November 17, 2015

Top News Stories –

Charlie Sheen confirms he is HIV positive –
Hollywood star Charlie Sheen has confirmed he is living with HIV in a US television interview. “I am here to admit that I am HIV positive,” he said. The former star of sitcom Two And A Half Men appeared on NBC’s Today show, ending days of intense media speculation. Sheen revealed to Matt Lauer he had paid “enough to take it into the millions” to keep people from going public about his illness. “I have to put a stop to this onslaught, this barrage of attacks and of sub-truths,” he said, adding he was diagnosed four years ago. [BBC] In March 2015 Sheen launched a racist Twitter attack on Barack Obama.
Charlie Sheen

Bangkok sets record for longest half-marathon after route blunder –
The 6,000 runners who just completed the Bangkok half-marathon will have a special mention in sporting trivia quizzes for years to come, after they were forced to run an extra four miles to reach the finish line. Mark Kent, the British ambassador to Thailand, was among those who finished the longest half-marathon in history after a route blunder by organisers. The mishap occurred as the wrong gate was opened on a main road for the runners to complete a U-turn, some two miles further on than planned. The organisers have apologised profusely for the mistake and offered all competitors a free commemorative T-shirt bearing the message: “Finisher of 27.6 km”. An actual half-marathon should last 21.1 kms, or about 13 miles. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

ACROSS THE SKY – a world record slackline in the utah desert from Camp 4 Collective on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#1DMX	#IKWYDLSAtMidnight	#1DUK
2	#جده_الان	#BEFOUR	#CharityTuesday
3	#1DPL	#PrisonBooks	Oxford Dictionaries
4	#ReinadoColombia	#1DonGMA	Charlie Sheen
5	#FelizMartes	Bobby Jindal	Mitchell Johnson
6	Pampita	#BadFirstDateActivities	FHM and Zoo
7	#السعوديه_تيمور	#6YearsOfMyWorld	#WorldPrematurityDay
8	Leyla Zana	Charlie Sheen	#EngvFra
9	上原亜衣	#Our4WordFuture	#IKWYDLSAtMidnight
10	#6YearsOfMyWorld	JJ Watt	#Barney

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Metrojet Flight 9268
- Russia’s Federal Security Service announces that the plane was destroyed by a bomb. (The Guardian) (Reuters)
- In a broadcast meeting from The Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin vows retribution to those responsible for last month’s downing of the aircraft. Putin orders the Russian Navy to coordinate military operations in Syria with the French Navy. Russia’s Federal Security Service offers a $50 million bounty for the bombers. (Reuters)
Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War
- The Russian military launches cruise missile strikes from the Mediterranean on ISIS positions in Al-Raqqah, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant‘s de-facto capital in Syria, as well as Aleppo and Idlib. A U.S. official confirmed that Russia has conducted a significant number of strikes in Syria using both sea-launched cruise missiles and long-range bombers. Russian President Vladimir Putin has pledged to escalate his military campaign in Syria after it was confirmed that a bomb brought downMetrojet Flight 9268 over Egypt‘s Sinai Peninsula. (RT) (Independent)
Boko Haram insurgency
- A blast at a market in the northeastern Nigerian city of Yola, kills at least 32 people and wounds 80 others. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

American actor Charlie Sheen confirms he has HIV. (CBS) (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

A 6.5-magnitude earthquake strikes southwest of Ioannina in Greece, at a depth of 10 kilometers. At least two people are killed, the main road in the southwestern part of Lefkada has also been damaged. (RT)
In the United States, the National Weather Service issues a blizzard warning for northeastern Colorado and western Kansas with an expected snowfall by midday of 12 inches in Denver, Colorado. As of 6:00 a.m. Mountain Time, 143 arriving and departing flights are cancelled for busy Denver International Airport. Several tornadoes were spotted overnight in northern Texas, western Kansas, and southern Nebraska. (Reuters) (USA Today)
2015-16 Australian bushfire season
- There are fears that up to four people have died during bushfires burning near Esperance on the coast of Western Australia. (ABC)

International relations

APEC Philippines 2015
- The Human Rights Watch reports that the Philippine government is detaining street children and homeless people as part of preparations for an international summit. (The New York Times)

Law and crime

The Israeli government outlaws the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, declaring it “an illegal organization”. The northern branch of the Islamic Movement is led by Raed Salah, who has been convicted in court of numerous activities, including funding Hamas, contacting an Iranian agent, assaulting a police officer, and leading a violent protest. (The Jerusalem Post)
The Japanese government officially sues the governor of Okinawa, Takeshi Onaga, over his denial of permits to allow work to begin on the Relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Refugees of the Syrian Civil War
- More than half of the state governors in the United States reject accepting asylum seekers from Syria after the attacks in Paris. All except one of them are Republicans. (CNN)
- Obama administration officials hold a conference call with 34 governors to assure them, “refugees would undergo the most rigorous screening and security vetting of any category of traveler to the United States.” A spokesperson for Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder said he asked federal officials for “more robust data” and an “enhanced flow of information.” (Reuters) (AP via ABC News)
The president of the Czech Republic, Miloš Zeman, marks the 26th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution by attending an anti-Islam rally in Prague with the “Bloc against Islam” group which supports the president. The rally was also attended by observers from the German protest movement, PEGIDA (Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident) and Tommy Robinson, a prominent British anti-Islam activist. Zeman told the crowd of several thousand that they aren’t extremists for advocating closing the Republic’s borders to Muslim migrants. (AP via ABC News) (Breitbart)
United States presidential election, 2016
- The Governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal ends his campaign for the Republican Party nomination. (The Guardian) (Fox News)

Sport

Cancellation of football matches
- Belgium‘s football association calls off today’s friendly (non-competitive) football game with Spain due to concerns over security following the November 2015 Paris attacks. (AP)
- A friendly match between Germany and the The Netherlands is cancelled after a suspicious object is found in the Niedersachsenstadion in the German city of Hanover. (The Guardian)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

November 18, 2015

Top News Stories –

Jonah Lomu: New Zealand rugby union great dies aged 40 –
New Zealand rugby union great Jonah Lomu has died aged 40. Lomu, who scored 37 tries in 63 matches for New Zealand between 1994 and 2002, had been diagnosed with a rare and serious kidney condition by 1996. It forced him to quit the game and he had a kidney transplant in 2004, but the organ stopped functioning in 2011. Despite never winning the World Cup, he is the joint top try-scorer in its history – alongside South Africa wing Bryan Habana, scoring 15 tries in 11 games. He was at his best at the 1995 and 1999 World Cups, terrifying defensive lines with his speed and size – 192 cm tall (6 feet 4 inches) and weighing about 119 kilograms (18 stone 10 pounds). [BBC]
Jonah Lomu in 2014

Australian police search for men on park-bench vehicles –
Australian police are looking to identify a group of men filmed riding motorised park benches on public roads in Perth. Footage of the nine men casually rolling through an intersection in Scarborough on Sunday has gone viral. While witnesses said they were amused by the spectacle, police said there were real dangers involved. They said the men could face several charges, including driving an unlicensed and unroadworthy vehicle. “Police are concerned for the safety of those riding on the tables with no protective clothing, especially when on roads alongside motor vehicles,” Western Australian police said in a Facebook post. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Can You Survive Only Eating Bacon?

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	Jonah Lomu	#LoveTheatreDay	Jonah Lomu
2	Mega Filmes HD	#IStillFacebookBecause	#OurDay
3	#SaintDenis	#IWouldSleepMoreBut	#LoveTheatreDay
4	#LaMateriaQueMasOdioEs	#SaintDenis	Ken Livingstone
5	#1DonGMA	David Beckham	#housingday
6	#SeVieneElVeranoY	#HungryGames	#BieberOnCapital
7	Kevin McHale	Kevin McHale	#PMQs
8	Hamza Hamzaoğlu	Taye Diggs	#GeordieShore
9	Carmen Lomana	#refugeeswelcome	Red Button
10	#السعاده_في_كل�…	#IKWYDLSoniTunes	#IKWYDLSAtMidnight

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Moro conflict
- Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak condemns the Phillipine-based Abu Sayyaf’s beheading of a Malaysian man. Businessman Bernard Then and a woman were kidnapped in May from the Malaysia-island Sabah; the woman was released last week. Philippine Colonel Restituto Padilla said the killing followed a “failure of the negotiations about money.” (ABC) (BBC) (AFP via Yahoo) (International Business Times)
November 2015 Paris attacks, Islamic terrorism crisis in France
- At least two suspects die, including a female suicide bomber, and eight are arrested in a raid by French police in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis. (CNN) (France 24) (AP) (NNC News)
- Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the ringleader of the Paris terrorist attacks, is killed during the Saint-Denis police raid, officials confirm. (Independent) (CNN)
- French prosecutor Bruce Robin says three Islamic State supporters stabbed a 56-year-old French Jew and history teacher in Marseille, France. The attackers were interrupted by a car and fled. The teacher’s wounds are not life-threatening. (International Business Times) (Time)
Boko Haram insurgency
- At least fifteen people are killed in a twin-suicide bombing of a mobile phone market in the northern Nigerian city of Kano. (BBC)
- Associated Press reports that Boko Haram was the world’s deadliest terrorist organisation in 2014 responsible for 6,664 deaths as compared to 6,073 for Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. (BBC)
Syrian Civil War
- Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War
  - The Russian Air Force has destroyed around 500 fuel tanker vehicles used by ISIS and other extremist groups for transporting illegal oil from Syria to Iraq, according to Russian General Staff spokesman Andrey Kartapolov. (RT)
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says a local 15-day ceasefire between Syrian rebels and government forces in the Eastern Ghouta area near Damascus will be announced shortly. (Reuters)
Two Bosnian Army soldiers are shot dead by a gunman inside a betting shop near their army barracks in the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo. The gunman committed suicide after police surrounded his house. (Reuters)
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
- The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant says that it has killed a Chinese hostage and a Norwegian hostage. (AP via ABC News)
- Both the FBI and New York City police say they are aware of a newly released Islamic State video suggesting America’s most populous city is a potential target of attacks. The agencies said there were no specific threats, they will investigate, and will remain at a heightened state of vigilance. (Reuters)
- The United States warns travelers in Italy that St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the La Scala opera house in Milan, and the Milan Cathedral, as well as “general venues” like churches, synagogues, restaurants, theaters and hotels, have been identified as “potential targets” for terrorist attacks. The message added the Italian authorities are aware of these threats. (AP)

Art and culture

Ta-Nehisi Coates wins the National Book Award’s top prize for nonfiction for his bestselling depiction of America’s race problem, Between the World and Me. Adam Johnson’s Fortune Smiles took home the National Book Award for fiction. (The Guardian)

Business and economy

An auction for the acquisition of chipmaker PMC-Sierra continues, with a new bid by Microsemi Corp., topping the previous bid from Skyworks Solutions. The latest bid values PMC at $2.3 billion. (Reuters)
Reuters reports the U.S. Treasury Department will clamp down further on corporate income tax-avoiding inversion deals by U.S. companies with foreign rivals. A major inversion deal is in the works between U.S. drug maker Pfizer Inc. and smaller Irishcompetitor Allergan, Plc. (Reuters)
Airport workers at seven of the busiest U.S. hubs plan to strike tonight and Thursday over bad wages and threats against unionizing. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) says some 2,000 plane cleaners, baggage handlers and other workers will strike at New York City’s Kennedy and LaGuardia airports, as well as Newark Liberty, Chicago O’Hare, Boston, Philadelphia and Fort Lauderdale. (Reuters) (Philly Voice)

Disasters and accidents

2015–16 UK and Ireland windstorm season
- Some 25,000 households in Ireland lose power as a result of Storm Barney. (Independent Ireland)
2015–16 Australian bushfire season
- Four people, including three German backpackers, are confirmed dead in southern Western Australia near the town of Esperance as a result of bushfires burning out of control. (ABC News Australia)
An explosion at a steelworks plant in Cardiff, South Wales leaves two people dead and five injured. (BBC)

International relations

APEC Philippines 2015, Territorial disputes in the South China Sea
- U.S. President Barack Obama calls on China to stop constructing artificial islands in the South China Sea. Obama’s comments to reporters came after a meeting with Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III. The U.S. president is in Manila for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit where the Trans-Pacific Partnership is the central topic of conversation. China attempts to keep the topic of the islands off the agenda. (New York Times)(The Diplomat)
U.S. and Cuban officials sign an environmental accord in Havana, the first such agreement since the countries renewed diplomatic relations this summer. (UPI)

Law and crime

Sweden‘s terror threat level is raised to ‘high’ for the first time in history, as national security service Säpo says that police are hunting a suspected terrorist. (Local)
Washington College, on the U.S. Delmarva Peninsula, closes until Sunday, November 30, as police search for an upset, potentially armed student who just returned to campus. His Pennsylvania high school is on alert. (WBAL) (Washington Post) (NBC 10)

Politics and elections

Police in the Democratic Republic of the Congo fire teargas at students protesting increases in school fees in the capital Kinshasa, The students had started throwing stones. (ENCA)
Glen Casada, a top Republican Tennessee lawmaker who is the chair of the state’s House Republican Caucus suggests activating the Tennessee National Guard to ’round up’ Syrian refugees and remove them from the southeastern state, saying “Tennessee is a sovereign state, if the federal government is forsaking the obligation to protect our citizens, we need to act”. (The Tennessean)

Sport

2015 FIFA corruption case
- Sergio Jadue resigns as the head of the Football Federation of Chile and travels to the United States to speak with the Federal Bureau of Investigation about corruption at FIFA. (AAP via Yahoo! News)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

November 20, 2015

Top News Stories –

Indian Railways holds disabled recruitment drive on top floor – with no lifts –
A bid to recruit more disabled employees to work on India’s railways has ended in farce after test centres were set up on the top floors of buildings with no lifts or ramps. Many candidates who arrived at recruitment offices across India on Thursday either had to be carried or drag themselves up the stairs to their designated computers. Some were forced to abandon their applications entirely. [Daily Telegraph]

Vengeful surfer vows to eat the shark that bit him –
Don’t get on the wrong side of Allen Engelman – he has exacted the ultimate revenge on a shark that bit him. The Florida surfer was bitten by a shark, so the next day went out on a vengeful hunt. He killed a shark which he believes to be the same one that bit him. Not only did he kill it, but he now vows to eat it in order to punish the animal for the bite inflicted upon him. The surfer received 15 stitches, and from then on he was hell-bent on revenge. Him and his five-year-old son went back to the beach the following day and caught a shark with the same markings as the one which bit him. [Daily Telegraph]

New York follows UK in banning ‘hoverboards’ in public places –
New York has become the latest city to ban self-balancing scooters, known as “hoverboards”, warning that anyone caught riding them in public places could face a fine of up to $500. The two-wheeled electric vehicles, which use gyroscope technology to keep the rider upright, have exploded in popularity over the last few months – with celebrities including Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, Lily Allen and Jamie Foxx all spotted riding them. However, according to the the New York City Police Department, hoverboards are prohibited by New York state law since they are considered “motor vehicles that cannot be registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles”. [Daily Telegraph] October 21 2015 was the Back to the Future Day that featured real hoverboards

Video of the Day –

Blue Hue
Blue Hue

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#LatinGrammys2015	#Adele25	#HappyBirthdayMichael
2	#BuenViernes	Mali	#FridayFeeling
3	#HTGAWM	Phuc Dat Bich	#Adele25
4	Corinthians	#PerfectMomentIn4Words	#Mali
5	基本給	#ThanksgivingIn5Words	Blac Chyna
6	1 in the UK	#JessicaJones	#bbcqt
7	#HappyBirthdayJaxonBieber	Woodrow Wilson	1 in the UK
8	#Mali	#HappyBirthdayMichael	Eddie Jones
9	Hayırlı Cumalar	#TDOR	Katie Hopkins
10	#DosPalabras	Tyga	Baker Street

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Military intervention against ISIL
- Cyprus offers France the use of its airbase facilities to bomb the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Syria. Cypriot airbases are being used by British and Canadian air forces. (The Guardian)
Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War
- Russian warships launch cruise missiles from the Caspian Sea against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant positions in Syria‘s eastern Deir ez-Zor. Russian Defense Minister, Sergey Shoigu, reported over 600 terrorists were killed in the strikes. Video footage also emerged of Russian ground crew servicemen writing the words “For Paris” on bombs to be dropped on ISIL targets in a show of solidarity with France in the wake of the November 13 terror attacks that left 130 people dead in Paris. (RT)(Sky News)
2015 Bamako hotel attack
- Ten gunmen storm the five-star Radisson Blu Hotel in the Malian capital Bamako, taking 170 hostages with at least 27 people killed. The grenade-toting assailants free captives who are able to recite the Quran. The hotel is “often used” by Air Francestaff. (France 24), (NBC News), (The New York Daily News), (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
- Mali security forces launch an assault on the gunmen and all surviving hostages are freed. (UPI) (BBC)
- Mali declares a 10-day state of emergency following the attack. (i24 News)
- African militant jihadist organization Al-Murabitoun and al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claim responsibility. (CNN) (Reuters).
Xinjiang conflict
- Chinese security forces have killed 28 members of a supposed terrorist group in the mainly ethnic Uyghur Xinjiang region. (BBC)
November 2015 Paris attacks
- Officials report three people died in the Saint-Denis raid. The body of a second woman is found at the apartment where a woman and Paris attacks ringleader Abdelhamid Abaaoud were killed. (Sky News)
- The French Senate approves President François Hollande’s request to extend the state of emergency until the end of February 2016. The National Assembly passed the three-month extension yesterday. (AP) (Radio France Internationale)
- Fugitive ISIS gunman Salah Abdeslam called three friends saying he is hiding in the Brussels area and is desperately trying to get to ISIS territory in Syria. He said local ISIS members are unhappy with him since he failed to detonate his suicide vest. His brother Mohamed Abdeslam has publicly pleaded with Salah to turn himself in. (ABC News)
A newly released ISIS video threatens attacks on the White House in the U.S., monuments in France, U.S. President Obama, French President François Hollande, and targets in Italy. (Reuters) (CNN)
Yemeni Civil War (2015)
- Two attacks on security checkpoints by ISIS militants in Yemen‘s historic Shibam town and Al Qatn District in the central Hadhramaut Governorate leave at least 15 pro-Hadi government soldiers dead. (The National)

Art and culture

A New York City businesswoman, who wanted to bring a “grander scale” to her yearly charitable giving, bought a toy store’s entire inventory to donate to homeless kids. (UPI)
The world’s second-largest diamond of gem quality, Karowe AK6, is found in the Karowe mine located north of the Botswanan capital Gaborone by the Lucara Diamond Corp. The 1,111-carat diamond is second only to the 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond (Star of Africa) found in South Africa in 1905. (Forbes)

Business and economy

Britain’s National Union of Journalists announces a strike against the Financial Times, protesting the changes in pension arrangements since the acquisition of the FT by a Japanese media group, Nikkei. (BBC)

International relations

European migrant crisis
- Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia shut their borders to so-called economic migrants, those not coming from war-torn countries such as Syria, Afghanistan, or Iraq, leaving thousands stranded at Balkan border crossings. Around 500 migrants fromIran, Morocco, and Algeria gather on the border between Greece and Macedonia to protest the closure. (The Irish Independent)
- European Union ministers, in light of the attacks in Paris last week, gather in Brussels for an emergency security summit on the need to strengthen border checks on travelers. (AFP via NDTV)
- French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said some of the Paris attackers exploited Europe’s refugee crisis to “slip in” to France unnoticed. Valls warns the passport-free Schengen zone is at risk if Europe fails to “take responsibility” over border controls. (Sky News)
North Korea–South Korea relations
- North Korea and South Korea agree to hold talks next week. (Yonhap)

Law and crime

Sweden‘s national security service Säpo are questioning terrorist suspect Moder Mothama Magid, a 22-year-old Iraqi, who is accused of planning to launch a terror attack on the Swedish capital Stockholm. (Local)
The family of Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, who saved tens of thousands of Jews from the Holocaust only to languish in a Russian prison, have asked authorities to officially declare him dead. (Times of Israel)
The United States releases on parole convicted Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard, a former U.S. intelligence analyst, who served 30 years in federal prison. His parole, approved on July 28, 2015, is for five years during which time he has to remain in the United States. A supporter said Pollard will have a curfew and will wear a GPS unit. (The Globe and Mail) (The Globe and Mail-2)
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Pollard’s lawyers, two Democratic members of Congress from New York, Eliot Engel and Jerrold Nadler, and others have requested Pollard be able to travel immediately to Israel so he can live with his family. The White House has said it has no intention of altering the conditions of Pollard’s parole. (The Globe and Mail)
The U.S. Justice Department files criminal charges against three individuals and three companies–Black Elk, Grand Isle Shipyard and oil field services company Wood Group–in connection with a 2012 oil platform incident in the Gulf of Mexico that left three workers dead. The charges range from manslaughter to violations of the federal Clean Water Act. (UPI)
USPlabs and S.K. Laboratory are indicted following a U.S. Department of Justice investigation finds synthetic ingredients manufactured in China were added to workout boosters and weight-loss products the firms claimed to be natural. Supplements from these companies were previously implicated in consumer illnesses and death. Several other defendants from the companies face additional charges. (Military Times)

Politics and elections

New Zealand flag referendum
- The first stage of the voting process to potentially select a new flag of New Zealand starts. (BBC)

Science and technology

NASA orders its first commercial crew mission from private company SpaceX. (The Verge)
A jury in a Texas federal court finds for Apple Inc., in a lawsuit brought against Apple by a subsidiary of Pendrell Corporation. Pendrell has charged that Apple infringed patents on techniques that help restrict the use of web content to authorized persons, i.e.anti-piracy software. (Reuters)

Sport

Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva, who has two Olympic gold medals and 30 world records, told Sky News she is going to fight for what she believes to be her right to compete at the 2016 Olympics. She calls on the IAAF, at the world governing track and field organization’s annual meeting on 26 November, to rescind their ban on clean Russian athletes. (Sky News)
In association football, Corinthians win their sixth Campeonato Brasileiro Série A title with four games remaining of the season. (Yahoo! via AFP)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

November 24, 2015

Top News Stories –

Angry Cheryl Fernandez-Versini takes legal action over ‘white powder’ bathroom picture –
Cheryl Fernandez-Versini has taken legal action to prevent the publication of a photograph in which she is seen next to a white powdery substance in a public lavatory. The X Factor judge was photographed by a fashion journalist who posted the picture on Instagram after the 2015 British Fashion Awards at the London Coliseum on Monday night. The image was later deleted, but lawyers for the Girls Aloud singer have sent a warning letter to media companies not to use the picture. Taken in the reflection of a mirror, the picture shows Mrs Fernandez-Versini washing her hands with other women either side of her, with three lines of a white powder on a glass shelf in front and slightly to the side of her. [Daily Telegraph]
Cheryl Fernandez-Versini

Jeff Bezos’ space company does world first in landing reusable rocket –
[As promised in September 2015] Jeff Bezos’ privately-funded space company Blue Origin announced a historic first today – it successfully landed a fired rocket back on Earth after an unmanned flight to space. Bezos announced the compelling test flight video on Twitter – the first time he has ever tweeted – calling the achievement the “rarest of beasts.” In this test flight, the rocket separated itself from the New Shepard vehicle, which flew to an altitude of 93km on Monday, at almost 4 times the speed of sound. Usually, the rocket would have fallen back to Earth and been unable to complete any more flights. “Rockets have always been expendable,” Bezos wrote in blog post about the landing. “Not anymore.” In this case, it was guided towards a launchpad on Earth where it slowed down and landed, intact. This means the rocket can be re-used for subsequent flights, which companies like Blue Origin claim will make spaceflight far less expensive. [Daily Telegraph] See Video of the Day
Jeff Bezos

Video of the Day –

Historic Rocket Landing

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#MentirasMasUsadas	#ThanksgivingWithBlackFami…	#CharityTuesday
2	#ThanksgivingWithBlackFami…	#RuinAnOldSaying	World War III
3	#NadaMejorQue	Johnny Manziel	Alan Johnson
4	#GRAMMYs	#4thPrecinctShutDown	#1in5Muslims
5	#شي_جميل_يبداا_…	#LaquanMcDonald	Christmas Eve
6	Zayn e Gigi	#GRAMMYs	#6YearsOfOneTime
7	Turquía	David Canary	#Trident
8	#24KasımÖğretmenlerGünü	#6YearsOfOneTime	Rusev
9	Su-24	#ThanksgivingClapBack	#TravelTuesday
10	#VideoMTV2015	Russian	#GRAMMYs

