CameronDallasPhotoShoot	Jonathan King

Other News Stories –

Armed conflict and attacks

Suspected Islamist militants stormed two hotels in central Mali where UN peacekeepers were housed, seizing at least ten hostages and killing three Malian soldiers and a U.N. peacekeeper. (Times of Oman) (Reuters)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- At least fifteen people are dead and 400 injured when a truck bomb explodes in Kabul. (BBC) (WSJ)
- A bombing outside the Kabul police academy kills at least 20 people with the Taliban claiming responsibility. (AFP via ABC News)
Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant
- Tadmur offensive (July–August 2015), Syrian Civil War
  - The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claims that ISIL has kidnapped at least 230 people, including at least 60 Christians, from Al-Qaryatayn in the Homs Governorate. (Reuters) (RFERL)
- Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants execute 19 women in Mosul, Iraq, for refusing to have sex with the group’s fighters. (Tribune) (Daily Caller)

Arts and culture

North Korea will change its time zone to UTC+08:30 on August 15, returning to the time used by the Korean Empireuntil Japanese occupation in 1910. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

2015 Pacific typhoon season
- Taiwan evacuates hundreds of people ahead of Typhoon Soudelor (2015). (Reuters via WA Today)

International relations

Syrian Civil War
- The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopts a resolution aimed at identifying those responsible for deploying chlorine and other chemical weapons in attacks in Syria. (Hindustan Times) (VOA)

Law and crime

Attacks on secularists in Bangladesh
- A Bangladeshi blogger known for his atheist views has been hacked to death by a gang armed with machetes, the fourth such incident this year, in the capital Dhaka, Bangla. (BBC) (The Telegraph) (The Hindu)
The jury in the penalty phase of the trial of Aurora theater shooter James Holmes reaches a verdict to sentence him to life in prison without the possibility of parole. (Reuters) (AP) (WABC)

Sports

2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup
- FIBA announces that China will host the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup. China was chosen over the Philippines, the only other candidate nation, for the hosting rights of the tournament. (The Japan Times)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

August 13, 2015

Top News Stories –

Nigerian granted divorce over wife’s late meals –
A Nigerian court has recently granted a 57-year-old man a divorce on the premise that his wife was bringing him his meals too late at night, local media reported on Thursday. Olufade Adeyoka recently explained to a courtroom in Lagos that he was fed up, that his wife of 25 years, Olusola, continued to serve him his meals late. In an interview with the Nigerian newspaper ‘Vanguard’ Adeyoka claimed that his wife “had failed in her matrimonial obligations”. This is thought to be the first time a legal divorce has been granted due to problems regarding domestic mealtime arrangements, however Nigeria has seen many abnormal divorce cases granted. [Daily Telegraph]

Pants ‘for superheroes’: Underwear that protects sperm count by blocking smartphone radiation –
Smart underwear designed to protect male fertility from radiation emitted by smartphones and laptops has been unveiled by a British scientist. Described by Sir Richard Branson as “underpants for superheroes”, the Wireless Armour underwear contains a mesh of pure silver woven into the fabric. It shields against 99.9 per cent of electromagnetic radiation, which is emitted from devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops, and has been linked to fertility problems by scientists. [Daily Telegraph]
Wireless Armour underwear

Modern Family’s Ariel Winter has had a breast reduction –
Modern Family star Ariel Winter has revealed she has undergone breast reduction surgery. The 17-year-old said she made the decision after suffering with back and neck pain as a result of her 32F cups. “It’s amazing to finally feel right,” she told Glamour magazine. The actress, who plays young teenager Alex Dunphy in the TV series, had the surgery in June and reduced the size of her chest to a 34D. [BBC Newsbeat]
Ariel Winter

Video of the Day –

Beautiful Footage: Chameleons Are Amazing

List of the Day –

Chameleon scientific data [from Wikipedia]

Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Iguania
Infraorder:	Acrodonta
Family:	Chamaeleonidae
Genera
Brookesiinae Brookesia Palleon Chamaeleoninae Archaius Bradypodion Calumma Chamaeleo Furcifer Kinyongia Nadzikambia Rieppeleon Rhampholeon Trioceros

