November 19, 2015

Top News Stories –

World’s second-largest diamond ‘found in Botswana’ –
The world’s second-largest gem quality diamond has been discovered in Botswana, the Lucara Diamond firm says. The 1,111-carat stone was recovered from its Karowe mine, about 500km (300 miles) north of the capital, Gaborone. It is the biggest diamond to be discovered in Botswana and the largest find in more than a century. The 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond was found in South Africa in 1905 and cut into nine separate stones, many of which are in the British Crown Jewels. [BBC]
Lucara Diamondcopyright Lucara Diamond Corp.

Scientists have trained pigeons to diagnose breast cancer –
Doctors train for years in order to be able to correctly diagnose cancer – but could they soon be replaced by pigeons? Well, no. Obviously not. However, scientists have now discovered that pigeons are surprisingly adept when it comes to spotting cancerous cells. In a study led by Professor Richard Levenson of the University of California, pigeons were shown microscope images of breast tissue, and then rewarded with food if if they correctly pecked a coloured button that corresponded to either cancerous or healthy tissue. [Daily Telegraph]

Bangladesh: Government ‘mistakenly’ cuts off internet –
An internet shutdown in Bangladesh which lasted for more than an hour was a “mistake”, according to the authorities. Officials announced on Wednesday that access to Facebook, Viber and WhatsApp had all been blocked in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling upholding death sentences for two men convicted of war crimes. But the country’s Telecommunication Regulatory Commission says it accidentally cut off access to the internet across the whole country. The web blackout started at around 13:00 local time and lasted at least 75 minutes, according to the Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Star. “We restored the internet as soon as we realised the mistake,” says Shahjahan Mahmood, the commission’s chairman. The messaging services were blocked as originally planned in order to maintain security, he says. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Zoolander 2 Trailer – Paramount Pictures

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide USA UK
1 #TemporaryFixProject #InternationalMensDay #InternationalMensDay
2 #InternationalMensDay #JaredFogle #WorldToiletDay
3 치인트 #WhatINeedToHearRightNow #IWouldSleepMoreBut
4 #Empire #SexyHolidays Richie McCaw
5 #PrayForMegaFilmes #WorldToiletDay #ChampagneCampaign
6 #ALDUB18thWeeksary Blac Chyna #IStillFacebookBecause
7 Marta Domínguez #TemporaryFixProject #SixWordSciFi
8 Luis Miguel #LatinGRAMMY #juniordoctors
9 #CosasQueTerminanMal Abdelhamid Abaaoud Peter Robinson
10 #DiaInternacionalDelHombre Jimmy Butler Birms

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
Arts and culture
Business and economy
Health and medicine
International relations
Law and crime
Politics and elections

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_VardyJamie 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
Arts and culture
Disasters and accidents
International relations
Law and crime
Politics and elections
Sport

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 tweet
Andy_MurrayAndy 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_RosbergNico 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
Australia
MAL
Malaysia
CHN
China
BHR
Bahrain
ESP
Spain
MON
Monaco
CAN
Canada
AUT
Austria
GBR
United Kingdom
HUN
Hungary
BEL
Belgium
ITA
Italy
SIN
Singapore
JPN
Japan
RUS
Russia
USA
United States
MEX
Mexico
BRA
Brazil
ABU
United Arab Emirates
Points
1 United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton 1 2 1 1 2 3 1 2 1 6 1 1 Ret 1 1 1 2 2 2 381
2 Germany Nico Rosberg 2 3 2 3 1 1 2 1 2 8 2 17† 4 2 Ret 2 1 1 1 322
3 Germany Sebastian Vettel 3 1 3 5 3 2 5 4 3 1 12† 2 1 3 2 3 Ret 3 4 278
4 Finland Kimi Räikkönen Ret 4 4 2 5 6 4 Ret 8 Ret 7 5 3 4 8 Ret Ret 4 3 150
5 Finland Valtteri Bottas DNS 5 6 4 4 14 3 5 5 13 9 4 5 5 12† Ret 3 5 13 136
6 Brazil Felipe Massa 4 6 5 10 6 15 6 3 4 12 6 3 Ret 17 4 Ret 6 DSQ 8 121
7 Russia Daniil Kvyat DNS 9 Ret 9 10 4 9 12 6 2 4 10 6 13 5 Ret 4 7 10 95
8 Australia Daniel Ricciardo 6 10 9 6 7 5 13 10 Ret 3 Ret 8 2 15 15† 10 5 11 6 92
9 Mexico Sergio Pérez 10 13 11 8 13 7 11 9 9 Ret 5 6 7 12 3 5 8 12 5 78
10 Germany Nico Hülkenberg 7 14 Ret 13 15 11 8 6 7 Ret DNS 7 Ret 6 Ret Ret 7 6 7 58
11 France Romain Grosjean Ret 11 7 7 8 12 10 Ret Ret 7 3 Ret 13† 7 Ret Ret 10 8 9 51
12 Netherlands Max Verstappen Ret 7 17† Ret 11 Ret 15 8 Ret 4 8 12 8 9 10 4 9 9 16 49
13 Brazil Felipe Nasr 5 12 8 12 12 9 16 11 DNS 11 11 13 10 20† 6 9 Ret 13 15 27
14 Venezuela Pastor Maldonado        Ret Ret Ret 15 Ret Ret 7 7 Ret 14 Ret Ret 12 8 7 8 11 10 Ret 27
15 Spain Carlos Sainz, Jr. 9 8 13 Ret 9 10 12 Ret Ret Ret Ret 11 9 10 Ret 7 13 Ret 11 18
16 United Kingdom Jenson Button 11 Ret 14 DNS 16 8 Ret Ret Ret 9 14 14 Ret 16 9 6 14 14 12 16
17 Spain Fernando Alonso Ret 12 11 Ret Ret Ret Ret 10 5 13 18† Ret 11 11 11 Ret 15 17 11
18 Sweden Marcus Ericsson 8 Ret 10 14 14 13 14 13 11 10 10 9 11 14 Ret Ret 12 16 14 9
19 Spain Roberto Merhi DNP 15 16 17 18 16 Ret 14 12 15 15 16 13 19 0
20 United States Alexander Rossi 14 18 12 15 18 0
21 United Kingdom Will Stevens DNP DNS 15 16 17 17 17 Ret 13 16† 16 15 15 19 14 Ret 16 17 18 0
Denmark  Kevin Magnussen DNS 0
Pos. Driver AUS
Australia
MAL
Malaysia
CHN
China
BHR
Bahrain
ESP
Spain
MON
Monaco
CAN
Canada
AUT
Austria
GBR
United Kingdom
HUN
Hungary
BEL
Belgium
ITA
Italy
SIN
Singapore
JPN
Japan
RUS
Russia
USA
United States
MEX
Mexico
BRA
Brazil
ABU
United Arab Emirates
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
Disasters and accidents
International relations
Law and crime
Politics and elections
Sport

