February 12, 2010

Top News Stories –

Australians puzzled as Queen reclaims ‘head of state’ title –
Buckingham Palace has raised eyebrows in Australia by referring to the Queen as the country’s “head of state” in an apparent break in convention. The title is usually given to the Australian Governor-General, Quentin Bryce, while the Queen is considered the country’s sovereign.
The difference is significant as the emerging role of the Governor-General has often been cited by pro-monarchists as evidence Australia does not need to become a republic. The trigger for the confusion was an announcement by Buckingham Palace that the Queen would be addressing the UN General Assembly in July. It arrived in a cable written by Gary Quinlan, Australia’s ambassador and permanent representative to the UN, headed: “United Nations: General Assembly – Address by Australian Head of State.” [Daily Telegraph]
Queen-Elizabeth-IIHer Majesty the Queen

Camera dropped in the ocean is returned by fisherman 18 months later –
A woman is to be reunited with a camera her husband dropped off the edge of the QM2 cruise ship after a fisherman caught it in his net and put the photographs online. Barbara and Dennis Gregory, 65, from Johannesburg, South Africa, thought they would never see the Nikon P90 again after it fell into the ocean en-route from New York to Southampton in 2008. But 16 months later Benito Estevez, a fisherman from Spain, found the camera in his nets with the photos still intact on the memory card. He decided to trace the owners and posted five pictures online which showed Mrs Gregory posing on the deck of the ship and her husband wearing a woolly tourist hat from Oxford. The story was picked up by the British media and Laura De Klein, a friend of the couple who lives in Chalgrove, Oxfordshire, recognised them and got in touch. [Daily Telegraph]

Chilean mint spells country’s name wrong on coins –
The general manager of the Chilean mint has been fired after thousands of coins were issued bearing a howling error. On the 2008 batch of 50 peso coins, which are worth about 6p, the country’s name was misspelt. Instead of C-H-I-L-E, the coins had C-H-I-I-E stamped on them, the BBC reports.
If that wasn’t bad enough, no one noticed the spelling mistake until late 2009. The coins have since become collectors’ items and the mint says it has no plans to take them out of circulation. Locals have even been hoarding the coins in the hope they will rise in value. However, the mistake has cost the mint’s general manager, Gregorio Iniguez, and several other employees, their jobs. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Colorama – Makeover from UPPER FIRST on Vimeo.

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January 1, 2016

Top News Stories –

Rat on a plane: Air India flight returns to Mumbai after rodent spotted on board –
An Air India plane flying to London was forced to return to Mumbai after passengers spotted a rat on board, the airline said on Thursday. Though the rat was not found, the pilot returned to Mumbai on Wednesday keeping passenger safety in mind, Air India said in a statement. Passengers were later flown by a separate aircraft to London. The aircraft would be fumigated and checked before it is returned to service. Maintenance workers would have to make sure that the rat did not damage equipment or chew any wires and the plane is certified to be rodent-free, an airline official said. [Daily Telegraph]

China’s new two-child policy law takes effect –
Married couples in China will from Friday (Jan 1) be allowed to have two children, after concerns over an ageing population and shrinking workforce ushered in an end to the country’s controversial one-child policy. The change, which was announced in October by the ruling Communist Party, takes effect from Jan 1, 2016, Beijing’s official Xinhua news agency reported over the weekend. The “one-child policy”, instituted in the late 1970s, restricted most couples to only a single offspring through a system of fines for violators and even forced abortions. For years, authorities argued that it was a key contributor to China’s economic boom and had prevented 400 million births. [Channel News Asia]

Video of the Day –

Philips Presents: The Longest Night from T Brand Studio on Vimeo.

List of the Day –

100 Things we didn’t know last year – by the BBC (1-33)

1. It costs £300 to operate on a constipated goldfish.

Find out more

2. Traditionally, police horses in England’s Thames Valley force can be called Odin, Thor or Hercules, but not Brian.

Find out more

3. Barack Obama calls David Cameron “bro”.

Find out more (Time)

4. The first sports bra was made from two jockstraps.

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5. One in 10 of Britain’s train carriages still flush toilet waste straight on to the railway tracks.