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#DirectionersFuneral	#lefthandersday	#lefthandersday
2	#lefthandersday	#FlyAway	#FlyAway
3	Louis e Briana	#AdviceForStudentsThisYear	#Alevelresults
4	Fidel Castro	#ThingsNotToBringToAFuneral	#UniAdvice
5	#FlyAway	#meteorshower	#ThingsNotToBringToAFuneral
6	Sesame Street	Sesame Street	#meteorshower
7	Omar Bravo	#HipHopMovies	Scott Allan
8	#DeChiquitoCreia	Al Gore	UCAS
9	#NoEstariaMal	#CancelWendyWilliamsShow	#1xtraProm
10	Marian	#DirectionersFuneral	University

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

2015 Baghdad market truck bomb, Iraq War (2014–present)
- At least 76 people are killed and 212 others are wounded in a truck bombing in Baghdad, Iraq. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.(Reuters) (Daily Mail)
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Rojava Revolution
- The United States believes that ISIL has likely used a sulfur mustard agent against Kurdish forces in Iraq earlier this week. (Wall Street Journal)

Business and economy

The government-owned New Zealand coal-mining company Solid Energy goes into temporary voluntary administration, asking creditors to freeze most of its debt. (Radio New Zealand)
2015 Chinese stock market crash
- The People’s Republic of China further devalues the yuan (Renminbi) by 1 per cent after two previous devaluings. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

2015 Tianjin explosion
- The death toll from the 2015 Tianjin explosion rises to 50. (AP)
An unspecified-type Egyptian military aircraft crashes due to a ‘technical failure’ near the Libyan border killing four crew members and injuring two others. (ABC via AP)

Law and crime

Assange v Swedish Prosecution Authority
- Swedish prosecutors drop some charges against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange as the statute of limitations expire but will continue to investigate rape claims. (Sky News)

Politics and elections

Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri pledges allegiance to the new Taliban chief Akhter Mansour in an audio message posted online. (BBC) (Reuters)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

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 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]

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
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

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Boko Haram
- A teenage girl suicide bomber kills five people and injures fourteen in the Damaturu area in northeast Nigeria. (AP via Fox News)
Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant
- Fourteen people are arrested in Spain and Morocco for allegedly trying to recruit people to ISIL. (Times of Israel)
North Korea and South Korea agree to stop airing propaganda at the border and stand down preparations for war. (NPR)

Business and economics

The People’s Bank of China cuts interest rates and lowers minimum requirements for bank reserves for the second time in two months. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2015 Pacific typhoon season
- Typhoon Goni makes landfall in southwestern Japan with at least 26 people injured but no people killed. The death toll in the Philippines rises to 21 while South Korea is on alert. (AP), (Yonhap)
A gas explosion in the Afghanistan city of Herat kills eleven people and injures 18. (AP via Ahram Online)

International relations

A record number of migrants crossing the Balkans results in a record number of people in Hungary despite the government building a wall on the border with Serbia. (AP via The Columbian)

Law and crime

A Federal Security Service court in Russia sentences Ukrainian film director Oleg Sentsov to 20 years in prison for plotting terrorist acts in Crimea, amid allegations of torture and US claims that he is being held hostage in Russia after having been abducted from Ukraine by Russian-backed separatists. (BBC)
4 people are killed and 3 others are severely injured in a shooting at a camp in Roye, Somme, France. (L’Express)
Protests by the Patidar community in Ahmedabad turn violent, sparking violence across the state of Gujarat, India.(DNA)

Politics and elections

The Parliament of Singapore is dissolved with a general election to be held on September 11. (AFP/Reuters via ABC Australia)

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

August 31, 2015

Top News Stories –

Bartender finds $20 note then wins $1 million California lottery with it –
An American man who found a $20 note on a street outside San Francisco International Airport used it to play the California lottery and won $1 million, a lottery spokesman said on Monday. Hubert Tang used the lucky note to buy two scratch cards at a shop near the airport on Wednesday and won the top prize with one of them, lottery spokesman Greg Parashak said. “I scratched the ticket outside of the store. I told my friend who I was with that I didn’t know if it was real but, ‘I think I just won a million dollars,'” Tang said, according to Parashak. Tang said he did not yet have plans for the money, but joked that he might use it to place $20 bills in random places for other lucky players to find, according to the lottery. [Daily Telegraph]

