January 11, 2015

Top News Stories –

More than three million take part in French unity rallies –
Huge crowds have taken part in a rally in Paris to commemorate the 17 people who died in gun attacks in the city in 3 days of attacks earlier in the week. More than 40 world leaders joined the start of the unity march, linking arms in an act of solidarity and an estimated 1.6 million marched in the capital. The rally was led by relatives of the victims of last week’s attacks and began at the Place de la Republique. The French government said the rally turnout was the highest on record.
Je suis Charlie, Place Luxembourg, Bruxelles, le 7 Janvier 2015

Boyhood wins Golden Globe Awards –
At the Golden Globe ceremony “Boyhood” won best drama movie with Patricia Arquette getting best supporting actress in the film.
Winners of all categories at the bottom of the post.
Patricia Arquette at Heart Truth 2009 (cropped)Patricia Arquette

Actress Anita Ekberg dies –
The actress Anita Ekberg,has died aged 83. A former Miss Sweden, she was branded a “sex goddess” for her performance in Federico Fellini’s 1960 movie La Dolce Vita. The scene where Ekberg walks through the waters of Rome’s Trevi Fountain in a black strapless dress is considered one of cinema’s most iconic scenes. A quote attibuted to her in her later years is: “I don’t know if paradise or hell exist, but I’m sure hell is more groovy.”
Anita Ekburg - 1956

First woman president in Croatia –
In elections in Croatia, opposition challenger Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic has become the first female president of the country. The voting was extremely close with Grabar-Kitarovic receiving more than 50% of the vote for her Croatian Democratic Union party, with more than 49% for Ivo Josipovic who had been president since 2010.
Kolinda Grabar Kitarović Lisinski 2014Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic

Video of the Day –

Boyhood Trailer

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January 14, 2015

Top News Stories –

Space Panic Stations –
Crew members were evacuated from a US segment of the International Space Station when an ammonia leak was detected in the USA section of the craft forcing all the crew to evacuate the area. The six crew members put on breathing equipment and moved into the Russian segment after the alert at around 0900 GMT, closing the hatch to the US side behind them. NASA officials believe a computer problem is likely to have caused the false impression of leaking coolant.
STS-115 ISS after undocking

Pub Landlord takes on Nigel Farage –
British comedian Al Murray will stand against UKIP leader Nigel Farage at the general election in May using his character the Pub Landlord as a front. Murray, who has formed the Free United Kingdom Party (FUKP), will stand for election in Thanet South in Kent but said “Let it be known that like many of the parliamentary hopefuls in the forthcoming election, I have no idea where South Thanet is. But did that stop Margaret Thatcher from saving the Falkland Islands? No.”
Al Murray
Samsung launches Tizen –
Samsung’s first smartphones powered by its Tizen operating system have gone on sale. The Z1 handsets are only available in India and cost 5,700 rupees ($92 or £60) and have faster boot times and longer-lasting battery life than many budget-priced rivals. All other Samsung phones use the Android operating system.

Yosemite’s Dawn Wall finally scaled –

Tommy Caldwell, 36, and Kevin Jorgeson, 30, become the first climbers to successfully scale Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan mountain’s without bolts or climbing tools. The men have been ‘free-climbing’ the Dawn Wall to the 3,000-foot summit for 17 days, using only ropes only to prevent falling.

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January 22, 2015

Top News Stories –

Solo hopes for better time –
Hope Solo, The US women’s team goalkeeper is suspended for 30 days by US Soccer following an “incident” during a training camp. The teams head coach Jill Ellis said “Hope made a poor decision that has resulted in a negative impact on US Soccer and her team-mates.” Solo’s husband, former Seattle Seahawks NFL player Jerramy Stevens, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in Los Angeles in the early hours of January 19th 2015. Solo who appeared in the 2011 Body Issue of ESPN The Magazine tweeted:
copyright @HopeSolo
Hope Solo

Rick puts dicks on the runway –
Rick Owens the American designer sent four of his models down the catwalk at his Paris fashion show wearing clothes with peepholes that showed full-frontal male nudity underneath. His possibly unique idea earned him the Instagram hashtag: #dickowens.
Rick Owens Rick Owens

Rihanna wins court case over t-shirt-
Rihanna wins her long running legal challenge against Topshop over selling a t-Shirt with a picture from her Talk That Talk album promotional work.
Singer Rihanna has won a legal battle against high street store Topshop over a t-shirt bearing her image. Rihanna sued Topshop’s parent company Arcadia for $5m (£3.3m) back in 2013 and the Court of Appeal in London upheld a ban on the store selling the t-shirt.
Rihanna Diamonds World Tour 2013 (Cropped)

A man’s right to pee stands up in court –
A German court has ruled in favour of a man’s right to urinate while standing up after his landlord demanded €1,900 (£1400; $2,200) for damage to the marble bathroom floor caused by urine. But the Duesseldorf judge ruled that the man’s method was within cultural norms, saying “urinating standing up is still common practice” even though some public toilets in Germany have signs forbidding the standing position – but those who choose to sit are often referred to as a “Sitzpinkler”, implying it is not masculine behaviour.

Stars out against Tescos in Haverstock Hill –
Damian Lewis, Old Etonian star of Homeland has joined up with Emma Thompson, James Corden and Tom Conti and other residents of Belsize Park in London to attempt to stop Tesco building an Express branch in Haverstock Hill. This follows Russell Brand campaigning to stop building work in Hackney, London on December 1st 2014.
Damian Lewis at the London Reveal of the New Jaguar XE

Video of the Day –

Batman Evolution from ThePianoGuys on Vimeo.

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May 24, 2019

Top News Stories –

Theresa May quits: UK set for new PM by end of July

Theresa May has said she will quit as Conservative leader on 7 June, paving the way for a contest to decide a new prime minister.

In an emotional statement, she said she had done her best to deliver Brexit and it was a matter of “deep regret” that she had been unable to do so.

Mrs May said she would continue to serve as PM while a Conservative leadership contest took place.

The party said it hoped a new leader could be in place by the end of July.

It means Mrs May will still be prime minister when US President Donald Trump makes his state visit to the UK at the start of June.

Asked about the prime minister’s announcement, Mr Trump said: “I feel badly for Theresa. I like her very much. She’s a good woman. She worked very hard. She’s very strong.” [BBC]

By Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office - https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/588948/The_United_Kingdoms_exit_from_and_partnership_with_the_EU_Web.pdf, OGL 3, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73109217

List of the Day –

British Prime Ministers since WW2

photograph

The Right Honourable
Neville Chamberlain
FRS
MP for Birmingham Edgbaston
(1869–1940)28 May
193710 May
1940—

ConservativeNational IV[84]Chamberlain War2 years and 349 days

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The Right Honourable
Winston Churchill
CHTDFRS
MP for Epping (1940–1945) →
Woodford[‡] (1945)(1874–1965)10 May
194026 July
1945—

ConservativeChurchill War[85]Churchill Caretaker
(Con.L.Nat.)5 years and 78 days

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The Right Honourable
Clement Attlee
CHFRS
MP for Limehouse (1945–1950) →
Walthamstow West[‡] (1950–1951)(1883–1967)26 July
194526 October
19511945

LabourAttlee I[86]1950Attlee II6 years and 93 days

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The Right Honourable
Sir Winston Churchill
KGOMCHTDDLFRSRA
MP for Woodford
(1874–1965)26 October
19515 April
19551951

ConservativeChurchill III[87]3 years and 162 daysElizabeth II

Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom.svg

(1952–present)

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The Right Honourable
Sir Anthony Eden
KGMC
MP for Warwick & Leamington
(1897–1977)6 April
19559 January
19571955

ConservativeEden[88]1 year and 279 days

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The Right Honourable
Harold Macmillan
FRS
MP for Bromley
(1894–1986)10 January
195718 October
1963—

ConservativeMacmillan I[89]1959Macmillan II6 years and 282 days

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The Right Honourable
Sir Alec Douglas-Home
KT
MP for Kinross & Western Perthshire[c]
(1903–1995)19 October
196316 October
1964—

Conservative
(Scot.U.)Douglas-Home[90]364 days

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The Right Honourable
Harold Wilson
OBEFRSFSS
MP for Huyton
(1916–1995)16 October
196419 June
19701964

LabourWilson I[91]1966Wilson II5 years and 247 days

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The Right Honourable
Edward Heath
MBE
MP for Bexley (1970–1974) →
Sidcup[‡] (1974)(1916–2005)19 June
19704 March
19741970

ConservativeHeath[92]3 years and 259 days

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The Right Honourable
Harold Wilson
OBEFRSFSS
MP for Huyton
(1916–1995)4 March
19745 April
1976Feb.1974

LabourWilson III[91]Oct.1974Wilson IV2 years and 33 days

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The Right Honourable
James Callaghan
MP for Cardiff South East
(1912–2005)5 April
19764 May
1979—

LabourCallaghan[93]3 years and 30 days

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The Right Honourable
Margaret Thatcher
FRSHonFRSC
MP for Finchley
(1925–2013)See also § Main articles:3

ConservativeThatcher I[94]4 May
197928 November
199019791983Thatcher II1987Thatcher III11 years and 209 days

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The Right Honourable
John Major
MP for Huntingdon
(born 1943)28 November
19902 May
1997—

ConservativeMajor I[95]1992Major II6 years and 156 days

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The Right Honourable
Tony Blair
MP for Sedgefield
(born 1953)See also § Main articles:4

LabourBlair I[96]2 May
199727 June
200719972001Blair II2005Blair III10 years and 57 days

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The Right Honourable
Gordon Brown
MP for Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath
(born 1951)See also § Main articles:5

LabourBrown[97]27 June
200711 May
2010—2 years and 319 days

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The Right Honourable
David Cameron
MP for Witney
(born 1966)See also § Main articles:6

ConservativeCameron–Clegg
(Con.L.D.)[98]11 May
201013 July
201620102015Cameron II6 years and 64 days

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The Right Honourable
Theresa May
MP for Maidenhead
(born 1956)See also § Main articles:7

ConservativeMay I[99]13 July
2016Incumbent2017May II2 years and 316 days

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from USA


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