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6. Jamaica, Colombia and Saint Lucia are the only countries in the world where a woman is more likely to be a boss than a man.

Find out more (Washington Post)

7. You don’t have to speak French to become French-language Scrabble world champion.

Find out more

8. Kolo Toure, the Ivory Coast and Liverpool defender, hasn’t touched his own dog for seven years.

Find out more (Metro)

9. An egg can be unboiled.

Find out more (Metro)

10. There are four different ways to pronounce diplodocus, and the way children say it is probably more technically correct than the academics’ preferred option.

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11. A 51-year-old software engineer named Bryan Henderson has edited Wikipedia 47,000 times to remove the ungrammatical term “comprised of”.

Find out more (Backchannel)

12. Buzz Aldrin claimed $33.31 in travel expenses connected to his trip to the moon.

Find out more (Daily Telegraph)

13. Former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond once played a ghost in a Bollywood soap opera.

Find out more (Buzzfeed)

14. “Let us turn ours into a country of mushrooms by making mushroom cultivation scientific, intensive and industrialised!” is an official slogan of North Korea.

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15. Roughly 56% of average monthly earnings in Malawi are spent on mobile phone charges, compared with about 0.11% in Macau, China.

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16. Quentin Tarantino still records films from TV on VHS cassettes.

Find out more (Independent)

17. Lollipop men and ladies who “high five” pedestrians may be breaching official protocol.

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18. Squid can fly – but they tend to do it under cover of darkness.

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19. It’s possible to trick the brain into thinking it can hear Mariah Carey sing All I Want For Christmas Is You.

Find out more (New Scientist)

20. King Arthur may have been Glaswegian.

Find out more (The National)

21. A man-sized lobster lived 480 million years ago.

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22. At Hotel Football, run by ex-Manchester United players, Gary Neville is represented in the bathroom by blackcurrant-extract shampoo while brother Phil is a bar of soap.

Find out more (Financial Times)

23. Vicars and priests have the highest job satisfaction of all UK workers.

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24. Narwhals’ long tusks – an exaggerated front tooth used for courtship – are super-sensitive.

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25. There is only one concert grand piano in Gaza.

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26. Boston in Lincolnshire is one of the most neurotic places in Great Britain while Orkney is one of the least.

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27. Michael Jackson made a series of prank calls to Russell Crowe.

Find out more (Guardian)

28. Breaking Bad is the show people most often lie about having watched.

Find out more (Radio Times)

29. The UK’s Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency does not permit the wearing of colanders on heads in driving licence photos, even for religious reasons.

Find out more (Daily Mirror)

30. People who swear have larger vocabularies.

Find out more (Toronto Sun)

31. The Queen likes to have her pre-lunch gin and Dubonnet in front of BBC Two’s The Daily Politics.

Find out more (Daily Mail

32. In September 1944 the New York Times explained pizza to its readers and included a rare use of its plural “pizze” – there was an earlier article but it only mentioned pizza in passing.

Find out more (New York Times)

33. There is little international trade in onions – about 90% are consumed in their country of origin.

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August 14, 2016

Top News Stories –

Wayde van Niekerk wins Olympic 400m gold in a new world record! –
The South African produces an absolutely astonishing run to wrestle the Olympic title away from Kirani James, who comes second. Michael Johnson’s 17-year-old world record is finally beaten! He looked to have set out far too quickly but, incredibly, got faster around the top bend and then sustained that top speed down the final stretch. The 2008 Olympic champion, LaShawn Merritt, gets the bronze. To give you an idea of how incredible of an athlete Van Niekerk is; he’s the only athlete in history to run 100m under 10 secs, 200m under 20 secs, and 400m under 44 secs. [CNN] See List of the Day
Wayde_van_NiekerkWayde van Niekerk

Video of the Day –

Vocabulary 1 from Becky James on Vimeo.