Bear Grylls to test President Obama’s survival skills in special episode of Running Wild –
President Barack Obama is to appear on a television show with Bear Grylls in Alaska, where the British adventurer will give him a “crash course” in how to survive in the wild. The president is to trek through the Alaskan wilderness with the survival expert and former SAS soldier, for a special episode of “Running Wild”, a show in which celebrities are thrown back to nature and pushed to their mental and physical limits. The participation in the show, which is due to air on NBC later this year, is part of a three day trip by President Obama to the Arctic Circle – the first by any sitting president – which he hopes to use to illustrate the urgency of his climate change agenda. [Daily Telegraph]
Bear Grylls

Isil ‘blows up Temple of Bel’ in ancient Syrian city of Palmyra –
Violent jihadists of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) have partially destroyed the the most famous landmark in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra. The Temple of Bel was damaged on Sunday, according to messages posted on the Twitter account of a local activist group, the Palmyra Co-ordination Council. Although the extent of the destruction was unclear, a Palmyra resident, Nasser al Thaer, said that a huge blast had echoed through the area on Sunday afternoon. [Daily Telegraph]
Temple of Bel in 2011

Video of the Day –

I’m Going To Bite Someone

I’m Going To Bite Someone from steve dildarian on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#MTVHitsLA	#MyTypeIn4Words	Wes Craven
2	Wes Craven	#AshtonIsWorthIt	#BankHolidayMonday
3	#WhatDoYouMeanOnVEVO	Will Smith	#VMAs
4	#FelizLunes	Blue Bell	#AshtonIsWorthIt
5	#AshtonIsWorthIt	Fred Jackson	Martial
6	#VMAs	#MTVHitsLA	#WhatDoYouMeanMusicVideo
7	De Gea	#MondayMotivation	Wildest Dreams
8	Martial	Trent Richardson	Miley Cyrus
9	Iggy	Kirk Cousins	Kanye West
10	Kim Kardashian	#WhatDoYouMeanMusicVideo	#CONGRATS5SOS

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

2015 Bangkok bombing
- Thai police say they have discovered bomb-making material in a raid in an apartment in an outer side of Bangkok. (AP)

Destruction of cultural heritage by ISIL
- Reports suggest that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has partially damaged the Temple of Bel in Palmyra, Syria, by detonating an explosive within its walls. (CNN) (Al Jazeera English Online)

Arts and culture

Denali, the highest mountain peak in North America, officially regains its original Alaska Native name through an executive order issued by American President Barack Obama. Previously, since 1917, it had been known as Mount McKinley. (The New York Times)

Disasters and accidents

2015 Atlantic hurricane season
- Hurricane Fred hits Cape Verde causing flooding and the closure of airports. (AP via New York Times)

International relations

Turkey–PKK conflict
- Two reporters and a support worker for Vice News are charged with being members of Islamic State of Iraq and Levant by a judge in Turkey, following their arrest a few days prior. (Al Jazeera English Online)
Minsk II implementation
- Riot police clash with protesters armed with firecrackers and petrol bombs outside the parliament building, in Kiev, Ukraine, leaving one national guardsman dead and around 100 people injured. (Al Jazeera English Online) (The News Hub) (BBC)
Syria–North Korea relations
- A park in Damascus is named after the North Korean founding leader Kim Il-Sung. (Al Jazeera English Online)

Law and crime

Kevin Dahlgren, who is suspected of killing four Czech family members, has been extradited from the United States to face trial. (Yahoo news) (Fox news)
White supremacist Frazier Glenn Miller, Jr. (also known as Frazier Glenn Cross) is convicted of three counts of murder outside two Jewish centres in the American state of Kansas. (AP via Yahoo! News)
At least three people are dead and three people injured in the Churachandpur district of India‘s Manipur State following riots after the passage of three bills in the Manipur Legislative Assembly yesterday. (NDTV)

Science and technology

According to a new study, the Sumatran Rhino is now considered extinct in the wild in Malaysia. No new wild animals have been spotted since 2007, elsewhere fewer than 100 Rhinos remain in the wild. (MSN).

