United States - The 2010s

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)

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February 5, 2016

Top News Stories –

X Games biker and BMX star Dave Mirra dies –
Police in the US say X Games biker Dave Mirra has died aged 41. Officers in North Carolina say his body was found early on Thursday with an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound. Dave Mirra was a former BMX champion and one of the most decorated athletes in X Games history. He won a medal every year from 1995 to 2008, picking up 14 golds. His one-time record of 24 career medals was only broken in 2013 by Bob Burnquist. Only Shaun White has won more X Games gold medals than him. [BBC Newsbeat] See Top Twitter Trends (UK)
Dave Mirra in 2010

New York crane collapse kills at least one person –
A large construction crane has collapsed in lower Manhattan in New York City, killing one person and injuring at least two others. The Fire Department of New York confirmed the fatality and is on the scene responding to the accident. The collapse happened along West Broadway early on Friday morning in the Tribeca neighbourhood. The downed crane, which filled the street, fell onto numerous parked cars. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the victim was sitting in a parked car at the time of the accident, and that it was caused by high winds. Workers were in the process of lowering the crane due to the high winds when it collapsed. No workers were injured. [BBC] See Video of the Day

1957 Ferrari 335 S Spider Scaglietti breaks auction sale for racing car at $32 million –
A 1957 Ferrari driven by the great British motor racers of the 1950s broke the record for the world’s most expensive racing car sold at auction after fetching just over €32 million (£24.7 million) on Friday. Despite the stratospheric price at the Artcurial auction in Paris, the buyer cannot use the vehicle on the roads as it was designed purely for racing. Only four Ferrari 335 S Spider Scagliettis were ever produced, and this one had been in the hands of a private French collector for more than 40 years – hence the feverish excitement at the Rétromobile classic car show in Paris, where the auction took place. The 335S is purely a racing car, unlike the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, which was a dual purpose vehicle also homologated for road use.[Daily Telegraph] See List of the Day

Video of the Day –

Crane collapse in New York – original footage by Glenn Zito

Copyright Glenn Zito.

List of the Day –

Cars sold at auction for over $10 million (source Wikipedia]

Date	MY	Car	s/n	Auctioneer	Locale	Original price	Adjusted
August 14, 2014	1962	Ferrari 250 GTO	3851GT	Bonhams	Carmel, California, United States	US$38,115,000	$38,098,927
February 5, 2016	1957	Ferrari 335S	674	Artcurial	Paris, France	US$35,711,359	$35,711,359
July 12, 2013	1954	Mercedes-Benz W196	196 010 00006/54	Bonhams	Goodwood, West Sussex, United Kingdom	US$29,600,000	$30,069,371
December 10, 2015	1956	Ferrari 290 MM	626	RM Sotheby’s	New York City, New York, United States	US$28,050,000	$28,050,000
August 17, 2013	1967	Ferrari 275 GTB/4*S NART Spider	10709	RM Auctions	Monterey, California, United States	US$27,500,000	$27,936,071
August 16, 2014	1964	Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale	6701	RM Auctions	Monterrey, California, United States	US$26,400,000	$26,388,867
February 6, 2015	1961	Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider	2935GT	Artcurial	Paris, France	US$18,500,000	$18,500,000
June 27, 2014	1954	Ferrari 375-Plus Spider Competizione	384	Bonhams	Goodwood, West Sussex, United Kingdom	US$18,400,177	$18,392,418
August 13, 2015	1964	Ferrari 250 LM	6105	RM Auctions	Monterey, California, United States	US$17,600,000	$17,600,000
August 17, 2015	1961	Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider	3095GT	Gooding & Company	Pebble Beach, California, United States	US$16,830,000	$16,830,000
August 17, 2015	1962	Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Speciale	3269GT	Gooding & Company	Pebble Beach, California, United States	US$16,500,000	$16,500,000
August 21, 2011	1957	Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa	0666TR	Gooding & Company	Pebble Beach, California, United States	US$16,390,000	$17,241,019
August 16, 2014	1961	Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider	2903 GT	Gooding & Company	Pebble Beach, California, United States	US$15,180,000	$15,173,599
November 21, 2013	1964	Ferrari 250 LM	6107	RM Auctions	New York City, New York, United States	US$14,300,000	$14,526,757
December 10, 2015	1962	Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato	DB4GT/0186/R	RM Auctions	New York City, New York, United States	US$14,300,000	$14,300,000
August 13, 2015	1998	McLaren F1 ‘LM-Specification’	SA9AB5AC4W1048073	RM Auctions	Monterey, California, United States	US$13,750,000	$13,750,000
August 13, 2015	1956	Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta ‘Tour de France’	0557GT	RM Auctions	Monterey, California, United States	US$13,200,000	$13,200,000
August 14, 2015	1953	Jaguar C-Type Works Lightweight	XKC 052	RM Auctions	Monterey, California, United States	US$13,200,000	$13,200,000
May 25, 2013	1953	Ferrari 340/375 MM Berlinetta ‘Competizione’	0320AM	RM Auctions	Tivoli, Lazio, Italy	US$12,812,800	$13,015,974
May 17, 2009	1957	Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa	0714TR	RM Auctions	Maranello, Emilia-Romagna, Italy	US$12,402,500	$13,679,879
August 19, 2012	1936	Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster	130949	Gooding & Company	Pebble Beach, California, United States	US$11,770,000	$12,131,681
August 15, 2014	1964	Ferrari 250 LM	6045	RM Auctions	Monterrey, California, United States	US$11,550,000	$11,545,129
October 14, 2015	1960	Ferrari 250 GT SWB	1995GT	H&H Classics	Duxford, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom	US$11,440,968	$11,440,968
August 19, 2012	1960	Ferrari 250 GT California LWB Competizione Spyder	1639 GT	Gooding & Company	Pebble Beach, California, United States	US$11,275,000	$11,621,471
August 17, 2012	1968	Ford GT40	P/1074	RM Auctions	Monterey, California, United States	US$11,000,000	$11,338,020
May 18, 2008	1961	Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider	2377GT	RM Auctions	Maranello, Emilia-Romagna, Italy	US$10,894,900	$11,974,287
May 18, 2008	1961	Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider	2377GT	Sotheby’s	Maranello, Emilia-Romagna, Italy	US$10,894,900	$11,974,287
August 21, 2011	1931	Duesenberg Model J Long-Wheelbase Coupe	2478	Gooding & Company	Pebble Beach, California, United States	US$10,340,000	$10,876,885
August 17, 2015	1982	Porsche 956	956-003	Gooding & Company	Pebble Beach, California, United States	US$10,120,000	$10,120,000
August 16, 2014	1967	Ferrari 275 GTB/4	10621	RM Auctions	Monterrey, California, United States	US$10,175,000	$10,170,709

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#UnaMujerNuncaPeroNunca	#FlashbackFriday	Dave Mirra
2	#VemSextaChegouClubeSDV	#WorldNutellaDay	#FridayFeeling
3	#WorldNutellaDay	#GoRedForWomen	Harry Harpham
4	#NoHayNadaPeorQue	#nationalweatherpersonsday	Maurice White
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8	#ALDUBPangalawangPagsubok	#PTOGW	#CBBFinal
9	#ConfissoesDeIgreja	Ryan Leaf	#FlashbackFriday
10	#CizredeKatliamVar	#MakeAFilmHip	#AesopRFH

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- The Syrian Army and its allies capture the town of Ataman, near the city of Daraa. (Reuters)
- Fifteen thousand Syrians mass at the border with Turkey as a result of the Syrian Government offensive in the Aleppo Governorate. (BBC)
Northern Mali conflict
- The United Nations mission in Mali confirms that the Malian armed forces had retaken a UN Police base in Timbuktu from unknown assailants that attacked it earlier in the day. (The Daily Star)
War in Somalia
- al Shabaab militants claim to have captured the port of Merca (Marka) after African Union and Somali Armed Forces withdraw. (AAP via News Limited)
Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- Clashes between local tribal forces and Sudanese fighters in Libya‘s southeastern Cyrenaica region around the town of Kufra leaves around 30 dead. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

The President of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe declares a state of disaster in most rural parts of the country due to a prolonged drought. (AAP via News Limited)
One person is killed, and two are seriously injured when a construction crane collapses in Lower Manhattan‘s Tribeca district. (NY Daily News)
Japan‘s Sakurajima volcano erupts prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue a warning not to approach it. The volcano, located in the southern Kagoshima Prefecture, is situated 50km from theSendai Nuclear Power Plant. (RT)
At least 37 people die in the Indian state of Gujarat after a passenger bus plunges off a bridge over the Purna River. (Hindustan Times)
Three miners are missing but dozens have been rescued following a gold mine collapse in South Africa. (ABC)

Health

Zika virus outbreak in the Americas (2015–present)
- Three people die in Colombia after contracting the Zika virus and developing Guillain–Barré syndrome. (AFP via Daily Star)
- Puerto Rico declares a state of emergency due to the ongoing Zika virus outbreak. At least 22 people have been reported to have been infected with the Zika virus in the U.S. territory. (ABC News)

Law and crime

A shooting at a boxing match weigh-in between Jamie Kavanagh and Antonio João Bento in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, leaves one person dead and two others injured. The gunmen were reportedly dressed as police officers and armed with AK-47s. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Wei Hong is removed as the Governor of China‘s Sichuan province due to perceived disloyalty to the Communist Party. (AP via Las Vegas Sun)
White supremacists in the U.S. create a super PAC to support U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump‘s presidential campaign. (CNN)

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February 23, 2016

Top News Stories –

London’s Crossrail to be called the Elizabeth Line –
Crossrail, the new railway which will run beneath London, is to be named the Elizabeth Line in honour of the Queen, Boris Johnson has announced. London’s mayor revealed the line’s name and purple logo as he visited Bond Street station with the monarch. Trains on the railway will travel under the centre of the city, linking parts of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire to Essex when it opens in December 2018. Mr Johnson said it was “wonderful” the line had “such a significant name”. “The Elizabeth Line will provide a lasting tribute to our longest-serving monarch”, the mayor said. [BBC]
Elizabeth Line Roundel

Thai princess leaves $40,000 custom toilet ‘unused’ –
A toilet that cost an estimated $40,000 (£28,300) to custom-build for a Thai princess visiting Cambodia was left unused, officials say. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn reportedly just took photos of the toilet’s building during her visit to Yeak Lom Lake, in north-east Cambodia. The toilet has now been removed and the hut will serve as a tourist office.
The story made headlines in Cambodia, where fewer than 40% of people in rural areas have access to toilets. The toilet, housed in a specially constructed air-conditioned hut, was set up for Ms Sirindhorn two-hour visit to the north-eastern lake on Monday, reportedly at her request. [BBC]
HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn

Video of the Day –

Bass Pro Edition | Dude Perfect

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#StoneColdVideoTODAY	#NationalToastDay	#charitytuesday
2	#EmpiezanLasClasesY	#StoneColdVideoTODAY	#NoESACut
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9	#ALDUBDestiny	Dante Fowler	#FreshMeat
10	#SóVemClubeSDV	#startupgrind	#universitychallenge

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- Battle of Aleppo (2012–present)
  - ISIL militants cut off the Syrian Army‘s main supply route to the city of Aleppo and capture the village of Khanasir, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2015–16 South Pacific cyclone season
- Cyclone Winston
  - The death toll from Cyclone Winston in Fiji rises to 29. (BBC)
Water supply is restored to the Indian city of Delhi as repairs are made to the vital Munak canal after the Jat reservation agitation is resolved. (BBC)
2015–16 Australian bushfire season
- Emergency warnings are issued after bushfires threaten the Victorian towns of Mount Bolton and Addington northwest of Ballarat as well as the town of Somerville, Victoria, on the Mornington Peninsula.(ABC News Australia)
Dalfsen train crash
- A train derails near the Dutch town of Dalfsen with reports of at least one death and several injured. (BBC), (AAP via News Limited)
At least one person has been killed and three people remain missing following the partial collapse of a decommissioned turbine hall at Didcot A Power Station in Oxfordshire, England. (BBC)
Tornadoes of 2016
- At least two people are dead and 30 injured after a suspected tornado hits a trailer park near the village of Convent, Louisiana. At least one other person has died in the Deep South of the United States.(WWL TV), (Fox News)
A 4.8 magnitude earthquake strikes near Wasco, California, about 25 miles northwest of Bakersfield. There are no reports of damage or injuries. (Los Angeles Times)

Health

Zika virus outbreak (2015–present)
- The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating 14 cases where the Zika virus may have been sexually transmitted. (NBC News)

International relations

Foreign relations of Lebanon
- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) bans its citizens from traveling to Lebanon, just hours after Saudi Arabia issued a warning to its citizens to leave Lebanon in retaliation for Lebanon choosing to side withIran in the Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict and Hezbollah‘s influence on the Lebanese government. (Middle East Eye)
South China Sea disputes
- China reportedly deploys several J-11 and Xian JH-7 fighter jets to the disputed Woody Island in the South China Sea. (Fox News)

Law and crime

The President of the United States Barack Obama announces plans to close the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba. Obama made similar statements during his first presidential campaign in 2007 and had previously stated that the camp would be closed by 2010. (CNN)

Politics and elections

United States presidential election, 2016
- Republican Party voters, in precinct gatherings, hold the Nevada caucuses with Donald Trump projected as the winner. There are widespread reports of chaos and allegations of potential fraud. (ABC 7),(Washington Examiner), Oregon Live)

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February 29, 2016

Leap Day – one of only two in this decade.