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

December 5, 2015

Top News Stories –

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West welcome new baby arrival –
Kim Kardashian has given birth to a baby boy. The news was announced on the reality television star’s website, with a short note that said: “Kim Kardashian West and her husband, Kanye West, welcomed the arrival of their son this morning. Mother and son are doing well.” The couple are already parents to daughter North who was born in June 2013. [Daily Telegraph]
Kim-KardashianKim Kardashian

Actor Morgan Freeman in plane scare –
A private plane carrying Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman was forced to make an emergency landing, but the star and his pilot were unhurt. The plane blew a tyre on take-off from Clarksdale, Mississippi, on Saturday.
The SJ30 jet made a forced landing in Tunica, about 40 miles (65km) away, where it went off the runway. In a statement, the Shawshank Redemption star said: “Sometimes things don’t go as planned and a tyre blew on take-off, which caused other problems.” He continued: “But thanks to my excellent pilot Jimmy Hobson we landed safely without a scratch. [BBC]
Morgan_FreemanMorgan Freeman

Video of the Day –

Burnt Rice

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide USA UK
1 #SabadoComOClubeSDV Niall and Selena #SmallBizSatUK
2 #زد_رصيدك22 #PlaystationExperience #StormDesmond
3 #FelizSabado Kim and Kanye #KIISJingleBall
4 #EnEste2016Planeo #Solidarity #KarachiVotesForMQM
5 #ALDUBRendezvous #RepealDay Cumbria
6 #KIISJingleBall #SECChampionship #MuslimApartment
7 #EuNaoSouObgA #ActionDay #GrahamNorton
8 #اكبر_غلطه_ف_حي… #KIISJingleBall #BlueNeighbourhood
9 #حنا_الحكومه_و�… Baylor #TheExperience10
10 #توحيد_الزي_ال�… Anthony Davis Robert Loggia

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
Arts and culture
Disasters and accidents
International relations

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_TrumpDonald 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
Business and economy
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
Law and crime
Politics and elections
Science and technology

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
Paris COP21 logo2015 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 - The Summit 2013Elon 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
International relations
Law and crime
Politics and elections
Sports

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

April 22, 2016

Top News Stories –

Finland’s postal workers to mow lawns –
Finland’s postal service will be doing more than just delivering letters and parcels this summer – its workers will be mowing lawns, too. The state-owned Posti company is offering a weekly grass cutting service, with customers able to choose either 30 minutes or 60 minutes of lawn-mowing time, the national broadcaster Yle reports. It will only be available on Tuesdays, though, as the volume of post tends to be lighter than on other days, and customers will have to provide their own lawnmower. They’ll also have to be willing to pay 65 euro (£51; $73) a month for the half-hour sessions. [BBC]

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide USA
1 #DiaDeLaTierra Happy Passover
2 #SextaDetremuraSdv #FlashbackFriday
3 #EarthDay #FridayFeeling
4 #شي_مات_في_مجتم… #RUDigitalBlackness
5 #ALDUBAkingMahal #SpotifyGameOfThrones
6 #TirusDay2016 #DiaDeLaTierra
7 #ComoPretextoDiré Pike County
8 #TomorrowlandNoMultishow #PrinceGoneTooSoon
9 #صلو_علي_النبي #EarthDay
10 #StopCoupInBrazil #PuertoRicoPuertoRicans

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks
Arts and culture
Business and economics
Disasters and accidents
International relations
Law and crime
Politics and elections
Science and technology
Sport

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource