March 11, 2015

Top News Stories –

Saudi student guilty of Drug-driving in a McLaren –
A rich Saudi playboy was caught by police driving his father’s £168,500 McLaren supercar while high on cannabis through Hyde Park. Mohammad Al-Sharif, 22, confessed to smoking the drug at 7.30am that morning and was unsteady on his feet with slurred speech when questioned by officers. He pleaded guilty to driving a McLaren MP4-12c 3.8 litre twin-turbo V8 Velocita Wind Edition in West Carriage Drive on December 11 last year while unfit to drive through drugs. Student Al-Sharif, who lives off a family allowance, was fined £400, with £85 costs and was ordered to pay an £85 victim surcharge. He was disqualified for twelve months. [Daily Telegraph]
McLaren_MP4-12C
McLaren MP4-12c

Highwaymen steal €9m jewels and art on motorway in France –
A manhunt is underway to catch a group of armed robbers who successfully trapped two armoured vans at a motorway toll booth in Burgundy, escaping with €9m (£6.3m) of jewels and art. French police said the heist was carried out by around 15 “heavily armed and battle-hardened” individuals, all masked, who arrived in four cars and surrounded the vans on the A6 motorway around 125 miles south east of Paris. “The group carried out the attack around midnight,” said Cristophe Crépin, a spokesman for the police, adding that the robbers had forced the drivers out, emptied the vans, and then set them on fire a short distance from the toll booth. A local prosecutor said no one had been hurt. The local newspaper said the men had made a getaway towards Paris, in four high-speed cars. [Daily Telegraph]

Google has opened its first-ever branded shop, choosing the Currys PC World on London’s Tottenham Court Road as the location. The store, to be called The Google shop, will sell the company’s range of Android phones and tablets, Chromebook laptops, and Chromecast TV services. The shop will hold tutorials showing consumers how to use the devices and hold demonstrations showing off key Google apps. It is the first time that Google has opened a shop under its own name and highlights how online companies are increasingly exploring ways to open physical stores. Amazon is thought to be considering opening a shop in a standalone location in New York. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Shake It Little Tina (feat. adamscarpenters) – Low Cut Connie from Adam Carpenter on Vimeo.

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September 15, 2015

Top News Stories –

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

Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe delivers wrong speech in parliament –
Zimbabwe’s 91-year-old president Robert Mugabe read the wrong speech at the opening of a new session of parliament on Tuesday, repeating an address he gave to the legislature last month. The veteran leader read the 25-minute-long speech through to the end, apparently unaware that he was delivering the same text he presented during his state of the nation address last month. “There has been a mix-up of speeches resulting in a situation where… the president delivered the wrong speech,” said George Charamba, the presidential spokesman. “The mix-up happened in his secretarial office,” Mr Charamba was quoted as saying in the state-owned Herald newspaper’s online edition. “The error is sincerely regretted and corrective measures are being considered.” [Daily Telegraph] In February 2015 Mugabe allegedly suspended 27 bodyguards after they failed to stop him falling down steps.
Robert-Mugabe-2008President Robert Mugabe

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

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

Video of the Day –

The Jungle Book Official US Teaser Trailer

Top Twitter Trends –

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

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April 13, 2016

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Russian warplanes ‘aggressively’ pass US missile destroyer –
Two Russian planes flew close to a US guided missile destroyer almost a dozen times, American officials have said. The Sukhoi SU-24 warplanes, in international waters in the Baltic Sea, had no visible weaponry and the ship took no action. One official called the events on Monday and Tuesday “one of the most aggressive acts in recent memory”. The commander of the missile destroyer, the USS Donald Cook, described the flights as a “simulated attack”. The passes were “unsafe, potentially provocative” and “could have caused an accident,” officials said in a release. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