Top News Stories –

Peter Rabbit to feature on 50p coin to mark Beatrix Potter anniversary, Royal Mint announces –
Beatrix Potter’s mischievous Peter Rabbit is to become the first children’s literary character to appear on a UK coin. In a move certain to infuriate Mr McGregor, the anthropomorphic vegetable thief will feature on a silver 50p released to mark the 150th anniversary of the author’s birth in 1866. The Royal Mint said three more Potter characters will feature on special edition coins released later in the year to complete a four-piece set. [Daily Telegraph]
Peter Rabbit 50p

Blossom fans break into Chinese prison grounds –
A Chinese prison compound has been attracting hordes of visitors keen to see the site’s blossoming trees in full bloom – with some scaling walls in order to get in, it’s reported.
Members of the public had previously been allowed onto the site, in the southern city of Guilin, to wander among a huge grove of peach trees planted in an area housing jail staff. Guards say in past years they’ve only seen a trickle of visitors, but this year’s spectacular display means thousands have turned up, forcing prison authorities to limit access to people visiting inmates or staff, the local Nanguo Zaobao newspaper reports. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

How leap year works

List of the Day –

Leap Day Events [from Wikipedia]

1504 – Christopher Columbus uses his knowledge of a lunar eclipse that night to convince Native Americans to provide him with supplies.
1644 – Abel Tasman‘s second Pacific voyage began.
1704 – Queen Anne’s War: French forces and Native Americans stage a raid on Deerfield, Massachusetts, killing 56 villagers and taking more than 100 captive.
1712 – February 29 is followed by February 30 in Sweden, in a move to abolish the Swedish calendar for a return to the Old style.
1720 – Ulrika Eleonora, Queen of Sweden abdicates in favour of her husband, who becomes King Frederick I on 24 March.
1752 – King Alaungpaya founds Konbaung Dynasty, the last dynasty of Burmese monarchy.
1768 – Polish nobles formed Bar Confederation.
1796 – The Jay Treaty between the United States and Great Britain comes into force, facilitating ten years of peaceful trade between the two nations.
1864 – American Civil War: Kilpatrick–Dahlgren Raid fails: Plans to free 15,000 Union soldiers being held near Richmond, Virginia are thwarted.
1892 – St. Petersburg, Florida is incorporated.
1912 – The Piedra Movediza (Moving Stone) of Tandil falls and breaks.
1916 – Tokelau is annexed by the United Kingdom.
1916 – Child labor: In South Carolina, the minimum working age for factory, mill, and mine workers is raised from twelve to fourteen years old.
1920 – Czechoslovak National assembly adopted the Constitution.
1936 – Baby Snooks, played by Fanny Brice, debuts on the radio program The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air.
1936 – February 26 Incident in Tokyo ends.
1940 – For her role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind, Hattie McDaniel becomes the first African American to win an Academy Award.
1940 – Finland initiates Winter War peace negotiations.
1940 – In a ceremony held in Berkeley, California, because of the war, physicist Ernest Lawrence receives the 1939 Nobel Prize in Physics from Sweden’s Consul General in San Francisco.
1944 – World War II: The Admiralty Islands are invaded in Operation Brewer led by American General Douglas MacArthur.
1952 – The island of Heligoland is restored to German authority.
1960 – The 5.7 Mw Agadir earthquake shakes coastal Morocco with a maximum perceived intensity of X (Extreme), destroying Agadir, and leaving 12,000 dead and another 12,000 injured.
1964 – In Sydney, Australian swimmer Dawn Fraser sets a new world record in the 100-meter freestyle swimming competition (58.9 seconds).
1972 – Vietnam War: Vietnamization: South Korea withdraws 11,000 of its 48,000 troops from Vietnam.
1980 – Gordie Howe of the then Hartford Whalers makes NHL history as he scores his 800th goal.
1988 – South African archbishop Desmond Tutu is arrested along with 100 clergymen during a five-day anti-apartheid demonstration in Cape Town.
1988 – Svend Robinson becomes the first member of the Canadian House of Commons to come out as gay.
1992 – First day of Bosnia and Herzegovina independence referendum.
1996 – Faucett Flight 251 crashes in the Andes, all 123 passengers and crew died.
1996 – Siege of Sarajevo officially ends.
2000 – Second Chechen War: Eighty-four Russian paratroopers are killed in a rebel attack on a guard post near Ulus Kert.
2004 – Jean-Bertrand Aristide is removed as President of Haiti following a coup.
2008 – The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence decides to withdraw Prince Harry from a tour of Afghanistan “immediately” after a leak led to his deployment being reported by foreign media.
2008 – Misha Defonseca admits to fabricating her memoir, Misha: A Mémoire of the Holocaust Years, in which she claimed to have lived with a pack of wolves in the woods during the Holocaust.
2012 – Tokyo Skytree construction completed. Now it is the tallest tower in the world, 634 meters high, and second tallest (man-made) structure on Earth, next to Burj Khalifa.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#MakeDonaldDrumpfAgain	#MakeDonaldDrumpfAgain	#MakeDonaldDrumpfAgain
2	#SegundaDetremuraSdv	#LeapDay	#LeapDay
3	#FelizSemGlobo	#NotYourMule	#UnifiedResponse
4	#منشن_شخص_يستا�…	#RareDiseaseDay	#RareDiseaseDay
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7	#شيرين_عبدالوه…	#Budget2016	#Oscars
8	#BugünBeşiktaşınMaçıVar	#HappyBirthdayJustinBieber	#OlivierAwards
9	#QuedaChavismoPaRato	#OneNationOneTeam	#WGT16
10	#29deFebrero	George Kennedy	#bondconf

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- At least 27 are people are killed and 55 others wounded following a suicide bombing at a Shi’ite funeral in the city of Miqdadiyah, Diyala Governorate. (Reuters)

Business and economy

China says it expects to lay off 1.8 million state workers in the coal and steel sectors, or about 15 percent of the industries’ workforce, as part of efforts to reduce industrial overcapacity. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

One person has died and hundreds of people have been evacuated after heavy rain in the Indonesian capital Jakarta. (Jakarta Post)

International relations

European migrant crisis
- Macedonian police use tear gas after hundreds of migrants frustrated with long delays broke a gate on the border with Greece and temporarily cross the border. (Press Association via Irish Independent)
- Immigration Minister John McCallum says Canada has reached its target of resettling 25,000 Syrian refugees under its program started in November 2015. (Time)

Law and crime

Pakistani authorities hang Mumtaz Qadri for his role in the murder of reformist Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer in 2011. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Calais migrant crisis
- Clashes break out inside the Calais jungle camp in the port city of Calais between migrants and riot police as officials attempted to evict hundreds of migrants from the southern section of the camp. Several tents and wooden shacks were set on fire by migrants. (The Telegraph)
School shootings
- In the United States, a 14-year-old shoots two students, who were hospitalized in stable condition, in the Madison Local School cafeteria. Two other teenagers are injured, none seriously. The southwesternOhio school, which had practiced for such an event, immediately went into lockdown; Tuesday classes are cancelled. (AP via The Citizen) (UPI) (School website)

Politics and elections

Former Prime Minister of Malaysia Mahathir Mohamad quits the ruling United Malays National Organisation due to concerns over “corruption” under current PM Najib Razak. (Reuters via The Age)
Hillary Clinton email controversy
- The United States Department of State releases the final batch of emails recovered from the private server of former Secretary of State and Democratic Party front runner in the race for the nomination for the 2016 presidential election. (NBC News)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

March 6, 2016

Top News Stories –

Nancy Reagan dies –
Nancy Reagan, the former first lady, died on Sunday at home in Los Angeles at the age of 94. A much-loved figure in America, Mrs Reagan – who like her husband moved from being a Hollywood star to living in the White House – died from congestive heart failure. Born in New York, Mrs Reagan grew up in Chicago before moving to California to pursue an acting career. She met her future husband in Hollywood, when she was blacklisted for suspected Communist sympathies and she turned to Reagan, then president of the Screen Actor’s Guild, for advice. The couple married in 1952. [Daily Telegraph]
Nancy Reagan in 1983

Leicester City fan cashes out £72,000 on Premier League bet –
A Leicester City fan, who stood to win £250,000 from a £50 bet on his team winning the Premier League, has cashed out for £72,000. The Warwickshire man, who has chosen to remain anonymous, bowed out of the 5,000-1 wager on Saturday. Hours later his stake would have been worth £91,000 after the Foxes beat Watford 1-0, said Ladbrokes. The winner said: “It will mean so much if we win, so there’s no point in being greedy.” [BBC]

Video of the Day –

YETI Presents “Malloy Brothers” from Farm League on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#AsiaCupT20Final	#4DaysTilDangerousWoman	#4DaysTilDangerousWoman
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3	#شيء_جميل_بحرف_…	#AsiaCupT20Final	#AsiaCupT20Final
4	#FelizDomingo	#Kobalt400	#takemeout
5	MANANALO SI KATH	#MothersDay	Ghanaians
6	#قول_كلمه_لشيط�…	#RejectedTaxDeductions	#5daysTilDangerouswoman
7	#UFC196	Racists for Trump	#WalkInHerShoes
8	#CosasQueMeHacenReBien	Peyton Manning	#SuperSaturday
9	#HoyMasQueNuncaCABJ	Jay Pharoah	#EskimoDance
10	#الهلال_القادس…	#Fake1990sFacts	#AMVCA2016

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- A suicide bomber kills at least 60 people and wounds 70 others after ramming his explosives-laden truck into a security checkpoint at one of the entrances to the Iraqi city of Hillah, south of Baghdad. TheIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant claims responsibility for the attack. (Reuters) (FOX News) (AP via Yahoo! News)
Syrian Civil War
- Battle of Aleppo (2012–present)
  - At least nine civilians are killed and dozens are injured after rockets and mortars hit the mainly Kurdish neighborhood of Sheikh Maqsood in the city of Aleppo. The neighborhood is controlled by thePeople’s Protection Units (YPG). (Reuters)

Arts and culture

Former First Lady of the U.S. Nancy Reagan dies at age 94. (NBC News)

Disasters and accidents

Twelve coal miners are killed following a gas leak in a mine near the Chinese city of Baishan in Jilin province. (AAP via SBS)
European migrant crisis
- At least 25 migrants, including 10 children, drown after their wooden boat capsizes in the Aegean Sea near the seaside town of Didim, Turkey. The Turkish Coast Guard was able to rescue 15 people.(International Business Times) (AFP via Yahoo7 News)

Health and medicine

Zika virus outbreak (2015–present)
- Researchers publish findings on a possible mechanism for how the Zika virus may go about causing microcephaly in infected infants by infecting a certain type of early neural stem cell, specifically cortical neural precursor. (Health Day, via MSN), (full text in Cell Stem Cell), (Johns Hopkins University news release), (CDC)

International relations

North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- North Korea threatens a pre-emptive nuclear strike against South Korea and the United States in response to the two nations’ annual joint military exercise which Pyongyang considers is a pretext for an invasion. (The Washington Times)