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September 27, 2015

Top News Stories –

Nicolas Sarkozy ‘insists his name must be printed larger than rivals’ on rally invitation –
Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has insisted on having invitations to a political rally reprinted to show his name twice as large as those of his rivals for the presidential nomination of his centre-Right party, The Republicans. Mr Sarkozy reportedly bristled when he saw his name on the original invitation in the same size letters as those of Alain Juppé and François Fillon. The two former prime ministers intend to run against Mr Sarkozy in a party primary next year. [Daily Telegraph]
Nicolas Sarkozy

Kanye says he’s serious about becoming president –
Kanye West says he’s totally serious about becoming US president in 2020.
In an interview with Vanity Fair he says he’s had lots of support since announcing plans to run for election. He says people are “really into the idea” because they think he’s “extremely thoughtful” and “probably the most honest celebrity we have”. One possible spanner in the works of his political ambitions, though: he “hates politics”. “I’m not a politician at all. I care about the truth and I just care about human beings. I just want everyone to win, that’s all I can say, and I think we can,” he says. [BBC Newsbeat]
[BBC Newsbeat]
Kanye West

Spieth caps season with $11.48 million double win –
Jordan Spieth capped a brilliant season in sensational style as he scored a four-stroke victory at the Tour Championship on Sunday that also won him the FedExCup playoffs title for an $11.48 million pay day. Spieth shot a closing one-under-par 69 at East Lake Golf Club for a nine-under total of 271 and his fifth win of the season, including the Masters and U.S. Open. The prize money haul included the $10 million jackpot bonus for winning the season’s FedExCup points competition, virtually clinched him Player of the Year honours and returned the 22-year-old American to the number one world ranking. [Reuters]
Jordan Spieth

Video of the Day –

ZERO-DAY from beeple on Vimeo.

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Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
- Air-strikes by Saudi helicopter gunships on the Yemeni village of Bani Zela in Yemen‘s Red Sea border area with Saudi Arabia kill at least 25 people. (Euronews)
Central African Republic Civil War (2012-present)
- Clashes between Christians and Muslims in the capital Bangui leaves at least 21 people dead and over 100 injured. (The Telegraph)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- Militants reportedly allied to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant launch coordinated attacks on government positions in the eastern Nangarhar Province close to the border with Pakistan. Two police officers are reportedly killed. (BBC)
Syrian Civil War, Military intervention against ISIL
- Opération Chammal
  - France says it has carried out its first air-strikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant within Syria, destroying a training camp in the east of the country. Previously, France had only carried out air-strikes in Iraq with consent of the Iraqi government. (Reuters)
Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- Ten people are dead in Benghazi as a result of fighting between Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and Libyan government forces over the weekend. (Al-Arabiya)

Disasters and accidents

European migration crisis
- A boat carrying Syrian migrants sinks in the Aegean Sea between Turkey and Greece with seventeen people on board. (Today’s Zaman)

Law and crime

The government of Australia refuses entry to American singer Chris Brown because of his 2009 conviction for domestic violence against his then girlfriend Rihanna. (ABC News Australia)

International relations

Guyana–Venezuela relations
- Guyana‘s President David Granger accuses Venezuela of massing troops, armored vehicles, and rockets along its disputed border. (VICE News)

Politics and elections

Catalonian parliamentary election, 2015
- Voters in the Spanish province of Catalonia go to the polls for regional elections with nationalist parties to gain a majority which they claim will allow them to declare independence. (BBC), (AFP via ABC News Australia), (Euronews)

Science and technology

September 2015 lunar eclipse
- The night of September 27–28 will see a supermoon combined with a lunar eclipse described by some as a “blood moon”. (CNN)