List of the Day –

Time Athlete Nationality Location of race Date
43.86A Lee Evans  United States Mexico City, Mexico October 18, 1968[1]
43.29 Butch Reynolds  United States Zürich, Switzerland August 17, 1988[1]
43.18 Michael Johnson  United States Seville, Spain August 26, 1999[1]
43.03 Wayde van Niekerk  South Africa Rio de Janeiro, Brazil August 14, 2016[4]

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August 18, 2016

Top News Stories –

Olympics 2016: Usain Bolt completes sprint double –
Usain Bolt completed a Rio 2016 sprint double by winning the 200m; he has already won the 100m in Rio. Bolt’s eighth Olympic title came in a time of 19.78 seconds, and the Jamaican has one final chance to win gold in Friday’s 4x100m relay final. Bolt, the overwhelming pre-race favourite, once again dominated a 200m Olympic final. The Jamaican has now won the Olympic sprint double three times, having repeated his exploits from Beijing in 2008 and London four years ago. Bolt said he was not happy with his time and added it was unlikely he would compete in the event at the World Championships in London next year – his career swansong. “I said it would be 100m and that’s it,” he told BBC Sport. “My coach has a way of trying to convince me, but personally I believe this is my last one.” [BBC] See List of the Day

Usain-BoltUsain Bolt

Rio Olympics 2016: USA’s Ryan Crouser breaks 28-year record to win shot put gold –
Ryan Crouser broke a 28-year Olympic record to win gold for the United States in the men’s shot put final. Crouser, 23, threw 22.52m with his fifth throw to break East German Ulf Timmermann’s record of 22.47m set in Seoul in 1988. Joe Kovacs, the 2015 world champion, made it a USA one-two with a best throw of 21.78m, as New Zealand’s Tomas Walsh took bronze with 21.36m. Poland’s Tomasz Majewski, who won gold in 2012, finished sixth with 20.72m. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Man solves Rubik’s Cube faster than Usain Bolt can win 100 meter race

List of the Day –

Usain Bolt International competitions results [Wikipedia]

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
2001 World Youth Championships Debrecen, Hungary 5th (semis) 200 metres 21.73
2002 World Junior Championships Kingston, Jamaica 1st 200 metres 20.61 (wind: +0.9 m/s)
2nd 4×100 metres relay 39.15 NJR
2nd 4×400 metres relay 3:04.06 NJR
2003 World Youth Championships Sherbrooke, Canada 1st 200 metres 20.40
Pan American Junior Championships Bridgetown, Barbados 1st 200 metres 20.13 WYB
2nd 4×100 metres relay 39.40
2004 CARIFTA Games Hamilton, Bermuda 1st 200 metres 19.93 WJR
Olympic Games Athens, Greece 5th (heats) 200 metres 21.05
2005 Central American and Caribbean Championships Nassau, Bahamas 1st 200 metres 20.03
2006 World Athletics Final Stuttgart, Germany 3rd 200 metres 20.10
IAAF World Cup Athens, Greece 2nd 200 metres 19.96
2007 World Championships Osaka, Japan 2nd 200 metres 19.91
2nd 4×100 metres relay 37.89
2008 Olympic Games Beijing, China 1st 100 metres 9.69 WR OR
1st 200 metres 19.30 WR OR
1st 4×100 metres relay 37.10 WR OR
2009 World Championships Berlin, Germany 1st 100 metres 9.58 WR
1st 200 metres 19.19 WR
1st 4×100 metres relay 37.31 CR
2011 World Championships Daegu, South Korea DSQ[260] 100 metres
1st 200 metres 19.40 WL
1st 4×100 metres relay 37.04 WR
2012 Olympic Games London, United Kingdom 1st 100 metres 9.63 OR
1st 200 metres 19.32
1st 4×100 metres relay 36.84 WR
2013 World Championships Moscow, Russia 1st 100 metres 9.77
1st 200 metres 19.66
1st 4×100 metres relay 37.36
2014 Commonwealth Games Glasgow, Scotland 1st 4×100 metres relay 37.58 GR
2015 World Relay Championships Nassau, Bahamas 2nd 4×100 metres relay 37.68
World Championships Beijing, China 1st 100 metres 9.79
1st 200 metres 19.55 WL
1st 4 × 100 metres relay 37.36 WL
2016 Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 1st 100 metres 9.81
1st 200 metres 19.78