Law and crime

Iranian billionaire Babak Zanjani is sentenced to death for corruption. Zanjani was arrested in December 2013 after accusations that he withheld billions in oil revenue channelled through his companies. He denies the allegations. (BBC)
Egyptian interior minister Magdy Abdel-Ghaffar accuses Hamas and the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood in the June 2015 assassination of Attorney General Hisham Barakat. (Latin American Herald Tribune)(Debkafile)

Politics and elections

Beninese presidential election, 2016
- Voters in Benin go to the polls for the first round of voting in a presidential election with 33 candidates vying to replace current President Thomas Yayi Boni. (Bloomberg)
Thousands of people gather in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi to protest against their government’s negotiations with Russian state-owned oil company Gazprom. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
United States presidential election, 2016
- Marco Rubio wins the Puerto Rican Republican Party primary. (BBC)
- Bernie Sanders wins the Maine Democratic caucuses. (AP)

Slovak parliamentary election, 2016
- Prime Minister Robert Fico’s Smer party won 28.3 percent of the vote, but with just 49 seats, lost its majority in the 150-member parliament. The Freedom and Solidarity party won 21 seats (12.1%), and the Ordinary People party took 19 seats (11.0%). (AP via Daily Sabah)
- The right scored first-time seats. The Slovak National Party won 15 seats; and, the Kotleba – People’s Party Our Slovakia won 14 seats, nearly three times more than predicted. (The Washington Post)(Irish Independent)
- Analysts indicate Fico may find it very difficult to form a new government. Political analyst Samuel Abrahám says coalition-building “could take weeks, even months. … Fico’s rhetoric strengthened the right in Slovakia.” (Daily Times) (Reuters via Azerbaijan State News Agency )

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March 9, 2016

Top News Stories –

Anti-PC Effort #TheTriggering Explodes on Twitter –
#TheTriggering, a hashtag meant to ridicule politically correct attitudes, exploded on Twitter and became a major trending topic in the United States. Activist Lauren Southern came up with the idea a few months ago: [mediaite.com]

See Top Twitter Trends

Kim Jong-un says North Korea has miniaturised nuclear warheads –
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un says his scientists have successfully miniaturised thermo-nuclear warheads to place on a ballistic missile and create a “true” deterrent, state media said on Wednesday. While Pyongyang has boasted of mastering miniaturisation before, this is the first time Kim has so explicitly claimed a breakthrough that experts see as a game-changing step for the North’s nuclear capabilities. Kim also stressed that the warheads were “thermo-nuclear” devices, echoing the North’s claim that the fourth nuclear test it conducted in January was of a more powerful hydrogen bomb. “The nuclear warheads have been standardised to be fit for ballistic missiles by miniaturising them,” Kim noted during a visit with nuclear technicians, the North’s official KCNA news agency said. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

The Most Interesting Man in the World Embarks on His Greatest Adventure Yet – Adios Amigo

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#QuartaDetremuraSdv	#TheTriggering	#TheTriggering
2	#TheTriggering	#1DayTilDangerousWoman	Lilly Wachowski
3	#WednesdayWisdom	Clara Rockmore	#SundayTrading
4	Welcome Purpose Tour	George Martin	#WednesdayWisdom
5	George Martin	#WednesdayWisdom	#nosmokingday
6	#FelizMiércoles	#DStrong	#SDinGov
7	#1DayTilDangerousWoman	#1linewed	#IfTrumpWins
8	#المغربيه_احلي…	#NationalMeatballDay	#JuniorDoctorsStrike
9	#CompiYogui	#GreenwoodExplosion	George Martin
10	#ALDUBTheCompromise	#IfTrumpWins	Nick Clegg

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- Taliban militants attack government offices in the southern Helmand Province of Afghanistan, with at least 10 killed, including seven of the attackers. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
War in Somalia (2009–present)
- U.S. special forces, landing in two helicopters, stage an overnight raid on the al-Shabaab-controlled town of Awdhegele in Somalia‘s Lower Shebelle region. Al-Shabaab spokesman, Sheik Abduasiz Abu Musab, confirmed the raid saying “The helicopters landed outside town and the ground forces entered, there was heavy fighting and they were forced to flee”.”They were masked and spoke foreign languages which our fighters could not understand,” Abu Musab told Reuters. “We do not know who they were but we foiled them.” (AFP via Yahoo! News)(Reuters)
North Caucasus clashes
- A group of nine human rights activists and journalists, heading to Grozny, Chechnya, in a small bus, are attacked on the Kavkaz federal highway near the Ordzhonikidzovskaya settlement at the Ingushetiaborder. About 20 masked men assaulted the group, confiscated some mobile phones, and set their vehicle on fire. Two of the journalists, the NGO lawyer, and the bus driver were hospitalized. A Committee to Prevent Torture representative said this is the first press tour that was not organized by the Chechen government. (AP via WSOC-TV) (AFP via Yahoo! News)(Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union)

Disasters and accidents

At least 30 people are killed after a five-storey building still under construction collapses in Lagos, Nigeria. (Reuters)
Seattle, Washington (U.S.), fire crews, responding to reports of a natural gas leak, are caught in an explosion that injures nine firefighters. The explosion blew out windows in businesses and storefronts in the surrounding blocks. Three businesses were destroyed and a fourth was heavily damaged. “There’s nothing but rubble and bricks,” a resident said. Search dogs are working to ensure no one else is under the rubble. The Seattle Police Arson Bomb Unit and Puget Sound Energy are investigating the cause of the explosion. (The Washington Post) (KING-TV) (Seattle Fire Department)

Health and medicine

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends physicians ask about basic needs to screen for poverty-related health risk factors, participate in programs that help children develop resilience, assist families in identifying and maximizing protective factors, and advocate for safety net programs that assist children. (The Washington Post) (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) (2 Minute Medicine)

International relations

North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- North Korea’s state media reports Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, in comments released today, states the country has miniaturized nuclear warheads to be mounted on ballistic missiles, and has ordered improvements in the power and precision of its arsenal. (Reuters)
European migrant crisis
- Macedonia says it will no longer let any migrants through its southern border with Greece, effectively blocking the Balkan route for migrants. The decision came after Slovenia barred access to migrants transiting the country. There are around 13,000 migrants now stranded at the Macedonia-Greece border. (BBC)

Law and crime

Shahbaz Taseer, the son of Pakistani Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer who was murdered in 2011 for criticizing the country’s blasphemy laws, is reunited with his family four-and-a-half years after his kidnapping. Tuesday, Shahbaz was rescued by Pakistani secret service and counter-terrorism operatives in Kuchlak, Balochistan Province. He had been abducted in Lahore in August 2011, seven months after his father’s murder by bodyguard Mumtaz Qadri. Qadri was executed on February 29, 2016. His death was claimed as the reason for the deadly Taliban suicide bombing in Shabqadar two days ago.(Reuters) (GEO TV Lahore) (The Express Tribune)
Niqāb in Egypt
- The Parliament of Egypt drafts a law which will ban women from wearing full-face veils such as the niqāb and burqa in public places and government institutions. The move comes after Cairo Universityrecently banned nurses and doctors from wearing veils in medical schools and in teaching hospitals, arguing the ban would “protect patients’ rights and interests”. (The Independent)

Politics

Peruvian general election, 2016
- Peru’s electoral court bans two leading candidates – Julio Guzman and César Acuña Peralta – from participating in next month’s election due to breaches of electoral law. (BBC)

Science

Solar eclipse of March 9, 2016
- A total solar eclipse occurs in Indonesia, and later, east of the international date line, in the northern Pacific Ocean. A partial eclipse occurs in northern Australia, South-East Asia, and the Pacific. (ABC News)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

March 17, 2016

Top News Stories –

There’s a 10,000% increase in searches for an unusual type of porn this week –
This week sees a whopping 10,000 per cent increase in searches for one particular type of porn. And it’s, erm, unusual. But whatever, each to their own. You may already be aware that this Thursday, March 17, is St. Patrick’s Day. While many revellers (Irish or not) mark the day with a pint of the black stuff, a huge portion of people are staying at home for some time alone with Leprechaun porn. Pornhub have revealed searches for Leprechaun erotica increased by a staggering 10,000 per cent on St. Patrick’s Day last year. And that’s not all folks. The number of people searching for the word Irish on the adult film site increased by 600 per cent, while searches for St Patrick’s Day-theme porn increased by 6,000 per cent. Online traffic on Pornhub from Ireland on St Patrick’s Day is on average 5 per cent higher than usual. [The Metro]

Ben Nevis gains a metre thanks to GPS height measurement –
Ben Nevis, Britain’s tallest mountain, is a little bit bigger than we thought. The Ordnance Survey (OS), has re-measured the Scottish peak and its official height is now put at 1,345m – a metre taller than before. The actual difference from the last official measurement in 1949 is much less – but enough for the height to be rounded up rather than down.
The change comes from the precision that can now be achieved with modern technologies such as GPS. OS, Britain’s official mapping agency, has already begun issuing maps with the new height. The official measuring point atop Ben Nevis is one of those squat concrete pillars familiar to hill-walkers all over the country. It sits on a cairn, and it was when this pile of stones was restored recently that OS experts took the opportunity to check the mountain’s exact height. It is more than 60 years since this was last done, and back then, it took a team three weeks to complete the job after hauling heavy gear up Ben Nevis and nearby peaks. [BBC]
Ben Nevis

Video of the Day –

Anything VINE Can Do, YOUTUBE Does Better (ft. Thomas Sanders)

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#HelpBrasilClubeSDV	#BeAlrightTonight	Cliff Michelmore
2	#FelizJueves	#BEFOUR	#StPatricksDay
3	#Miitomo	#StPatricksDay	#BeAlrightTomorrow
4	#BEFOUR	#PitMad	#BEFOUR
5	#ايقاف_ذا_كوين_…	Bumble Bee	#CampDigital
6	#StPatricksDay	#XMenApocalypse	#NameOurShip
7	#اول_كلمه_انجل�…	#HangoverSongs	#dibi2016
8	#حسابات_اللي_م�…	#SeaWorld	#StillSanders
9	#QuedaDoPlanalto	St. Patty’s Day	#whitepaper
10	#SiTuvieraMuchaPlata	Yale	#OneHealth2016

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Iraqi Civil War, Syrian Civil War
- The United States Secretary of State John Kerry says ISIL has committed genocide against Christians, Yazidis and Shias in areas it controls in Syria and Iraq. (BBC)
- The Islamic State reports commander Hassan Aboud has died of wounds sustained about two weeks ago in a battle near Aleppo, Syria. He was injured when a vehicle he was in struck a roadside bombnear Khanaser. (The New York Times)
Papua conflict
- Three construction workers are shot dead in Jayapura, Papua, by a supposed armed group, according to Indonesian police. (Radio New Zealand)

Arts and culture

Radar scans at the tomb of Tutankhamun, Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, reveal two chambers adjoining the tomb, raising prospect of finding the resting place of Queen Nefertiti. (The Guardian)
The Vatican is replacing Italian Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, the Apostolic Nuncio to the U.S., with French-born Archbishop Christophe Pierre, currently the Apostolic Nuncio to Mexico. Viganò, who is 75, the statuatory retirement age, arranged the 2015 meeting between (not pre-briefed) Pope Francis and controversial Kentucky clerk Kim Davis, who refused to follow her state’s law on same-sex marriage.(New York Daily News via ChristianNews.net)

Business and economics

Tribune Publishing, an American company whose Southern California media holdings include the Los Angeles Times and The San Diego Union-Tribune, wins an auction for bankrupt newspapers, Orange County Register, published in Santa Ana, and The Press-Enterprise, headquartered in Riverside, for $56 million, subject to judicial approval. A federal bankruptcy court hearing is scheduled for Monday. TheU.S. Justice Department has warned that a Tribune purchase could violate antitrust laws. (AP via U.S. News & World Report) (Los Angeles Times)

Disasters and accidents

At least 16 Palestinian pilgrims are killed when the bus they were traveling to Saudi Arabia on overturns in southern Jordan. (Voice of America)

International relations

The People’s Republic of China expresses its opposition to unilateral sanctions against North Korea in the wake of the imposition of new sanctions by the United States on the country in response to its recent nuclear and rocket tests. (Reuters)
Syrian Civil War
- Kurdish parties in northern Syria declare the establishment of a federal system in areas they control. The move was criticized by the government of Syria. (BBC)
Territorial disputes in the South China Sea
- Admiral John Richardson says the United States has seen Chinese activity around Scarborough Shoal, which China seized from the Philippines nearly four years ago, in the northern part of the Spratly archipelago of the South China Sea. An international court ruling on a case brought by the Philippines against China over its South China Sea claims is expected within a month. (Reuters)