Sports

In athletics, Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya wins the men’s race in the Berlin Marathon while his compatriot Gladys Cherono wins the women’s race. (Reuters via Yahoo! Australia), (Reuters via Daily Nail)

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October 3, 2015

Top News Stories –

JK Rowling dismisses Harry Potter fan theories about time travel and werewolves –
JK Rowling has shut-down a theory that one of the Harry Potter characters was a time traveller. The author responded to fans who claimed they had put together evidence about Ronald Weasley being a time travelling Dumbledore. On Twitter, she said that this theory is “false.” Also, referring to the idea that Draco Malfoy could be a werewolf, she tweeted: “I’ve never seen that one before. Draco definitely isn’t a werewolf (and Snape’s not a vampire).” [BBC Newsbeat]
J. K. Rowling

Denis Healey dies aged 98 –
Denis Healey, a towering figure in the Labour Party and perhaps the most recognisable politician for a generation, has died. His family said the 98-year-old died peacefully in his sleep on Saturday morning at his home in Sussex after a short illness. The retired Labour politician, often described as “the best prime minister the party never had”, served as Secretary of State for Defence from 1964 to 1970 and Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1974 to 1979 under the premierships of Harold Wilson and James Callaghan. [Daily Telegraph]
Denis Healey in 1974

England out of Rugby World Cup as Australia win 33-13 –
England are out of the World Cup after being torn apart by a superb Australia display at a stunned Twickenham. Two converted first-half tries and four penalties from Wallaby fly-half Bernard Foley in a virtuoso display brought a richly deserved win on a black night for England’s men in white. The result means both Australia and Wales are into the quarter-finals. It is the first time that a host nation has gone out at the group stage of the tournament. And to complete their humiliation, it is also the first time England have failed to make the knockout stages. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

SPECTRE – Final Trailer (Official)

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Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War, Foreign involvement in the Syrian Civil War
- The Pentagon is reportedly weighing the option of using military force to protect the U.S.-backed rebels fighting the Assad regime. The Pentagon’s own reports show that most of the rebels sympathize, hand over weapons and money or even outright join extremist groups such as ISIL or the Al-Nusra Front (Fox News)
- British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon says only 5 percent of Russia’s airstrikes in Syria have targeted Islamic State extremists. Instead other Syrian rebel groups, including the Western-backed Free Syrian Army, have been attacked. “Our evidence indicates they are dropping unguided munitions in civilian areas, killing civilians,” Fallon added. (Voice of America) (Reuters)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- A prolonged series of American military airstrikes hit a Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) hospital in Kunduz, killing twelve staff members and at least seven patients, including three children, with 37 seriously injured and many more people still missing. (MSF) (Washington Post) (Reuters)
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
- ISIS claims responsibility for the killing of a 65-year old Japanese citizen in Bangladesh. This comes after the recent murder of an Italian, Cesare Tavella, in Bangladesh which was also claimed by ISIS. (Al Arabiya)

Disasters and accidents

Hurricane Joaquin
- As Hurricane Joaquin, still a Category 3 storm, heads northeast, a Tropical Storm Warning and a Hurricane Watch are in effect for Bermuda. Winds will begin to strengthen early Saturday with thunderstorms and more significant showers around midnight. Joaquin should turn toward the north-northeast Sunday and pass around 125 nautical miles (232 kilometres; 144 miles) west of Bermuda that evening. (WCVB5 Boston) (NHC) (Bermuda Royal Gazette)
- Joaquin’s eastward turn away from the United States could send the storm across the Atlantic Ocean toward the United Kingdom. Current weather models predict Joaquin, powered by the jet stream, will reach the British Isles on the October 10 weekend.(Daily Mail) (Daily Express)
Two people are killed, including an eight-year-old boy, after a double-decker bus crashed into a Sainsbury’s supermarket in Coventry city centre; six others were also seriously hurt including the bus driver according to West Midlands Police. (BBC)

Sport

2015 Rugby World Cup
- England become the first host nation and first former finalist to be knocked out of the Rugby World Cup during the group stages following their defeat to Australia. (BBC)

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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

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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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The 2010s

The story of a decade

Tag Archives: Islamic State

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