August 5, 2015

Top News Stories –

Pierce Brosnan tries to board plane with 10-inch knife –
Pierce Brosnan, the former James Bond actor, has been stopped by airport security as he tried to board a plane in America with a large knife. The star had the 10-inch hunting blade confiscated from his hand luggage after it showed up during screening at Burlington International Airport, in Vermont. Brosnan, 62, was reportedly left embarrassed and angry when the knife was taken away by US Transportation Security Administration agents. [Daily Telegraph]
Pierce-BrosnanPierce Brosnan

Mormons reveal Seer Stone for first time –
The Mormon Church released photographs on Tuesday of a so-called “seer stone” that members believe was used by the Utah-based faith’s founder, Joseph Smith, to write the Book of Mormon, its principal sacred text. Photos of the egg-shaped, chocolate-brown rock are in a new publication that also carries images of the first printer’s manuscript of the Book of Mormon, which Smith said was based on ancient records and include an account of a visit to America by Jesus Christ. The LDS Church teaches that Smith found gold plates engraved with ancient Egyptian symbols in upstate New York 185 years ago. [Daily Telegraph]

Natalia Molchanova: Freediving champion feared dead –
Russian freediving champion Natalia Molchanova is feared dead after going missing on Sunday. The 53-year-old was diving for fun off Formentera, a Spanish island near Ibiza, when she failed to surface. Search efforts have been continuing but it is feared she may have been caught up in strong underwater currents. She became “the most decorated competitive freediver in the world”, with 41 world records, said her family and the global freediving federation AIDA in a joint statement. [BBC] See List of the Day. On May 14, 2015 Peter Colat, a Swiss freediver, held his breath underwater for 19 minutes and 21 seconds, smashing the world record.
Natalia-MolchanovaNatalia Molchanova in 2009

Video of the Day –

The Lexus Hoverboard: It’s here

List of the Day –

AIDA recognised freediving records (as of May 15, 2015)

Discipline Gender Depth [m] Distance [m] Time Name Date Place
Static apnea (STA) Men 11 min 35 sec  Stéphane Mifsud (FRA) 2009-06-08 Hyères, Var, France
Women 9 min 02 sec  Natalia Molchanova (RUS) 2013-06-29 Belgrade, Serbia
Dynamic apnea with fins (DYN) Men 281  Goran Čolak (HRV) 2013-06-28 Belgrade, Serbia
Women 237  Natalia Molchanova (RUS) 2014-09-26 Sardinia, Italy
Dynamic apnea without fins (DNF) Men 226  Mateusz Malina (POL) 2014-11-09 Brno, Czech Republic
Women 182  Natalia Molchanova (RUS) 2013-06-27 Belgrade, Serbia
Constant weight apnea (CWT) Men 128  Alexey Molchanov (RUS) 2013-09-19 Kalamata, Greece
Women 101  Natalia Molchanova (RUS) 2011-09-22 Kalamata, Greece
Constant weight apnea without fins (CNF) Men 101  William Trubridge (NZL) 2010-12-16 Dean’s Blue Hole, Long Island Bahamas
Women 71  Natalia Molchanova (RUS) 2015-05-13 Dahab, Egypt
Free immersion apnea (FIM) Men 121  William Trubridge (NZL) 2011-04-10 Dean’s Blue Hole, Long Island Bahamas
Women 91  Natalia Molchanova (RUS) 2013-09-21 Kalamata, Greece
Variable weight apnea (VWT) Men 145  William Winram (CAN) 2013-09-03 Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt
Women 127  Natalia Molchanova (RUS) 2012-06-06 Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt
No-limits apnea (NLT) Men 214  Herbert Nitsch (AUT) 2007-06-14 Spetses, Greece
Women 160  Tanya Streeter (GBR) 2002-08-17 Turks and Caicos

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