Other News Stories –

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  • Three bombings targeting police and military kill at least 120 people and wound 2190 in Turkey’s southeast. (BBC)
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  • The Obama Administration will phase out the use of privately-owned federal prisons. The move will affect private prisons which house 220,660 federal inmates, out of a total of nearly 2,000,000. (BBC)
Science and technology
  • Twitter announces 2,035,000 terror-linked accounts have been suspended over the past six months amid increasing pressure on tech companies from the White House to censor extremists from groups likeISIL. (CBS News)

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October 2, 2016

Top News Stories –

Americans finally break through to end Ryder Cup frustration –
This was not eight years in the making. It was two decades. Two decades worth of frustration was pent up inside the American team room when it arrived to Hazeltine National this week for the 41st Ryder Cup. And two decades worth of relief was released with the force of popping champagne corks when the Americans put the finishing touches on a 17-11 rout of the Europeans Sunday, capturing the Ryder Cup for the first time since 2008 and only the third time since 1999. After eight losses in the last 10 Ryder Cups, including the last three, the Americans decided enough was enough. [New York Post] [See list of the day]

 

Video of the Day –

OFFICIAL “PANTSUIT POWER” FLASH MOB FOR HILLARY from Celia & Mia for HRC on Vimeo.

List of the Day –

Ryder Cup matches
Year Winners Score Runners-up Host country Venue GBI/Europe captain United States captain
1927  United States 9½–2½  Great Britain United States Worcester Country Club, Massachusetts Jersey Ted Ray Walter Hagen
1929  Great Britain 7–5  United States England Moortown Golf Club, Yorkshire Scotland George Duncan Walter Hagen
1931  United States 9–3  Great Britain United States Scioto Country Club, Columbus, Ohio England Charles Whitcombe Walter Hagen
1933  Great Britain 6½–5½  United States England Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club, Lancashire England John Henry Taylor Walter Hagen
1935  United States 9–3  Great Britain United States Ridgewood Country Club, Paramus, New Jersey England Charles Whitcombe Walter Hagen
1937  United States 8–4  Great Britain England Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club, Lancashire England Charles Whitcombe Walter Hagen
1947  United States 11–1  Great Britain United States Portland Golf Club, Portland, Oregon England Henry Cotton Ben Hogan
1949  United States 7–5  Great Britain England Ganton Golf Club, Scarborough, Yorkshire England Charles Whitcombe Ben Hogan
1951  United States 9½–2½  Great Britain United States Pinehurst Resort Course No. 2, North Carolina England Arthur Lacey Sam Snead
1953  United States 6½–5½  Great Britain England Wentworth Club, Virginia Water, Surrey England Henry Cotton Lloyd Mangrum
1955  United States 8–4  Great Britain United States Thunderbird Country Club, Rancho Mirage, California Wales Dai Rees Chick Harbert
1957  Great Britain 7½–4½  United States England Lindrick Golf Club, West Riding of Yorkshire Wales Dai Rees Jack Burke, Jr.
1959  United States 8½–3½  Great Britain United States Eldorado Golf Club, Indian Wells, California Wales Dai Rees Sam Snead
1961  United States 14½–9½  Great Britain England Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club, Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire Wales Dai Rees Jerry Barber
1963  United States 23–9  Great Britain United States East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, Georgia Scotland John Fallon Arnold Palmer
1965  United States 19½–12½  Great Britain England Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport, Lancashire England Harry Weetman Byron Nelson