Law and Crime

Judges at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia announce that they will soon deliver their verdict against radical Serb leader Vojislav Šešelj, suspected of crimes against humanitycommitted during the Breakup of Yugoslavia, despite him being sent back to Serbia for medical reasons. Šešelj has vowed not to return to court. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

Politics and elections

2015–16 protests in Brazil
- Clashes erupt outside the presidential palace in Brazil‘s capital Brasília between anti-Workers’ Party protesters and supporters of ex-president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, where he was due to be sworn in asPresident of Brazil Dilma Rousseff‘s chief of staff. Hundreds of anti-government protesters calling for Rousseff’s impeachment and Lula’s arrest also blocked the central Paulista Avenue in São Paulo, Brazil’s largest city and economic hub. (Reuters)
A Brazilian federal judge blocks the appointment of ex-President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as chief of staff, arguing that the appointment would derail a federal judicial investigation against him. The government said it would appeal against the decision. (BBC)
Republican Party presidential candidates, 2016
- The hacker group Anonymous follows through on its threat and releases candidate Donald Trump’s personal information (unverified) including his Social Security number, his phone numbers, his agent and his legal representatives. (AOL) (USA Today) (Daily Mirror)
United States presidential election, 2016, Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2016
- Bernie Sanders concedes the Missouri primary to Hillary Clinton, who led by 1,531 votes, 0.002 percent of those counted. Sanders says he will not ask for a recount, an option he had because the result is under the state’s requirement, 0.005 percent — one-half of one percent. The Republican contest is too close to call as Donald Trump leads Ted Cruz by a similar 0.002 percent. (AP via MSN.com)

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March 23, 2016

Top News Stories –

Foo Fighters singer Dave Grohl backs teenage metal band in Cornwall noise row –
US rocker Dave Grohl has leapt to the defence of a teenage heavy metal band from Cornwall – after their local council said they were too loud. The Black Leaves of Envy were told they would have to stop practising in a family garage after noise complaints from neighbours. Foo Fighters frontman Grohl penned an open letter to the authority after the band reached out to him. He asked Cornwall Council to “reconsider the restrictions”. In the open letter, former Nirvana drummer Grohl says he started out practising in a garage and says music is a “wonderful, creative outlet for kids”. Grohl also penned a separate letter to the band, giving them advice on soundproofing. He advised the group to fill the garage walls with sand and cover the floor in gym mats. Band member Adam Jones, 17, said: “It’s just been surreal – I’m speechless.” “Seeing the Foo Fighters tag you in a post on Facebook was just incredible,” he said. [BBC] Grohl famously broke his leg when he fell off the stage at a gig in Gothenburg, Sweden in June 2015 but returned to finish the concert.
Dave Gohl

Formula 1 drivers warn success of sport could be jeopardised –
Formula 1 drivers have demanded change at the top of the sport, saying its decision-making process is “obsolete and ill-structured”. Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) directors Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel and Alex Wurz have written a letter on behalf of the drivers. It “urges the owners and stakeholders of F1 to restructure its governance”. Many issues can be traced back to F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, but the letter does not mention the 85-year-old. Some recent decisions are “disruptive”, avoid “the bigger issues” and “could jeopardise F1’s success”, it adds. Writing the letter is an extraordinary step by the drivers, which reflects the strength of their feelings on the matter.
Jenson Button

Video of the Day –

iPhone SE (parody)

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#QuartaSantaClubeSDV	#NationalPuppyDay	#NationalPuppyDay
2	Katt Williams	#WednesdayWisdom	Katt Williams
3	#NationalPuppyDay	Katt Williams	#WeAreHereForYouJustin
4	#شبيهك_من_المش�…	David Letterman	#DogBooks
5	#ObamaEnArgentina	#1linewed	Suzanne Evans
6	#اشكر_ربي_علي	#ObamaEnArgentina	#SocialDayUK
7	#الهلال_في_ثلا�…	#WeAreNotThis	Bridget Jones
8	#EBGodGaveMeYou	#IndvsBan	#GeordieShore
9	#WeAreHereForYouJustin	#cowx	#SaudiArabiaUncovered
10	#ManInTree	#HandsOffMyBC	#FirstDates

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

2016 Brussels bombings
- Belgian federal prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw says two brothers of Belgian nationality, Khalid and Brahim el-Bakraoui, were responsible for yesterday’s suicide bombings. Khalid bombed the subway station while Ibrahim bombed the airport, he added. A third suspect, who died at the airport, is identified as Najim Laachraoui, says De Standaard. A fourth suspect seen in the airport photo, who left a massive bomb at the airport that did not detonate, is unidentified and still at large. (UPI) (Los Angeles Times) (De Standaard)
- Van Leeuw says 31 people died and 271 are injured in the bombings. (UPI)
- Referring to the Brussels bombings, Poland abandons a pledge to shelter Syrian migrants under a European Union relocation agreement. (Reuters)
Yemeni Civil War (2015–present), War on Terror
- At least 50 militants are reportedly killed in a U.S. air strike on an Al-Qaeda training camp in southern Yemen. (Reuters)

Business and economics

The U.S. Labor Department releases a long-awaited rule, the so-called persuader rule that was first proposed in 2011. The regulation requires companies to disclose when they seek advice about countering union campaigns. The final rule will apply to contracts beginning on July 1, 2016. Several business groups, such as the National Retail Federation, the Associated Builders and Contractors, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers, object because the rule limits employers’ free speech rights to counter union organizing, it could interfere with attorney-client privilege, etc. Court challenges are expected. (Reuters) (The Hill)

Disasters and accidents

2015–16 North American winter
- Late March 2016 North American blizzard
  - A powerful blizzard sweeping Denver, Colorado, forces authorities to close Denver International Airport, Interstate 70, Interstate 25 and leaves more than 100,000 people without power. The Colorado Army National Guard has been deployed to help rescue those stranded by the storm. (The Denver Post)
  - Denver International Airport reopens at 7 pm (Mountain Daylight Time). Over 1,300 flights were canceled. Just a few flights are expected to arrive or depart through the night. The National Weather Service estimates that parts of Denver received 19.5 inches of snow as of 3:59 pm (MDT). (The Denver Post) (The Denver Post²)

International relations

European migrant crisis
- Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) and the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, announce they are withdrawing from the so-called hotspots on the Greek islands because of the new EU-Turkey deal. UNHCR’s Melissa Fleming says, “Under the new provisions, these sites (hotspots) have now become detention facilities.” MSF’s Marie Elisabeth Ingres says, “We will not allow our assistance to be instrumentalized (sic) for a mass expulsion operation, and we refuse to be part of a system that has no regard for the humanitarian or protection needs of asylum seekers and migrants.” (Vox Media)(New Europe)

Law and crime

Passengers are evacuated from the south domestic terminal at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport in the U.S. state of Georgia after a suspicious package is found. The package is declared safe by a bomb squad. (AP via News24)
The Supreme Court of the United States, which currently has just eight justices, today heard the case brought by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh (Zubik v. Burwell, which includes similar ones by other religious organizations) that challenges the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act provision that employer-paid health insurance plans provide women with access to contraceptives at no additional out-of-pocket cost, and challenges the federal government accommodation offered in 2014 that would have a third-party provide the coverage with costs paid by the federal government. The plaintiffs state that both are unconstitutional because they violate the free exercise of religion. The decision is expected in June. If the result is a split decision (4-4), there would be no national precedent and each case’s final decision would be the one made in court before the case was forwarded to the Supreme Court. In the group of cases presented today, all but one appeals court upheld the government mandate. (Reuters)(USA Today) (NPR)

Politics and elections

Nigerien general election, 2016
- Nigerien President Mahamadou Issoufou wins re-election in a second round of voting, receiving 92 percent of the vote in an election that was boycotted by the opposition. (Al Jazeera)
Senegalese constitutional referendum, 2016
- Voters in Senegal approve a series of constitutional reforms, which include a reduction of presidential terms from seven to five years, with 63 percent of the vote. (BBC)
United States presidential election, 2016
- Tuesday, March 22 primaries/caucuses
  - Front runners Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump each won the Democratic and Republican primary in Arizona, respectively. (BBC)
  - Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz each won their party’s votes in Idaho and Utah (BBC)
  - The early results for Tuesday’s GOP caucus in American Samoa — nine uncommitted. The Democratic caucus was held on March 1, 2016, with Hillary Clinton getting eight delegates and Bernie Sanders three. (caffeinatedthoughts.com) (The Green Papers)

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April 1, 2016

Top News Stories –

Hello! Magazine apologises for ‘fabricated’ Clooney interview –
Hello! Magazine has apologised for running an “exclusive” interview with George Clooney that the actor says was completely fabricated. The UK-based magazine said it purchased the interview from an entertainment news agency called Famous, which they have worked with in the past. Hello! said it thought the article was accurate and has removed the piece from its website. Mr Clooney said the interview never took place. He said in a statement: “The problem is that I have not given an interview to Hello Magazine and the quotes attributed to me are not accurate. In my experience, being misquoted is not unusual but to have an ‘exclusive interview’ completely fabricated is something new. And a very disturbing trend.” [BBC]
George Clooney

Video of the Day –

Introducing the self-driving bicycle in the Netherlands – (only available on April 1st!)

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#FaleUmaMentira	#PowerpuffYourself	#FridayFeeling
2	#كذبه_ابريل	#FlashbackFriday	#futureMW
3	#BienvenidoAbril	#FridayFeeling	#totp
4	#JokerWasHere	#SnoopaVision	#AprilFools
5	#FridayFeeling	#TheChalkening	#NewMusicFriday
6	#DiaDaMentiraDetremuraSdv	#FuelYourHustle	#Skins2017
7	#AprilFools	John Stamos	#ourtreasurehunt
8	#LoveLiveforever	#JokerWasHere	#NameABand
9	#EnTwitterNuncaFalta	#NewMusicFriday	#JokerWasHere
10	#BuenViernes	#AprilFools	#ONALondon

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports airstrikes on the village of Deir al-Asafir, Rif Dimashq Governorate, have killed at least 30 people and left dozens more injured. (The Telegraph)
War in Donbass
- International monitors from the OSCE report that fighting has intensified in Eastern Ukraine as a second year of a shaky truce begins. The worst of the fighting is located between government-controlledAvdiivka and separatist-controlled Yasynuvata. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
War in Somalia (2009–present)
- A U.S. drone strike reportedly kills a key Al-Shabaab leader, Hassan Ali Dhoore, and two other militants, near the town of Jilib, Somalia, according to several U.S. officials. (AP)

Disasters and accidents

In a second day of severe weather, at least seven people are injured as tornadoes sweep across the Midwestern and Southern part of the United States, with more severe weather expected. (Al Jazeera)

Health and medicine

Health authorities in Fiji are urging people to observe strict personal hygiene as the country goes through a massive outbreak of conjunctivitis. In the past 14 days alone the number of cases of the virus in one district of Suva have jumped from 700 to 5000 cases. (Radio New Zealand)

International relations

North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- North Korea fires another ballistic missile off its east coast, according to South Korean officials. This occurred while world leaders are attending the annual Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, D.C., where North Korea is on the agenda for discussion. (The Guardian) (Yonhap)

Politics and elections

Moldovan presidential election, 2016, 2015–16 protests in Moldova
- The Parliament of Moldova announces that the country will hold a Presidential election on October 30. A court in early March ruled in favor of having a direct national election to choose a president rather than a vote in parliament, a concession to protesters who have been demonstrating for months against the political elite. This will be the first time since 2001 that the public will choose their country’s president directly. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
2015–16 protests in Brazil
- President Dilma Rousseff loses another key member of the country’s 2016 Summer Olympics organization. Colonel Adilson Moreira of the National Public Security Force, who was in charge of organizing security, in an email to his colleagues reportedly criticizes the President and other senior officials, saying he is ashamed of the country’s being led by an “unscrupulous group.” Brazilian officials, who earlier received Sports Minister George Hilton’s resignation, say the planning for the Olympic Games will not be affected. (BBC) (International Business Times)