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Sinai insurgency
- November 2015 Sinai attack
  - A day after the second round of parliamentary elections closes, militants attack a hotel housing election judges in the provincial capital of al-Arish in Egypt’s North Sinai. At least seven people are killed and 12 others injured, including two judges. The Islamic State’s Wilayat Sinai branch claims responsibility. (Reuters) (Eyewitness News)
Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War, 2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown
- Turkish F-16 fighter jets shoot down a Russian Sukhoi Su-24 aircraft that had allegedly infringed its airspace near the Syrian border. Russia’s Ministry of Defence denies the Su-24 entered Turkish airspace and initially said it was shot down by ground fire over Syria’s Latakia Governorate. A video emerged of one pilot killed as local rebel Turkmen fighters shot at him while he was parachuting and a video of his body, while the fate of the other pilot is unknown but is presumed dead. A combat search and rescue mission by Russian forces failed to reach them. It is the first time a NATO member has shot down a Russian plane since the 1950s. (Irish Independent) (BBC) (The Telegraph)
- A Russian military helicopter is destroyed on the ground by a U.S. TOW missile used by Syrian rebels after it was forced to make an emergency landing in northern Latakia. (Reuters)
- A Russian marine is killed by rebel gunfire while on a mission to rescue the crew of the downed Su-24 near the Syrian-Turkish border, Russia’s Defence Ministry confirms. (BBC)
- Russian President Vladimir Putin says there will be “serious consequences” for Russia–Turkey relations following Turkey‘s actions, and describes the incident as a “stab in the back by the accomplices of terrorists”. Russian government agencies began limiting Russian tourists from traveling to Turkey. (Independent)
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warns everyone to “respect the right of Turkey to defend its borders,” says that the reason why worse incidents have not taken place in the past regarding Syria is because of the “cool-headedness of Turkey” and stresses that Turkey’s actions are fully in line with the new rules of engagement that the country adopted after Syria shot down a Turkish jet in 2012. (BBC)
- Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu defends the action saying Turkey has the right “to take all kinds of measures” against border violations as a “national duty,” but that it did not amount to an aggression against any foreign territory and the country called for NATO to hold an extraordinary meeting later in the day.(AFP via The Express Tribune)
Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- A car-bomb kills five guards at a checkpoint east of the Libyan capital, Tripoli. (Channel News Asia)
Insurgency in the Maghreb (2002–present)
- An explosion on a bus carrying Tunisian Presidential Guard personnel in Tunisia‘s capital Tunis leaves at least 15 people dead, as the country’s government declares a state of emergency. (Independent)

Arts and culture

Barack Obama presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 17 people including Willie Mays, Barbra Streisand, Itzhak Perlman, James Taylor, Gloria Estefan and Emilio Estefan, Stephen Sondheim and Steven Spielberg. (New York Times)

International relations

United Kingdom withdrawal from the European Union
- According to an opinion poll, a majority of British citizens now want the United Kingdom to leave the European Union as voter anxiety rises over the bloc’s handling of a crisis provoked by an influx of migrants into Europe. A referendum on the United Kingdom’s EU membership is scheduled to take place before the end of 2017. (Reuters)
European migrant crisis
- Sweden will introduce tighter border controls and asylum rules in a bid to reduce the number of asylum seekers entering the country. Sweden expects up to 190,000 asylum seekers to reach its borders this year and says its reception system cannot cope. “The situation is untenable”, according to Swedish prime minister Stefan Löfven who told reporters, “to put it bluntly, more people will have to seek asylum and get protection in other European countries”. (Reuters)
- Germany starts deporting unsuccessful asylum seekers to the Balkans. (Reuters via Thomson Reuters Foundation)

Law and crime

A military court in Bangkok charges two men Adem Karadag and Yusufu Miefaili with offences related to the 2015 Bangkok bombing. (Al-Jazeera)
A bomb blast at the Hellenic Business Federation offices in central Athens, Greece, damages the Cypriot Embassy across the street. While there is yet no claim for responsibility the authorities suspect a domestic guerrilla group set off the blast. (Reuters)
Shooting of Laquan McDonald
- Chicago, Illinois police officer Jason Van Dyke is charged with first-degree murder for the October shooting death of Laquan McDonald, a black teenager. The charge comes one day before the release of the police video showing the shooting. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel meets with community leaders to discuss the video’s release and the potential ramifications for the city. (CNN)
2015 Roubaix shootings
- At least one person is killed after a group of armed men took people hostage in the northern French town of Roubaix near the Belgian border. The hostages are thought to be a bank director and his family. French police say the incident may be related to a robbery and not to the November 2015 attacks in Paris. (Irish Independent)

Politics and elections

U.S. reactions to November 2015 Paris attacks
- The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana sues Indiana Governor Mike Pence over his decision to block Syrian refugees from resettling in the state. The ACLU, on behalf of Indianapolis-based nonprofit Exodus Refugee Immigration, accuses Pence of violating the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution by accepting refugees from other countries but not those from Syria. The decision also caused some financial harm to Exodus when a family of Syrian refugees, scheduled to arrive in Indianapolis on December 10 after a three-year wait, had to be diverted to Connecticut. (AP via Miami Herald) (Indianapolis Star) (USA Today)
Antonio Costa, the leader of the Socialist Party, is named as the Prime Minister of Portugal. (Reuters)
Echoing criticisms of the U.S. intelligence community in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Derek Harvey, a former U.S. intelligence official, says that the U.S. intelligence community is failing in its assessments of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Another unnamed source says the U.S. intelligence community is “playing catch up“ regarding efforts to monitor ISIL activities in the U.S. These, following reports that U.S. Central Command intelligence analysts were instructed to give favorable spin on anti-ISIL efforts. (The Telegraph) (Fox News)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

November 25, 2015

Top News Stories –

Adele’s album 25 breaks US record previously held by *NSYNC –
It’s not that much of a surprise, it was widely predicted, but Adele’s new album is doing quite well (understatement.) It’s broken the record for first week album sales in the US, selling 2.4 million copies since Friday.
The record was previously held by boy band *NSYNC and their second album, No Strings Attached, from 2000. Adele won’t be making the album available on music streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music for now.
It takes a powerful artist to still do well despite not being on the big streaming services. Taylor Swift did it last year, withdrawing her material from Spotify. [BBC Newsbeat]
Adele

The condom challenge is the latest bizarre trend sweeping the internet –
It’s been at least a few weeks since the last ridiculous internet trend, so let us introduce the condom challenge. In apparent homage to the long-forgotten Ice Bucket Challenge, the new trend involves people filling up condoms with water and dropping it on the head of a friend, significant other or loved one. Videos of people dropping condoms full of water have been flooding social media feeds in recent weeks. [Daily Telegraph]
Condom Challenge

Queen asks judges to decide if DNA evidence can ‘uncover affair’ in Scottish hereditary title dispute –
Accountant Murray Pringle, 74, of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, and Simon Pringle, 56, a businessman who lives near Hastings, East Sussex, both lay claim to the baronetcy of Pringle of Stichill. The Queen has asked senior judges to make a decision on the dispute under a piece of legislation dating back more than 150 years. The men are both members of a Scottish family fighting over the rights to the baronetcy. Seven judges are now analysing evidence at a hearing of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London. The hearing was expected to finish on Wednesday but judges, who are all Supreme Court justices, are not expected to publish a ruling until next year. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Happy Place from sharp & jenkins on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#NoalaViolenciadeGenero	Stedman Bailey	Civil War
2	#LaquanMcDonald	Civil War	#spendingreview
3	#ThanksgivingClapBack	#TerribleStockingStuffers	#LaquanMcDonald
4	Delcídio	Kobe	#WhiteRibbonDay
5	당신의 결과	#ICarvedTheTurkeyAndOutPopped	ONE MONTH UNTIL CHRISTMAS
6	Selamat Hari Guru	#2015WasTheYearThatIFinally	#IDEVAW
7	Kobe	Frank Gifford	George Best
8	#كذبه_كنت_مصدق�…	#jacobsaletonight	#GeordieShore
9	#WelcomeToMexico1D	Happy Thanksgiving Eve	Roma
10	Civil War	#8MonthsWithoutZayn	#ThanksgivingClapBack

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir
- Insurgents attack an Indian Army base in northern Kashmir. At least three attackers are killed. (NDTV) (Reuters)
Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War
- Russian Defense Minister, Sergey Shoigu, says Russia will deploy its S-400 defense missile system at the Khmeimim Air Base in Syria‘s Latakia Governorate. (RT)
- Several trucks are left burning at a rebel-run border crossing on the Syrian-Turkish border after a Russian airstrike hit what was reported to be an aid convoy in the town of Azaz. At least seven people are reportedly killed. (Reuters) (Daily Sabah)
Balochistan conflict
- Unidentified gunmen abduct 22 passengers from a coach in Kandasool near the city of Pasni. (Daily Times)
Insurgency in the Maghreb (2002–present)
- The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claim responsibility for yesterday’s attack on Tunisia‘s presidential guard in Tunis that killed 14 people. (AP)
Germany will deploy up to 650 troops to Mali as part of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA). (The Daily Star)
Yemeni Civil War (2015)
- The United Arab Emirates has recruited several hundred Central and South American mercenaries to fight the Houthis in Yemen. (New York Times)
November 2015 Paris attacks
- The French Senate votes 325-0 to extend the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. (AP)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- Several American personnel are suspended after an official report finds that human error was to blame for an airstrike on a Doctors without Borders hospital in the Afghan city of Kunduz in October that killed 30 people. No criminal charges were filed.(CNN)

Arts and culture

An 18th-century pink Indian diamond worth at least $5 million and a Cartier diamond tiara are discovered in the jewelry recovered from Imelda Marcos. (The Guardian)
The Gambia bans female genital mutilation with President Yahya Jammeh saying it is not required in Islam. (BBC)

Business and economics

The new 20 euro note, the third in the Europa series, enters into circulation today. The European Central Bank says the banknote has a “refreshed look and more vibrant colours,” and includes a new kind of security feature: a “portrait window” near the top of the hologram stripe which becomes transparent when seen against the light. (Sofia Globe)

Disasters and accidents

2015–16 Australian bushfire season
- A bushfire burns out of control near the South Australian town of Wasleys with authorities warning of significant risk to lives and property. Two deaths have been confirmed with another person feared dead, (ABC News Australia), (ABC News)

Health and medicine

Pope Francis’ 2015 visit to North America
- A one-year old baby girl with an apparently incurable illness, who was kissed by Pope Francis during his visit to Philadelphia in September, gets MRI results showing her brain tumor has shrunk significantly. Some friends and family call it the “Miracle onMarket Street.” (NBC News) (Philadephia Daily News

International relations

Russia–Ukraine gas disputes
- Russia‘s Gazprom halts gas supplies to Ukraine until the Ukrainian government pays in advance for future supplies to replenish the current supplies of gas that it has used up; Ukraine says it has stopped buying from Gazprom because it can get cheaper gas from Europe. Roughly 15% of the gas used in Europe travels through Ukraine, and a previous cut-off of gas supplies in 2009 caused serious disruptions in shipments to EU countries at the height of winter. (Sky News) (BBC)
Ukraine bans all Russian planes from using its airspace. (BBC)
Pope Francis’ 2015 visit to Africa
- Pope Francis makes his first official visit to Africa. (Reuters)
- Francis encourages Kenyans to work for peace and forgiveness amid a wave of extremist violence on the continent which has threatened to disrupt his trip. His six-day pilgrimage will also take him to Uganda and the Central African Republic. (AP via The Salt Lake Tribune)
The Associated Press reports that Russia’s crackdown on Muslims is fueling their exodus to ISIS. For example, Russia’s southernmost republic of Dagestan keeps devout Muslims under surveillance, routinely raids their homes, and hauls them to police stations to give DNA samples and fingerprints. Regional police say nearly a third of the estimated 3,000 Russians who are believed to have gone to fight alongside IS militants in Syria are from Dagestan. The AP added, “Few efforts are made by Russian authorities to stop young men from leaving.” (AP)
The U.S. Treasury Department sanctions Syrian businessman George Haswani who “serves as a middleman” for oil purchases by the Syrian government from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. His company, an engineering and construction firm, is also sanctioned. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Former world cruiserweight boxing champion O’Neil Bell is shot to death in a robbery in the American city of Atlanta, Georgia. (Daily Mail)
Sergey Mironov, leader of the Russian opposition party, A Just Russia, submits a bill to the State Duma on holding to account anyone who denies that the 1915 mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turkish forces was a “genocide”. (Reuters)
General Motors ignition switch scandal
- U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman rules General Motors Co., and its outside law firm King & Spalding, do not have to turn over lawyer-client documents from previously settled ignition switch lawsuits to plaintiffs’ lawyers in pending cases. (The Detriot News)

Sports

Ukrainian marathon runner Tetyana Hamera-Shmyrko is given a four-year ban for a doping offence. (AP)
Former U.S National Football League star, Frank Gifford, who died last August at age 84, suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease linked to head injuries commonly found in football, Gifford’s family announced. (CNN)(New York Times)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

November 28, 2015

Top News Stories –

Jamie Vardy breaks record for goals in consecutive games –
Jamie Vardy broke Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record as he became the first player to score in 11 consecutive Premier League matches. The Leicester striker netted in the first half of his side’s 1-1 draw against Manchester United. Dutchman Van Nistelrooy achieved his feat for Manchester United across two seasons in 2003. Vardy’s run has included 13 goals, making him the league’s top scorer with 14 goals in total. [BBC] See List of the Day
Jamie Vardy

Video of the Day –

Je Suis Paris – Paris Saint-Germain

List of the Day –

Jamie Vardy’s record breaking goals run

Date	Match			Goals
29-Aug-15	Bournemouth	1 – 1	Leicester	1
13-Sep-15	Leicester	3 – 2	Aston Villa	1
19-Sep-15	Stoke	2 – 2	Leicester	1
26-Sep-15	Leicester	2 – 5	Arsenal	2
03-Oct-15	Norwich	1 – 2	Leicester	1
17-Oct-15	Southampton	2 – 2	Leicester	2
24-Oct-15	Leicester	1 – 0	C Palace	1
31-Oct-15	West Brom	2 – 3	Leicester	1
07-Nov-15	Leicester	2 – 1	Watford	1
21-Nov-15	Newcastle	0 – 3	Leicester	1
28-Nov-15	Leicester	1 – 1	Man Utd	1

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#LiamLaryLovesYou	#SmallBizSaturday	#BleepASongToMakeItSoundDirty
2	#TeletonChile	Robert Lewis Dear	#PlannedParenthood
3	#ALDUBStaySTRONG	#UFCSeoul	Britain to the Tories
4	#PlannedParenthood	#AndImDarnProudOfIt	J Cole
5	#TahirElçi	Auburn	#UnpopularPartyGames
6	CONFIDENT BY DEMI	ADIDASTM	#DontBombSyria
7	SEM MARA SEM AUDIENCIA	Kris Dunn	Burt Bacharach
8	파쿠리	Penn State	#VampsAlbumOutNow
9	CONFIDENT BY DEMI LOVATO	#BleepASongToMakeItSoundDirty	Grant Shapps
10	#WelcomeToBrazilJUSTINBIEBER	#FSUvsUF	#NUFC

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

At least three people are killed in an attack on a United Nations peacekeeping base in Kidal, northern Mali. The jihadist group Ansar Dine claims responsibility. (Euronews), (AFP via Yahoo! News)
Terrorism in Egypt
- At least four Egyptian police officers are killed in a drive-by shooting in Saqqara, south of Cairo. An Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant affiliate claims responsibility. (BBC), (AP via Fox News)
Turkey–PKK conflict
- Tahir Elçi, a pro-Kurdish lawyer, is shot dead at a press conference in the city of Diyarbakir as clashes break out between Turkish security forces and PKK militants. (Bloomberg via Washington Today)
Syrian Civil War, Military intervention against ISIL
- U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron, despite deep uncertainty over how many Labour MPs will back him, is planning to stage a parliamentary vote on British military action against ISIL in Syria this week. (The Guardian)

Arts and culture

Egyptologists announce that radar scans indicate an empty space behind King Tutankhamun’s tomb. British archaeologist Dr. Nicholas Reeves speculates if a second chamber exists, it could be Queen Nefertiti’s long-lost burial place. Antiquities Minister Mamdouh Eldamaty says work inside the tomb will not begin until all the data from the radar and infrared devices are carefully analyzed by Japanese experts. (Sky News) (CNN)

Disasters and accidents

A slow moving wintry storm system is responsible for more than a dozen deaths in the U.S. states of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. (AP)

International relations

2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Russia–Turkey relations
- A day after Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had harsh words for Russia, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, in an essay in the London Times, says the downing of the Russian jet, “was not — and is not — an act against a specific country. … While the measures to defend our territory will remain in place, Turkey will work with Russia and our allies to calm tensions.” (CNN) (Times of London)
- Russian President Vladimir Putin signs a decree imposing economic sanctions on Turkey. The sanctions include a ban on charter flights from Russia to Turkey, that Russian tour operators should stop selling trips to Turkey, and that imports of some Turkish products are to be halted. All work visas for Turkish citizens are cancelled.(Irish Times)
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reports North Korea appears to conduct a submarine-launched ballistic missile test that ended in failure with no indication that the missile successfully ejected from the vessel and took off. (Reuters)
European migrant crisis, Macedonian border crisis
- Macedonia‘s Army begins erecting a metal fence on its southern border with Greece. Around 250 migrants later clash with Macedonian police on the border. (CNBC), (AP)
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2015
- The Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Malta calls for an ambitious and legally binding outcome at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference. (AFP via Yahoo! News)
- The United Kingdom will host the next CHOGM meeting in 2018 as Vanuatu, which was to host the meeting, had its infrastructure damaged by Cyclone Pam earlier in the year. (AFP via Yahoo! News)

Law and crime

2015 Colorado Springs shooting
- Colorado Springs Police Chief Peter Carey says all nine of the injured – five police officers and four civilians – are listed in good condition at area hospitals. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

The United Kingdom‘s Minister of State for International Development, Grant Shapps, resigns amid claims he failed to act on allegations of in-party bullying of a young Conservative Party activist who committed suicide in September. (BBC)

Sport

Tyson Fury of the United Kingdom defeats Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko in a title fight in Dusseldorf winning the WBA Super, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles. (BBC)
2015–16 Premier League
- Leicester City‘s Jamie Vardy scores in a record eleven consecutive Premier League matches after scoring against Manchester United in a 1-1 draw at the King Power Stadium, breaking former Manchester United player Ruud van Nistelrooy‘s record.(BBC)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

November 29, 2015

Top News Stories –

Andy Murray wins the Davis Cup for Great Britain –
Great Britain have won the Davis Cup for the first time since 1936 after Andy Murray beat Belgium’s David Goffin to clinch the decisive point in Ghent. Murray won 6-3 7-5 6-3 to give the visitors an unassailable 3-1 lead in the best-of-five tie. Britain have now won the team title 10 times [the last title was in 1936], while Murray adds the Davis Cup to his other major titles at Wimbledon, the US Open and the Olympic Games. Captain Leon Smith guided Britain from the third tier to glory in five years. [BBC] See Video of the Day. Andy Murray posted the most minimal of tweets afterwards:

Andy Murray

Formula One season ends with Hamilton champion but Rosberg winning –
Nico Rosberg beat Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton to win the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The victory was the German’s third in a row, giving him a boost ahead of 2016 after Hamilton won the title last month with three races still to go. [BBC] See List of the Day
Nico Rosberg

Video of the Day –

Andy Murray defeats David Goffin 6:3 7:5 6:3 to clinch the winning point for Great Britain in the 2015 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas Final

List of the Day –

Formula 1 Grand Prix 2015 results:

Pos.	Driver	AUS	MAL	CHN	BHR	ESP	MON	CAN	AUT	GBR	HUN	BEL	ITA	SIN	JPN	RUS	USA	MEX	BRA	ABU	Points
1	Lewis Hamilton	1	2	1	1	2	3	1	2	1	6	1	1	Ret	1	1	1	2	2	2	381
2	Nico Rosberg	2	3	2	3	1	1	2	1	2	8	2	17†	4	2	Ret	2	1	1	1	322
3	Sebastian Vettel	3	1	3	5	3	2	5	4	3	1	12†	2	1	3	2	3	Ret	3	4	278
4	Kimi Räikkönen	Ret	4	4	2	5	6	4	Ret	8	Ret	7	5	3	4	8	Ret	Ret	4	3	150
5	Valtteri Bottas	DNS	5	6	4	4	14	3	5	5	13	9	4	5	5	12†	Ret	3	5	13	136
6	Felipe Massa	4	6	5	10	6	15	6	3	4	12	6	3	Ret	17	4	Ret	6	DSQ	8	121
7	Daniil Kvyat	DNS	9	Ret	9	10	4	9	12	6	2	4	10	6	13	5	Ret	4	7	10	95
8	Daniel Ricciardo	6	10	9	6	7	5	13	10	Ret	3	Ret	8	2	15	15†	10	5	11	6	92
9	Sergio Pérez	10	13	11	8	13	7	11	9	9	Ret	5	6	7	12	3	5	8	12	5	78
10	Nico Hülkenberg	7	14	Ret	13	15	11	8	6	7	Ret	DNS	7	Ret	6	Ret	Ret	7	6	7	58
11	Romain Grosjean	Ret	11	7	7	8	12	10	Ret	Ret	7	3	Ret	13†	7	Ret	Ret	10	8	9	51
12	Max Verstappen	Ret	7	17†	Ret	11	Ret	15	8	Ret	4	8	12	8	9	10	4	9	9	16	49
13	Felipe Nasr	5	12	8	12	12	9	16	11	DNS	11	11	13	10	20†	6	9	Ret	13	15	27
14	Pastor Maldonado	Ret	Ret	Ret	15	Ret	Ret	7	7	Ret	14	Ret	Ret	12	8	7	8	11	10	Ret	27
15	Carlos Sainz, Jr.	9	8	13	Ret	9	10	12	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	11	9	10	Ret	7	13	Ret	11	18
16	Jenson Button	11	Ret	14	DNS	16	8	Ret	Ret	Ret	9	14	14	Ret	16	9	6	14	14	12	16
17	Fernando Alonso		Ret	12	11	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	10	5	13	18†	Ret	11	11	11	Ret	15	17	11
18	Marcus Ericsson	8	Ret	10	14	14	13	14	13	11	10	10	9	11	14	Ret	Ret	12	16	14	9
19	Roberto Merhi	DNP	15	16	17	18	16	Ret	14	12	15	15	16			13				19	0
20	Alexander Rossi													14	18		12	15	18		0
21	Will Stevens	DNP	DNS	15	16	17	17	17	Ret	13	16†	16	15	15	19	14	Ret	16	17	18	0
—	Kevin Magnussen	DNS																			0
Pos.	Driver	AUS	MAL	CHN	BHR	ESP	MON	CAN	AUT	GBR	HUN	BEL	ITA	SIN	JPN	RUS	USA	MEX	BRA	ABU	Points

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#BrouisIsFake	#WeLoveYouCalum	#ClimateMarch
2	#EsasDescontroladasGanasDe	#XmasGiftsForAMobBoss	#WeLoveYouCalum
3	#WeLoveYouCalum	#BrouisIsFake	#klitschkofury
4	#VamosChilenos	Princess Charlotte	#MakeAMovieHungover
5	#RUNwithBTS	Mark Richt	Anthony Joshua
6	#هل_ترضين_تتزو�…	#ClimateMarch	#DavisCupFinal
7	肉の日	#SoulTrainAwards	#Marr
8	CONFIDENT ON SPOTIFY	#DeGaleBute	#DeGaleBute
9	Les Miles	Brandon Rush	Princess Charlotte
10	#FelizDomingo	Kobe	#MOTD

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attcks

Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports Russian airstrikes kill at least 18 civilians and wound dozens more in the town of Ariha in Syria‘s northwestern Idlib province. Idlib is controlled by the Army of Conquest, a rebel alliance of mainly Islamist groups, including al-Qaeda affiliate al-Nusra Front. (Reuters) (The International New York Times)

Disasters and accidents

A fire in the South African city of Cape Town leaves two people dead and thousands homeless. (Times Live)

International relations

2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown
- Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu says the body of the pilot from the Sukhoi Su-24 jet downed this past Tuesday will be handed over to Russia. The body is being treated in accordance with the Orthodox tradition. Russia’s military attaché is going to Hatay in southern Turkey as part of the procedures to recover the remains. Turkish officials refused to comment on how they came to be in possession of the body . (Reuters)
Pope Francis’ 2015 visit to Africa
- Pope Francis arrives in the Central African Republic, the last stop of his six-day African tour, becoming the first modern pope to enter an active war zone as the country is in a state of civil war. (The Guardian)
November 2015 Paris attacks
- Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei calls the recent Paris attacks “blind terrorism,” according to IRNA, the country’s official news agency. The Iranian government condemned the attacks immediately after they occurred. (The Washington Post)

Law and crime

Conservative MP Philip Davies announces up to 100 prisoners serving life sentences in British prisons will be let out of jail at Christmas for a five-day break with their families. Last year a total of 1,347 prison inmates, including 93 lifers, were given leave. The move has caused outrage among justice campaigners. (Sunday Express)
European migration crisis
- A mass brawl breaks out in a refugee shelter in Berlin with a hundred police required to restore order. (Daily Star)

Politics and elections

Burkinabé general election, 2015
- Voters in Burkina Faso go to the polls to elect a new parliament and president after a year of turmoil. (BBC)
Labour deputy leader Tom Watson demands party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who opposes PM David Cameron’s (Conservative) proposed air strikes on Syria, to ensure MPs are given a free vote on the proposal this Tuesday. (The Independent)
2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference
- About 20,000 pairs of empty shoes lay around Paris, symbolizing the absent marchers who would have joined this weekend’s worldwide climate change protests pressing for a bold international agreement at the upcoming climate summit there. The capital city was planned to be the center for demonstrations but French police banned large protests following the terrorist attacks this month. (The Washington Post) (The Daily Mirror)