1967  United States 23½–8½  Great Britain United States Champions Golf Club, Houston, Texas Wales Dai Rees Ben Hogan
1969  United States [A] 16–16Match was tied  Great Britain England Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport, Lancashire Scotland Eric Brown Sam Snead
1971  United States 18½–13½  Great Britain United States Old Warson Country Club, St. Louis, Missouri Scotland Eric Brown Jay Hebert
1973  United States 19–13 United Kingdom Republic of Ireland Great Britain & Ireland Scotland Muirfield, Gullane, East Lothian England Bernard Hunt Jack Burke, Jr.
1975  United States 21–11 United Kingdom Republic of Ireland Great Britain & Ireland United States Laurel Valley Golf Club, Ligonier, Pennsylvania England Bernard Hunt Arnold Palmer
1977  United States 12½–7½ United Kingdom Republic of Ireland Great Britain & Ireland England Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club, Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire Wales Brian Huggett Dow Finsterwald
1979  United States 17–11  Europe United States The Greenbrier, The Greenbrier Course, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia England John Jacobs Billy Casper
1981  United States 18½–9½  Europe England Walton Heath Golf Club, Walton-on-the-Hill, Surrey England John Jacobs Dave Marr
1983  United States 14½–13½  Europe United States PGA National Golf Club, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida England Tony Jacklin Jack Nicklaus
1985  Europe 16½–11½  United States England The Belfry, Brabazon Course, Wishaw, Warwickshire England Tony Jacklin Lee Trevino
1987  Europe 15–13  United States United States Muirfield Village, Dublin, Ohio England Tony Jacklin Jack Nicklaus
1989  Europe[A] 14–14Match was tied  United States England The Belfry, Brabazon Course, Wishaw, Warwickshire England Tony Jacklin Raymond Floyd
1991  United States 14½–13½  Europe United States Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Ocean Course, Kiawah Island, South Carolina Scotland Bernard Gallacher Dave Stockton
1993  United States 15–13  Europe England The Belfry, Brabazon Course, Wishaw, Warwickshire Scotland Bernard Gallacher Tom Watson
1995  Europe 14½–13½  United States United States Oak Hill Country Club, East Course, Rochester, New York Scotland Bernard Gallacher Lanny Wadkins
1997  Europe 14½–13½  United States Spain Valderrama Golf Club, Sotogrande, Andalusia Spain Seve Ballesteros Tom Kite
1999  United States 14½–13½  Europe United States The Country Club, Composite Course, Brookline, Massachusetts England Mark James Ben Crenshaw
2002  Europe 15½–12½  United States England The Belfry, Brabazon Course, Wishaw, Warwickshire Scotland Sam Torrance Curtis Strange
2004  Europe 18½–9½  United States United States Oakland Hills Country Club, South Course, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan Germany Bernhard Langer Hal Sutton
2006  Europe 18½–9½  United States Republic of Ireland K Club, Palmer Course, Straffan, County Kildare Wales Ian Woosnam Tom Lehman
2008  United States 16½–11½  Europe United States Valhalla Golf Club, Louisville, Kentucky England Nick Faldo Paul Azinger
2010  Europe 14½–13½  United States Wales Celtic Manor Resort, Twenty Ten Course, Newport Scotland Colin Montgomerie Corey Pavin
2012  Europe 14½–13½  United States United States Medinah Country Club, Course 3, Medinah, Illinois Spain José María Olazábal Davis Love III
2014  Europe 16½–11½  United States Scotland Gleneagles, PGA Centenary Course, Perth & Kinross Republic of Ireland Paul McGinley Tom Watson
2016  United States 17–11  Europe United States Hazeltine National Golf Club, Chaska, Minnesota Northern Ireland Darren Clarke Davis Love III

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