French Horn Rebellion – Foolin’ Around (Official Video) from Ariel Fisher on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide USA
#DiaDoBeijo #MambaDay
#MambaDay #WednesdayWisdom
#DiaInternacionalDelBeso #DiaInternacionalDelBeso
#FelizMiercoles #1linewed
#حبيت_واكتشفت_�… Sean Parker
#ALDUBTheRequest #verizonstrike
#الشعب_ضد_الغا�… Supporting Bernie Sanders
#CaravanaDelPueblo #MyAdviceToTrump
#شي_حلو_من_خمس_�… #WHScienceFair
#SDVQuartaComChalanco Hump Day

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April 25, 2016

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Is this the new Mojito? –
The Mojito, the Cuba Libre and the Dark and Stormy have all earned their place in the cocktail hall of fame. And now a new creation looks set to join their ranks: the ‘Venceremos’ – a bold new cocktail that gets its kick from a dash of sesame oil. And it’s all thanks to Gn Chan, the self-confessed ‘lightweight’ bartender from New York, whose most recent concoction has been named the best cocktail in the world at the 2016 BACARDI Legacy Global Cocktail Competition.The mixture of BACARDI rum and coconut liqueur with pineapple, cucumber and lime juice (topped off with a dash of sesame oil and garnished with a pineapple leaf) is now set to grace bars, clubs, restaurants and lounges across the world. Best of all, it’s simple to make. ‘Put everything together,’ says Chan, 29, who currently works at a speakeasy-style bar in Manhattan. ‘Shake. Strain. Done.’ Chan, who describes himself as an ‘accidental bartender’ explains that the Venceremos – Spanish for ‘we shall overcome’ – is a reflection of his own journey as he hustled his way to the top of his career. [Daily Mail]

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide USA
#LiamDay #mondaymotivation
#あなたの声優は #FamousAF
#SegundaDetremuraSdv #WorldPenguinDay
#الثوره_مستمره #WhatsInHillarysPurse
#WorldPenguinDay #LiamDay
#اعطني_سوالك_و�… Cruz and Kasich
#BrazilLovesNormani #MyBestDayIn3Words
#MaduroEsOscuridad #SummerSixteenTour
#لن_تقودي #CureBoredomIn5Words
#HappyBdayDanielSharman #AlecAppreciationDay

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June 19, 2016

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Cavaliers become first team to rally from 3-1 series deficit in NBA Finals –
LeBron James cradled the shiny gold trophy and struggled to sum up what might be his sweetest championship yet, the one he is so proudly bringing home to his native northeast Ohio just as he promised to do when he returned to the Cavaliers two summers ago. Later, flanked by his three children on Father’s Day, a cigar between his lips and winning net as a necklace with the lingering stench of champagne, James began to understand the magnitude of his accomplishment for Cleveland after a half-century wait. James and his relentless, never-count-them-out Cavs pulled off an improbable NBA Finals comeback, and Cleveland is title town again at long last. James delivered on a vow to his home state and brought the Cavs back from the brink as they became the first team to rally from a 3-1 Finals deficit, beating the defending champion Golden State Warriors 93-89 on Sunday night to end a 52-year major sports championship drought in Cleveland. [ESPN]
LeBron_JamesLeBron James