Sport

2015 Davis Cup
- In tennis, the Great Britain Davis Cup team wins their tenth title in the Davis Cup and their first since 1936 defeating Belgium 3-2 in the final in Ghent. Andy Murray won all of their games he played with two singles wins and teaming with his brother Jamie Murray to win the doubles. (New York Times)
2015–16 NBA season
- In basketball, American star Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers announces he will retire at the end of the season. (ESPN)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

November 30, 2015

Top News Stories –

New Zealand: Auckland aims to become trilingual city –
New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland, has announced plans to encourage the entire population to speak English, Maori and a third language. The initiative, launched by the council-controlled educational organisation COMET, aims to get all of Auckland’s 1.4 million residents speaking the national language of Te Reo Maori, Radio New Zealand reports. Currently, only 2.3% of Aucklanders speak the language, the lowest rate in the country, while over 1m of the city’s residents are monolingual – usually English, the radio says. Some 377,000 residents already have two languages as a result of the city’s diverse ethnic mix, where 40% of Aucklanders were born overseas, but their languages tend to be overlooked in favour of English. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Domestic Appliances from Lewis Firth Bolton on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#CyberMonday	#CyberMonday	Sam Pepper
2	#FelizLunes	#mondaymotivation	#CyberMonday
3	Kobe	#PopeBars	#mondaymotivation
4	水木先生	Tomorrow is December	#StAndrewsDay
5	#SoulTrainAwards	#RejectedReindeer	Kobe Bryant
6	Balón de Oro	#COP21	#AuthorDay
7	水木しげる先生	Sam Pepper	75% of Labour
8	#TheWalkingDead	#ISurvivedHighSchoolBy	Overweight Haters Ltd
9	#الهلال_التعاون	Clay Helton	#PAKvENG
10	Sam Pepper	Anne of Green Gables	#TWDMidSeasonFinale

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Paris attack aftermath
- French intelligence services are reportedly operating under the theory that Paris-attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam has escaped to Syria despite country-wide martial law in 3 different countries. (CNN)
Iraqi Civil War, Military intervention against ISIL, American-led intervention in Iraq
- With the support of Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve, Iraqi Armed Forces have launched operations to retake Ramadi from ISIL. (Military Times)
Syrian Civil War, Military intervention against ISIL
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports that at least 50 United States military instructors have deployed to northern Syria from Turkey and Iraq to train Kurdish forces ahead of an assault on ISIL‘s de-facto capital Al-Raqqah. (Deutsche Welle)
Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
- At least three Saudi border guards are killed following clashes with Yemeni forces in the kingdom’s southern Jizan Region near the border with Yemen. (Reuters)

Business and economics

Responding to reports, the American Tribune Publishing Co. states it is not in talks to sell the company. (Chicago Tribune) (Wall Street Journal)
Canadian BlackBerry Limited announces plans to shut down operations in Pakistan at year’s end because it cannot comply with the Pakistani government’s monitoring orders which would result in a massive invasion of user privacy. (CNET)
The International Monetary Fund modifies its benchmark currency basket to include the yuan of the People’s Republic of China. The basket also includes the U.S. dollar, the euro, the pound sterling, and the Japanese yen. (Reuters)
The United States Federal Reserve Board approves a rule prohibiting the government from extending emergency loans to “too big to fail” companies, a practice deemed essential during the global financial crisis of 2008 and 2009. (UPI)

Health and medicine

The capitals of the world’s two most populous nations, China and India, are blanketed in hazardous, choking smog. Beijing, on the second-highest pollution alert, is closing highways, halting or suspending construction while warning residents to stay indoors. The U.S. New Delhi embassy’s monitoring station recorded an air quality index of 372, putting air pollution levels into “hazardous” territory. No action by the New Delhi government. (Hindustan Times)
A UNICEF report finds AIDS is now the leading cause of death for African teenagers and the second most common killer for adolescents across the globe. While the Asia Pacific region has seen a 31 percent drop in new HIV infections, and 28 percent decline in AIDS-related deaths, the estimated number of adolescents dying of AIDS in the region has more than doubled since 2005. Tomorrow is World Aids Day. (AP via Huffington Post) (Reuters)

International relations

Martyrs’ Day (United Arab Emirates) is being observed in United Arab Emirates as Commemoration Day this year on November 30, 2015, recognising the sacrifices and dedication of Emirati martyrs who have given their life in the UAE and abroad in the field of civil, military and humanitarian service. (GulfNews)
South Korea’s parliament approves a free trade pact with China after opposition lawmakers, concerned that deal that would hurt agriculture and fisheries, secured a $1.4 billion relief package for farmers. (AP via Fox News)
2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference
- Around 150 world leaders attend the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris, aiming for a global deal on limiting greenhouse gas emissions. (CNN)
Pope Francis’ 2015 visit to Africa
- Pope Francis travels to a besieged Muslim neighborhood known as PK5 in the Central African Republic, a country wracked by sectarian violence. This visit is part of Francis’s message of peace and reconciliation. As a result of the violence over the last two years, most of the capital Bangui’s 100,000-plus Muslims have fled; now only 15,000 remain. (AP via Bastrop Daily Enterprise)
- Pope Francis tells a crowd in a mosque in Bangui that “Christians and Muslims are brothers and sisters.” (BBC)
Israel will open a diplomatic mission to the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena), the headquarters of which are located near the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi. Israel will be the first Irena member to open such a mission; other member nations work Irena relations from their missions to the UAE, which Israel does not have. (New York Times)
Arctic Joint Strategic Command (Russia)
- A Russian Airborne Troops spokesman says the VDV is planning to expand their military exercises into the North Pole area of the Arctic in 2016. (UPI)

Law and crime

The University of Chicago cancels classes for the day, and asks students, faculty, and non-essential staff to stay away from its main campus after being informed by the FBI of a threat of gun violence. (Reuters via The Jerusalem Post) (USA Today)
- One suspect, a student from the University of Illinois at Chicago is arrested. The University of Chicago announces classes remain canceled for the day. (Chicago Tribune)
Russian undesirable organizations law
- Russia bans two George Soros-run foundations, including the Open Society Foundations, for posing a threat to “Russian national security”. The Open Society Foundation and the Open Society Institute’s Assistance Foundation, both financed by business magnate Soros, are the latest additions to a list of “undesirable organizations”, a list the Russian government says is necessary to stop foreign governments from interfering in Russia’s internal affairs. (The Guardian)
Jury selection begins for the trial of William Porter, a Baltimore, Maryland police officer charged with manslaughter and other charges surrounding the April 19 death of Freddie Gray. Porter is the first of six officers to be tried. (CNN)

Politics and elections

Venezuelan parliamentary election, 2015
- Venezuela announces it will suspend the sale of alcoholic beverages, fireworks and weapons before Sunday’s parliamentary elections, starting Friday at 6 p.m. until next Monday at 6 p.m. Civilian permits for the possession and use of firearms and kniveswill be also be suspended for the same period. (UPI)
Burkinabé general election, 2015
- Former prime minister Roch Marc Kaboré appears on course for a commanding victory in Burkina Faso’s election, one large enough to eliminate the need for a run-off. According to the Independent National Electoral Commission, with results from about 72 percent of the country counted, Kaboré has 54 percent of the vote with his closest challenger, former finance minister Zéphirin Diabré, getting 29 percent. (The Globe and Mail)
Saudi Arabia elections, 2015
- For the first time in the country’s history, Saudi Arabian women are allowed to vote and to stand for office in the December 12, 2015, elections. Candidacy filings opened yesterday. In two days, more than 900 women have signed up to run for various local government positions in the Arab nation. (UPI)

Science and technology

Researchers at North Carolina State University discover a new diamond-like, solid phase of carbon, called Q-carbon, that can be attained at room temperature. The result is a uniquely crystalline material, harder than a real diamond and likely boasting a variety of new properties, most unknown or unstudied. (UPI)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

December 2, 2015

Top News Stories –

British parliament votes to bomb Islamic State in Syria –
Britain’s parliament voted on Wednesday to launch bombing raids against Islamic State in Syria, supporting Prime Minister David Cameron’s case that the country needs to help destroy militants who are “plotting to kill us”. After more than 10 hours of tense debate, lawmakers voted in favour of air strikes, by 397 to 223. British Tornado GR4 bombers could leave an air base in Cyprus within hours to launch the country’s latest military action in the Middle East. [Reuters] See Top Twitter Trends.
David Cameron

Video of the Day –

The Dreams of an Astronaut – with Helen Sharman from The Royal Institution on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#SyriaVote	#SyriaVote	#terroristsympathiser
2	JELENA IS BACK	#SanBernadino	#SyriaVote
3	男根のメタファー	Samurai Jack	Gary Neville
4	#معلمه_تعض_تلم�…	#MillenialChristmasSongs	Mark Zuckerberg
5	#MAMA2015	#WeLoveYouLiam	#GeordieShore
6	Gary Neville	#FirstDraftCartoons	#RSAMake
7	#MeSobraTalentoPara	Sandy Hook	#TWU15
8	#FNS歌謡祭	Inland Regional Center	#NUSNEC
9	DEMI LOVATO CONFIDENT	#CelebrityChristmasCarols	#AAOOD3
10	#زد_رصيدك19	#CMTAOTY	Stella Creasy

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War, Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War
- Russia expands its military presence in Syria with an additional airbase that can accommodate fixed-winged military aircraft. The U.S. Department of Defense also confirms that Russia added S-400 surface-to-air missiles to its Syrian stockpile and armed its military aircraft with air-to-air missiles. According to Military Times, “A Pentagon spokesman expressed concern” these moves indicate Russia’s commitment to aiding the embattled Assad regime as opposed to combating ISIL. No Syrian opposition groups including ISIL have combat-ready aircraft that require air-to-air missiles. (Fox News) (Military Times)
Yemeni Civil War (2015), Al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen
- Al-Qaeda militants seize control of Zinjibar, capital of Yemen‘s southern Abyan Governorate, as well as the town of Jaʿār, following fierce clashes with pro-Hadi government forces. (CNN)
2015 West African offensive, Islamist insurgency in Nigeria
- Cameroon’s army, backed by a regional taskforce, has killed at least 100 members of the militant Islamist Boko Haram group and freed 900 people it had held hostage, the west African country’s defence ministry has said. Regional taskforce conducts sweep along border with Nigeria. (The Guardian), (Yahoo news),
Military intervention against ISIL
- The Parliament of the United Kingdom votes 397-223 to authorize Royal Air Force air strikes on ISIL in Syria. (The Journal)
2015 San Bernardino shooting
- As many as three people open fire in San Bernadino, California (U.S.) at a center for people with developmental disabilities, killing at least 14 people and injuring 14 others in what the city’s police chief described as an act of domestic terrorism.(Reuters), (Los Angeles Times), (AFP via The Australian), (CNN), (Fox News), (The Washington Post)
- A second shooting incident near 1757 Richardson in San Bernardino unfolded around 3:00 p.m. PST, with police requesting a BearCat and medical assistance. A suspect was shot on-scene around 3:16 p.m. PST and another taken into custody shortly afterwards. (The New York Times), (Los Angeles Times)

Arts and culture

The Institute of Contemporary History in Munich announces a publication of a two-volume set of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf. The new edition, which contains 3,500 scholarly annotations, is intended, The New York Times reports, “To set the work in historical context, to show how Hitler wove truth with half-truth and outright lie, and thus to defang any propagandistic effect while revealing Nazism.” This is the first printing in Germany since the end of World War II. (The New York Times) (The Week)

Business and economics

Janet L. Yellen, chairperson of the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank, states that economic conditions improved to the point where a rise in the Fed’s benchmark interest rate is likely when the Federal Open Market Committee meets in mid-December. (New York Times)

Disasters and accidents

2015 South Indian floods
- Days of heavy rain in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu causes floods with many areas in the city of Chennai under water. The death toll from rain-related incidents has reached 188. (The Hindu)
- The Indian Navy and Army are conducting rescue operations in low lying areas. (NDTV)
- India’s National Disaster Response Force sends 600 officers to Chennai to assist. (IBN Live)

International relations

Hearings begin in the legal battle between the Japanese government and local officials in Okinawa over plans to move a U.S. military air base on the southern island. This fall, Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga revoked his predecessor’s authorization for aUS Marine Corps air base. (AP) (Financial Times)
Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha orders officials to improve aviation safety standards after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) downgraded Thailand’s safety ratings. The lower rating is for failure to tackle commercial aviation standards shortcomings found in an audit this year. The European Aviation Safety Agency is due to announce the results of its own audit later in December. (Reuters)
Enlargement of NATO
- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announces the invitation sent to Montenegro to join the military alliance, 16 years after the alliance bombed the country, as part of Yugoslavia, in the Kosovo War. Montenegro’s accession would result in “retaliatory actions”, according to a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin. (BBC News) (CNN)
Kuril Islands dispute
- Russia is reportedly constructing hundreds of buildings for military use on the disputed Kunashir and Iturup islands in the Sea of Okhotsk. The Russian Defence Ministry said the new military buildings would help “raise the combat readiness of troops on the eastern frontiers of Russia”. (The Japan Times)

Law and crime

Four men, alleged jihadists from Kosovo are arrested, three in Italy and one in Kosovo, for making nonspecific threats against Pope Francis and the former U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo. The men are described by police as highly dangerous and as having celebrated the November 2015 Paris attacks. (The Independent, via MSN)

Politics and elections

Yemeni Prime Minister Khaled Bahah rejects a cabinet reshuffle ordered by President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, another sign of the deepening rift between the two leaders. These problems started in March after the president appointed the minister of health as acting foreign minister without consulting the prime minister. (Reuters)
Myanmar general election, 2015
- Myanmar’s democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi discusses the smooth transfer of power to her National League for Democracy (NLD) party with President Thein Sein, their first public meeting since the November election. The new administration will be sworn in early next year. (Reuters)
2015 protests in Brazil
- Brazil‘s lower house of Congress opens impeachment proceedings against President Dilma Rousseff over a corruption scandal involving the state-owned oil giant, Petrobras. (BBC)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

December 7, 2015

Top News Stories –

Austria: Linz scraps gay pedestrian crossing lights –
The Austrian city of Linz has scrapped its gay-themed pedestrian crossing lights, which were adopted earlier this year with the aim of promoting tolerance. The red and green signals, depicting same-sex couples holding hands, were first introduced in Vienna to coincide with the the Eurovision Song Contest in May. Their popularity meant Salzburg and Linz later followed suit. But while the signals have become a permanent feature in the capital, they’ve now been removed from the streets of Linz. [BBC]

IBM pulls #HackAHairDryer campaign following Twitter backlash –
IBM has pulled the plug on its #HackAHairDryer campaign designed to encourage more female engineers and scientists after social media users turned against it. The initiative, which was centered around encouraging more women to apply for positions within the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) industries, was roundly derided after Twitter users claimed it was patronising and trivialised science. Angry users took issue with the use of a hairdryer, claiming the campaign belittled women’s scientific abilities. [Daily Telegraph] See Top Twitter Trends

Video of the Day –

Jedi Levitation Prank

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#SegundaComOClubeSDV	#ReasonWhyWeAreNotFriends	#TurnerPrize
2	#ReasonWhyWeAreNotFriends	#HackAHairDryer	#mondaymotivation
3	#زد_رصيدك24	#NuevaAsamblea	#TCDisrupt
4	#7DElDebateDecisivo	#PearlHarbor	#SheWantsAManFromBrum
5	#امنيه_تتمنونه…	Grammy	#ReasonWhyWeAreNotFriends
6	#UnaVelitaPor	Jose Fernandez	#beforeandafter1d
7	#NuevaAsamblea	Ralph Peters	#HackAHairDryer
8	#MeGustasComoPara	#YearInMusic	#ontopictalkshow
9	#انترنت_السعود…	#AvaBarbie	#SelfieForNash
10	#お前らたまにはア�…	#MyXMasStripperName	#musicmonday

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- Syria‘s government says a U.S.-led military coalition airstrike on a Syrian Army camp in the eastern Deir ez-Zor Governorate, killed three Syrian soldiers and wounded 13 others. A senior U.S. military official denied responsibility for the airstrike and said that the U.S. is certain it was a Russian airstrike. (Reuters) (AP)
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says at least 26 civilians have been killed in suspected U.S.-led coalition airstrikes near the ISIL-controlled town of Al-Hawl in Syria‘s northeast Al-Hasakah Governorate. A U.S. military spokesman in Iraq said the reports would be investigated. (BBC)
Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- Turkey refuses to withdraw its forces from northern Iraq despite being giving a 48 hour ultimatum by Iraq to leave the country. Turkey says the troops are there as part of an international mission to train and equip Iraqi forces to fight against the Islamic State. The Iraqi government says it never invited such a force, and will take its case to the United Nations if they are not pulled out. (Reuters)

Business and economics

The United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) files an administrative complaint challenging office-supplies giant Staples’ proposed $6.3 billion acquisition of top rival Office Depot. The FTC said the deal would significantly reduce national competition in the market for office supplies sold to large business customers. The companies plan to contest the FTC decision. (USA Today) (Bloomberg via Chicago Tribune)
General Electric announces that it has abandoned its plan to sell its appliances business to Sweden‘s Electrolux. The U.S. Department of Justice had filed an antitrust suit in summer 2015 to block the $3.3 billion acquisition. (The Wall Street Journal)

Disasters and accidents

A powerful, magnitude 7.2 earthquake has shaken Tajikistan. It was felt as far away as India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. No damage or casualties have been reported as the epicenter lies within the vast Badakhshan national park. The US Geological Surveydescribes the area as one of the “most seismically hazardous regions on Earth” because of tectonic activity along shifting fault lines. (AP) (USGS) (The Independent)
Pollution in China
- Beijing’s city government issues its first red alert for pollution, ordering schools to close, halting outdoor construction, and restricting car use due to hazardous air quality. (CNN)
2015–16 UK and Ireland windstorm season
- Storm Desmond
  - Storm Desmond shatters U.K. rainfall records as an incredible 13.44 inches of rain fell in 24 hours at Honister Pass in the Lake District in North West England. The 15.94 inches of rain at Thirlmere — also in the Lake District — set a new record for the 48-hour period. (The Washington Post)
  - Desmond’s fury and flooding has resulted in at least two deaths. Cumbria Police say about 5,000 properties were flooded and around 3,000 remain without power. (Sky News) (ITV)
  - Flooding that’s devastated parts of northwest England, on Sunday temporarily brought a 260-foot high waterfall in the Yorkshire Dales National Park back to life for the first time in residents’ living memory. But by today, it stopped. (Sky News)
A blaze, sparked by a quick succession of between 15 and 20 gas cylinder explosions, in the Kandivali suburb of Mumbai, India, kills at least two and injures 11 while destroying around 1,000 hutment homes. (Sky News) (The Hindu)

International relations

Russia–Turkey relations
- Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu accuses Russia of provoking military gestures as a sailor aboard a Russian naval vessel wielded a rocket launcher as the ship passed through the Bosphorous Strait in the wake of Russia’s imposing sanctions on Turkey for that country’s downing of a Russian aircraft (Reuters)
- Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in a televised speech, states that it is possible to find alternatives to Russian energy sources following his return from Qatar where he arranged a deal for liquefied natural gas (LNG) and the Turkish Prime Minister’s visit to Azerbaijan where energy matters were reportedly discussed. Turkish officials have reportedly discussed energy deals with other countries as well. (Radio Free Europe)
Russia’s envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency says he expects the historic nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, the P5+1, to be implemented in January. Before the end of the year, Iran will exchange its stockpile of low-enriched uraniumfor Russia’s non-enriched forms of uranium, he said. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Iran’s Cyber Police Chief announces the arrest of some 53 people for allegedly running websites supportive of the Islamic State militant group. (Reuters)
The United States Supreme Court declines (Friedman v. Highland Park) to review the ability of cities and states to prohibit semiautomatic, high-capacity assault weapons that have been used in some of the nation’s most deadly recent mass shootings. Thenationwide assault weapons ban law expired in 2004. Since the District of Columbia v. Heller decision in 2008 found the Second Amendment provides the right for an individual to keep a weapon in the home, the court has avoided all cases that might clarify if that right is more expansive. (The Washington Post) (Reuters)
The United States Department of Justice will investigate the Chicago, Illinois police department. Long concerned with Chicago police department practices, the investigation is precipitated by the recent release of a video of the shooting death of Laquan McDonald. The Chicago police are set to release another video showing the police killing of Ronald Johnson in October of 2014. (New York Times) (CNN)
United States Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson says the Obama administration will announce a new terror alert system “in the coming days,” that will better inform the public about threats to the United States. This will be the third terror alert system put in place since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. (AP via MLive.com)
Whaling in Japan
- Australia is threatening to take legal action against Japan over its resumption of its controversial whale hunt in the Antarctic Ocean. A whaling fleet set sail last week, ignoring international condemnation, and last year’s ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) prohibiting these hunts. (AP via The Seattle Times) (Voice of America)

Politics and elections

Venezuelan parliamentary election, 2015
- Venezuela’s National Electoral Council announces the opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) has won at least 99 seats in the 167-member National Assembly in Sunday’s elections. The previous-ruling United Social Party of Venezuela (PSUV) picked up 46. Results for 22 contests remain to be determined. Voter turnout was a stunning 74.3 percent. “Within seconds,” President Nicolás Maduro recognized the opposition’s win, saying that despite (his party’s) adverse result, Venezuela’s democracy has triumphed. (AP) (BBC) (BBC)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

December 8, 2015

Top News Stories –

Arnold Schwarzenegger: ‘Go part-time vegetarian to protect the planet’ –
Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says people should go meat-free one or two days a week to protect the climate. Meat-eating was an environmental problem, with farming creating an estimated 28% of global greenhouse gases, the body-builder and movie star told BBC News. Asking people to go totally vegetarian would be too demanding, he said. It would better to suggest giving up meat once or twice a week, he added. When asked how young men would achieve a body like The Terminator – the cyborg assassin in the film of the same name – without steak, he said many successful body-builders avoided meat. [BBC]
Arnold Schwarzenegger

Saint West: Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West name their baby boy –
Many of her fans had been hoping she would choose “South” but Kim Kardashian West surprised them once again by calling her new baby “Saint”. Saint West, who weighed in at eight pounds one ounce, arrived at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on Saturday. But Mrs West, and rapper husband Kanye, waited for two days before announcing the name on Twitter and her app. The couple’s first child, daughter North West, was born in 2013. [Daily Telegraph]

Kuala Lumpur airport seeks owner of ‘abandoned’ jets –
Officials at Malaysia’s main airport have taken out a newspaper advert seeking the owner of three Boeing 747 jets they say have been left unclaimed. The notice said if the owners “fail to collect the aircraft within 14 days…, we reserve the right to sell or otherwise dispose of the aircraft”. It said fees for landing and parking were also owed. An airport official was quoted as saying they had tried to contact the jets’ last known owners. He added that in the past decade a few other planes, mostly smaller aircraft, have been abandoned, with one that was left in the 1990s eventually being bought and turned into a restaurant in a Kuala Lumpur suburb. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

The Trial of Barnaby Finch from Sorrel Brae on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#TercaDeSDVNoClubeDaTAG	#VSFashionShow	Eagles of Death Metal
2	#ToHellAndBack	#JohnLennon	Donald Trump
3	#زد_رصيدك25	#NationalBrownieDay	#JohnLennon
4	#CartaDoTemer	#HappyBirthdayNickiMinaj	#HappyBirthdayNickiMinaj
5	#PSYAwkward	Don’t Glorify This Tragedy	#CutTheCosts
6	#De2015MeLlevo	#Somos112	#BritainAgainstCancer
7	#くと打ってクリス�…	Bow Wow	#InternetTheBeatles
8	#ALDUBPromiseRing	#TrumpIsDisqualifiedParty	#TravelTuesday
9	#커피를_마셨다로_��…	#HANGOUTFEST	#MadeInChelsea
10	#PabloPresidente20D	#WorstResponders	#LondonSpy

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

2015 San Bernardino attack investigation
- A $28,500 deposit was made to Syed Farook’s bank account two weeks before he and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, carried out the San Bernardino massacre, a source close to the investigation says. Investigators are exploring whether the transaction was a personal loan or something else. (SBS) (Fox News)
- According to the FBI, the couple that perpetrated the attack had long been radicalized, and had been practicing at a target range days before their murder spree. (New York Times)
- FBI agents found an empty GoPro package, shooting targets, and tools inside a car belonging to the mother of San Bernardino mass-shooter Syed Farook. (Daily Mail)
Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- Iraqi officials say the country’s forces have managed to retake large parts of the key city of Ramadi from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant militants. (Press TV)
Military intervention against ISIL
- U.S. television network NBC has calculated that ISIS and its sympathizers killed 525 people in six attacks in six countries outside its alleged caliphate since October 10, 2015. (NBC)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- Several Taliban insurgents storm into Kandahar International Airport and engage Afghan security forces in a firefight. (Al Jazeera)
Yemeni Civil War (2015)
- Saudi-led coalition airstrikes, targeting Houthi rebels battling pro-government fighters, killed and wounded dozens in the port city of Mocha, according to Yemeni security officials. Around 35 fighters on both sides were killed in the battle over a key military base near the city of Taiz. (AP via Miami Herald)
Syrian Civil War
- Russian military intervention
  - For the first time, Russia strikes Islamic State targets in northern Syria with 3M-54 Klub (Kalibr) cruise missiles launched from a Kilo-class submarine in the Mediterranean, according to the Russian Minister of Defence, Sergey Shoygu. (RT)
- Rebels in Homs and the Syrian government agree to a local ceasefire that is to include the withdrawal of opposition fighters from the al-Waer neighborhood, the only area of the heavily damaged city still under rebel control. The evacuation is expected to start Wednesday. Residents are hoping to return in the next few days. (Daily Mail) (CBS News via Hawaii News Now)
Egyptian Sinai insurgency
- Four Egyptian security personnel are killed and another four are injured by a roadside bomb near the border town Rafah in the Sinai Peninsula. Islamist militants are suspected to have remotely detonated the device as an armored vehicle drove by the town’s center, near the border with the Gaza Strip and Israel, security sources told Ahram Online. (UPI) (Ahram Online) (Anadolu Agency)

Business and economy

UK-based Anglo American plc (AAUKF) announces plans to slash 85k jobs and shed 60% of assets over the next several years; it will also halt dividend payments for the rest of 2015-16 and cut capital expenditures. The company cited depressed commodity prices for its actions. (CNNMoney)
U.S. airplane manufacturer Boeing unveils the first Boeing 737 MAX airplane at its factory in Renton, Washington. (The Seattle Times) (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Disasters and accidents

2015–16 UK and Ireland windstorm season
- Storm Desmond
  - The United Kingdom’s Met Office issues two new severe weather warnings for wind and rain covering across much of Scotland and Northern England beginning 6 a.m. Wednesday. (The Daily Telegraph)

Health and medicine

The United States Food and Drug Administration approves marketing of a cooling cap system to reduce hair loss in female breast cancer patients during chemotherapy. The DigniCap scalp cooling system, a product first available in Sweden in the 1990s, produces near-freezing temperatures that make it harder for cancer-fighting drugs to reach and harm hair follicles. (AP via U.S. News and World Report) (FDA) (DigniCap)

International relations

The United States agrees with Singapore on a first deployment of the U.S. P8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft in Singapore this month, in a fresh response to China over its pursuit of territorial claims in the South China Sea. (UPI) (Reuters)
The prime ministers of Britain and France joined condemnation around the globe of U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s call for a “total and complete ban” on Muslims entering the United States. (The Washington Post)
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power says the United States is investigating reports that Iran launched a medium-range ballistic missile in November, and if confirmed, will bring the issue to the U.N. Security Council and seek appropriate action. (Reuters)
Cross Border Xpress, a privately owned and operated airport terminal located in the Otay Mesa suburb of San Diego, California, United States, will open tomorrow with a connecting walkway to Tijuana International Airport in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. This facility, the final step of a project first proposed in the early 1990s, will be just the second cross-border airport in the world. U.S. Customs will operate a checkpoint on the bridge for those entering the country. (AP via USA Today) (AP Q&A via San Francisco Chronicle) (Los Angeles Times)

Law and crime

South African athlete Oscar Pistorius is granted bail while he appeals his murder conviction. (The Telegraph)

Politics and law

The U.S. Supreme Court rules that a lawsuit challenging Maryland’s congressional redistricting plan following the 2010 Census on grounds of unconstitutional gerrymandering may proceed. The suit, which alleges that congressional district boundaries were changed to make it easier for Democrats to win in seven of the state’s eight districts, had been rejected by both district and circuit courts due to lack of standing. (The Washington Post)
Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump early Tuesday rejected criticism of his call to “shut the door” on Muslims entering the U.S. during a heated round of interviews in which he said he was not worried about being compared to Hitler. (The Hill)

Science and technology

New research by a team of British archaeologists, published in the current issue of the journal Antiquity, revives an older theory of Herbert Henry Thomas that Stonehenge may have stood in Wales hundreds of years before it was dismantled and transported to Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire in South West England. (Discovery) (National Geographic) (The Antiquaries Journal)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

December 9, 2015

Top News Stories –

Angela Merkel named as Time magazine’s person of the year –
Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, has been named by Time magazine as its person of the year – the first woman to receive the accolade in almost 30 years. Mrs Merkel, 61, was chosen for her leadership at a time of immense difficulty in Europe, and becomes the first woman to be named as person of the year since 1986. Last year’s winners were the Ebola fighters. “Not once or twice but three times there has been reason to wonder this year whether Europe could continue to exist – not culturally or geographically but as a historic experiment in ambitious statecraft,” said Nancy Gibbs, editor of the magazine. [Daily Telegraph] See List of the Day
Angela Merkel Time Magazine Cover

Knightsbridge to fine boy-racers up to £1,000 if they rev their supercar engines –
For years they have infuriated residents in London’s Knightsbridge with their incessant racing around the neighbourhood in noisy supercars. But boy-racers found guilty of wrecking the peace will now be fined £1000 after locals won a battle to make the uncouth behaviour a criminal offence. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which plays host to Harrods department store, has introduced a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) which hopes to restore peace to the neighbourhood. [Daily Telegraph]

Denmark: Nature agency offers free ponds to landowners –
Denmark’s nature agency is offering to pay for people to have ponds installed on their land in an effort to protect endangered wildlife. The government’s AgriFish Agency is offering to foot the bill for creating water features up to 1,000 sq m (10,764 sq ft) in size, the Danish Broadcasting Corporation reports. But such is the level of interest in the new scheme, officials say they probably won’t be able to meet demand. So far there have been more than 100 inquiries by interested landowners, the report says. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

YouTube Rewind: Now Watch Me 2015 | #YouTubeRewind [Over 13 million views in 24 hours]

List of the Day –

The Shortlist for Times Person of the Year 2015
Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi
Donald Trump
Black Lives Matter
Hassan Rouhani
Travis Kalanick
Caitlyn Jenner

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	Australia (USA unavailable)	UK
1	#CFKVerguenzaMundial	#badenclay	#PurposeWorldTour	13:10
2	#ConfessoQueEm2015	#ideasboom	#masterchefprofessionals	11:25
3	#QuartaComOClubeSDV	New Matilda	#HipHopStarWars	10:50
4	#زد_رصيدك26	Grammy	#VSFashionShow	10:35
5	#ParaEl2016Yo	Stan Grant	#newsnight	10:00
6	#PurposeWorldTour	Saint West	De Gea	09:00
7	#felizmiercoles	#Run1stWin	#ScreamQueensFinale	08:55
8	#رقص_سالم_الدو�…	#HourOfCode	Block Donald J Trump	08:55
9	#اسقاط_القروض_�…	#homeandaway	#potterythrowdown	08:50
10	#ALDUBIkawAtAko	#SmallzysMerrySOSmas	#thatssolastcentury

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Israeli–Palestinian conflict (2015)
- An Israeli couple are injured in a drive-by shooting attack near Avnei Hefetz. (The Times of Israel)
- Israeli soldiers shoot dead a Palestinian teenager during an arrest raid on a refugee camp in the West Bank town of Bethlehem. (The Jerusalem Post) (Al Jazeera)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- A Taliban attack on Kandahar International Airport results in at least 37 civilian and Afghan National Security Forces personnel dead and 35 injured. (Reuters)
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
- Amnesty International reports that years of foreign military intervention, poor oversight on weapons sales, and lack of control over the international flow of weaponry have enabled ISIL to accumulate its vast armaments stockpile. Amnesty International calls for weapons embargoes and the ratification of the global Arms Trade Treaty by nations that have not already done so and, at the same time, are sources of weapons in the ISIL stockpile. (Agence France-Presse via AlJazeera America) (Agence France-Presse via Defense News)
Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War
- Russian President Vladimir Putin says he hopes nuclear warheads will not be needed to deal with terrorists, after Russia launched cruise missiles at Islamic State positions in Syria from one of its Kilo-class submarines in the Mediterranean. (Independent)
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
- Azeri tanks on the front line shell military positions in the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh Republic for the first time since a Russian-brokered ceasefire ended fighting in 1994. At least one Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army soldier is killed. (AFP via Yahoo)
Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- Turkey calls on all its citizens to leave all areas of Iraq except Iraqi Kurdistan, due to “increased security risks”. (AFP via Daily Mail)

Arts and culture

Angela Merkel is named as Time‘s Person of the Year. (CNN International)

Disasters and accidents

2015 South Indian floods
- Heavy rains continue to lash Thanjavur and Thanjavur district, inundating urban areas and hundreds of acres of farmland. Many residential areas in Thanjavur have been marooned by rising water. (The Hindu)
Floods in the United States: 2001–present
- Governor of Washington Jay Inslee declares a state of emergency after severe flooding and high winds across the western part of the state close several major highways, damage homes and property, and impact electricity service. (Governor of Washington) (KIRO-TV)

International relations

The United States expands sanctions against North Korea over its alleged weapons breaches. (BBC)
Cuba–United States relations
- Government officials from Cuba and the U.S. met in Havana, beginning settlement discussions surrounding $1.9 billion worth of U.S. assets seized by Fidel Castro’s regime in the early 1960s. By law, the United States embargo against Cuba cannot cease until settlements are made. (Washington Post)

Law and crime

The Australian Federal Police raid the Sydney home of Craig Steven Wright – whom media today claimed was suspected to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the founder of Bitcoin – in relation to possible tax offences. (ABC News Australia)
Chinese state television reports Guo Youming, former deputy governor of Hubei province, is found guilty of taking bribes totaling more than 23.8 million yuan ($3.70 million). Guo is the latest to be convicted as a result of President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign that started when Xi took office three years ago. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

A group of mayors and officials from American cities such as Philadelphia, and New York City say that if they had their way Donald Trump would be banned from their cities for his comments on Muslims. (NBC)
The Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell distance the party from presidential candidate Donald Trump’s recent comments calling for a ban on Muslims entering the United States. While not entering into a political fray – in view of U.S. partnerships with Muslim nations and Muslim personnel serving in the United States Armed Forces – The Pentagon press secretary calls anti-Muslim rhetoric a national security threat. (CNN) (Politico)
British police officers have today sensationally backed U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s controversial claim that parts of the country are no-go areas such as London and Birmingham because of growing Islamist extremism. (Express)
Congress is set to vote on Thursday on whether to prevent barring of potential immigration applicants based solely on religion. (Free Beacon)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

December 10, 2015

Top News Stories –

Donald Trump: petition to ban presidential candidate from the UK becomes most popular ever –
An online petition calling for Donald Trump to be blocked from entry to the UK has broken the parliamentary website record and is approaching half a million signatures. It currently has more than 470,000 names, beating the previous high of 446,482. The Petitions Committee is expected to discuss the petition at its meeting on 5 January. [BBC]
Donald Trump

Famous Moscow cemeteries to install free wi-fi –
Three of Moscow’s most-visited cemeteries are about to enter the digital age, with the installation of full wi-fi connectivity. Visitors will be able to browse the internet for free at the Novodevichy, Troyekurovskoye and Vagankovo cemeteries starting from the first half of 2016, according to the Moscow city website. The head of the city’s funerary services office, Artem Yekimov, says the aim is to help visitors find out more about famous people buried there and their graves – and make visiting the cemeteries more “comfortable”. Telecommunications company YS System says it offered to install the wi-fi networks after hearing about plans to create rest areas – dubbed “zones of psychological comfort” – at the cemeteries. [BBC]

Hajj stampede killed three times Saudi Arabia’s official number, says report –
The September Hajj stampede killed at least 2,411 pilgrims, a new count shows, three times the number of deaths acknowledged by Saudi Arabia. The figures establish the crush on September 24 as the deadliest in the history of the annual pilgrimage. Saudi’s official death toll of 769 people has not changed since September 26, and officials have yet to address the discrepancy. The kingdom rebuffed criticism from its regional rival Iran and efforts by other countries to join a probe into the deaths. Saudi’s King Salman ordered an investigation into the tragedy almost immediately, yet few details have been made public since and hundreds of pilgrims remain missing. [Daily Telegraph]

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan cleared over hit-and-run crash –
An Indian court on Thursday cleared Bollywood superstar Salman Khan of killing a homeless man in a hit-and-run crash 13 years ago, acquitting him of all charges after he appealed his conviction. The Bombay High Court said a lower court had erred in finding Khan guilty of culpable homicide at the end of his trial in May, when he was subsequently sentenced to five years in prison. [Daily Telegraph]
Salman Khan

Video of the Day –

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	Australia (USA unavailable)	UK
1	#HumanRightsDay	#VSFashionShow	#BBCMusicAwards
2	#زد_رصيدك27	#AUSvWI	#HumanRightsDay
3	#FelizJueves	#homeandaway	#TheApprentice
4	#QuintaDetremura150Ksdv	#TroyeOnFallon	#AUSvWI
5	#ALDUB21stWeeksary	#PurposeWorldTour	#VarsityMatch
6	#SiempreTengoMuchasGanasDe	#AACTAs	#Q102JingleBall
7	#NoNatalQueroGanhar	#SmallzysMerryBIEBERmas	#masterchefprofessionals
8	Derechos Humanos	Bitcoin	#RealisticResolutions
9	#ConLaMoralChavistaEnAlto	#sydneystorm	#newsnight
10	#FrasesQueArden	#1989TourMelbourne	#RadioCityLive

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Military intervention against ISIL
- While testifying about the United States military’s current strategy, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Paul J. Selva warns the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) against falling into a ground fight trap with ISIL and U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter cautions that increased U.S. ground presence will “Americanize” the conflict. The Daily Beast reports that both Pentagon officials “did little to assuage lawmakers’ concerns that the strategy isn’t working.’’ At the same time, former U.S. defense officials tell SASC the current approach is inadequate. (The Daily Beast) (The Hill) (Defense News)
Yemeni Civil War (2015)
- Pro-Hadi government forces backed by Arab coalition air and naval forces, seize control of the Hanish Islands off the coast of Yemen, near the strategic Bab-el-Mandeb strait from troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. The islands have been subject to heavy shelling by coalition forces for weeks according to local fishermen. (Reuters)
Swiss officials say police, based on a CIA tip, are hunting for at least four Islamic State-associated suspects believed to be plotting an attack in Geneva. (AP)

Arts and culture

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announces the 73rd Golden Globe Awards nominees for the best films and television productions of 2015. The winners will be announced on January 10, 2016. (Los Angeles Times)
The Pew Research Center announces a new study that shows the American middle class, long seen as the economic backbone of the country, is shrinking and no longer constitutes a majority (49.89%). Also, the “nation’s aggregate household income has substantially shifted from middle-income to upper-income households.” (Headlines & Global News) (Christian Science Monitor) (Pew Research Center)

Business and economics

Volkswagen emissions scandal
- Volkswagen executives admit the diesel emissions cheating was the result of a collection of failures within the company, rather than just the actions of rogue engineers. In 2005, VW began working on software after they were unable to find a technical solution to U.S. nitrogen oxide emissions standards. (The Guardian) (New York Times via SFGate.com) (The Guardian press conference text)

International relations

North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- Kim Jong-un, the supreme leader of North Korea, announces that the country is now in possession of a hydrogen bomb, according to North Korean state media. Experts from South Korea however are skeptical about this claim. (RT) (BBC)
Syrian Civil War
- Syrian opposition politicians and rebels, attending a two-day meeting hosted by Saudi Arabia in Riyadh, agree on a framework that would guide proposed talks to end Syria’s nearly five-year conflict: a civil, democratic Syria with a transitional government that would respect human rights and the territorial integrity of the country; and, safeguard state institutions while restructuring security forces. Ahrar ash-Sham, a Saudi-backed ultraconservative group, withdrew from the talks at the end of the meeting.(BBC) (AP)
- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says that the new International Syrian Support Group are working toward a December 18 meeting in New York. (Reuters)

Law and crime

In the United States, Suffolk County police ask the FBI for more help in their investigation of a possible serial killer who preyed on prostitutes and left their bodies strewn along a Long Island beach in New York. Ten bodies were found along an isolated stretch of the South Shore’s Gilgo Beach between December 2010 and April 2011. (Reuters) (New York Daily News)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

December 11, 2015

Top News Stories –

Tokyo police are using drones with nets to catch other drones –
Tokyo’s police force has introduced an elite fleet of interceptor drones designed to chase and catch suspicious-looking drones in nets flying over sensitive locations amid concerns for the prime minister’s safety. Riot police will control the camera-equipped interceptor drones to chase after private drones they feel may be spying on buildings, including the Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe’s office, and ensnare them in large nets before returning to the ground. Those controlling the force drone will first warn the suspicious drone’s operator to cease the flight, before pursuing them. A four-propellor drone carrying trace amounts of radioactive caesium was intercepted on the top of the prime minister’s office in April, raising terror concerns in the capital. Police said radioactivity levels were only a maximum of 1 microsievert of gamma rays per hour, a level that is not harmful to humans. [Daily Telegraph]

Google Chrome extension replaces all mentions of Donald Trump with Voldemort –
When JK Rowling said Donald Trump was worse than Lord Voldemort, after the former’s proposal that all Muslims should be banned from entering the US, the Harry Potter author inspired one person to take the idea that little bit further. A Google Chrome user has released an extension for the web browser that turns all mentions of Trump into various aliases for Harry Potter’s nemesis. A series of Trump-related Chrome extensions have filled the web. The Trumpweb inserts quotes from the man himself in between “Donald” and “Trump”, and another removes any mentions of him from Facebook. You can also change any mentions of Trump to “your drunk uncle”. [Daily Telegraph] A petition started on December 6 to ban Trump from entering Britain has now reached over half a million signatures.
Donald Trump

Video of the Day –

TIMEDRIFT II from Martin Heck | Timestorm Films on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#SextaCampuseirosClubSdv	#FlashbackFriday	Ian Bell
2	#ParaEl2016MeEncantariaQue	#ICantStopSmilingBecause	Arnold Peralta
3	#زد_رصيدك28	#CouldBeOniTunes	#FridayFeeling
4	#من_عيوب_تويتر	#WomenInMusic	#DanielHoltzclaw
5	#ALDUBMaiDenMoment	#WelcomeToCanada	#RuinAChristmasMovie
6	#PraNamorarComigoÉPreciso	#XMenApocalypse	#SNERVOUS
7	#BirŞeySöyleyeceğim	#ewaGlobal	#pantoday
8	#WatchBoomChaOnAnahiVEVO	#RuinAChristmasMovie	#InternationalMountainDay
9	#MiFraseDeBorracho	#YouAreInDenialIf	#bbcqt
10	#XMenApocalypse	#NewMusicFriday	#DiamondBall

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- The Taliban claims responsibility for a car bomb attack near the Spanish embassy in Kabul. At least one Spanish security officer is killed. (Reuters)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict (2015),
- Three Palestinians are killed by Israeli forces, two in Hebron, one of whom reportedly tried to ram his car into soldiers and the other during a violent demonstration in the West Bank city. A third Palestinian died in clashes with Israeli troops at the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel. (Today) (AP via Stars & Stripes)
2015 Burundian unrest
- Burundi’s army repels attacks on military barracks in the capital, Bujumbura, in the worst violence since this spring’s unrest that developed after President Pierre Nkurunziza decided to seek a third term in office. According to an army spokesman, at least 12 gunmen are killed and 20 captured. Reports that at least five soldiers have been killed are denied by the army, which says the soldiers were wounded. Two southern sites, a police station and an army camp, were also attacked, with no report on casualties. Kenya Airways and RwandAir cancels its flights to Bujumbura. (Al Jazeera) (Bloomberg)
Syrian Civil War, Syrian Kurdish–Islamist conflict (2013–present)
- A triple truck-bomb attack on the Kurdish YPG militia-controlled town of Tell Tamer in Syria‘s northeast Al-Hasakah Governorate leaves as many as 50 people dead and 80 others wounded. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claims responsibility for the attacks, saying in an online statement that three of its fighters driving three separate vehicles had detonated the suicide bombs targeting “bases” belonging to Kurdish fighters. (Reuters via NBC News)
Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant‘s branch in Libya (Libya Province) seizes control of the western Libyan town of Sabratha, after storming it in retaliation after two of their men were arrested in a house nearby; however they then set up checkpoints around the town, with little opposition from the local militias that were supposed to be in control of the area. There are now fears that the militant group could destroy the town’s Roman amphitheatre, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (The Telegraph)
Swiss police in Geneva, following yesterday’s CIA tip, arrest two Syrian nationals. Apparently, traces of explosives were found in their car. President Simonetta Sommaruga says, “There is currently no indication that there was a concrete attack planned.”(Sky News)

Business and economy

Chinese tycoon Guo Guangchang, founder and chairman of Fosun, is reported missing amid the Chinese anti-corruption campaign. (The Guardian)
Two of the U.S.’s oldest and largest companies, DuPont and Dow Chemical Company, will merge in an all-stock deal valued at $130 billion. The deal, which includes future plans for DowDuPont to split into three independent, public companies, is expected to face intense scrutiny from federal antitrust regulators, who will examine the impact on prices and the availability of vital seeds and herbicides.(Reuters) (The Washington Post)
China’s Alibaba Group Holding Limited acquires Hong Kong’s largest English-language newspaper, the South China Morning Post, in a deal reported to be worth about $100 million. (UPI)

Disasters and accidents

2015 South Indian floods
- Major UK-based reinsurance broker Aon Benfield estimates India has suffered over US$3 billion (over Rs. 200 billion) worth of losses as a result of the flooding, and rates them as the costliest floods and the eighth-costliest natural disaster of 2015.(Business Standard)

International relations

2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference
- French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius announces the world climate talks (COP 21) will be extended to at least Saturday. (AP)
Syrian Civil War
- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says he will not negotiate with armed groups, a day after the Syrian opposition’s multi-group, two-day meeting in Riyadh agreed on a framework for future negotiations to end the conflict. Assad’s statement also appears to put a damper on peace talks Russia and the United States are working to set up. (Reuters) (Syria Online)
War in Donbass
- The United States and Russia exchanged charges concerning U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ivan Šimonović’s presentation at the U.N. Security Council meeting on Ukraine. While violence between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian rebels has lessened since September’s agreement, Šimonović warned of the massive civilian toll if major hostilities re-erupt. OCHA’s John Ging said locals face unacceptable physical hardships and indignities, and that the suspension of humanitarian programs and expulsion of humanitarian workers in non-government controlled areas must end. (Reuters) (UN)

Law and crime

Hannibal Gaddafi, son of Libya’s late leader Muammar Gaddafi, who was kidnapped by militants, is released in Baalbek, Lebanon. Gaddafi’s abductors said they were seeking information on the fate of Shiite cleric Imam Moussa al-Sadr, who disappeared during a trip to Tripoli in 1978. (AP via ABC News) (Epoch Times) (AP via NBC News-update)

Politics and elections

Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- Martin Kobler, United Nations envoy to Libya, announces the country’s two rival parliaments agreement to set a target date of Dec. 16 to sign a U.N.-sponsored agreement on forming a national unity government. (AP via ABC News) (Reuters)

Science and technology

Washington State University researchers report in the Journal of the American Chemical Society that they have invented a new catalyst that promises to enable production of bio-based chemicals and plastics. In the future, products could be made from bio-based ethanol rather than superheated crude oil. Other uses for this new catalyst are being explored. (UPI) (Phys.org)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

December 12, 2015

Top News Stories –

Has history been made at COP21? –
I’m not a fan of hyperbole, but it would be churlish to say the adoption of the Paris Agreement [at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference or COP21] was anything other than a globally, historic moment. This carefully worded document that balances the right of countries to develop with the need to protect the planet is a truly world changing instrument. It sets out, for the first time, a global approach to a problem of humanity’s own making: the recent rapid warming of the Earth that science says is mainly down to the use of fossil fuels. The deal sets out a firm goal of keeping temperature rises well below 2C, and will strive for 1.5C. This is no easy task as researchers say that this year 2015, the world has gone through 1C above pre-industrial levels. The agreement text means that emissions of greenhouse gases will have to peak globally and reduce rapidly thereafter, in accordance with the best possible science. This phrase is crucial according to observers, meaning that the Paris deal will be guided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. And the IPCC say that carbon emissions will have to go to zero by the end of this century. [BBC] See Top Twitter Trends
2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference logo

Elon Musk launches $1bn fund to save world from AI –
Elon Musk has unveiled his latest big-money project: saving humanity from destruction by artificial intelligence. The man who made his billions from PayPal and who has gambled a chunk of his fortune on the race for space, has warned frequently that AI represents humanity’s greatest existential threat. He is joining forces with other tech entrepreneurs to establish a $1 billion investment fund for researchers to pursue applications with a positive social impact and to try to stay one step ahead of the technology. Along with his Paypal co-founder, Peter Thiel, and backing from Indian tech giant Infosys and Amazon Web Services, he has set up OpenAI, a nonprofit company that will back research into novel uses of AI and share the findings. [Daily Telegraph] In May 2015 Musk’s firm SpaceX won long-waited approval from the US Air Force to launch military satellites
Elon Musk

Video of the Day –

The Galapagos – Calling Home from Andrew Norton on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#SabadoComOClubeSDV	#ParisAgreement	#ChangeASongsMind
2	#زد_رصيدك29	#ArmyNavy	#ParisAgreement
3	#اكتب_كلمه_تجلطك	#SantaCon	#LDJAM
4	#ALDUBWhereToGo	#VirgenDeGuadalupe	#ICantStopSmilingBecause
5	#ParisAgreement	#YouDontHaveToGo	#1DonChattyMan
6	#CiteUmFamosoQueVocePegaria	#ChangeASongsMind	#BeatBoss2
7	#ConEsteCalor	#CapeTown7s	#GrahamNorton
8	#الرجل_الذي_لا�…	#celebrate	#NXTGlasgow
9	#iHeartRadioJingleBall	#BringBackMST3K	#TUFFinale
10	#عزيزتي_المزيو…	#IfICouldDoAnythingToYou	#bbcaq