List of the Day –

NBA champions

Teams Win Loss Total Year(s) won Year(s) lost
Boston Celtics 17 4 21 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968,1969, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1986, 2008 1958, 1985, 1987, 2010
Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers 16 15 31 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987,1988, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010 1959, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1983,1984, 1989, 1991, 2004, 2008
Chicago Bulls 6 0 6 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998
San Antonio Spurs 5 1 6 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014 2013
Philadelphia/San Francisco/Golden State Warriors 4 4 8 1947, 1956, 1975, 2015 1948, 1964, 1967, 2016
Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers 3 6 9 1955, 1967, 1983 1950, 1954, 1977, 1980, 1982, 2001
Fort Wayne/Detroit Pistons 3 4 7 1989, 1990, 2004 1955, 1956, 1988, 2005
Miami Heat 3 2 5 2006, 2012, 2013 2011, 2014
New York Knicks 2 6 8 1970, 1973 1951, 1952, 1953, 1972, 1994, 1999
Houston Rockets 2 2 4 1994, 1995 1981, 1986
Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder 1 3 4 1979 1978, 1996, 2012
Baltimore/Washington Bullets (now Washington Wizards) 1 3 4 1978 1971, 1975, 1979
St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks 1 3 4 1958 1957, 1960, 1961
Cleveland Cavaliers 1 2 3 2016 2007, 2015
Portland Trail Blazers 1 2 3 1977 1990, 1992
Dallas Mavericks 1 1 2 2011 2006
Milwaukee Bucks 1 1 2 1971 1974
Rochester Royals (now Sacramento Kings) 1 0 1 1951
Baltimore Bullets (original) (folded in 1954) 1 0 1 1948
New Jersey Nets (now Brooklyn Nets) 0 2 2 2002, 2003
Utah Jazz (formerly New Orleans Jazz) 0 2 2 1997, 1998
Orlando Magic 0 2 2 1995, 2009
Phoenix Suns 0 2 2 1976, 1993
Indiana Pacers 0 1 1 2000
Washington Capitols (folded in 1951) 0 1 1 1949
Chicago Stags (folded in 1950) 0 1 1 1947

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  • Clashes between the Mexican police and members of the radical Mexican teachers union National Coordinator of Education Workers in Oaxaca leaves at least six people dead. (AP via Fox News)
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June 23, 2016

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BRITAIN VOTES FOR ‘BREXIT’ IN HISTORIC REFERENDUM –
Britain has voted to leave the European Union in a referendum, defying its prime minister and confounding most analysts’ expectations. The result raises questions over the future of Prime Minister David Cameron, and over the future of Scotland within the United Kingdom. The results expose a British electorate deeply divided by age, class and geographical location. Most large urban centers elected to stay part of the European Union, particularly in London, where many local authorities delivered vast majorities for the pro-EU campaign. Polls completed before the vote suggested the young were significantly more likely to back EU membership than the old, and that poorer, less-educated voters were likelier to be Brexiters. Scotland voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU. Wales surprised many observers by voting in favor of a “Leave” vote, with just over 850,000 Welsh voters choosing to leave the bloc, and a little more than 770,000 voting to Remain. [Newsweek] See List of the Day

Solar plane lands in Spain after three-day Atlantic crossing –
An airplane powered solely by the sun landed safely in Seville in Spain early on Thursday after an almost three-day flight across the Atlantic from New York in one of the longest legs of the first ever fuel-less flight around the world. The single-seat Solar Impulse 2 touched down shortly after 7.30 a.m. local time in Seville after leaving John F. Kennedy International Airport at about 2.30 a.m. EDT on June 20.
The flight of just over 71 hours was the 15th leg of the round-the-world journey by the plane piloted in turns by Swiss aviators Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg. [Reuters] See Video of the Day

Video of the Day –

Solar Impulse Airplane – Leg 15 – Flight New York to Seville

List of the Day –

How the home nations voted in the EU Referendum [BBC]

England

Leave 53.4%
15,188,406 VOTES
Remain 46.6%
13,266,996 VOTES
Counting complete
Turnout: 73.0%

Northern Ireland

Leave 44.2%
349,442 VOTES
Remain 55.8%
440,437 VOTES
Counting complete
Turnout: 62.9%

Scotland

Leave 38.0%
1,018,322 VOTES
Remain 62.0%
1,661,191 VOTES
Counting complete
Turnout: 67.2%

Wales

Leave 52.5%
854,572 VOTES
Remain 47.5%
772,347 VOTES
Counting complete
Turnout: 71.7%

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  • Solar Impulse 2, a plane powered only by the sun, lands safely in Seville, Spain, shortly after 7.30 a.m. local time after a flight of just over 71 hours. The 15th leg of the round-the-world journey had been expected to take up to 90 hours. (Reuters) (Reuters²)
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