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- A suicide bomber attacks an Iraqi Army post in Al Anbar Governorate on the border with Saudi Arabia, killing at least six guards. (Ahram Online)
Syrian Civil War
- Sixteen people are killed and many more injured by a car bomb and a second, delayed explosion near a hospital in Syria’s mainly Alawite, government-controlled neighborhood of al-Zahra, east of Homs’ old city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rightsreports. The attack comes just five days after the government and rebels agreed on a local ceasefire in the western al-Waer suburb. (Reuters) (EuroNews)
2015 Burundian unrest
- Burundi’s army reports 87 people, including eight government defenders, were killed, and 45 attackers captured in Friday’s clashes at three military sites in Bujumbura. Police have not identified the gunmen. Witnesses report some of the victims’ arms were tied behind their backs while others were killed at close range. This was the worst violence since this spring’s attempted coup d’état. One of the generals behind the failed coup says his rebel group still wants to oust the president. (Reuters) (AFP via Global Post)
Yemeni Civil War (2015)
- All sides in the Yemeni civil war announce a seven-day ceasefire will start on Monday. (Al-Arabiyah)
Nigerian soldiers kill at least 12 people and injure dozens more in a clash with followers of Shi’a cleric Ibrahim Zakzaky’s Islamic movement in the northern town of Zaria. The army says the crowd surged towards General Tukur Buratai’s convoy, some firing and attempting to kill Buratai. Afterward, the Nigerian Army and the Islamic Movement accuse each other of instigating the attacks. (EagleOnline) (AP) (Premium Times)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- Battle of Kunduz
  - The United Nations mission in Afghanistan reports 289 civilians were killed and 559 injured during fighting in Kunduz between Taliban militants and Afghan National Security Forces in September and October. These numbers include casualties from the friendly-fire attack on the Doctors Without Borders hospital. The U.N. noted the numbers were likely to rise as more information is available. (Reuters) (Radio Free Europe)

International relations

2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference
- Delegates from 196 countries approve an agreement that seeks to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Paris. (BBC) (Washington Post)
Japan and India sign an agreement on high-speed rail, defence technology and a memorandum of understanding on civil nuclear cooperation. (AFP via Daily Mail)
North Korea’s all-female Moranbong Band, which was formed by leader Kim Jong-un, surprisingly cancels tonight’s concert at Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts, and two others and returns to Pyongyang. Rumors for the sudden change abound, but no reason has been given. The sudden cancellation could hurt Chinese-North Korean relations, cooler since between Kim assumed power in 2011. (AP via Huffington Post) (Reuters via Asian Times)

Law and crime

A Wisconsin gun shop, which a jury found negligently sold the gun an assailant used to injure two Milwaukee police officers to a straw buyer, reaches a $1 million settlement with the officers. (AP via seattlepi.com) (Reuters)

Politics and elections

President Yahya Jammeh of Gambia declares the country an Islamic republic. (The Guardian)
Saudi Arabian municipal elections, 2015
- Voters in Saudi Arabia go to the polls for municipal elections, with women voting and standing for election for the first time. (Los Angeles Times)
Houston mayoral election, 2015
- Residents in the United States’ fourth largest city are voting in a runoff election to choose the new mayor of Houston, Texas. The race is between the top two finishers in November’s non-partisan election: Sylvester Turner, a veteran lawmaker seeking to expand economic opportunities; and, Bill King, a businessman pledging to fix city finances. (Reuters) (KPRC-TV)
Thirty-three people are arrested in Moscow in Constitution Day protests against alleged human rights abuses. (Al Jazeera)
Poland protests: Thousands march against Law and Justice party. (BBC)

Sports

2015 Heisman trophy
- In American football, running back Derrick Henry of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team wins the Heisman Trophy for best college football player. (CNN)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

December 13, 2015

Top News Stories –

Ed Sheeran ‘quits’ social media –
Singer Ed Sheeran has announced he is “taking a break” from social media as he is “seeing the world through a screen and not my eyes”. Writing on his Instagram account, the singer explained he was “taking the opportunity of not having to be anywhere… to travel the world”. He also confirmed to fans that his third album is “on its way” and “is the best thing I have made thus far”. Sheeran has 16 million Twitter and 5.5 million Instagram followers. He has just completed a world tour of his number one album x (pronounced “multiply”) in Auckland, New Zealand. Before the final show, he also tweeted that he was “buggering off for a while”. [BBC]

Ed Sheeran

UFC 194: Conor McGregor knocks out Jose Aldo after 13 seconds –
Conor McGregor knocked out Jose Aldo after just 13 seconds at UFC 194 to win the featherweight title in Las Vegas. Irishman McGregor, 27, beat the long-time champion by landing a strong left hand with his first connecting punch to secure the fastest ever knockout in a UFC title fight. McGregor claimed in the build up to the fight that he would “embarrass” Aldo with a first-round knockout. “Precision beats power, timing beats speed,” McGregor said afterwards. “I feel for Jose. He’s a phenomenal champion. He deserved to go a little bit longer.” It was also Brazilian Aldo’s first defeat in 10 years after winning 18 straight fights. [BBC]
Conor McGregor

Video of the Day –

Tiny Hamster Agility Course – Dumptruck Vs Porkchop

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#زد_رصيدك30	#ExplainAFilmPlotBadly	#HappyBirthdayTaylor
2	#HappyBirthdayTaylor	#HappyBirthdayTaylor	#explainafilmplotbadly
3	#ExplainAFilmPlotBadly	#thisisnottheendofonedirec…	#XFactorFinal
4	#اجمل_عباره_تح�…	#NicholasRobertson	#avfcvafc
5	#DomingoFelizDetremuraSdv	#GeriatricStripClubNames	#UFC194
6	#electionsregionales	Independence Day	#Strictly
7	#UFC194	#DALvsGB	Shaker Aamer
8	#podemosremontada	#MundialDeClubes	#JoshuaWhyte
9	#اكبر_تجمع_للي�…	#NocheDeConfesiones	Reggie and Bollie
10	#اريد_من_الوزي�…	Bucks	Robert Dyas

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in North-West Pakistan
- At least 25 people are killed and dozens injured in a bombing at a second-hand clothes market in the city of Parachinar in the Kurram Valley. (Pakistan Tribune) (The News)
Syrian Civil War
- Syrian rebels fire volleys of mortar shells into Damascus, killing three people and wounding at least 30. Government forces respond with airstrikes into rebel-controlled Douma, just northeast of the capital, and surface-to-surface missiles into Eastern Ghouta and Saqba, that kill at least 35 people and injure many more, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (AP via The Washington Post) (Reuters)
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
- Israel says an Arab-Israeli man who served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has joined Islamic State militants in Syria. (Reuters)
2015 Burundian unrest
- The U.S. State Department issues a travel advisory for Burundi and advises its citizens there to leave as soon as possible due to the increased violence in the capital Bujumbura where 87 people were killed this weekend. Families of U.S. government personnel and non-emergency personnel have been ordered to leave immediately. (UPI) (US State)
Gaza–Israel conflict
- Israeli Air Force planes hit two Hamas targets in Gaza in retaliation for rocket fire from the Palestinian territory. (Ynet News) (The Times of israel)

Disasters and accidents

At least 23 patients are killed and 23 injured in a psychiatric hospital fire in the Voronezh Oblast in western Russia. The remaining 24 patients were safely evacuated. (ABC News America) (AP via The Charlotte Observer)

International relations

European migration crisis
- On the eve of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party’s convention in Karlsruhe, Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel says, “We want to noticeably reduce the number of people who come to us, but not through unilateral national measures alone.” She acknowledges the crisis could overwhelm Germany if it went on much longer. Merkel warded off pressure from immigration skeptics within the CDU to include a quota in the refugee policy motion the convention will vote on. (Jerusalem Post)(Bloomberg) (Reuters via International Business Times) (The Financial Times)
Russia–Turkey relations
- A Russian warship fires warning shots at a Turkish vessel in the Aegean Sea to “avoid a collision”, according to the Russian Defence Ministry. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Houston mayoral election, 2015
- Veteran Texas lawmaker Sylvester Turner edges out businessman Bill King by just over 4,000 votes in Houston’s runoff mayoral election. Turner, a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives since 1989, took 51 percent of the vote. King conceded defeat and encouraged Houston citizens to support the incoming mayor. Turner succeeds Annise Parker who was not eligible to run for re-election. (Reuters) (KHOU)
Saudi Arabian municipal elections, 2015
- Unofficial results show at least 17 Saudi Arabian women won municipal council seats in the kingdom’s third-ever election, and the first to allow female participation. Voters elected representatives for two thirds of the municipal council seats. The government announced that 979 women were candidates. (Reuters) (NPR) (Daily Pakistan)
French regional elections, 2015
- With most of the votes counted, the opposition conservatives of former president Nicolas Sarkozy’s party win in six of the country’s 13 regions and lead in the Paris region. The ruling Socialists of President François Hollande’s party capture five regions. The winner in Corsica is not affiliated with a major party. France’s far-right National Front (FN) fails to win a single region but did record its best showing in its history. Voter turnout was 58 percent. Definitive results are expected Monday. (The Guardian)(Politico) (The Straits Times) (Sky News) (Reuters)
Central African Republic constitutional referendum, 2015
- While voters in Central African Republic cast their ballots in a constitutional referendum aimed at ending years of sectarian strife, clashes erupt in the capital Bangui’s PK5 Muslim neighborhood, killing at least two and injuring over 20. PK5 residents, visited by Pope Francis two weeks ago, marched to the U.N. headquarters in the country to complain they were unable to cast their ballots. The proposed constitution would limit a president to two terms, add an upper house to go along with the National Assembly, and fight institutional corruption. (France24) (Reuters) (Al Jazeera)
2015 protests in Brazil
- Tens of thousands of Brazilians protest in cities around the country to demand that Congress impeach President Dilma Rousseff. The lower house of Congress opened impeachment proceedings on 2 December 2015. (Reuters) (AP via ABC News)(Reuters-Congress)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

December 15, 2015

Top News Stories –

Spacecraft carrying Russian, American, Briton docks with space station –
A Soyuz spacecraft successfully delivered a Russian, an American and a Briton to the International Space Station on Tuesday after blasting off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The otherwise smooth journey ended with a slightly delayed docking at 1733 GMT as Russian commander Yuri Malenchenko aborted the automatic procedure and manually guided the spacecraft towards the station. Alongside Malenchenko, a veteran of long-duration space flights who is on his fourth space mission, were NASA astronaut Tim Kopra and Briton Tim Peake, both former Apache military helicopter pilots. Peake, 43, a former army major who is on a six-month mission for the European Space Agency (ESA), became the first astronaut representing the British government and wearing a Union Jack flag on his arm. The first Briton in space was Helen Sharman, who travelled on a Soviet spacecraft for eight days in 1991. [Reuters]
Timothy Peake

Star Wars: Force Awakens gets world premiere –
The hotly anticipated latest addition in the Star Wars franchise, The Force Awakens, has had its world premiere in Los Angeles. Stars from the original series including Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher joined newcomers including John Boyega and Daisy Ridley. The plot of the film remains a closely-guarded secret and a media embargo on reviews is in place until Wednesday. Fans had been camping out for days outside the TCL Chinese Theatre, which along with other LA venues screened the seventh Star Wars instalment. Security was tight, with a giant tent shrouding the red carpet. The TCL Chinese Theatre – formerly known as Grauman’s Chinese Theatre – showed the first Star Wars movie in 1977. [BBC]

‘Late’ Madonna rebuffs fans over Manchester gig complaints –
Pop singer Madonna has told fans she is no “diva” after technical hitches meant she was late on stage for a gig in Manchester. The 57-year-old artist made the comments on Monday at the Manchester Arena during her Rebel Heart tour. “If you diva bitches want to keep complaining about it, then don’t come to my show,” she said. She added: “I’m not back there eating chocolate and filing my nails and getting my extensions done, all right?” However, the singer told fans: “Tonight, our video crashed, and we had no video, and our back-up file was – I don’t know – it was compromised, put it like that… So praise the Lord and thank you God but that is why we are late, all right? For no selfish diva bitch reason.” [BBC] In July 2015 Madonna compared herself to Pablo Picasso.
Madonna

World’s longest-surviving castaway sued for $1 million after being accused of ‘eating his colleague’ –
A fisherman who stunned the world by surviving 15 months lost at sea is being sued for $1 million (£650,000) by the family of his dead colleague, who accuse him of eating their relative to ensure his own survival. Salvador Alvarenga, 36, is the only man known to have survived for over a year at sea. And when he set sail from the coast of Mexico in November 2012, he thought he was setting out on a two-day fishing trip, having paid 22-year-old Ezequiel Cordoba $50 to accompany him. But a vicious storm with 10ft waves knocked out the 25ft boat’s communication systems, and washed their supplies overboard. The pair survived for several months by catching fish and birds, and drinking turtle blood and rainwater. He eventually died, extracting promises from Mr Alvarenga not to eat his corpse, and to find Cordoba’s mother and tell her what happened. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

The Physics of Car Crashes

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#15DiasProFinalDoAnoEeu	#ThisIsNotTheAlbumOnThursday	Paramore
2	#FantasticBeastsTrailer	#InternationalTeaDay	#internationalteaday
3	#شي_جميل_بحرف_ا…	Sieg Heil	South China Sea
4	#AnoQueVemPrometo	#edensunicornwish	#BackInTimeForChristmas
5	#زد_رصيدك32	#AskCNCO	#CharityTuesday
6	#FelizMartes	#TravelTuesday	#youtubefandomhonestyhour
7	#InternationalTeaDay	Cabin Fever 3	#TimPeake
8	#今年の漢字・2015	#GOPDebate	Mahrez
9	#ParaNavidadQuiero	#FantasticBeastsTrailer	#Moments
10	#ALDUBPagbangon	#BillofRightsDay	Mourinho

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War, Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War
- The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that increased airstrikes by Russia have forced humanitarian assistance organizations to curtail their relief efforts, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in northern Syria. (The Washington Post)
Territorial disputes in the South China Sea
- United States Pacific Fleet commander Scott H. Swift warns of a possible South China Sea arms race. (Reuters via MSN)
Islamist insurgency in Nigeria
- At least 30 people are killed after Boko Haram militants attack three villages in Nigeria‘s northeast Borno state. (AFP via Yahoo)
Military intervention against ISIL
- France‘s Air Force carries out their first cruise-missile strikes targeting Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant installations in Iraq, including “a training center and logistical depot,” according to the French defence ministry. (AFP via Defense News)

Disasters and accidents

2015 Pacific typhoon season
- Typhoon Melor (Nona) causes widespread flooding and blackouts in the Philippines. More than 700,000 people had been evacuated ahead of the storm which hit late on Monday night. (New York Times)

Health and medicine

The United States Food and Drug Administration approves the Merck & Co. drug, Bridion, that reverses the effects of muscle relaxants used during surgery. (Reuters) (FDA)

International relations

Saudi Arabia announces the formation of a 34-member Islamic Military Alliance against terrorism including Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Malaysia and Pakistan with a joint operations centre based in Riyadh. (SBS) (BNO News)
Nuclear program of Iran
- The United Nations finds Iran’s firing of a medium-range ballistic missile in October violated a June 2010 resolution banning the Islamic Republic from launches capable of delivering nuclear weapons. The test was not technically a violation of the July nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers. It’s not known if the Security Council will take any action. (AP via The Christian Science Monitor) (Reuters)
- The U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Board of Governors decides, by consensus unopposed, to close its investigation into whether Iran once had a secret nuclear weapons program. The IAEA will continue to police Tehran’s activities.(The News Telegraph) (Reuters)

Law and crime

A Baltimore, Maryland deadlocked jury was told by the trial judge to resume deliberations after closing arguments in the first trial of police officer William Porter, charged in the death of Freddie Gray. With demonstrations and unrest following the death, the city has cancelled leave for police officers and the mayor has called for calm when a verdict is announced. (CNN) (The Gazette)
Schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District close after receiving an unspecified “electronic” threat. Later, authorities conclude the threat was a hoax, and announce schools will reopen Wednesday. New York City schools‘ initial response to a similar threatening email was to treat it as a hoax. The NYC schools were open all day. (BBC News) (ITV) (LA School Report) (CNN)
American entertainer Bill Cosby, in response to dozens of accusations of sexual assault and misconduct spanning decades, has filed in U.S. federal court in Massachusetts a defamation suit against seven accusers. (The New York Times)
United Kingdom police arrest a 21-year-old man in Berkshire in the hacking of Hong Kong-based electronic toy maker VTech. Details of more than six million people from servers used to support VTech’s learning products app store were compromised.(BBC) (Digital Trends)

Politics and elections

New Zealand flag referendums, 2015–16
- New Zealand announces the flag design chosen by the public that will challenge the current flag in a March 2016 vote. Voters will choose between the current flag, which features the British Union Jack with a dark blue background, and the challenger, asilver fern and four red stars on a black and blue background. (CTV) (Stuff)

Science and technology

The Soyuz TMA-19M, consisting of Expedition 46 crew members Yuri Malenchenko (RSA), Timothy Kopra (NASA) and Tim Peake (ESA), launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for the International Space Station (ISS) with Peake becoming the first Briton to represent the European Space Agency at the ISS. (Bay News 9) (The Daily Telegraph)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

December 19, 2015

December 18, 2015

Top News Stories –

Star Wars film breaks opening night box office record –
The new Star Wars film has set a new opening night box office record in the US and Canada, industry experts said. Star Wars: The Force Awakens made $57m (£38m) on Thursday night, beating the previous record of $43.5m held by Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 in 2011. Analysts say the space saga could become the biggest selling movie of all time. The film also set a new opening day box office record in the UK and Ireland. The £9.64m tally beat the previous best of £9.48m set by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. Midnight screenings on Thursday morning accounted for £2.4m of ticket sales. Rentrak’s Paul Dergarabedian, one of Hollywood’s best-known box office analysts, said the film’s opening night performance in the US and Canada “portends a massive and potentially record-breaking opening day and weekend for the film”. [BBC]

The $70m cost of Uber Force One: Price of private flights for Obama and family –
Barack Obama’s eighth consecutive Christmas vacation to Hawaii starts Friday just as a new report shows the total cost of his vacations has now exceeded $70 million to U.S. taxpayers. The costs are being savaged by a critical conservative group, which says Obama is treating Air Force One, which costs $206,000/hour to run, ‘like an Uber ride’ ahead of his next jaunt to his home state,’ says Tom Fitton, president of the Judicial Watch pressure group. Fly-time alone will set taxpayers back somewhere in the region of $3.5 million as Obama, the First Lady, Sasha and Malia and their two dogs jet off for around two weeks. The total cost of Obama’s vacations since taking office in January 2009 has now hit $70.5 million, according to a new report. Yet he still has not taken anywhere near the total number of vacations or days off as his predecessor, George W. Bush, the report shows. [Daily Mail]
Barack Obama on Air Force One

Iceland grapples with volcano-naming responsibility –
Authorities in Iceland have decided on a name for a volcano a year after it started erupting. Council members in the rural district of Skutustadahreppur, which boasts a population of 371, took on the hefty responsibility to officially name the lava field known conversationally to locals as Holuhraun, the Iceland Review news website reports. After considering four names for the volcano – Flaedahraun, Holuhraun, Nornahraun and Urdarbruni – the vote was carried to officially use the name Holuhraun, despite only getting the backing of two of the five council members, Icelandic newspaper Visir said. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

This Is Not A Pine Tree

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#2015In5Words	#2015In5Words	#2015In5Words
2	#ParaNavidadMeReGustaria	#FlashbackFriday	#JetBlackHeartMusicVideo
3	#SextaLindaComOClubeSDV	#PitchMAS	#bbcqt
4	#زد_رصيدك35	Agrabah	Mother Teresa
5	#BuenViernes	Mother Teresa	#firstdates
6	#ConRockConfiesoQue	#FridayReads	#ChristmasJumperDay
7	#ChristmasJumperDay	Debbie Wasserman Schultz	#DontBuyTheSun
8	#TudoSeriaMelhorSe	#FreeShippingDay	#DIYSOS
9	#ALDUBTheSearch	#ListenToThisIsNotTheAlbum	Arlene Foster
10	#CiteMusicasQEuSdv	Sanders	#AskZandJ

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Yemeni Civil War (2015)
- Two ballistic missiles are fired from Yemen at Saudi Arabia, one of which is intercepted by the kingdom’s air defences, while the other missile lands near the city of Najran, according to a coalition statement on Saudi state media. No casualties have been reported. (AFP via AhramOnline)
Territorial disputes in the South China Sea
- A U.S. B-52 long-range bomber on a routine mission over the South China Sea mistakenly flew within two nautical miles of an artificial island built by China near the Cuarteron Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands archipelago, according to a senior U.S. defense official. The Chinese Defense Ministry issues a statement accusing the U.S. of deliberately raising tensions in the disputed region. (The Guardian)
American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–present)
- An airstrike by the U.S.-led coalition hit Iraqi forces as the army engaged militants in poor weather conditions south of the city of Fallujah. Official reports state one soldier was killed, and nine were injured, but casualties may be significantly higher. Amilitary medic says he’s treated at least 20 for injuries. (The Washington Post)
2015 Burundian unrest
- The African Union’s Peace and Security Council approves the plan to send 5,000 peacekeepers to Burundi to protect civilians caught up in the growing crisis; approval by the U.N. Security Council is required. Burundi’s Philippe Nzobonariba says the force would not be allowed in without government permission. (AP via Houston Chronicle) (Reuters)
Syrian Civil War
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says suspected Russian airstrikes kill 32 civilians, half of them women and children, in three areas in northern Syria. No suspected militants were killed in the attacks. (The Times of Israel) (Sky News)

Arts and culture

The Vatican announces Mother Teresa‘s eligibility for canonization after a Vatican spokesman confirmed Pope Francis‘ recognition of a second miracle attributed to her involving the healing of a Brazilian man with multiple brain tumors. The Vatican has yet to confirm a canonization date for Teresa. (Agence France-Presse via The Guardian) (Reuters via The Hindu)

Business and economics

In the United States, JPMorgan Chase agrees to pay $307 million to settle federal cases where the bank failed to disclose certain conflicts of interest to some of its wealth management clients. (Reuters) (Huffington Post)

Disasters and accidents

Pollution in China
- The Chinese government warns residents in Northern China to prepare for a wave of choking smog arriving over the weekend and lasting through Tuesday, with Beijing affected hardest. The capital city issues its second-ever “red alert” — the first was announced on December 7, 2015. This alert triggers the odd-even license plate system to halve cars on the road, and recommends schools close. China’s National Meteorological Center reports the pollution will stretch from Xi’an, across part of Central China, through Beijing and up into Shenyang and Harbin in China’s frigid northeast. (Reuters) (South China Morning Post)

International relations

Australia–Japan relations
- In Tokyo, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says his country is “very disappointed” with Japan’s decision to resume whaling, but this dispute should not be allowed to hurt the two countries’ special strategic ties. Malcolm Turnbull, who replacedTony Abbott in September, is on his first visit to Japan which will include talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe. (Reuters) (AP via The Washington Post)
Romania–NATO relations
- NATO‘s Aegis Ashore Ballistic Missile Defense System becomes partly operational at Romania‘s Deveselu airbase, as U.S. Navy personnel takes control of the site after years of construction. Aegis Ashore facilities in Romania form part of NATO’s European missile defence system, with another site under construction in Poland expected to become operational by 2018. The United States Ambassador to Romania Hans G. Klemm says that they have explained to the Russians on numerous occasions that the missile system is, “not directed at Russia, nor does it have the capability to threaten Russia.” The head of Russia‘s Strategic Missile Troops, Colonel General Sergei Karakayev, has dismissed the purported effectiveness of the missile defense system, saying Moscow develops “brand new and effective means and techniques to penetrate any missile defense system”. (AP via Yahoo News), (RT)
Russia–Ukraine relations
- Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk says his country is imposing a moratorium on repayment of a $3 billion debt to Russia following Moscow’s refusal to accept repayment terms already offered to other international creditors. This means Ukraineis likely to default on the debt, which is due Sunday. (AP via ABC news) (BBC)
The European Union warns Thailand that the country needs to quickly address the human rights and slavery issues in its seafood industry if it wants to avoid an EU import ban. (AP) (AP investigation via New Europe)
Syrian Civil War
- Turkish involvement in the Syrian Civil War
  - NATO allies agree to send aircraft and ships to strengthen Turkey’s Syrian border air defenses and avoid incidents similar to November’s downing of a Russian jet. (Reuters)
- Following Russia and the United States agreement on the text, the U.N. security council unanimously approves an international roadmap for a peace process in Syria. The resolution does not touch on the question of Bashar al-Assad’s fate. (The Guardian) (The Washington Post)

Law and crime

In the United States, a group of hospitals, 32 in 15 states, agree to pay a total of $28 million to settle charges they submitted false claims to Medicare for a type of spinal fracture treatment. This is the latest settlement stemming from a decade-oldwhistleblower lawsuit about alleged inappropriate billing for kyphoplasty. More than 130 hospitals have paid about $105 million to settle billing claims from this spinal procedure. (Reuters) (The Arizona Republic)

Politics and elections

United States presidential election, 2016
- The Democratic National Committee suspends Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders‘ presidential campaign’s access to its national voter database after a member of his campaign staff took advantage of a software error to review Hillary Clinton’s private campaign data. In response, the campaign files a lawsuit. (The Washington Post)
- Jeff Weaver, presidential campaign manager for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, says the DNC’s suspending access to the Democratic voter file is part of a “pattern” of actions that suggest the DNC is not impartial. The campaign, which had notified the DNC of software problems, threatens to take the DNC to federal court if the party organization doesn’t restore the campaign’s access. (UPI) (CNN)
- Michael Briggs of the Sanders campaign says the voter data access issue has been “resolved.” (ABC News)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

December 20, 2015

Top News Stories –

Miss Universe: Miss Colombia mistakenly crowned as winner –
The host of the Miss Universe has apologised after mistakenly naming the wrong woman as winner, leaving Miss Colombia empty-handed. After the error, Ariadna Gutierrez was instead declared runner-up and surrendered her crown to Miss Philippines, Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach. #MissUniverse2015 became Twitter’s biggest trend of the night as social media users expressed their disbelief. The host Steve Harvey responded, saying it was “his mistake” and he would take responsibility for not reading the winning card correctly. [BBC] See Video of the Day
Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach

Star Wars smashes box office records on opening weekend –
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” shattered box office records with an estimated $517 million (£350 million) in worldwide ticket sales on its opening weekend, a staggering debut that re-established the celebrated space saga as a global phenomenon. The first “Star Wars” film in a decade recorded the biggest domestic opening in Hollywood’s history, collecting $238 million over the weekend in the United States and Canada. Global sales for “Force Awakens” finished second only to the dinosaur film “Jurassic World,” which in its June opening garnered $525 million worldwide, including China, where the “Star Wars” film will not open for weeks. “Jurassic World” took $208.8 million at domestic cinemas in its first weekend. “Force Awakens” is the seventh installment in the epic science-fiction franchise created by George Lucas in 1977. [Daily Telegraph] See List of the Day

Video of the Day –

THE 64TH ANNUAL MISS UNIVERSE PAGEANT | Can’t ‘Miss’ Moment: The Reveal

List of the Day –

Star Wars films in order of box office performance –

IMDb rating:8.7

IMDb rating:8.8

IMDb rating:8.4

IMDb rating:6.5

IMDb rating:7.7

IMDb rating:6.7

IMDb rating:5.8

Note that figures are for US box office and allow for the effects of inflation.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#DomingoComOClubeSDV	Air France	#WeAreAllHarry
2	#زد_رصيدك37	#PeopleWhoMadeMy2015	#SoundOfMusicLive
3	#FelizDomingo	#EleccionesGenerales2015	#DemDebate
4	#50ShadesOfLouisAss	#INeverReallyTrusted	#TheBridge
5	#حزب_اللي_ياكل�…	#8DaysOfBlueNeighbourhood	#Strictly
6	#Garzoners	Chabelo	#LouisBeHappy
7	#WeAreAllHarry	#ThePerksOfBeingInTheFamily	#UFCOrlando
8	#もし女子高生にな�…	#WWELA	Air France
9	Chabelo	#1989WorldTourLIVE	#2015In5Words
10	#CiteFatosDePobre	#ATLvsJAX	#1989WorldTourLIVE

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Air France Flight 463 en-route to Paris from Mauritius makes an emergency landing in Mombasa, Kenya, after a package, suspected to be a bomb is found in the toilet. Later, Air France CEO Frédéric Gagey says it was a false alarm; the package contained a mixture of cardboard, sheets of paper, and a timer. (AP via News24) (CNN) (Reuters)
Territorial disputes in the South China Sea, China–Vietnam relations
- Vietnam is reported to be preparing for a possible military conflict with China over territorial claims in the South China Sea. (Reuters)
Syrian Civil War
- Israeli involvement in the Syrian Civil War
  - A missile-strike attributed to the Israeli Air Force in Jaramana in southern Syria kills high-ranking Lebanese Hezbollah commander and murderer, Samir Kuntar, and eight National Defence Force (NDF) personnel. Kuntar was the longest serving Lebanese prisoner in Israel until his release in 2008. On April 22, 1979 Kuntar and his team broke into an apartment building and kidnapped a father, 31-year-old Danny Haran, and his 4-year-old daughter, Einat, taking them to a nearby beach and killing them. (Reuters)
- Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War
  - Airstrikes, apparently from Russian jets, kill scores of people in the center of rebel-held Idlib in northwest Syria. The missiles hit a busy market place, several government buildings, and residential areas. At least 73 bodies, 30 unidentified, have been recovered. (Reuters)
A female driver runs over pedestrians at the Las Vegas Strip between Planet Hollywood and Paris Las Vegas, killing one person and injuring at least 26 more. (ABC)

Arts and culture

Miss Philippines, Pia Wurtzbach, is crowned Miss Universe 2015 in Las Vegas, moments after host Steve Harvey incorrectly announced 1st runner-up Miss Colombia, Ariadna Gutiérrez, as the winner. (Reuters)

Business and economics

Thousands, including families, children, and miners from around the country, march from Knottingley to North Yorkshire to mark the end of deep coal mining in the United Kingdom. The last facility, Kellingley Colliery in Beal, North Yorkshire, closed for good, Friday, 18 December 2015. The march was organized by two miners’ wives to pay tribute to this industry. (The Independent) (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

2015 Shenzhen landslide
- Thirty-three buildings collapse after a landslide hit an industrial park in Shenzhen, China, leaving at least 91 people missing. (CNN)
An avalanche in Svalbard, a Norwegian Arctic archipelago, kills one and injures nine others as the snow smashes into 10 houses in Longyearbyen. The deluge from Sukkertoppen mountain follows Friday’s 60 mph storm that ripped off a school roof and temporarily closed the airport. Dozens of homes at the foot of the mountain were evacuated and all of the area’s residents have been located, according to Tone Hertzberg, a spokeswoman for Svalbard’s governor. Experts from Norges Geotekniske Instituttare examining nearby slopes. (AP via CBS News) (newsinenglish.no)
A ferry ran into trouble in rough seas off the coast of Indonesia’s island of Sulawesi, with at least three killed, including two children, 39 rescued, and 77 missing. The New Marina, a fiberglass boat, was reported to be carrying 109 passengers with a crew of 10. The National Search and Rescue Agency says the boat sank 22.5 km (24 miles) off the coast of the Wajo Regency in South Sulawesi. Rescue teams expect to resume their search for the missing, Monday. (BenarNews) (Muscat Daily)
Two pilots are killed after a South Korean-made KAI T-50 Golden Eagle crashes and bursts into flames at an air show in Yogyakarta on Indonesia‘s Java island. (The Telegraph)

Politics and elections

Spanish general election, 2015
- Today’s parliamentary election is forecast to end Spain’s two-party system as the traditional powers, the center-right People’s Party (PP) and the center-left Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), are facing real challenges from the anti-austerity Podemos Partyand the liberal Ciudadanos party (C’s). Analysts expect a high turnout. (Reuters via Huffington Post) (Newsweek)
United States presidential election, 2016
- Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders presidential campaign fires national data director Josh Uretsky, and suspends two staffers following Friday’s announcement the campaign had improperly accessed and downloaded voter data belonging to Hillary Clinton’s campaign. NBC News reports at least four individuals affiliated with the campaign were involved in the breach, which occurred Wednesday. (NBC News) (Bloomberg)
Elections in Iran
- Iranian legislative election, 2016
  - Iran starts registering candidates for the 290-seat parliamentary elections scheduled for 26 February 2016. Potential candidates must be approved by the Guardian Council. The elections will, effectively, be a vote on President Hassan Rouhani’smoderate policies that received a boost from the July 14 landmark nuclear deal. (AP via The Washington Post)
- Iranian Assembly of Experts election, 2016
  - Elections for the 88-seat Experts Assembly, a clerical body empowered to choose or dismiss Iran’s supreme leader and supervise his activities, are scheduled for Thursday 25 February 2016. Those elected may decide who replaces Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is 76. (Deutsche Welle)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

December 23, 2015

Top News Stories –

Skier’s Close Call As Drone Camera Crashes –
A skier has narrowly avoided serious injury after a drone being used to film the event he was competing in crashed to the ground. The drone hit the snow just centimetres away from Austria’s Marcel Hirscher during the alpine skiing World Cup slalom in Italy. “This is horrible,” Hirscher, who finished second in the event, said. A skier has narrowly avoided serious injury after a drone being used to film the event he was competing in crashed to the ground. The drone hit the snow just centimetres away from Austria’s Marcel Hirscher during the alpine skiing World Cup slalom in Italy. “This is horrible,” Hirscher, who finished second in the event, said. [MSN News] See Video of the Day
Marcel Hirscher

Madonna goes to court to force 15-year-old son to return to New York –
Madonna has gone to court to force her 15-year-old son Rocco to return to New York, after his father Guy Ritchie insisted that he wanted to stay in the UK for Christmas. The singer appeared before a judge in Manhattan on Wednesday morning, where she won her bid to have her son forced to board a plane from London. Mr Ritchie, a film director who has two children with Madonna, argued through his lawyer that Rocco preferred to spend Christmas with his father, the New York Post reported. Judge Kaplan ordered that Rocco should talk with Madonna, and then revisit the issue of which parent he prefers. The judge told a smiling Madonna that Rocco must also present himself to court in the United States for the case to be decided. “I’m directing the child to be returned to New York. If he wants to stay with his father, he must return to his mother.” [Daily Telegraph]
Madonna

Video of the Day –

TV drone crashes during ski race – Marcel Hirscher at Madonna di Campiglio

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#CosasQueAprendiDel2015	Tornado Watch	Christmas Eve Eve
2	#WeAreAll1D	#CosasQueAprendiDel2015	#WeAreAll1D
3	#QuartaComOClubeSDV	#HappyBirthdayLouis	#ReplaceAWordWithSchlong
4	#زد_رصيدك40	#WeLoveYouAshton	#Luther
5	#5incoMinutos7Milhoes	#YodaSpeakASaying	Boxing Day
6	#ALDUBMyBebeLoveParade	#WeAreAll1D	#DearSantaSorryFor
7	#APapaNoelLePido	#BlackXmas2	#GeordieShore
8	#PSYYakap	OG Maco	#YodaSpeakASaying
9	#DeNatalEuQuero	#ReplaceAwordWithSchlong	#tattoofixers
10	#WeLoveYouAshton	#Festivus	#Supervet

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War
  - Amnesty International reports at least 200 civilians have been killed in Russian air strikes in Syria, indicating “serious failures by Russia to respect international humanitarian law”. Moscow denies causing civilian deaths. (BBC)
Boko Haram insurgency in West Africa
- An overnight raid by suspected Boko Haram militants on Niger‘s southern border town of Abadam, kills two Nigerien Army soldiers and three civilians. And, separately, a suicide-bomb attack on Lake Chad killed three of the attackers but no one else. A military convoy was also ambushed by militants in northern Cameroon, although there were no reported deaths. (Reuters)
Palestinian political violence
- Two Palestinian attackers stab passers-by at the Old City’s Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem, Israel, killing two and injuring one; the attackers are shot and killed by two Israeli Border Police officers. (CNN) (The Jerusalem Post)
2015 PKK rebellion
- Clashes continue between PKK militants and Turkish Army troops in the Kurdish-majority city of Diyarbakır in southeastern Turkey. At least one Turkish soldier is killed and several are wounded in a bomb attack. (Reuters)
Hacktivist collective Anonymous declares a cyber-war on Turkey, and claims responsibility for the major week-long cyber-attack between 14 and 21 December on Turkey, which it accuses of supporting the jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and threatened additional attacks in case the alleged support continues. “We will continue attacking your internet, your root DNS, your banks and take your government sites down,” it said. “After the root DNS, we will start to hit your airports, military assets and private state connections. We will destroy your critical banking infrastructure,” the group added. (Hurriyet Daily News) (Independent)
Terrorism in Australia
- Australian police in Sydney arrest two men who, police say, were planning attacks on locations such as naval bases and police headquarters. New South Wales Deputy Police Commissioner Catherine Burn said Wednesday’s activity brings the number of people arrested in connection with last year’s Operation Appleby to 13. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (Reuters)

Arts and culture

The governments of Somalia, Tajikistan and Brunei ban celebrations of Christmas, with punishments ranging up to a five-year jail term. Each country has a majority-Muslim population. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

Tornadoes of 2015
- At least six people die and dozens injured as major storms, packed with tornadoes, move through the American South and Midwest. Three people died when a tornado hit northern Mississippi, one was killed in Arkansas and two more in Tennessee. Officials continue searching into the night for the missing. (CNN) (AP via The Washington Post) (Weather.com) (Reuters)

Health

South Korean MERS outbreak
- South Korea announces an end to the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreak that has killed 36 people since May 2015. The virus infected 186 people, with nearly 17,000 people confined to their homes and thousands of schools temporarily closing at the peak of the largest MERS outbreak outside Saudi Arabia, where it first appeared in 2012. (AFP via FRANCE 24)

Brazilian health officials announce 2,400 babies (up from 147 in 2014) have been born this year with microcephaly, a neurological disorder that can result in incomplete brain development which can be caused by the mosquito-borne Zika virus, and advise would-be parents, especially in the country’s northeast where most of the cases occurred, to avoid pregnancy. (CNN) (The Washington Post) (Medical Daily)

International relations

Yemeni Crisis
- The United Nations Security Council expressed “deep concern” at the number of violations of Yemen’s ceasefire. U.N. envoys warned that a fledgling peace process was hanging by a thread, and that Yemen faces permanent fragmentation if the conflict is not ended soon. (Reuters) (Time) (Saudi Gazette) (UN)

Law and crime

The public interest non-profit Cause for Action files a Freedom of Information Act request for United States Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter’s personal emails following his disclosure of using that account for official government emails, this in the wake of the former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton email controversy and the Office of Personnel Management data breach. The U.S. Federal Records Act restricts use of personal email for official business. (Federal Times)
A Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia report reveals that an agent with the Presidential Protective Service of the United States Secret Service had his weapon, shield, and other professional equipage stolen from his vehicle in broad daylight in downtown Washington, D.C. (CNN)
Russia issues an international arrest warrant for former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky on charges of organizing the murder of Vladimir Petukhov, mayor of Nefteyugansk in 1998. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

Spanish general election, 2015
- Pedro Sánchez, leader of Spain‘s Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) rejects a pact with the ruling People’s Party (PP). “We say ‘no’ to Rajoy and his policies,” Sánchez told a news conference after meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. (Reuters)
Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili unexpectedly announces his resignation, without giving any specific reason for his decision. (Civil Georgia)
Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović selects Israel-based Teva Pharmaceuticals executive Tihomir Orešković to be the new prime minister following the inconclusive November 8 election. The “technocrat” is the choice of conservatives and reformists, who have 78 parliamentary seats, enough for confirmation.

Science and technology

The United States National Center for Health Statistics reports the rate of twin births has hit an historic high. Researchers say the increase in twin births may be affected by changes in reproductive technology, including in vitro fertilization, and by more women giving birth later in life–a time when the occurrence of twins is higher. (Science World Report) (Daily Mail)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

December 25, 2015

Top News Stories –

UK astronaut Tim Peake calls wrong number from space –
British astronaut Tim Peake tweeted an apology on Christmas Day from the International Space Station after calling a wrong number. He wrote “I’d like to apologize to the lady I just called by mistake saying ‘Hello, is this planet Earth?’ — not a prank call — just a wrong number!” The 43-year-old former army helicopter pilot did not say who he was calling.
Timothy Peake

Video of the Day –

The Talk

THE TALK (2015) from Joe Otting on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#BeautyAndTheBestieNowShowing	Happy Birthday Jesus	LCD Soundsystem
2	#9MonthsWithoutZayn	#9MonthsWithoutZayn	#QueensSpeech
3	#FelizNatalComOClubeSDV	#LifelineOniTunes	HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS
4	#CiteUmFilmeComPeru	#IGotCoalBecause	#EastEnders
5	#زد_رصيدك42	Low Life	Peter Kay
6	#كذبه_كنت_مصدق�…	#WhatSantaWontGetMeForXmas	Midnight Mass
7	#MiRegaloFue	SANTA CAME	#joinin
8	#ALDUBMyBebeLoveSaPASKO	Merry Christmas	#notgoingout
9	#MerryChristmas1DFamily	#WhyImHashtaggingOnXmas	#Barfest2016
10	#크리스마스인데_기…	#KingStaysKing	#9MonthsWithoutZayn

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War
  - Amnesty International reports at least 200 civilians have been killed in Russian air strikes in Syria, indicating “serious failures by Russia to respect international humanitarian law”. Moscow denies causing civilian deaths. (BBC)
Boko Haram insurgency
- An overnight raid by suspected Boko Haram militants on Niger‘s southern border town of Abadam, kills two Nigerien Army soldiers and three civilians. And, separately, a suicide-bomb attack on Lake Chad killed three of the attackers but no one else. A military convoy was also ambushed by militants in northern Cameroon, although there were no reported deaths. (Reuters)
Israeli-Palestinian conflict (2015)
- Two Palestinian attackers stab passers-by at the Old City’s Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem, Israel, killing two and injuring one; the attackers are shot and killed by two Israeli Border Police officers. (CNN) (The Jerusalem Post)
2015 PKK rebellion
- Clashes continue between PKK militants and Turkish Army troops in the Kurdish-majority city of Diyarbakır in southeastern Turkey. At least one Turkish soldier is killed and several are wounded in a bomb attack. (Reuters)
Hacktivist collective Anonymous declares a cyber-war on Turkey, and claims responsibility for the major week-long cyber-attack between 14 and 21 December on Turkey, which it accuses of supporting the jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and threatened additional attacks in case the alleged support continues. “We will continue attacking your internet, your root DNS, your banks and take your government sites down,” it said. “After the root DNS, we will start to hit your airports, military assets and private state connections. We will destroy your critical banking infrastructure,” the group added. (Hurriyet Daily News) (Independent)
Terrorism in Australia
- Australian police in Sydney arrest two men who, police say, were planning attacks on locations such as naval bases and police headquarters. New South Wales Deputy Police Commissioner Catherine Burn said Wednesday’s activity brings the number of people arrested in connection with last year’s Operation Appleby to 13. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (Reuters)

Arts and culture

The governments of Somalia, Tajikistan and Brunei ban celebrations of Christmas, with punishments ranging up to a five-year jail term. Each country has a majority-Muslim population. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

Tornadoes of 2015
- At least six people die and dozens injured as major storms, packed with tornadoes, move through the American South and Midwest. Three people died when a tornado hit northern Mississippi, one was killed in Arkansas and two more in Tennessee. Officials continue searching into the night for the missing. (CNN) (AP via The Washington Post) (Weather.com) (Reuters)

Health

South Korean MERS outbreak
- South Korea announces an end to the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreak that has killed 36 people since May 2015. The virus infected 186 people, with nearly 17,000 people confined to their homes and thousands of schools temporarily closing at the peak of the largest MERS outbreak outside Saudi Arabia, where it first appeared in 2012. (AFP via FRANCE 24)

Brazilian health officials announce 2,400 babies (up from 147 in 2014) have been born this year with microcephaly, a neurological disorder that can result in incomplete brain development which can be caused by the mosquito-borne Zika virus, and advise would-be parents, especially in the country’s northeast where most of the cases occurred, to avoid pregnancy. (CNN) (The Washington Post) (Medical Daily)

International relations

Yemeni Crisis
- The United Nations Security Council expressed “deep concern” at the number of violations of Yemen’s ceasefire. U.N. envoys warned that a fledgling peace process was hanging by a thread, and that Yemen faces permanent fragmentation if the conflict is not ended soon. (Reuters) (Time) (Saudi Gazette) (UN)

Law and crime

The public interest non-profit Cause for Action files a Freedom of Information Act request for United States Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter’s personal emails following his disclosure of using that account for official government emails, this in the wake of the former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton email controversy and the Office of Personnel Management data breach. The U.S. Federal Records Act restricts use of personal email for official business. (Federal Times)
A Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia report reveals that an agent with the Presidential Protective Service of the United States Secret Service had his weapon, shield, and other professional equipage stolen from his vehicle in broad daylight in downtown Washington, D.C. (CNN)
Russia issues an international arrest warrant for former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky on charges of organizing the murder of Vladimir Petukhov, mayor of Nefteyugansk in 1998. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

Spanish general election, 2015
- Pedro Sánchez, leader of Spain‘s Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) rejects a pact with the ruling People’s Party (PP). “We say ‘no’ to Rajoy and his policies,” Sánchez told a news conference after meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. (Reuters)
Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili unexpectedly announces his resignation, without giving any specific reason for his decision. (Civil Georgia)
Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović selects Israel-based Teva Pharmaceuticals executive Tihomir Orešković to be the new prime minister following the inconclusive November 8 election. The “technocrat” is the choice of conservatives and reformists, who have 78 parliamentary seats, enough for confirmation.

Science and technology

The United States National Center for Health Statistics reports the rate of twin births has hit an historic high. Researchers say the increase in twin births may be affected by changes in reproductive technology, including in vitro fertilization, and by more women giving birth later in life–a time when the occurrence of twins is higher. (Science World Report) (Daily Mail)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

January 9, 2016

Top News Stories –

Cheryl Fernandez-Versini ‘to end stormy second marriage after 19 months’ –
Cheryl Fernandez-Versini is lodging divorce papers to end her stormy second marriage, it was reported on Sunday. The X Factor judge will cite her French husband Jean-Bernard’s “unreasonable behaviour” and formally end their marriage after 19 months, it is claimed. The Sun on Sunday reports former Girls Aloud star Cheryl, who was previously married to footballer Ashley Cole, has been unhappy that Jean-Bernard, 35, didn’t like her spending time with other men. [Daily Telegraph] In November 2015 Fernandez-Versini took legal action over ‘white powder’ bathroom picture after the 2015 British Fashion Awards.
Cheryl Fernandez-Versini

Video of the Day –

The Science Of Motivation – ASAP Science

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#DetremuraNoPagodeDoSdv	#ResistCapitalism	Peach
2	#لو_انت_مو_سعود…	#KCvsHOU	#TOTP81
3	#زد_رصيدك57	#ICantGiveYouAnythingBut	#Its2016AndWeStillDont
4	#FelizSabado	#IfIWasntHashtagging	Winston
5	#KathNielGapGoVaChaoHoiVie…	#PowerballFever	#jesuismilo
6	#AyşeÖğretmenYalnızDe�…	#WDWHalf	Bogdan
7	#ALDUBToSeeYouAgain	#BuyMadeInTheAM	Eastleigh
8	#EsteAñoNecesito	#KempForum16	Danny Murphy
9	#AustinMoreRespectForHarry	#RoseHamid	El Chapo
10	#GeneracionBolivarChavez	#JeSuisMilo	#BursaryOrBust

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Terrorism in Egypt
- Two police officers are shot dead by gunmen near the Giza pyramids, on the outskirts of Cairo. (The Independent)
Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- A major power station in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi is shelled by militants. (Reuters)
Syrian Civil War, Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War
- Russian airstrikes on a Al-Nusra Front (Al-Qaeda‘s branch in Syria)-run prison complex in the northern town of Maarrat al-Nu’man, Idlib, leaves nearly 60 people dead. Most of those killed were rebels imprisoned by Al-Nusra, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (The National), (AFP via Daily Mail)

Disasters and accidents

2015–16 Australian bushfire season
- Two dead bodies have been found in Yarloop, Western Australia, and residents of four towns urged to evacuate in under threat as the Waroona bushfire continues to burn out of control. (West Australian via Yahoo! Online), (ABC News), (The Australian)
- A bushfire burning near the town of Esperance, Western Australia, is threatening lives and properties. (West Australian via Yahoo! Australia)

International relations

Brussels Agreement (2013), Kosovo–Serbia relations
- Anti-Serbian protesters set fire to the government’s headquarters in Kosovo‘s capital, Pristina, over an EU-brokered deal that will give Kosovo’s ethnic Serb minority greater local powers. (RT)

Law and crime

Sian Blake‘s partner Arthur Simpson-Kent is arrested in Ghana in connection with the murder of Blake and her two children. (The Guardian)

Sport

2016 Dakar Rally
- A Bolivian spectator dies in the seventh stage between Bolivia and Argentina after being hit by a Mitsubishi driven by French driver Lionel Baud. (ABC News Australia)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

January 16, 2016

Top News Stories –

Obama issues order lifting nuclear-related sanctions on Iran –
U.S. President Barack Obama signed an executive order on Saturday lifting sanctions on Iran related to its nuclear program after Tehran fulfilled requirements under a nuclear agreement with world powers, the White House said. Obama determined that Iran’s implementation of the pact “marks a fundamental shift in circumstances with respect to Iran’s nuclear program,” he wrote in the order, released by the White House. [Daily Mail]

Video of the Day –

Sia | Draw My Life

List of the Day –

100 jokes by 100 comedians

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	Burkina Faso	Tony Stewart	#MakeMeThinkIn5Words
2	#زد_رصيدك64	#ChangeAConsonantSpoilAMovie	Lord Bramall
3	#FelizSabado	#StartupIndia	Burkina Faso
4	I LOVE ZAYN	#IranDeal	#fab16
5	#StartupIndia	#ImplementationDay	#PutNamesInSongs
6	#MakeMeThinkIn5Words	Aaliyah	Alan Rickman
7	#ALDUB6thMonthsary	I LOVE ZAYN	#StartUp2016
8	#SabadoDetremuraSdv	#MakeMeThinkIn5Words	#NationalHatDay
9	#MeEnfermaEsoDe	Hagelin	Nancy
10	ちんぽ10連ガチャ	#DoYourJob	#ZoellaTo10MillionMeetUp

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

2016 Ouagadougou attack
- Burkina Faso security forces storm the Hotel Splendid which had been under attack by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb militants. Over 126 people have been freed and at least 29 people have died. (AP via the Daily Mail), (BBC), (CNN), (AFP via Daily Star)
- At least 10 bodies have also been found in the Cappucino cafe which was also attacked by the militants. (AP via Miami Herald)
- Two Australians, a doctor and his wife, have been abducted in northern Burkina Faso. The Al Qaeda-linked, Mali-based “Emirate of the Sahara” is responsible, according to SITE. (AP) (AFP via Yahoo! News)
2016 Jakarta attacks
- Indonesia blocks access to radical Islamist websites and social media sites after the recent terror attacks in Jakarta. (Reuters)
Syrian Civil War
- At least 75 Syrian Army soldiers and pro-Assad militiamen are killed following a multi-front attack on the eastern Syrian city of Deir ez-Zor by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant forces. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports ISIL fighters had advanced into the northern tip of Deir ez-Zor city, and captured the suburb of Al-Baghaliyeh. The pro-government Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reports that government forces had repelled an attack on the city leaving dozens of militants dead. (AFP via the Daily Mail)
- Hundreds of civilians are reportedly killed by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant militants throughout the city of Deir ez-Zor. Syria‘s state news agency SANA, quoting residents, said “around 300 civilians” were killed. If confirmed it would be one of the deadliest days in Syria’s nearly five-year war. (AFP via Yahoo)
Al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen, Drone strikes in Yemen
- A U.S. drone strike on a vehicle in Yemen‘s Shabwah Governorate kills three suspected Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) militants. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

A suspected gas explosion in the Italian town of Arnasco kills at least five people. (Business Insider)
U.S. President Barack Obama declares the city of Flint, Michigan, to be in a federal public health state of emergency due to an ongoing crisis that involves lead contamination (and possibly Legionella which has caused 87 cases of Legionnaires’ disease which lead to 10 deaths) in its local water supply. (The Flint Journal on MLive)

International relations

Iran–United States relations
- Iran releases four Iranian-American prisoners including Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian and Christian pastor Saeed Abedini. The United States is to release seven Iranian-Americans held in the United States for violating sanctions against Iran. (New York Times), (IRNA) (Reuters) (Washington Post)
Nuclear program of Iran
- The International Atomic Energy Agency states that Iran has complied with its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, paving the way for international sanctions to be lifted by theUnited States and European Union. (IEAE), (New York Times), ” (BBC)
European migrant crisis
- Austria is to deploy its army on its borders with Germany and Slovenia in the wake of surging numbers of migrants entering the Central European country. (Local Austria)

Politics and elections

Taiwanese general election, 2016
- Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is elected the first female President of Taiwan. Eric Chu, the ruling Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalist Party) candidate concedes defeat and announced his resignation as party leader. Ms. Tsai vowed to preserve the status quo in relations with China. The DPP supports independence for the island. (BBC) (CNN)
- Current ruling party Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalist Party) lost its majority in the Legislative Yuan, a first since the country’s founding in 1911 (The Guardian)
Argentinian left wing lawmaker Milagro Sala is detained at her home for allegedly instigating public disturbances. (Telesur TV)

Sports

In motor sport, The 2016 Dakar Rally finishes with Stephane Peterhansel of France winning his 12th victory in the cars and Toby Price of Australia winning his first victory in the motorcycles. (AFP via Yahoo! News)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

January 19, 2016

Top News Stories –

North Korea claims to invent ‘alcohol which doesn’t give you hangover’ –
They already claim to have cured cancer, Aids and Ebola with a miracle drug produced from ginseng root.
Now North Korean scientists seem to have scaled new heights of greatness with their latest invention – a special blend of liquor which doesn’t give you a hangover. According to the state-controlled newspaper Pyongyang Times, the drink also relies on ginseng root for its medicinal qualities and has been hailed as a “national scientific and technological hit.” The recipe replaces sugar with burnt rice, supposedly eliminating the liquor’s bitter taste along with any risks of a hangover. The drink “is suave and causes no hangovers”, claimed the Pyongyang Times piece, which was entitled: “Liquor wins quality medal for preserving national smack.” It is the latest in a string of outlandish claims made by North Korea’s state media, which once congratulated its supreme commander for learning to drive at the age of three. [Daily Telegraph]

Twitter down in global outage –
Twitter went offline on Tuesday morning for users of both its website and mobile apps. Visitors to the social network were met with a “Something is technically wrong” message on a blue background. Twitter’s status page said: “Some users are currently experiencing problems accessing Twitter. We are aware of the issue and are working towards a resolution.” “Something is technically wrong,” a notice on the Twitter website said. “Thanks for noticing – we’re going to fix it up and have things back to normal soon.” At around 10am service resumed as usual, although was down again shortly before midday and at various times over Tuesday afternoon. [Daily Telegraph] The social network later said an “internal code change” had led to the problem, which lasted six hours 10 minutes. “We reverted the change, which fixed the issue,” it added.
Twitter error page

Video of the Day –

NYC Gifathon from James Curran on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#TercaDetremuraSdv	#NationalPopcornDay	#LHHNY
2	#FelizMartes	Sarah Palin	#NationalPopcornDay
3	#زد_رصيدك67	#TravelTuesday	#CharityTuesday
4	#ALDUBFirstCondition	#HowIStaySaneInMyWorkspace	#ThingsThatShouldBeIllegal
5	#كلمه_تعور_قلبي	#BeliebersDay	#universitychallenge
6	조경태	#1YearOfWorthIt	#BlueMonday
7	#CorridaMalucaNoClubeSDV	#twitterdown	#TheUndateables
8	#HrantDink	Edgar Allan Poe	Aunt Viv
9	#BeliebersDay	#MISOTS16	Angie
10	#NationalPopcornDay	#InequalityIs	Glenn Frey

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in North-West Pakistan
- At least 9 people are killed and 35 injured after a suicide bomber strikes near a security checkpoint near Peshawar, Pakistan. (Geo TV), (AFP via RTE)
Syrian Civil War
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claims that scores of Syrian Army troops have been killed in fighting with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant over the past few days with the fiercest battles near the city of Deir ez-Zor. (Jerusalem Post)
Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- The United Nations Commission on Human Rights releases a report stating that at least 18,802 civilians have been killed and another 36,245 wounded between 1 January 2014 and 31 October 2015 with approximately half the deaths occuring in Baghdad. (United Nations)

Arts and culture

Pakistan lifts a three year ban on YouTube after Google launches a local version that allows the government to demand removal of material it considers to be offensive. (Reuters via Youtube)

Business and economy

The price of oil drops below $28 a barrel, the lowest since 2003. (The Huffington Post via MSN)

Disasters and accidents

The roof of the renovated Hôtel Ritz in Paris is damaged by fire just weeks before the planned re-opening. (BBC) (Reuters)

International relations

OIC and Iran-Saudi relations
- Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister has left Tehran for Saudi Arabia for participation in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation ministerial meeting in Jeddah which was called for by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to discuss the consequence of attack at Saudi Embassy in Tehran following the execution of Shia Muslim cleric Sheikh Nimr. (IRIB World Service) (OIC)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

January 23, 2016

Top News Stories –

Blizzard blankets eastern seaboard of US in deep snow –
A huge blizzard has blanketed the US eastern seaboard in snow, bringing New York and Washington DC to a standstill and affecting some 85 million people. Up to 40in (102cm) of snow settled in parts, paralysing rail and air links, and cutting power to 200,000 people. A travel ban in New York, which saw its second highest snowfall on record, is set to be lifted later on Sunday. At least 18 deaths, from road accidents but also snow shovelling, have been blamed on the weather since Friday. New York’s Central Park received 26.8in, the second-biggest fall recorded since 1869 and just shy of the all-time high, 26.9in, recorded in February 2006. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Tian Tian in the Snow Jan. 23, 2016

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	Unavailable	#jonasblizzard	#WelcomeHistory
2	Unavailable	#6abcAction	#MakeMeFeelAwkwardIn7Words
3	Unavailable	#ChelseaDoes	#FirstDates
4	Unavailable	#WeWillAlwaysBeThereJustin	#MyRoutineIn5Words
5	Unavailable	#CongratulationsLouis	#ukgc16
6	Unavailable	#CBS3Snow	Steve Harper
7	Unavailable	#NationalPieDay	#bbws
8	Unavailable	#OneCarolina	#DespiteBeingTaughtInWelsh
9	Unavailable	#WelcomeHistory	#blizzard2016
10	Unavailable	Tian Tian	#GrahamNorton

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Deir ez-Zor offensive (January 2016)
- Airstrikes on Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant-controlled areas in Syria‘s eastern Deir ez-Zor Governorate, leaves at least 47 civilians dead, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (Sky News Australia)
Jordanian–Syrian border incidents during the Syrian Civil War
- Jordanian soldiers kill 12 “infiltrators” and wound several others, on the border with Syria, foiling an attempt by dozens of smugglers to cross into the kingdom. The soldiers also confiscated more than 2 million narcotics pills that were left behind. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

January 2016 United States winter storm
- This potentially record storm, which is predicted to generate blizzard conditions through a third day on Sunday, has caused at least 10 deaths, knocked out power to hundreds of thousands, led to more than 8,300 canceled flights, stranded many travelers on major highways and, with up to 70 mph winds, produced record-high tides along the Delaware and New Jersey shores. (NBC News) (Reuters)(ESPN)

International relations

China–Iran relations
- China and Iran agree to expand trade ties between the countries worth $600 billion over the next decade following Chinese President Xi Jinping‘s visit to Tehran. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, said the trade deal marked “the beginning of an important era” in Iran-China relations. (Bloomberg)

Law and crime

European migrant crisis
- Around 200 migrants storm the French port of Calais,near the underground tunnel to Britain, after a demonstration in support of migrants living in the nearby Calais jungle camp, with approximately 50 of them boarding the P&O Ferries operated MS Spirit of Britain cross-border ferry. The port was closed following the incident. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

United States presidential election, 2016
- Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg is seriously considering a possible independent presidential run if Donald Trump or Texas Senator Ted Cruz would face Vermont Senator Bernie Sandersin the general election. (The New York Times) (CNN) (NBC News)
Polish Constitutional Court crisis, 2015, Committee for the Defence of Democracy
- Poland surveillance law plan angers protesters: Thousands of Poles have taken part in marches in Warsaw and other cities to protest about plans of the conservative government, which they say will curtail privacy and freedom. (BBC News)

Science and technology

Blue Origin‘s rocket New Shepard has been reflown in Texas. (BBC)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

January 26, 2016

Top News Stories –

Australians choose alternative flag which removes the Union flag in new survey –
Australians have chosen a favourite alternative national flag amid calls to remove the Union flag from the current “outdated” design which has been flown since 1901. The preferred design, labelled the Southern Horizon, was the most popular of six options and captured 31 per cent of the vote in a survey conducted by the University of Western Sydney. The second most popular option, the Reconciliation Flag, received 28 per cent of the vote. The competition was prompted by the New Zealand government’s decision to hold a referendum on changing the flag – a process which is due to be completed in March. [Daily Telegraph]
Southern Horizon flag

Video of the Day –

What If You Only Drank Soda?

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#GossipGirlDay	#LetsMakeTodayBetterBy	#AustraliaDay
2	#TercaNoClubeSDV	#TravelTuesday	#RepublicDay
3	#FelizMartes	#NationalSpousesDay	#LetsMakeTodayBetterBy
4	#شخصيه_عامه_مص�…	#WordsThatDontDescribeHillary	#TravelTuesday
5	#زواج_للشواذ_ب�…	Blake Griffin	#CharityTuesday
6	#زد_رصيدك74	Doomsday Clock	Kristen Stewart
7	#ALDUBLihimNgKahapon	#MyAwkwardSuperpower	#Sepsis
8	#LetsMakeTodayBetterBy	#RearrangeAWordChangeAFilm	#StateOfEmergencyIn5Words
9	#멘션온_첫경험이나…	Detective Pikachu	Beatrix Potter
10	#5MillonesAlGallinero	#1DHistoryVideo	#Benidorm

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- A suicide bomb attack on a Syrian Army (SAA) checkpoint in the city of Homs kills at least 22 people, including around a dozen soldiers. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claims responsibility for the attack. (AFP via Daily Mail) (Reuters Canada)
- Second Battle of Al-Shaykh Maskin
  - The Syrian Army, backed by Hezbollah militiamen and Russian airstrikes, retakes full control of the strategic town of Al-Shaykh Maskin in Syria‘s southern Daraa Governorate, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (AFP via Yahoo! News)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- A U.S. drone strike kills at least 6 ISIL militants in Afghanistan‘s Nangarhar Province, according to the Afghan defense ministry. (The New Indian Express)
- An Afghan police officer, allegedly tied to Taliban, poisons and kills ten of his colleagues in Urozgan province. (AL Jazeera)

Business and economy

French taxidrivers, air traffic controllers and school teachers go on strike over working conditions and competition from non-traditional services such as Uber. (AP via ABC News America)

Disasters and accidents

January 2016 United States blizzard
- The death toll from the blizzard rises to 38. (AP via ABC News America)
Malaysian authorities find 13 bodies washed up on Johor beach believed to be Indonesian migrants. (Reuters via Channel News Asia)

Health

Zika virus outbreak in the Americas (2015–present)
- Virologists find the Zika virus in Australian tourists returning from South America. (ABC News Australia)

International relations

Moldova–Romania relations
- Romania offers neighboring Moldova a $65 million (60 million euros) loan to help stave off economic collapse and keep the former Soviet Republic on a pro-European course, provided the Moldovan government implements major reforms. Government funds were needed to cover more than $1 billion that “disappeared” from three Moldovan banks in November 2014. In the frigid capital Chișinău, 15,000 people from both the pro-European and pro-Russian sides of the political divide, protested on Sunday against the current government and demanded new elections. Prime Minister Pavel Filip, who took office last week, is the country’s sixth PM in a year. (AP) (Reuters) (The New York Times)

Law and crime

The Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak is cleared of corruption by the Attorney-General of Malaysia Apandi Ali after returning US$607 million worth of donations to his personal account from the Saudi Royal Family. (Channel News Asia)
Authorities in the People’s Republic of China say that Wang Baoan is under suspicion for “serious violation of discipline” (a phrase usually associated with corruption charges) as the head of that country’s powerful National Bureau of Statistics. (BBC)
Occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
- U.S. federal authorities arrest militia leader Ammon Bundy and several of his followers following an exchange of gunfire at a traffic stop on U.S. Route 395 in Harney County, Oregon. One person, LaVoy Finicum, a rancher from Arizona and spokesman for the militia, was killed in the shootout. (CNN), (Oregon Live)
Homelessness in Seattle
- Two people are killed and three others are hospitalized, two with life-threatening injuries, following a shooting in the “The Jungle” homeless encampment in the U.S. city of Seattle, Washington. Police are searching for two suspects. (NBC News) (seattlepi.com)
Terrorism in the United States
- The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation arrests a Milwaukee, Wisconsin, man who is alleged to have been planning a machine gun mass shooting at a local Masonic Temple. (The Washington Post)(Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) (FBI)

Politics and elections

Marshall Islands President Casten Nemra is defeated in a vote of no confidence. Nemra had just been elected President in early January 2016. A successor is expected to be selected soon. (Radio New Zealand International)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

January 31, 2016

Top News Stories –

Sir Terry Wogan: Tributes paid to veteran broadcaster –
Tributes have poured in for veteran BBC broadcaster Sir Terry Wogan who has died aged 77, after a short illness. BBC director general Tony Hall hailed him as “a broadcasting legend”. Sir Terry hosted a long-running TV chat show, fronted the Eurovision Song Contest and was the face of Children in Need, while his Radio 2 breakfast show regularly had around 8m listeners. Sir Terry, who had not been seen in public since November when he pulled out of hosting the annual Children in Need telethon, died “after a short but brave battle with cancer”, his family said. He leaves his wife Helen and their three children. The couple also had a daughter who died in infancy. [BBC]
Terry Wogan in 2005 receiving his Knighthood

Video of the Day –

Stormtrooper Homer from Capture the Moment Media on Vimeo.

List of the Day –

Bill Gates 8 Desert Island Discs [BBC]
David Bowie and Queen – Under Pressure: “In my 20s and 30s, I worked a lot. But a few Fridays and Saturdays we’d go out and dance so this kind of reminds me of those disco days.”
Willie Nelson – Blue Skies: “My wife Melinda and I love Willie Nelson. So as a surprise gift for her, I had him show up the night before we got married. We were on a beach in Hawaii and he kind of walked down the beach with his guitar and I said, ‘Well here he is, let’s have this guy sing some songs for us.'”
Ed Sheeran – Sing: “My kids, who are 19, 16, and 13, refresh my musical taste by tuning the radio or calling up songs on their phones. And so this is one that my 13-year-old, Phoebe, happens to like.”
Jimi Hendrix – Are You Experienced: “Because I was younger [Paul Allen] would sometimes taunt me with the title of this song – Are You Experienced – because I hadn’t gotten drunk or other various things, so this is one of our favourites.”
U2 – One: “Paul told me that I should meet Bono, and I didn’t prioritise it. We finally did get to meet and I was amazed how he had thought about [global health] read about it, and so started a partnership. He has been absolutely amazing.”
The Beatles – Two of Us: “Steve [Jobs] was really into music and he loved the Beatles and so did I. And he actually mentioned the song, Two of Us, saying that was kind of like this journey we’d been on where we’d been competing and working together.”
How Can Love Survive, from the Sound of Music: “Melinda and I both love the Sound of Music and as I met [investor and philanthropist] Warren Buffett, he and his first wife Susie sang a song from The Sound of Music. In fact this is one we’d never heard because it was in the Broadway musical and not in the movie. It’s kind of a cute song so Melinda and I think of this as one of our favourites.”
My Shot from Hamilton, the musical: “It’s about a young person saying, ‘Hey I’m going to take a risk – I’m going to get out there and try and do something new and different.'”

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#DomingoDetremuraSdv	#LarryIsNotReal	Frank Finlay
2	#شخصيه_كويتيه_�…	#GreaseLive	#sagawards
3	#زد_رصيدك79	#HappyBirthdayHarryStyles	Google’s £30bn
4	#LarryIsNotReal	Terry Wogan	#LarryIsNotReal
5	#HistoryProject	#WonderWhatWouldHappenIf	#MOTD
6	#كم_يبعد_دوامك_…	#ThatsWhyImKillingYouLast	#takemeout
7	#اخدت_قرار_اني	Fine Bros	#WinterRun
8	#PensandoEnVosConRockDigoQue	#FelizDomingo	#WonderWhatWouldHappenIf
9	#sagawards	#NHLAllStar	#NZvPAK
10	#SeninleyizMehmetçik	#kylieradio	#TheVoice

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Boko Haram insurgency
- At least 100 people are killed and hundreds others injured in an attack by Boko Haram militants on Dalori Village 4 kilometers from Maiduguri, Nigeria. (Sahara Reporters)
Syrian Civil War
- 2016 Sayyidah Zaynab bombings
  - At least 60 people are killed and 110 wounded in a twin-suicide bomb attack in the town of Sayyidah Zaynab, Rif Dimashq Governorate, near Syria‘s holiest Shi’ite shrine, the Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claim responsibility for the attack. (NBC News) (The Jerusalem Post)

Disasters and accidents

2015–16 Australian region cyclone season
- Tropical Cyclone Stan makes landfall on the Western Australian coast east of Pardoo. (ABC News Australia)
Seven people are killed after a truck collides with a train near Cairo, Egypt. (Business Standard)
At least 21 people are killed and 16 injured in a multi-car pile-up on a road near the city of Beni Suef, Egypt. (Omaha)
A huge fire at a factory in Moscow‘s eastern Sokolniki District, kills at least 12 people. Police suspect arson may be involved. (RT)

International relations

North Korea and weapons of mass destruction, Japan–North Korea relations
- Japan deploys two MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile interceptor systems in Tokyo in preparation for any North Korean ballistic missiles potentially heading for the city. The deployment comes amid concerns of an imminent North Korean missile launch following the detection of “increased activity” at a North Korean missile facility. (RT)

Sport

2016 Australian Open
- In tennis, defending champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia defeats second seed Andy Murray of the United Kingdom in the men’s singles in straight sets. It is Djokovic’s third straight Grand Slam title. (ABC News Australia), (BBC)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

February 3, 2016

Top News Stories –

Britain suffers ‘biscuit drought’ following McVities factory flood –
“The fact that you can’t have a ginger nut with your cup of tea at the end of the night … it’s the end of the world, isn’t it?” So said one disgruntled biscuit lover in a BBC report on the ongoing biscuit drought currently gripping the nation. Many of Britain’s best-loved biscuits remain absent from shop shelves after floods forced the closure of the United Biscuits factory in Carlisle in December. The factory produces numerous well-known brands of biscuit, including McVitie’s ginger nuts, Crawford’s custard creams and Carr’s water crackers. [Daily Telegraph]
McVitie’s chocolate digestive biscuit

Lord Lucan death certificate granted –
Lord Lucan is now presumed to be dead, a High Court judge has ruled. A death certificate has been issued 42 years after the peer vanished when his children’s nanny Sandra Rivett was bludgeoned to death in London. He was declared dead in 1999, despite dozens of unverified sightings, but the new ruling gives his son the right to inherit the family title. His son, Lord Bingham, said: “I am very happy with the judgment of the court in this matter.” [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Exercise vs Diet – ASAP Science

List of the Day –

Daily telegraph’s 28 Best Biscuits in the World

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#زد_رصيدك82	#NationalSigningDay	Jackson Martinez
2	恵方巻き	#Pit2Pub	#SarahReed
3	#FelizMiercoles	#MillennialBillOfRights	#BeforeFacebookI
4	#اوغلو_يدنس_قد�…	#NSD2016	#LT16uk
5	#ParaEl14DeFebrero	#RivalsNSD	#SAvsENG
6	#VoteKathrynFPP	#BetterWaysToElectPOTUS	#NZvAUS
7	豆まき	#NGWSD	#pmqs
8	#QuartaDetremuraSdv	#Trumpertantrum	George Shelley
9	D’Alessandro	#MosqueVisit	#obsessedwithmybody
10	#VotaLaliEsposito	#1linewed	#ArianaforLipsy

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Israeli–Palestinian conflict (2015–present)
- Three Palestinian assailants launch a shooting and stabbing attack near the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem, killing one policewoman and seriously injuring another, and lightly injuring a civilian, before being shot and killed by other security forces at the scene. Pipe bombs were discovered on their bodies. (The Times of Israel)
- Two Hamas militants die after a tunnel they were digging from the Gaza Strip into Israel collapses. (AP)
Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War
- Sergey Lavrov, the Foreign Minister of Russia, says that Russia‘s bombing campaign will continue until terrorist organisations like ISIL and Jabhat al-Nusra are defeated; the Syrian opposition’s High Negotiations Committee has voiced outrage at an ongoing government offensive backed by Russian air power and called for a halt to air strikes against civilians, among other demands. (AFP via Yahoo! News)
Syrian Civil War
- Siege of Nubl and Al-Zahraa
  - The Syrian Army and its allies break a three-year rebel siege of two Shi’ite towns in northwest Syria, Nubl and Al-Zahraa. (Reuters)
- At least 15 people are killed and 58 injured after rockets reportedly fired by rebels hit pro-government neighborhoods in the southern city of Daraa. (RT)

Business and economy

China‘s state owned ChemChina offers to buy Swiss pesticide and seed manufacturer Syngenta for $43 billion. (AP)

Disasters and accidents

Daallo Airlines Flight 159
- A Daallo Airlines operated commercial plane, bound for Djibouti, makes an emergency landing at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, following an unexplained explosion that left a gaping hole in its fuselage. (BBC)

International relations

North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- Japan puts its military on alert to shoot down any North Korean rocket that threatens it following an announcement by North Korea of a planned “Earth observation launch”. (Reuters)
- South Korea warns North Korea of “searing consequences” if it doesn’t abandon plans to launch a long-range rocket that violates United Nations Security Council resolutions that prohibits the country from engaging in any ballistic activities. (Fox News)

Law and crime

John Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan, wanted for murder since 1974, is officially declared dead so that his son can inherit the title. (BBC)

Politics and elections

United States presidential election, 2016
- Kentucky Senator Rand Paul suspends his campaign for the Republican Party nomination for President of the United States. (Vox) (Politico)
- Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum withdraws from the race. (Washington Post)
Irish general election, 2016
- Voters in Ireland will go to the polls on February 26 after the President dissolves the current Dail or parliament. (AAP via News Limited), (BBC)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

February 4, 2016

Top News Stories –

Earth, Wind & Fire soul band founder Maurice White dies –
The founder of soul group Earth, Wind & Fire, Maurice White, has died in the US, his brother has said. White, 74, died in his sleep in Los Angeles on Thursday morning. He suffered from Parkinson’s Disease. His band had a series of hits including September, Boogie Wonderland, Shining Star and After the Love has Gone. The singer-songwriter was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1992 but his condition was reported to have got worse in recent months. [BBC]
Maruice White 1982

Black tarantula named after Johnny Cash –
A new species of black tarantula that lives near Folsom Prison, California, has been named after Johnny Cash. The famously black-clad country singer wrote a song about the prison, and also played a historic series of concerts for inmates there in the 1960s. Aphonopelma johnnycashi is among 14 new tarantula species from the southern US which have been described by biologists in the journal ZooKeys. As part of his PhD research at Auburn University in Alabama, Chris Hamilton carefully whittled that down to 29. He eliminated a lot of double-counting, but also defined 14 species that were entirely new to science. “It’s a perfect name. It fits the spider – it’s found around Folsom and the males are predominantly all black, so it fits his image. “I have a Johnny Cash tattoo so I was very happy that it worked out that way.” [BBC]
The cover art for the album At Folsom Prison by the artist Johnny Cash. Copyright Columbia Pictures

Video of the Day –

Our Changing Climate from Jack Harries on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#friendsday	#friendsday	#WorldCancerDay
2	#QuintaNoClubeSDV	#WorldCancerDay	#timetotalk
3	#StayStrongLauren	#KIMOJI	#scientistherdnames
4	#زد_رصيدك83	#INeverWantToExperience	#WhoWillSpeakForEngland
5	#FelizJueves	#scalepeacetech	#SupportSyrians
6	#あなたをダメダメ�…	Julian Assange	#friendsday
7	#DiaMundialContraElCancer	#NationalPrayerBreakfast	Julian Assange
8	#WorldCancerDay	Rosa Parks	#TrumpDonald
9	#من_قلبي_اقول	#timetotalk	#RAJAR
10	#4FRebelionChavista	#TrumpDonald	#WalkOutOn77

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- A drone strike in Yemen‘s Shabwah Governorate kills six suspected Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula militants. (Jerusalem Post)
Russian intervention in the Syrian Civil War, Battle of Aleppo (2012–present)
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports Russian airstrikes on several rebel-held neighborhoods in the city of Aleppo, kills at least 21 civilians. (AFP via Yahoo!)
- Russia‘s Ministry of Defence accuses Turkey of preparing a military incursion into northern Syria, saying it had registered “a growing number of signs of hidden preparation of the Turkish Armed Forces for active actions on the territory of Syria”. Tens of thousands of Turkish troops are active on the border of Syria involved in fighting the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). (Reuters)

Business and economy

The U.S. President Barack Obama will within days propose a plan to tax crude oil $10 a barrel in order to fund infrastructure spending, according to a White House statement. (Reuters).

Health

Zika virus outbreak
- The Polynesian state of Tonga declares a Zika virus epidemic with two confirmed cases and 265 suspected cases. (Radio New Zealand)
- A pregnant woman is reported with the Zika virus in Spain – the first case in Europe. (BBC)

International relations

Julian Assange
- The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention rules that Julian Assange is being arbitrarily detained. (BBC) (Reuters) (The Guardian)
Trans-Pacific Partnership
- Twelve nations, including the United States, sign the deal at SkyCity Auckland in Auckland, New Zealand. (BBC)(UPI)
European migrant crisis
- The President of Finland, Sauli Niinistö, in an address to the Finnish parliament (Eduskunta), says the current flow of migrants into Europe threatens the continent’s Western values and that the UN‘sConvention relating to the Status of Refugees is outdated, saying “All estimates predict that the flow of people will increase this year. This is challenging the ability of Western democracies to help and also challenging the very structures underlying the idea of Europe”. (Yle News)

Law and crime

The People’s Republic of China charges Zhao Liping, former Police Chief for Inner Mongolia with murder, bribery and possession of fire arms and explosives. (Reuters)
The suspect in the murder investigation of former Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands Els Borst admits to have assassinated her citing political motivations. (NOS) (RTL Nieuws)
Five adults and one child are found stabbed to death in the Chicago neighborhood of Gage Park in the U.S. (Chicago Tribune)
Terrorism in Germany
- German police arrest two Algerian men suspected of having links to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and planning terror attacks in the country. One of the men detained, reported to be aged 35, had been living in a refugee shelter in the town of Attendorn, east of Cologne. Police say “investigations show that he has been trained militarily in Syria“. (BBC)

Politics

Tamil national anthem
- Sri Lanka lifts unofficial ban on Tamil national anthem on independence day. (New York Times) (Indian Express)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

February 7, 2016

Top News Stories –

Super Bowl 50: Denver Broncos beat Carolina Panthers –
The Denver Broncos produced a defensive masterclass to upset the Carolina Panthers 24-10 and win Super Bowl 50. Carolina were heavy favourites, having lost only once all season and with the league’s Most Valuable Player of the season Cam Newton at quarterback. But Newton was smothered by the Broncos defence and gave up three turnovers, including one that led to a touchdown. That helped Denver, quarterbacked by veteran Peyton Manning, open a 10-0 lead early on and they never lost it. It had been rumoured the game would be 39-year-old Manning’s last, but he said afterwards he would “take time to reflect”. [BBC]

Coldplay and Beyonce star in half-time show –
British group Coldplay were the main performers at the half-time and they were joined by Beyonce, Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson. Coldplay opened the show by singing ‘Yellow’ and ‘Viva La Vida’ as children carrying multi-coloured umbrellas and violins streamed onto the pitch. Mars and Ronson performed their hit ‘Uptown Funk’, before Beyonce sang her new song ‘Formation’. The artists closed the show by performing a mash-up of Coldplay’s hit ‘Fix You’ and Beyonce’s ‘Crazy In Love’. [BBC]

Twitter suspends 125,000 ‘terrorism’ accounts –
Twitter says it has suspended more than 125,000 accounts since mid-2015 “for threatening or promoting terrorist acts”. In a blog, the US-based firm said the accounts “primarily related to ISIS” (the so-called Islamic State group). “We condemn the use of Twitter to promote terrorism,” it said, adding that it had increased its report reviewing teams to react faster. Twitter has more than 500 million users around the world. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

“NFL 2016: PART TWO” — A Bad Lip Reading of the NFL

Part One available here

List of the Day –

List of Superbowl Champions [from Wikipedia]

Game	Date	Winning team	Score	Losing team	Venue	City	Attendance
50	February 7, 2016	Denver Broncos†	24–10	Carolina Panthers*	Levi’s Stadium	Santa Clara, California (2)^{[note 1]}	71,088
		(8, 3–5)		(2, 0–2)
XLIX	February 1, 2015	New England Patriots†	28–24	Seattle Seahawks*	University of Phoenix Stadium (2)	Glendale, Arizona (3)[note 1]	70,288
		(8, 4–4)		(3, 1–2)
XLVIII	February 2, 2014	Seattle Seahawks*	43–8	Denver Broncos†	MetLife Stadium	East Rutherford, New Jersey	82,529
		(2, 1–1)		(7, 2–5)
XLVII	February 3, 2013	Baltimore Ravens†	34–31	San Francisco 49ers*	Mercedes-Benz Superdome (7)	New Orleans, Louisiana (10)	71,024
		(2, 2–0)		(6, 5–1)
XLVI	February 5, 2012	New York Giants*	21–17	New England Patriots†	Lucas Oil Stadium	Indianapolis, Indiana	68,658
		(5, 4–1)		(7, 3–4)
XLV	February 6, 2011	Green Bay Packers*	31–25	Pittsburgh Steelers†	Cowboys Stadium	Arlington, Texas	103,219
		(5, 4–1)		(8, 6–2)
XLIV	February 7, 2010	New Orleans Saints*	31–17	Indianapolis Colts†	Sun Life Stadium (5)^{[note 3]}	Miami Gardens, Florida (10)[note 2]	74,059
		(1, 1–0)		(4, 2–2)
XLIII	February 1, 2009	Pittsburgh Steelers†	27–23	Arizona Cardinals*	Raymond James Stadium (2)	Tampa, Florida (4)	70,774
		(7, 6–1)		(1, 0–1)
XLII	February 3, 2008	New York Giants*	17–14	New England Patriots†	University of Phoenix Stadium	Glendale, Arizona (2)^{[note 1]}	71,101
		(4, 3–1)		(6, 3–3)
XLI	February 4, 2007	Indianapolis Colts†	29–17	Chicago Bears*	Dolphin Stadium (4)^{[note 3]}	Miami Gardens, Florida (9)[note 2]	74,512
		(3, 2–1)		(2, 1–1)
XL	February 5, 2006	Pittsburgh Steelers†	21–10	Seattle Seahawks*	Ford Field	Detroit, Michigan (2)^{[note 1]}	68,206
		(6, 5–1)		(1, 0–1)
XXXIX	February 6, 2005	New England Patriots†	24–21	Philadelphia Eagles*	ALLTEL Stadium	Jacksonville, Florida	78,125
		(5, 3–2)		(2, 0–2)
XXXVIII	February 1, 2004	New England Patriots†	32–29	Carolina Panthers*	Reliant Stadium^{[note 3]}	Houston, Texas (2)	71,525
		(4, 2–2)		(1, 0–1)
XXXVII	January 26, 2003	Tampa Bay Buccaneers*	48–21	Oakland Raiders†	Qualcomm Stadium (3)[note 3]	San Diego, California (3)	67,603
		(1, 1–0)		(5, 3–2)
XXXVI	February 3, 2002	New England Patriots†	20–17	St. Louis Rams*	Louisiana Superdome (6)	New Orleans, Louisiana (9)	72,922
		(3, 1–2)		(3, 1–2)
XXXV	January 28, 2001	Baltimore Ravens†	34–7	New York Giants*	Raymond James Stadium	Tampa, Florida (3)	71,921
		(1, 1–0)		(3, 2–1)
XXXIV	January 30, 2000	St. Louis Rams*	23–16	Tennessee Titans†	Georgia Dome (2)	Atlanta, Georgia (2)	72,625
		(2, 1–1)		(1, 0–1)
XXXIII	January 31, 1999	Denver Broncos†	34–19	Atlanta Falcons*	Pro Player Stadium (3)^{[note 3]}	Miami Gardens, Florida (8)[note 2]	74,803
		(6, 2–4)		(1, 0–1)
XXXII	January 25, 1998	Denver Broncos†	31–24	Green Bay Packers*	Qualcomm Stadium (2)^{[note 3]}	San Diego, California (2)	68,912
		(5, 1–4)		(4, 3–1)
XXXI	January 26, 1997	Green Bay Packers*	35–21	New England Patriots†	Louisiana Superdome (5)	New Orleans, Louisiana (8)	72,301
		(3, 3–0)		(2, 0–2)
XXX	January 28, 1996	Dallas Cowboys*	27–17	Pittsburgh Steelers†	Sun Devil Stadium	Tempe, Arizona^{[note 1]}	76,347
		(8, 5–3)		(5, 4–1)
XXIX	January 29, 1995	San Francisco 49ers*	49–26	San Diego Chargers†	Joe Robbie Stadium (2)[note 3]	Miami Gardens, Florida (7)[note 2]	74,107
		(5, 5–0)		(1, 0–1)
XXVIII	January 30, 1994	Dallas Cowboys*	30–13	Buffalo Bills†	Georgia Dome	Atlanta, Georgia	72,817
		(7, 4–3)		(4, 0–4)
XXVII	January 31, 1993	Dallas Cowboys*	52–17	Buffalo Bills†	Rose Bowl (5)	Pasadena, California (7)[note 1]	98,374
		(6, 3–3)		(3, 0–3)
XXVI	January 26, 1992	Washington Redskins*	37–24	Buffalo Bills†	Metrodome	Minneapolis, Minnesota	63,130
		(5, 3–2)		(2, 0–2)
XXV	January 27, 1991	New York Giants*	20–19	Buffalo Bills†	Tampa Stadium (2)	Tampa, Florida (2)	73,813
		(2, 2–0)		(1, 0–1)
XXIV	January 28, 1990	San Francisco 49ers*	55–10	Denver Broncos†	Louisiana Superdome (4)	New Orleans, Louisiana (7)	72,919
		(4, 4–0)		(4, 0–4)
XXIII	January 22, 1989	San Francisco 49ers*	20–16	Cincinnati Bengals†	Joe Robbie Stadium^{[note 3]}	Miami Gardens, Florida (6)^{[note 2]}	75,129
		(3, 3–0)		(2, 0–2)
XXII	January 31, 1988	Washington Redskins*	42–10	Denver Broncos†	Jack Murphy Stadium^{[note 3]}	San Diego, California	73,302
		(4, 2–2)		(3, 0–3)
XXI	January 25, 1987	New York Giants*	39–20	Denver Broncos†	Rose Bowl (4)	Pasadena, California (6)[note 1]	101,063
		(1, 1–0)		(2, 0–2)
XX	January 26, 1986	Chicago Bears*	46–10	New England Patriots†	Louisiana Superdome (3)	New Orleans, Louisiana (6)	73,818
		(1, 1–0)		(1, 0–1)
XIX	January 20, 1985	San Francisco 49ers*	38–16	Miami Dolphins†	Stanford Stadium	Stanford, California^{[note 1]}	84,059
		(2, 2–0)		(5, 2–3)
XVIII	January 22, 1984	Los Angeles Raiders†	38–9	Washington Redskins*	Tampa Stadium	Tampa, Florida	72,920
		(4, 3–1)		(3, 1–2)
XVII	January 30, 1983	Washington Redskins*	27–17	Miami Dolphins†	Rose Bowl (3)	Pasadena, California (5)[note 1]	103,667
		(2, 1–1)		(4, 2–2)
XVI	January 24, 1982	San Francisco 49ers*	26–21	Cincinnati Bengals†	Pontiac Silverdome	Pontiac, Michigan^{[note 1]}	81,270
		(1, 1–0)		(1, 0–1)
XV	January 25, 1981	Oakland Raiders†	27–10	Philadelphia Eagles*	Louisiana Superdome (2)	New Orleans, Louisiana (5)	76,135
		(3, 2–1)		(1, 0–1)
XIV	January 20, 1980	Pittsburgh Steelers†	31–19	Los Angeles Rams*	Rose Bowl (2)	Pasadena, California (4)[note 1]	103,985
		(4, 4–0)		(1, 0–1)
XIII	January 21, 1979	Pittsburgh Steelers†	35–31	Dallas Cowboys*	Miami Orange Bowl (5)	Miami, Florida (5)[note 2]	79,484
		(3, 3–0)		(5, 2–3)
XII	January 15, 1978	Dallas Cowboys*	27–10	Denver Broncos†	Louisiana Superdome	New Orleans, Louisiana (4)	76,400
		(4, 2–2)		(1, 0–1)
XI	January 9, 1977	Oakland Raiders†	32–14	Minnesota Vikings*	Rose Bowl	Pasadena, California (3)^{[note 1]}	103,438
		(2, 1–1)		(4, 0–4)
X	January 18, 1976	Pittsburgh Steelers†	21–17	Dallas Cowboys*	Miami Orange Bowl (4)	Miami, Florida (4)[note 2]	80,187
		(2, 2–0)		(3, 1–2)
IX	January 12, 1975	Pittsburgh Steelers†	16–6	Minnesota Vikings*	Tulane Stadium (3)	New Orleans, Louisiana (3)	80,997
		(1, 1–0)		(3, 0–3)
VIII	January 13, 1974	Miami Dolphins†	24–7	Minnesota Vikings*	Rice Stadium	Houston, Texas	71,882
		(3, 2–1)		(2, 0–2)
VII	January 14, 1973	Miami Dolphins†	14–7	Washington Redskins*	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (2)	Los Angeles, California (2)[note 1]	90,182
		(2, 1–1)		(1, 0–1)
VI	January 16, 1972	Dallas Cowboys*	24–3	Miami Dolphins†	Tulane Stadium (2)	New Orleans, Louisiana (2)	81,023
		(2, 1–1)		(1, 0–1)
V	January 17, 1971	Baltimore Colts†	16–13	Dallas Cowboys*	Miami Orange Bowl (3)	Miami, Florida (3)[note 2]	79,204
		(2, 1–1)		(1, 0–1)
IV	January 11, 1970	Kansas City Chiefs^	23–7	Minnesota Vikings‡	Tulane Stadium	New Orleans, Louisiana	80,562
		(2, 1–1)		(1, 0–1)
III	January 12, 1969	New York Jets^	16–7	Baltimore Colts‡	Miami Orange Bowl (2)	Miami, Florida (2)[note 2]	75,389
		(1, 1–0)		(1, 0–1)
II	January 14, 1968	Green Bay Packers‡	33–14	Oakland Raiders^	Miami Orange Bowl	Miami, Florida^{[note 2]}	75,546
		(2, 2–0)		(1, 0–1)
I	January 15, 1967	Green Bay Packers‡	35–10	Kansas City Chiefs^	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum	Los Angeles, California^{[note 1]}	61,946
		(1, 1–0)		(1, 0–1)

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#FelizDomingo	#1yearsinceOTRA	#StormImogen
2	#عنوان_كتابك_ا�…	#10YearsofAmazingPhil	#IREvWAL
3	#1yearsinceOTRA	Marshawn Lynch	#ImGoingTheVampsNewcastle
4	#DomingoDeMomoDeTreSdv	#TWDMarathon	#10YearsofAmazingPhil
5	#SePasaElTiempoYYo	#PepsiHalftime	#1yearsinceOTRA
6	#من_علامات_الج�…	#FootballASong	#Formation
7	UNION SELENATORS	#SB50	#VisitMyMosque
8	#LibertadDeExpresión	#Metallica	#B12hr
9	#UFCVegas	#SandraBland	#UFCVegas
10	#あなたの本名当て�…	Ashkelon	Beyoncé

Other News Stories –

Disasters and accidents

2016 Kaohsiung earthquake
- The death toll from yesterday’s earthquake in Taiwan rises to at least 29, with at least 120 trapped under collapsed buildings in Tainan, while 198 people have been rescued. (AP) (Taipei Times)
A man is killed and three other employees are injured following a suspected meteorite strike in a garden outside the Bharathidasan Engineering College in Tamil Nadu, India. Witnesses say they saw a mysterious object fall from the sky. If confirmed, this would be the first recorded fatality from a meteorite strike. (Metro) (The Indian Express)
One person is killed and six others injured in an explosion at JCG Farms, an American feed mill near Atlanta, Georgia. (AP)

International relations

North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- North Korea launches a long range rocket that critics claim is a test of banned technology for a long range missile that could hit the United States. South Korea’s military says the rocket released an object into orbit. (AP via Washington Post) (CNN) (Reuters)
- Japan‘s NHK news reports the rocket passed over the southern Japanese island of Okinawa. Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzō Abe, condemns the launch and says, “We absolutely cannot allow this. We will take action to totally protect the safety and well-being of our people”. The Japanese government says no rocket debris fell on Japanese territory and there are no reports of damage. The rocket reportedly falls into waters southwest of Jeju Island. (ABC News), (Yonhap)
- South Korea’s intelligence agency claims that North Korea is preparing for another nuclear test. (Yonhap)
- The United Nations Security Council condemns North Korea’s long-range missile launch, a violation of numerous U.N. resolutions. (CNN) (USA Today)
Syrian Civil War, Foreign involvement in the Syrian Civil War
- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) says it is ready to deploy ground troops to Syria as part of an international coalition to fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, if said coalition was led by theUnited States. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

Two people are killed and ten others are injured in a shooting outside an Orlando, Florida nightclub. (Click Orlando)
One person is killed and seven others are injured in a shooting outside a Rochester, New York sports bar. (ABC News)
Hamas reports it has executed one of its commanders, Mahmoud Eshtewi, for “moral and behavioral violations.” Human Rights Watch, contacted by Eshtewi’s family, had been monitoring the case. (AP viaThe Washington Post)

Politics and elections

Politicians in Haiti agree to a process to select an interim President to replace Michel Martelly. Presidential elections will be held on April 14 with the winner to be sworn in on 14 May. (BBC)
- Haiti delays Carnival celebrations over concern that anti-government protests might turn violent. (Reuters) (The Guardian)
The Parliament of Algeria considers a new constitution imposing term limits for the President and recognising Amazigh as an official language. (AP)

Sport

In American football, the Denver Broncos defeat the Carolina Panthers 24–10 in Super Bowl 50. Von Miller, an outside linebacker, is named as the game’s Most Valuable Player. (BBC), (ESPN)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

February 8, 2016

Top News Stories –

Power being restored after Storm Imogen hits England and Wales –
More than a thousand properties remain without power after Storm Imogen brought heavy rain and strong winds. South-west England and south and mid-Wales bore the brunt, with rail and ferry services disrupted and some schools closed. Waves of up to 19.1m (63ft) were measured off the Cornish coast, and winds of 70-80mph felt in many areas. Winds of more than 80mph were recorded in many areas, including 81mph on the Isles of Scilly, 84mph in Pembrey Sands, Carmarthenshire, and 96mph at The Needles, off the Isle of Wight. The Met Office said “phenomenal” sea conditions were also measured at several points offshore. Defined as waves of more than 14m (46ft), it is the highest level on the World Meteorological Scale. [BBC]

Thousands flock to ‘malware museum’ –
An online archive of old computer malware has attracted more than 100,000 visitors since it launched four days ago. Some of the software showed an animation or messages. Others invited the infected user to play a game. Many of the viruses were created by “happy hackers” rather than organised criminals, said cybersecurity expert and curator Mikko Hypponen. The malware all dates from the 1980s and 1990s. The versions online have all been stripped of their destructive capabilities, but show the messages they would have displayed within emulator windows. His personal favourite is a virus called Casino, which overwrote a crucial part of the computer’s file system but took a copy of personal files and then offered the user the opportunity to win them back in a game of Jackpot. “Casino was a real problem,” Mr Hypponen, who works at security firm F-Secure, told the BBC. “At the time the advice was, you lose nothing by playing. In the early 1990s very few people had back-ups so you had lost your files anyway.” [BBC]

Video of the Day –

The All-New 2016 Toyota Prius | The Longest Chase #GoPriusGo | Toyota

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#FelizLunes	#AfterAllTheMistakesIveMade	#ImGoingTheVampsLONDON
2	Pangako Ng Pagkabisto	#CRS2016	#SMEX16
3	#EsTiempoPara	#VoteTogether	#mondaymotivation
4	YOU ARE MY ANGEL SELENA	#ChineseNewYear	#StormImogen
5	#VemCarnavalNoClubeSDV	#BeingABlackGirlIsLit	#WarAndPeace
6	#RIPHABBO	#FelizLunes	#Gregathlon
7	#好きなアニメ当て�…	#anthemoftheseas	#emfec16
8	#DevletKatliamınıLanetli…	#IHelpOthersBy	American Football
9	#FelizCumplePresidente	#BadValentineIn5Words	#childrensmhw
10	READY FOR AG3	#HowToKeepHer2016	#PancakeDay

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- A Libyan Air Force MiG-23 fighter jet crashes due to a “mechanical failure”, while conducting airstrikes on Islamic State-controlled areas in the eastern city of Derna. (Reuters)
Syrian Civil War
- United Nations investigators accuse the Government of Syria of “extermination” in its jails and detention centres. (Wires via ABC News Australia)
Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
- A Scud missile fired from Yemen is intercepted over Saudi Arabia. The missile’s target is believed to have been the King Khalid Air Base, near the city of Khamis Mushait. (AFP via Al Arabiya)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Taiwan earthquake
- The death toll from the Taiwan earthquake rises to 38 with more than 100 people missing. (Reuters via Yahoo! News) (AP via CBS News)
- Tainan mayor William Lai warns the death toll probably will exceed 100. “There are more fatalities than those pulled out,” he said. (USA Today)
2015–16 UK and Ireland windstorm season
- Storm Imogen is set to impact the British Isles with 80mph winds and heavy rain. The United Kingdom‘s Met Office issues warnings for South West England, particularly the Cornish coast due to large waves, and South Wales. (Sky News)
European migrant crisis
- At least 27 migrants die in a shipwreck in the Aegean Sea when a boat capsizes in the Turkish bay of Edremit, near the Greek island of Lesbos. (ANSAmed) (Leadership) (news.com.au) (BBC)

International relations

Korean border incidents
- The South Korean Navy fires warning shots at a North Korean patrol boat after it crossed the Northern Limit Line in the Yellow Sea and entered South Korean-controlled waters. As of 2016, North Korea refuses to recognize the so-called Northern Limit Line, that was drawn up at the end of the Korean War. (Reuters)
Refugees of the Syrian Civil War
- New refugee camps go up near the Syria–Turkey border after Turkey blocks thousands of refugees from entering the country. (BBC)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

The 2010s

The story of a decade

Tag Archives: Syrian Civil War

November 17, 2015

November 18, 2015

November 20, 2015

November 24, 2015

November 25, 2015

November 28, 2015

November 29, 2015

November 30, 2015

December 2, 2015

December 7, 2015

December 8, 2015

December 9, 2015

December 10, 2015

December 12, 2015

December 13, 2015

December 15, 2015

December 18, 2015

December 20, 2015

1. Episode IV: A New Hope (1977) – $1,486m

2. Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) – $818m

3. Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983) – $784m

4. Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999) – $707m

5. Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005) – $495m

6. Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002) – $446m

7. The Clone Wars (2008) – $41m

December 23, 2015

December 25, 2015

January 9, 2016

January 16, 2016

January 19, 2016

January 23, 2016

January 26, 2016

January 31, 2016

February 3, 2016

February 4, 2016

February 7, 2016

February 8, 2016