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April 2, 2016

Top News Stories –

Scientists ‘find cancer’s Achilles heel’ –
Scientists believe they have discovered a way to “steer” the immune system to kill cancers. Researchers at University College, London have developed a way of finding unique markings within a tumour – its “Achilles heel” – allowing the body to target the disease. But the personalised method, reported in Science journal, would be expensive and has not yet been tried in patients. Experts said the idea made sense but could be more complicated in reality. However, the researchers, whose work was funded by Cancer Research UK, believe their discovery could form the backbone of new treatments and hope to test it in patients within two years. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Operator from Yann Heckmann on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#HappyBirthdayPattieMallette	#DullDownAMovie	#RenameAFilmBadly
2	#الانثي_مخلوق_�…	#HappyBirthdayPattieMallette	5SOSFAM NEVER QUIT
3	#SabadoTopNoClubeSDV	#ElClásico	#ElClasico
4	5SOSFAM NEVER QUIT	#WorldAutismAwarenessDay	#DullDownAMovie
5	#مقاضاه_MBC_ضروري	#ApologizeForWhat	#ZoomMW
6	#ElClasico	5SOSFAM NEVER QUIT	#PowerpuffYourself
7	#ALDUB3rdEBAwards	GO DIRECTIONERS GO	#WorldAutismAwarenessDay
8	#DiaMundialAutismo	Hurricane Chris	#NXTTakeOver
9	#WorldAutismAwarenessDay	#LDSconf	#gogglebox
10	#TodoBienHastaQue	#ASCD16	#BahrainGP

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Armenian–Azerbaijani border conflict
- 2016 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes
  - Armenia and Azerbaijan exchange gunfire for the third successive day after an escalation of a dispute over the boundaries between Azerbaijan and the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. (RT)
Syrian Civil War
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claims that the Al-Nusra Front as well as other insurgents have captured the village of Tel el-Ais in a strategic position overlooking the highway between Aleppoand Damascus. (AP)
- The official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reports a mass grave, containing the bodies of beheaded women and children, has been found in the former ISIL-controlled city of Palmyra, recently retaken by the Syrian government. (The Independent)
Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
- Two security guards are killed while repelling an ISIL attack on the Bayda oil field, near the town of Marada, Libya. (Reuters)
Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- Hīt offensive (2016)
  - Iraqi security forces free a large number of prisoners from an underground ISIL-operated jail in the city of Hīt. Malallah al-Obeidi, a local official in the Al Anbar Governorate, put the number of freed prisoners at around 1,500, saying most of them were civilians. (AFP via Al Arabiya)
PKK rebellion (2015–present)
- A bombing kills at least five Turkish soldiers and one special forces police officer in the southeastern city of Nusaybin, near the Syria–Turkey border. (BBC)

Arts and culture

Archaeologists claim to have discovered a probable Viking settlement in North America on Newfoundland‘s Point Rosee. (AFP via ABC Australia)
Hong Kong terrestrial television provider Asia Television ceases all broadcasts at midnight, following a 2015 decision by the Hong Kong Government not to renew its television license. (Fortune.com)

Disasters and accidents

In the United States, a Lancair IV plane crashes into a car stopped along a highway, 50 miles north of San Diego, California, killing car passenger Antoinette “Toni” Frances Isbelle, a member of the WFTDA’sSan Diego Starlettes roller derby team. Five others, including the pilot, are hospitalized. (The San Diego Union Tribune) (New York Daily News)

International relations

European migrant crisis, Austria–Italy relations
- Austria plans to deploy soldiers on its border with Italy to stem an expected increase in migrants trying to get to northern Europe, according to Austrian Defence Minister Hans Peter Doskozil. “As the EU’s external borders are not yet effectively protected, Austria will soon ramp up strict border controls. That means massive border controls on the Brenner Pass, and with soldiers,” Doskozil told German daily newspaper Die Welt. (Reuters)
Burundian unrest (2015–present)
- The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopts a resolution setting the stage for the deployment of UN Police to Burundi, where political unrest that has lasted nearly a year killed over 400 people and displaced tens of thousands. The resolution asks Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to present options within 15 days for the deployment of UN police in order to monitor the security situation, promote respect for human rights and advance the rule of law. (Al Jazeera)
NATO–Russia relations
- The United States Air Force sends 12 F-15C Eagles and 350 personnel to Iceland and the Netherlands to deter further Russian aggression in Europe. (CNN)
Greek government-debt crisis
- Greece demands an explanation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) after an apparent leaked transcript suggested the IMF may threaten to pull out of the country’s bailout as a tactic to force European lenders to offer more debt relief. Whistleblowing site WikiLeaks published what it said was the transcript of a March 19 conference call of three senior IMF officials discussing tactics to apply pressure on Greece, Germany and the EU to reach a deal in April. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Indian women’s rights activists are barred by angry villagers and local authorities from entering Shani Shingnapur temple despite a court ruling guaranteeing access. Breaking with a centuries-old tradition, the high court in Mumbai ruled women have a fundamental right to enter Hindu temples across the state of Maharashtra, and the government has the responsibility to protect their rights. Bhumata Ranragini Brigade leader Trupti Desai and 25 other supporters were detained by police. All India Mahila Congress President Shobha Oza and Delhi Commission for Women chairwoman Swati Maliwal called the actions of locals and authorities “completely shameful.” (UPI)

Politics and elections

United States presidential election, 2016, Republican Party presidential candidates, 2016
- The Republican National Committeeman for North Dakota, Curly Haugland, says that the likelihood for outsiders such as Donald Trump to get state electoral votes are slim as the party honor its own elders. (Politico)
Trần Đại Quang is sworn in as the President of Vietnam. (Reuters via The Star)
The Saudi-owned news channel Al Arabiya shuts its offices in Beirut, Lebanon and dismisses 27 employees in a sudden move reflecting tensions between Saudi Arabia and Lebanon-based Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran. Saudi Arabia interpreted Lebanon’s lack of public solidarity as a sign that it had become beholden to Hezbollah. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
The Governor of the U.S. territory of Guam Eddie Calvo announces his intention to hold a plebiscite to decide the future political status of the island. Calvo said he hopes to start a successful “education campaign” on the issue before filing a petition to start a referendum. If the plebiscite does take place, voters on Guam would be asked to select which political status they would prefer; independence, statehood, or free association However, the possible vote would be non-binding as any change in political status would require an act of Congress in Washington, D.C.. Guam is currently on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories in need of decolonization. (Radio New Zealand)
Aftermath of the 2016 Brussels bombings
- Police in Brussels, Belgium arrest multiple right-wing and anti-racist protesters, with riot squads engaged in a tense confrontation with local youths in the district of Sint-Jans-Molenbeek. A standoff grew when far-right protesters faced a counter-demonstration, despite protests being banned by local authorities who were fearful of last Sunday’s event, in which police forcefully dispersed a right-wing protest with water cannons. (Reuters)

Sport

2016 World Figure Skating Championships
- Spanish figure skater Javier Fernández defends his world title after making a stunning comeback from behind Japanese figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu, who was ahead by 12 points, to win gold. (The Guardian)
2015–16 NBA season
- In basketball, the visiting Boston Celtics defeat the Golden State Warriors, snapping the Warrior’s 14-month, 54-game home win streak which leaves the San Antonio Spurs with the only undefeated home record this season. (Basketball-Reference.com) (SBNation) (ESPN)
2016 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament
- In the U.S. men’s national college basketball tournament semifinals in Houston‘s NRG Stadium, the Villanova Wildcats thrash the Oklahoma Sooners 95–51, the most lopsided result in men’s Final Four history; and in a battle between Atlantic Coast Conference members, the North Carolina Tar Heels defeat the Syracuse Orange 83–66. The title game on April 4 pits the Wildcats, 1985 champions, and the five-time champion Tar Heels. (NBC Sports) (Toronto Sun)

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April 8, 2016

Top News Stories –

Springsteen cancels North Carolina concert over bathroom bill –
Rock star Bruce Springsteen on Friday canceled a concert scheduled for this weekend in North Carolina to protest a new state law restricting bathroom use by transgender individuals, as country music stars decried similar legislation proposed in Tennessee. Springsteen said in an online statement that the North Carolina law was “an attempt by people who cannot stand the progress our country has made in recognizing the human rights of all of our citizens to overturn that progress.” Tickets for the concert that was to be presented on Sunday in Greensboro, North Carolina, would be refunded, according to Springsteen’s website. PayPal Holdings Inc (PYPL.O) cited the discriminatory nature of the law when it canceled on Tuesday a new operations center that was to employ 400 workers in Charlotte. [Reuters] In March Springsteen signed a late note for a schoolboy who came to one of his concerts
Bruce Springsteen

SpaceX reusable rocket lands on ocean platform –
The US aerospace company SpaceX has successfully landed a resusable rocket on an ocean platform, after four previous attempts failed. Mission controllers cheered as the Falcon 9 rocket remained upright on the platform off Florida. It was returning from delivering an inflatable habitat into space for Nasa. The inflatable room will attach to the International Space Station (ISS) for a two-year test and become the first such habitat to for humans in orbit. It is due to reach the ISS around 09:00 GMT on Sunday along with other freight aboard the Dragon capsule. Built by Nevada company Bigelow Aerospace, the habitat is intended to pave the way towards the use of such rooms for long space trips, including to Mars. [BBC] See Video of the Day

Video of the Day –

SpaceX lands rocket at sea, makes history –

	Worldwide	USA	UK (London)
1	#SextaDetremuraSdv	#FlashbackFriday	#FridayFeeling
2	#سعادتي_هي	Josh Pastner	#AskZac
3	#resigncameron	#NewMusicFriday	#resigncameron
4	#8AnosAtrás	#resigncameron	#FlashbackFriday
5	#BuenViernes	#ColorofSurveillance	#dontstreamanddrive
6	#EsDePobres	#OpeningDayDET	#NewMusicFriday
7	#AmaneciConGanasDe	Sanders Over the Edge	#SLFLLondon2
8	#ALDUBProblemaNiLola	Vatican	Danny DeVito
9	#FridayFeeling	#FridayFeeling	#LadiesDay
10	#جسر_الملك_سلمان	#lovesick7days	#IAMW16

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Sinai insurgency
- At least seven people are killed, including five Egyptian Army soldiers, a military officer and a civilian woman in two separate blasts in Egypt‘s Sinai Peninsula. ISIL’s Sinai branch claimed responsibility for the attacks on several websites. (Reuters)
Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- Hīt offensive (2016)
  - The Iraqi Army recaptures the western town of Hīt, Al Anbar Governorate, after driving out hundreds of ISIL militants. (Reuters)
Syrian Civil War
- Damascus offensive (April 2016)
  - ISIL militants reportedly execute 175 workers who were captured earlier this week at a cement factory situated to the east of Damascus. (RT) (Daily Mail)
2016 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes
- An ethnic Armenian soldier dies in overnight clashes. (News Armenia)

Arts and culture

Pope Francis issues Amoris Laetitia or the Joy of Love, a document on the Roman Catholic approach to love, sex, marriage and family life. (AP)
- In the 256-page document, the Pope encourages the clergy to embrace sinners as well as saints, opens the door a bit for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics, and stresses that Catholics, with their own informed consciences guided by the light of the Gospel, address tricky moral questions in their life, and not only be guided by dogmatic rules from above. Francis also asserts the right to a natural deathwithout aggressive treatment; firmly rejects the death penalty; and reiterates the Church’s opposition to same-sex marriage. (AP²) (The Washington Post) (Vatican)
North Carolina bathroom bill
- Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band cancels their Sunday night concert in Greensboro, North Carolina, to protest the state’s controversial “bathroom bill.” (Rolling Stone)

Business and economics

Both Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide and Marriott International shareholders approve Marriott’s acquisition of Starwood, which will create the world’s largest hotelier. The deal has cleared the pre-merger antitrust reviews in the United States and Canada; approvals from the European Union and China is pending. Last week, Anbang Insurance Group topped Marriott’s bid, then withdrew their offer three days later. (Reuters) (UPI)

Disasters and accidents

At least 50 people are reportedly injured following a head-on collision between two commuter trains in San José, Costa Rica. (WRAL)
Three people are killed, and there was one survivor, following the crash of a small plane headed to Angoon in Southeast Alaska, United States. (KTUU-TV)

International relations

North Korea–South Korea relations, North Korean defectors
- A group of 13 North Koreans working at a restaurant in an unidentified country defect en masse to South Korea, according to Seoul‘s Ministry of Unification. (USA Today)
Egypt–Saudi Arabia relations
- King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud announces, during his trip to Cairo, that a bridge crossing the Red Sea will be built, linking Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi says the bridge will be named after the Saudi monarch. A Saudi–Egypt Causeway project has been in the works for years. (BBC)
Syria–United States relations
- Syria releases American freelance photographer Kevin Patrick Dawes who was kidnapped in 2012. (Washington Post)
NATO–Russia relations
- NATO announces it will hold a meeting of the NATO–Russia Council at the ambassadorial level at NATO headquarters in Brussels in the next two weeks after a two-year break since NATO cut all practical cooperation with Russia in 2014. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Egypt–Italy relations, Murder of Giulio Regeni
- Italy recalls its ambassador to Egypt for consultations in protest over the lack of progress in a probe into the fate of murdered Cambridge University student Giulio Regeni. “We want only one thing, the truth about what happened to Giulio,” Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said on Friday. (AFP via Yahoo! News)
China-Russia relations
- Russia postpones a transfer of missile engines to China. There is concern the technology could be passed on to a third country, such as North Korea. China is not a member of the Missile Technology Control Regime, a voluntary, informal partnership between 34 countries to prevent proliferation of missile delivery systems that could carry weapons of mass destruction. (UPI)
Bangladesh–United States relations
- U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner condemns Wednesday’s “barbaric murder” of Nazimuddin Samad, and says federal officials are considering granting refuge to a select number ofBangladeshi writers who are under “imminent danger” because of their critical views of radical Islamists. (UPI)

Law and crime

At least two people are reported dead following a shooting at Lackland Air Force Base, in the U.S. state of Texas. (CNBC)
Aftermath of the November 2015 Paris attacks
- Mohamed Abrini, wanted in connection with the 2015 Paris attacks, is arrested in Belgium. (Reuters via Ynet)
Panama Papers
- El Salvador officials seize documents and equipment during a raid of the local offices of Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca. Attorney General Douglas Melendez says authorities interviewed seven employees, and confiscated 20 computers and some documents. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

The French occupy movement known as Nuit debout enters its ninth day, “March 40,” spreading across dozens of French cities and to Belgium, Germany, and Spain. (The Guardian)
Djiboutian presidential election, 2016
- Voters in Djibouti go to the polls for the first round of voting in a presidential election with current President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh winning a fourth term in office. (BBC), (AFP via Daily Mail)
A Myanmar court releases 69 jailed student activists in the first wave of amnesty for the country’s political prisoners, with more releases expected. This comes after State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi vowed to push for the release of all the political prisoners in Myanmar. (Al Jazeera)
The Prime Minister of Madagascar Jean Ravelonarivo and his cabinet resign from office with no explanation given. (The Guardian)
Macedonian opposition leader Zoran Zaev pledges to boycott the early Macedonian parliamentary elections, saying it is due to a lack of government reforms. (Business Insider)
LGBT rights in the United States
- A group of United States mayors forms “Mayors Against Discrimination” in the wake of recent discriminatory laws enacted in North Carolina and Mississippi against LBGT individuals. The founding members are city leaders from Honolulu, New York City, Philadelphia, Portland, Oakland, San Francisco, Sante Fe, Seattle, Tampa, and Washington, D.C. (AP) (Huffington Post) (Mayor Edward Murray)
United States presidential election, 2016
- The Colorado Republican Party continues choosing its delegates to the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Ted Cruz has swept all of the delegates available so far. The process which began last Saturday (April 2, 2016) will conclude tomorrow. (Washington Post)

Science and technology

SpaceX CRS-8
- SpaceX launches a NASA cargo run to the International Space Station, and in a spaceflight first, successfully lands its reusable main-stage booster on an autonomous spaceport drone ship. (The Verge)(Reuters)

Sport

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko says they will not open up a formal investigation into the doping scandals that were reported by the World Anti-Doping Agency last November, where it documented Russian athletes systematically taking banned performance-enhancing drugs with state support. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

April 9, 2016

Top News Stories –

Grand National: Rule The World wins under David Mullins –
The 33-1 shot Rule The World, ridden by 19-year-old David Mullins and trained by Mouse Morris, has won the 2016 Grand National at Aintree. Mullins, in his first ride in the race, came storming through to overhaul The Last Samuri (8-1 joint favourite) and Vics Canvas (100-1) late on. It gave Morris a double after Rogue Angel’s Irish National win last month.
Last year’s winner Many Clouds challenged but was beaten a long way out and finished 16th and last. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Snowboarder Girl Chased By Bear – I Was Singing Rihanna Work And Didn’t Know It Was Behind Me!

List of the Day –

Grand National Trivia

Fastest winning time: Mr. Frisk (1990); 8 minutes 47.8 seconds
Oldest winning horse: Peter Simple (1853); aged 15
Youngest winning horse: Alcibiade (1865), Regal (1876), Austerlitz (1877), Empress (1880), Lutteur III (1909); all aged five
Oldest winning jockey: Dick Saunders (1982); aged 48
Youngest winning jockey: Bruce Hobbs (1938); aged 17
Longest odds winner: Tipperary Tim (1928), Gregalach (1929), Caughoo (1947), Foinavon (1967), Mon Mome (2009); all 100/1
Shortest odds winner: Poethlyn (1919); 11/4
Largest field: 66 runners (1929)
Smallest field: 10 runners (1883)
Most horses to finish: 23 (1984)
Fewest horses to finish: 2 (1928)
Most rides in the race: 20 (A. P. McCoy, 1995–2015), (Richard Johnson, 1997-2016)
Most rides without winning: 20 (Richard Johnson, 1997-2016)

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide	USA	Australia (Sydney)
#FelizSabado	#GrandNational	#triplejONS
#JaSeForam100DiasEm2016EEu	#ResistCapitalism	#RogueOne
#GrandNational	#SuperSoulSessions	#WTSGoldCoast
#SabadoSDVcomChalanco	#FamilyValuesIn5Words	#banksRC
#فيلم_كارتون_ب�…	#FavoriteCamilaVocals	#IdolFinale
#eununca	#EndCyBernBullying	Royal Commission
#EstaNocheYo	#NationalUnicornDay	#lovesick7days
#ALDUBSummerGetaway	#TEDxPDX	#PoseyDay
#JuntosNoClubeSDV	Kirstie Alley	#resigncameron
#YeriGelmişkenSöyleyeyim	#ResignDavidCameron	Bruce Springsteen

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Moro Conflict
- 2016 Battle of Basilan
  - At least 18 soldiers are killed and 52 injured in clashes with Abu Sayyaf militants and allied gunmen in Basilan island, Philippines. (FOX News)
Military intervention against ISIL
- The United States Air Force deploys B-52 bombers to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar to join operations against ISIL in Syria and Iraq. This is the first time they have been stationed in the Middle East since the end of the Gulf War in 1991. (Reuters)
Internal conflict in Peru
- At least two people are killed in a remote part of Peru in an attack by Shining Path guerillas. (Daily Mail)

Disasters and accidents

European migrant crisis
- Five migrants drown off the island of Samos close to Turkey. (AP)
At least 23 people are killed and 32 others injured after a bus plunges into a river in southeastern Peru. (AFP via ABC News)

International relations

Egypt–Saudi Arabia relations
- Egypt and Saudi Arabia reach an agreement on the disputed islands of Tiran Island and Sanafir Island, placing the formerly Egyptian-administered islands officially under Saudi Arabian sovereignty. (Daily Mail)
North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- North Korea claims to have successfully tested the engine for an intercontinental ballistic missile. (BBC)

Law and crime

2016 Brussels bombings
- Mohamed Abrini has reportedly admitted to being the “man in the hat” sought after the Brussels bombings. He is also being charged with involvement in the November 2015 Paris attacks. (BNO News)
Former New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith is shot dead in a road rage incident. (CNN)

Politics and elections

United States presidential election, 2016
- Registered Democratic voters in the U.S. state of Wyoming gather, by county, for the Wyoming Democratic caucuses. Bernie Sanders is projected to win. (Wyoming Tribune), (The Hill)
Panama Papers
- Thousands of people protest in Whitehall calling on British Prime Minister David Cameron to resign over his financial affairs and his handling of them in relation to revelations made by the leak of the Panama Papers. (Independent)
Puerto Rican Governor Alejandro García Padilla announces he declared a state of emergency at the Commonwealth’s Government Development Bank yesterday, which allows withdrawals only to fund necessary costs for health, public safety, and education services. Without this measure and debt restructuring, the United States territory would be forced to default as it faces nearly $2.5 billion in bond payments from May through July. (AP via The Washington Post)

Sport

British horse Rule The World wins the 2016 Grand National. (BBC)
In boxing, Anthony Joshua wins the International Boxing Federation heavyweight championship defeating Charles Martin the defending champion. (The Guardian)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

April 18, 2016

Top News Stories –

Depp’s wife Amber Heard avoids Australia dog-smuggling conviction –
Actress Amber Heard has avoided a conviction for illegally taking her dogs into Australia. Ms Heard, married to actor Johnny Depp, had pleaded guilty in court to making a false statement on her immigration card about the couple’s Yorkshire terriers. But the Queensland judge gave her a one-month good behaviour bond with no conviction recorded. If she breaks the bond she must pay A$1,000 ($770; £540). The authorities also released an unusual video apology from the couple. In the video, which was shown in court and made public by the Department of Agriculture, the couple expressed remorse and advised travellers to respect Australian quarantine laws. [BBC] See Video of the Day
Amber Heard

Three-day working week ‘optimal for over-40s’ –
Workers aged over 40 perform at their best if they work three days a week, according to economic researchers. Their research analysed the work habits and brain test results of about 3,000 men and 3,500 women aged over 40 in Australia. Their calculations suggest a part-time job keeps the brain stimulated, while avoiding exhaustion and stress. The researchers said this needed to be taken into consideration as many countries raise their retirement age. [BBC]

YouTube live-streams in virtual reality and adds 3D sound –
YouTube is introducing live-streamed 360-degree videos on its service. The Google-owned platform said select concerts from California’s Coachella festival would be the first to use the virtual reality facility. In addition, it announced videos on its service could now be enhanced with “spatial audio”, which simulates the effect of sounds coming from different directions and distances. One expert said the innovation could greatly enhance VR experiences. The announcements were timed to coincide with the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) conference in Las Vegas, where several new virtual reality products are being launched. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard: Australian biosecurity

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide	USA
#SegundaDetremuraSdv	#HappyBirthdayIvoryElla
#الشوري_يناقش_�…	Pulitzer
#AlutaComeçou	#houstonflood
#WorldHeritageDay	#WorldHeritageDay
#بعزيمه_الرجال…	#ILookAtMyLifeAnd
#NoEsPorIntrigarPero	#BostonMarathon
#AliİsmailKorkmaz	#IFeelOldWhen
#houstonflood	#RAWLondon
#BostonMarathon	#asugsvsummit
#NoALaDroga	#FightForFamilies

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- Syrian rebels launch new offensives against government forces in the country’s Latakia Governorate and Hama Governorate. Several rebel groups earlier announced they were launching a new battle against government forces in response to claimed violations of the cease-fire agreement, further putting a strain on the Syrian peace process. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
- Rockets fired by ISIL from northern Syria hit the Turkish town of Kilis killing four people, most of them children. (BBC)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict (2015–present)
- 2016 Jerusalem bombing
  - A bomb explosion in Jerusalem set two buses on fire and injured 21 people with ball bearing and nails. Israeli police say they believe the incident was a suicide bombing but no group has claimed responsibility. (Euronews) (Ynetnews)
Ethnic violence in South Sudan, Sudanese nomadic conflicts
- According to the government of Ethiopia, the death toll from a raid carried out by attackers from South Sudan has risen to 208 from a figure of 140 a day earlier, with 108 children being kidnapped in the process. Ethiopian forces killed 60 of the attackers and says it would cross the border into South Sudan to pursue the assailants if necessary. (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

Pulitzer Prizes
- The Associated Press wins the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for documenting the use of slave labor in Southeast Asia to supply seafood to American tables. (AP)
- Lin-Manuel Miranda wins the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the musical Hamilton based on the life of American founding father Alexander Hamilton. (Buzzfeed)

Business and economics

The meeting in Doha, Qatar, of the world’s top oil producers, from both OPEC and non-OPEC countries, fails to agree on an output freeze. Oil analysts say the failure was due to Iran’s non-participation, andSaudi Arabia linking its cooperation to Iran’s inclusion. Oil prices drop in early Asian trading and on the New York Mercantile Exchange. (AFP via Bangkok Post) (CNBC) (Oilprice.com)
A member of the board of the Bundesbank in Germany says that the European Central Bank ought to crack down on the political practice, in EU’s member state, by which banks that are no longer viable are nonetheless kept in business, as so-called Zombie banks. (Reuters)
Cuba-United States relations
- Carnival Cruise Lines says it will postpone its first cruise in 50 years from the United States to Havana, if Cuba does not waive its rule and allow Cuban-Americans passengers. Current Cuban law does not allow those born on the island to return by sea. (UPI) (AP via CNBC)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Kumamoto earthquakes
- The Japanese Red Cross says that 250,000 people have been asked to leave their homes due to further tremors. (BBC)
2016 Ecuador earthquake
- Aid starts to flow in after an earthquake kills over 270 people in Ecuador. (AP via Fox News), (BBC)
European migrant crisis
- More than 400 migrants, mostly from Somalia, drown in the Mediterranean Sea while traveling from Egypt to Italy. (The Telegraph)
Violent storms cause floods across Uruguay with seven people killed and more than 2,000 left homeless. Four of those were killed by a tornado that struck Dolores. Four million people in the Chilean capital ofSantiago were left without tap water as heavy rains triggered landslides. This led to the fouling of the city’s water supply. (Al Jazeera)
2016 Houston floods
- Heavy rain of more than 1 foot (0.30 m) causes major flooding in Houston, Texas, affecting 1,000 homes, causing five deaths and causing power outages for over 100,000 residents. (CNN), (USA Today), (Time)
- Texas Governor Greg Abbott declares nine counties in the southeastern part of the state disaster areas. (UPI)

International relations

Australia–Philippines relations, Philippine presidential election, 2016
- Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Amanda Gorely criticizes Philippine presidential frontrunner Rodrigo Duterte regarding his remarks about the rape of an Australian citizen. (Rappler), (The New York Times)
Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- During a visit to Baghdad, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter announces that the United States will be sending more troops to the country to help in the fight against ISIL. The U.S. also plans to giveKurdish Peshmerga forces, which are fighting ISIL on the ground, more than $400m (£280m; €350m) in assistance. (BBC)

Law and crime

War in Donbass, Russia–Ukraine relations
- A Ukrainian court sentences two Russian nationals to 14 years in prison each on charges of fighting alongside Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. Moscow contends that the two Russians were no longer employed by the state when they were captured. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

Politics and elections

Philippine general election, 2016
- Bongbong Marcos, the son of dictator Ferdinand Marcos and top vice presidential candidate, defends Duterte’s remarks about rape. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Italian oil drilling referendum, 2016
- The referendum fails to exceed the 50% turnout level necessary to make the results binding; turnout was recorded at 31.2%. (Reuters)
Next Australian federal election
- Australia looks likely to hold a double dissolution election on July 2 after the Senate rejects legislation to bring back the Australian Building and Construction Commission for a second time. (ABC News Australia)
2016 Macedonian protests
- Protests against President Gjorge Ivanov continue in Skopje, the capital of Macedonia, after his decision to pardon politicians involved in a scandal. (The Seattle Times)

Sports

More than 30,000 runners participate in the 120th running of the Boston Marathon. Two Ethiopian runners win. Adriana Haslett and Patrick Downes, survivors of the 2013 bombing who each lost a leg in the blast, were in the field.(The Boston Globe) (NPR)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

May 3, 2016

Top News Stories –

Sesame Street sends cease and desist letter to STD awareness group after it suggests Bert and Ernie have HIV –
Sesame Street sent a cease and desist letter to a company that used its characters Bert and Ernie in their campaign ad that promoted at-home HIV and STD testing. Lately, a company which has created a ‘simple, cutting-edge, and affordable STD testing’ method, posted a photo of the two characters to their Facebook page.’Help us take STD Testing out of the Stone Age,’ the company, wrote on Facebook, in a post accompanied by a picture Bert and Ernie, according to the New York Post.Elizabeth W Fishman, Vice President of Strategic Communications for the show, told the The Post that the Mately ad is an ‘unauthorized, unlicensed use of our characters’. Fishman added that Mately will be contacted and sent ‘a cease and desist letter instructing them to take this down’. Bert and Ernie are shown in the Facebook post looking at a set of papers. ‘See Ernie, you’ve got nothing to worry about, everything is positive!’ the caption reads. [Daily Mail]

Video of the Day –

GoPro Awards: On a Rocket Launch to Space

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- A rocket attack hits a hospital in the Syrian city of Aleppo, killing three civilians. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the attack was part of a bigger shelling that killed 19 more people. (Al Jazeera)
Iraqi Civil War, American-led intervention in Iraq
- According to the United States Department of Defense, ISIL fighters killed a Navy SEAL near Erbil. The sailor was assisting Kurdish Peshmerga forces in repelling an attack on the area. The SEAL was later identified as Arizona native Charles Keating IV, the son of Charles Keating III, and the grandson of the convicted noted late financier Charles Keating Jr., who was embroiled in the 1980s savings and loan scandal. (The Guardian)

Arts and culture

The Rhode Island Marine Architecture Project claims to have found the wreckage of HMS Endeavour used by Royal Navy Lieutenant James Cook on his voyage to Australia, New Zealand and Tahiti between 1768 and 1771. The ship was scuttled in 1778 in Newport Harbor ahead of the Battle of Rhode Island in the American War of Independence. (AFP via ABC News Australia)
Imprisoned Azerbaijani journalist Khadija Ismayilova is announced as the winner of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize for 2016 for “her outstanding contribution to press freedom in difficult circumstances.” (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

Business and economy

Philippine presidential election, 2016
- The Philippine financial market continues to suffer amid speculation that Rodrigo Duterte may win the upcoming election. (Bloomberg)

Disasters and accidents

May 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire
- A mandatory evacuation order for more than 29,000 people remains in place for the Canadian town of Fort McMurray, Alberta, which is threatened by an out of control wildfire. (The Globe and Mail)
- By 7 pm local time, the entire town of population 80,000 is placed under a mandatory evacuation. The neighbourhood of Beacon Hill, home to about 2,200 people, is 80% destroyed by fire. (Weather Underground)
An airplane crashes on Long Island, New York, killing three people onboard. (The New York Times)

Law and crime

The sect Iglesia ni Cristo is suing supporters of Rodrigo Duterte for spreading a fake endorsement by the denomination. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Russia–Spain relations
- A Spanish judge issues an arrest warrant for various individuals with links to organized crime from Russia. The list also includes former and current officials of the Russian government with close links toRussian President Vladimir Putin. Prominent officials include former Defense Minister Anatoliy Serdyukov and former Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov. The charges range from money laundering toassassination. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Papua conflict
- According to reports, the Indonesian police arrest close to 1,700 people in Papua and West Papua who were involved in attempted protests yesterday. (Radio New Zealand)
Bento Rodrigues dam disaster
- The Government of Brazil sues iron miner Samarco and parent companies Vale and BHP Billiton for 155 billion Brazilian reals ($43.5 billion US) for the collapse of a tailings dam that resulted in 19 deaths and caused major pollution to the Doce River. (The Guardian)
El Salvador arrests former congressman Raúl Mijango for allegedly attempting to smuggle banned items into prison and allegedly associating with gang members. (Reuters via Trust)

Politics and elections

European migrant crisis
- The government of Hungary announces it will hold a referendum regarding future European Union quotas for resettling refugees. The vote is expected to be held either in September or October of this year where a turnout of over 50 percent will render it to be valid. (Al Jazeera)
Papua conflict
- A meeting is held in London on the issue of West Papuan independence. Independence leader Benny Wenda joined various humanitarians, parliamentarians and lawyers in urging the United Nations to secure a vote on the future status of the region, which is occupied by Indonesia. (The Guardian)
United States presidential election, 2016, United States presidential election in Indiana, 2016
- Voters in the U.S. state of Indiana head to the polls to vote in Democratic and Republican presidential primaries. (NPR)
- Donald Trump wins the Indiana Republican Primary. (New York Post) (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
- Ted Cruz announces that he is withdrawing from the race for the Republican nomination, leaving Donald Trump as the presumptive nominee. (CNN)
- Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders wins the Indiana Democratic primary. (NBC News)

Sport

2018 Winter Olympics, 2018 Winter Paralympics
- Cho Yang-ho resigns as President of the PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games due to growing financial problems with the Hanjin Group he is chairman of.(AP)
Association football
- The Football Federation of Kosovo becomes the 55th member of UEFA following a secret ballot at the 40th Ordinary UEFA Congress in Budapest.(AP via The Republic)

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May 7, 2016

Top News Stories –

Nyquist Unrelenting in Kentucky Derby Victory –
Whatever has been thrown at Reddam Racing’s Nyquist, he has been able to handle. And May 7 at Churchill Downs he added the Kentucky Derby to his already impressive résumé. The son of Uncle Mo broke like a champion from post 13 and was out front in the early strides, but was able to settle into position just off the pace set by Danzing Candy, who broke poorly from the outside post and needed to be rushed up entering the first turn. And for the immediate future of Nyquist, who pushed his earnings to $4,954,200 with the Derby score, up next is a walk of the shedrow May 8 and a trip to Baltimore May 9. And beyond that, O’Neill might be looking toward a higher power. [The Blood Horse]

Video of the Day –

Sky Magic Live at Mt.Fuji : Drone Ballet Show by MicroAd, Inc. from Sky Magic on Vimeo.

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- Resolute Support Mission
  - Two Romanian soldiers are killed along with assailants in an insider attack in Afghanistan. (Washington Post)
Syrian Civil War
- Aleppo offensive (May 2016)
  - At least 13 Iranian soldiers are killed in a battle with Islamist militants in a village near Aleppo, Syria. The largest single day loss for the Iranians since the start of the conflict. (Retuers) (Business Insider) (NDTV)

Law and crime

Indonesia-Philippines relations
- Filipina convict Mary Jane Veloso gets a reprieve from Indonesian executions. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Politics and elections

Sarawak state election, 2016
- In Malaysia, Sarawak voters go to the polls for a state election. (Channel NewsAsia)
Bukit Batok by-election, 2016
- Singapore‘s Bukit Batok by-elections conclude with more than 24,000 voters casting ballots. Murali Pillai of the People’s Action Party emerged as the winner with 61.21% of the valid votes cast. This was the first Singaporean by-election following the 2015 general elections. (Channel NewsAsia) (The Straits Times)
United States presidential election, 2016, United States presidential election in Guam, 2016
- Voters in Guam head to the polls to vote in the Democratic presidential caucus. (Guam Daily Post)
Iran’s elected Parliament member from Maragheh and Ajabshir district, Mohammad-Ali Hosseinzadeh, dies in a car crash in Zanjan. He was set to take office on 28 May. (yjc.ir)

Sports

Nyquist wins the 2016 Kentucky Derby, extending his race record to eight wins in eight races.(The Blood-Horse)

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May 10, 2016

Top News Stories –

West Ham bid farewell to the Boleyn Ground –
West Ham United fans packed Upton Park for the final time for their Premier League game with Manchester United which they won 3-1. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Farewell Boleyn 2015/16

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- Ali Haider Gilani, the son of former Prime Minister of Pakistan Yousaf Raza Gilani, is rescued in a joint operation by U.S. and Afghan forces three years after he was kidnapped by suspected Talibanmilitants. (AFP via ABC News Australia)
Kurdish–Turkish conflict (2015–present)
- At least three are killed in a car bomb targeting a Turkish police vehicle in Diyarbakır, Turkey. (FOX News)

Business and economics

U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan blocks the $6.3 billion merger of major office supply companies Staples and Office Depot, finding it would result in reduced competition and higher prices. The companies announce they are abandoning the deal. (The Washington Post)

Disasters

At least 50 are killed in flooding and landslides triggered by heavy rains in Ethiopia. (FOX News)
2016 Fort McMurray wildfire
- Alberta authorities update information about the fire. About 2,400 homes and buildings were destroyed, but firefighters saved 25,000 others in the city, including the hospital, municipal buildings, and every functioning school. They expect most of the 88,000 evacuees will return to their homes within two weeks. The fire, which has merged with another blaze, is about 884 square miles (2,090 square kilometers) in size. The majority of Canada’s oil sands industry, and a third of the country’s total oil output, is offline, though Shell Canada has restarted its Albian Sands mining operations. (AP)

Law and crime

Munich knife attack
- One person is killed and several others injured in a knife attack at the Grafing station, a station of the Munich S-Bahn system in Germany. (Sky News)
An assailant stabs four people, killing two, at a home and a mall in Taunton, Massachusetts. A third victim is being treated for life-threatening injuries. The suspect was shot and killed by an off-duty deputy sheriff at the second scene. (CNN) (The Boston Globe)
Death of Freddie Gray
- Officer Edward Nero waives his right to a jury trial on misdemeanor charges of second-degree assault, two counts of misconduct in office, and reckless endangerment. (Reuters)

Politics and election

Philippine presidential election, 2016
- Rodrigo Duterte continues to lead in the presidential race, while Leni Robredo leads Bongbong Marcos by a small margin in the vice presidential race. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
United States presidential election, 2016, United States presidential election in West Virginia, 2016, United States presidential election in Nebraska, 2016
- Voters in the state of West Virginia head to the polls to vote in the Democratic and Republican presidential primaries. Voters in the state of Nebraska vote in the Republican presidential primary with Donald Trump just 169 delegates short of securing the nomination. (New York Daily News) (Lincoln Journal Star)
- Trump is projected as the winner in the Republican primary in West Virginia while Bernie Sanders is projected to win the Democratic Primary. (New York Times), (BBC)
- Trump is projected to win Nebraska. (Washington Examiner)
Impeachment process against Dilma Rousseff
- Brazil’s Federal Senate unanimously votes to strip Delcídio do Amaral of his senate seat. Amaral, one of Rousseff’s biggest foes, was arrested last November for allegedly taking kickbacks from Petrobras.(AP)
- The Supreme Federal Court rejects the government’s request to rule on the merits of last month’s Chamber of Deputies impeachment vote. (AP)

Science

NASA confirms that 1,284 objects discovered by its Kepler spacecraft are in fact exoplanets. (The Verge)

Sports

In basketball, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors is named NBA MVP for the second straight season. Curry is the first player ever to receive all possible first-place votes. (ESPN)
London football club West Ham United F.C. play the final match of their 112-year stay at the Boleyn Ground, before moving to the city’s Olympic Stadium. (BBC)

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May 13, 2016

Top News Stories –

Fifa appoints Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura as its first woman secretary general –
Fifa appointed its first female and non-European secretary general on Friday night after announcing that United Nations humanitarian co-ordinator Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura would replace the disgraced Jérôme Valcke. New president Gianni Infantino confirmed that the Senegalese, a 21-year veteran of UN programmes, would become the most powerful official in world football during Fifa’s annual congress in Mexico City. Infantino had previously promised to consider both a woman and an African for the role – and he delivered on both counts. [Daily Telegraph]
Fatma Samoura (R) in 2008 with George Clooney (L) and Marie-Sophie Reck (C)

Video of the Day –

EYES WIDE OPEN from Vitùc on Vimeo.

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- An Australian security contractor is killed outside the Australian embassy in Baghdad. There are unconfirmed reports that he was shot. (ABC News Australia)
- Three gunmen open fire on a Real Madrid supporters club meeting in a cafe in Samarra northern Iraq, killing at least 14 and wounding 25. Islamic State of Iraq and Syria claims responsibility for attack.(ABC News) (Reuters) (Irish Independent)
Syrian Civil War
- Hezbollah says Mustafa Badreddine, one of Hezbollah’s highest ranking officials believed responsible for military operations in Syria, has been killed by artillery fire from the Syrian rebels. (Al-Jazeera)
Kurdish-Turkish conflict (2015–present)
- Eight Turkish soldiers and 21 Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants are killed in clashes and in a subsequent helicopter crash near Turkey’s border with Iraq. (VOA News) (Reuters) (Washington Post)

Disasters

A massive fire breaks out at a tire dump in Seseña, near Madrid in Spain. The illegal dump contains 100,000 tons of used vehicle tires. The smoke from the fire is visible for at least 30km. (ABC News)
At least one person is dead as a shopping mall being built in the Nigerian city of Abeokuta collapses. Unconfirmed reports indicate that ten people may have died. (BBC)

International relations

Russian President Vladimir Putin threatens to “neutralize” a new ballistic missile defense system which the United States has activated in Europe. (Reuters) (US News) (BBC)

Law and crime

Former President of Argentina Cristina Fernández is indicted on fraud charges in relation to alleged irregularities in the sale of United States dollars by the Central Bank during her term in office. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

The United States Education and Justice Departments advise U.S. public school districts across the country to allow transgender students to use the bathrooms that match their gender identity, rather than their gender at birth. The new guidance comes as Justice and North Carolina battle in federal court over the state’s new so-called bathroom bill. (AP) (Reuters)
Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff
- Vice President of Brazil, Michel Temer, assumes the presidential powers and duties as Acting President of Brazil. (Huffington Post) (NBC News)
2016 state of emergency in Venezuela
- Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro declares a sixty-day state of emergency. (BBC), (Guardian), (Reuters)

Sport

Association football
- Fatma Samoura, a Senegalese United Nations official, is appointed as the Secretary General of FIFA. She is the first woman and first person from outside Europe to be appointed to the position. (AP viDaily Mail)
- Kosovo and Gibraltar are elected as new members of FIFA. (BBC)

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May 16, 2016

Top News Stories –

First penis transplant in U.S. performed in Boston –
Surgeons in Boston have performed the first penile transplant in the United States, a procedure that soon could help severely wounded troops, surgeons at Massachusetts General Hospital said Monday. Thomas Manning, 64, whose penis was removed in 2012 due to penile cancer, is recovering well and showing no signs of rejecting the transplant, his surgeons said. [USA Today]

Crimeans told to stop stealing sand from beaches –
Officials in Crimea are warning people to stop stealing sand from tourist beaches, or else face a prison sentence. The peninsula’s beaches are being targeted by people who remove the sand for use as free building material, the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper reports. At more remote beaches it’s being taken away by the lorry-load, the paper says. Sand theft can hit local authorities finances hard. In February, a group of builders were charged with illegally removing more than 1bn roubles-worth ($15.4m; £10.6m) near Moscow. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

World Record Edition | Dude Perfect

Other News Stories –

Arts and culture

The Vegetarian, written by Han Kang and translated by Deborah Smith, wins the Man Booker International Prize. (BBC News), (The Independent), (The Telegraph)

Business and economy

Pfizer Inc. announces plans to buy Anacor for $5.2 billion. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

At least 15 students are killed and 6 are missing after heavy rains and flash flooding trigger a landslide at a popular tourist resort in Deli Serdang Regency, Indonesia. (The Star Online)

Law and crime

Colombian conflict (1964–present)
- Colombian police announce the seizure of about 8 tonnes (18,000 lb) of cocaine in an operation targeting the Clan Úsuga gang. This would make it the biggest seizure of drugs in the history of Colombia.(UPI) (BBC) (NBC News)
Rwandan genocide
- A Swedish court sentences Claver Berinkindi, a 61-year-old Swedish citizen originally from Rwanda, to life in prison for participation in the Rwandan genocide in 1994. (Reuters) (THE LOCAL)

Politics and elections

The Afghan capital Kabul is locked down as members of the Hazara community protest the proposed route of a power line. (AP)

Science and technology

The first penis transplant in the United States is performed successfully at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston, Massachusetts. Doctors call the operation “a surgical milestone”. The patient, 64-year-old Thomas Manning from Halifax, Massachusetts, is the third man worldwide to have had the experimental surgery performed. (USA Today) (BBC)

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May 20, 2016

Top News Stories –

Mum in Chewbacca mask shatters Facebook Live record –
A braying Chewbacca mask found “on clearance” has shot a Texas mother to internet stardom. Candace Payne was not expecting to purchase the mask when she went to her local Kohls department store, just outside of Dallas, Texas. She doesn’t even consider herself a huge Star Wars fan. On Thursday, the 37-year-old mother of two was returning some items and was going to spend her birthday money on some exercise clothes or something “for the kids”. The Facebook Live video she broadcast from the store’s car park – immediately after purchasing the Chewbacca mask – has broken the record as the most-watched Facebook Live video – ever. “That’s just crazy,” Mrs Payne told the BBC. “I’m just laughing – in all honesty, that is ridiculous. I’ve looked at the number of views and it just seems like someone is just playing with a calculator.” It’s a big number: So far, more than 48 million people have watched Payne laugh hysterically as she shows Facebook her new purchase. [BBC] See Video of the Day [Also see 24 May – Video of the Day]
Candace Payne – Chewbacca

India records its hottest day ever –
A city in India’s Rajasthan state has broken the country’s temperature records after registering 51C, the highest since records began, the weather office says. The new record in Phalodi in the desert state comes amid a heatwave across India. The previous record for the hottest temperature stood at 50.6C in 1956. The heatwave has hit much of northern India, where temperatures have exceeded 40C for weeks. The run-up to the Indian monsoon season is always characterised by weeks of strong sunshine and increasing heat but life-threatening temperature levels topping 50C are unusual. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Candace Payne Chewbacca video

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Iraqi civil war (2014–present)
- Ar-Rutbah offensive (2016)
  - Iraqi Army forces helped by U.S. airstrikes recapture the southwestern city of Ar-Rutbah from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group. The victory will allow for the re-opening of the Baghdad–Amman highway. (Al Jazeera)
Abkhaz–Georgian conflict
- Georgia‘s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses “shock and deep concern” after a Georgian citizen, 31-year-old Giga Otkhozoria, was shot dead by Russian Armed Forces troops patrolling areas near the administrative boundary with Abkhazia. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

Business and economy

Shortages in Venezuela
- Coca-Cola FEMSA suspends all production in Venezuela due to a sugar shortage. (Fortune) (Sputnik)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Sri Lankan floods
- Two hundred thousand people flee the Sri Lankan capital Colombo as floods caused by several days of heavy rain worsen. (AFP via Yahoo)
EgyptAir Flight 804
- Egyptian Armed Forces claim that passenger luggage and part of the aircraft have been found in the Mediterranean Sea 290 kilometers north of Alexandria. (CNN)
Temperatures soar to a record 51 °C (124 °F) in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The heatwave has claimed 300 lives since April 2016. (BBC)
At least four National Gendarmerie officers are killed in a helicopter crash in Hautes-Pyrénées, in southwestern France. (THE LOCAL)
List of earthquakes in Australia
- The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reports a magnitude 5.9 earthquake strikes the southern part of the Northern Territory in central Australia. It is the strongest earthquake in the Northern Territory region since the Tennant Creek earthquakes on 22 January 1988. No damage or injuries are reported. (The Sydney Morning Herald) (RT)

Health

Zika virus outbreak (2015 – present)
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports at that least 270 pregnant women in the United States are infected with the Zika virus. (NBC News) (NPR)

International relations

Accession of Montenegro to NATO
- The Kremlin condemns NATO’s membership invitation to Montenegro, warning the step risks fueling geopolitical tensions in Europe. (Reuters)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- NATO foreign ministers, meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, agree to extend the alliance’s Resolute Support Mission, that trains, advises and assists Afghanistan‘s military beyond 2016.(AP via Daily Mail) (NATO)

Law and crime

Efforts to impeach Barack Obama
- The Oklahoma Legislature files a measure asking for Congress to impeach Barack Obama over his decision to allow transgender students to use the bathrooms corresponding to their gender identity.(KOCO)
The Mexican government approves the extradition of drug boss Joaquín Guzmán to the United States following assurances that he will not face the death penalty. (Reuters)
A United States Secret Service officer shoots an armed man on a street near the White House after the man allegedly approached the officer and refused to drop his weapon. The White House is locked down.(AP via Yahoo! News) (CNN)

Politics and elections

Tsai Ing-wen is sworn in as the first female President of Taiwan. (BBC)
Israeli Defense minister Moshe Ya’alon announces his resignation. (NY Times) (BBC) (FOX News)
The Oklahoma legislature passes a bill that would make it a felony for doctors to perform abortions and revokes the medical license of assisting physicians. The governor then vetoes the bill. (NY Times)(Washington Post)(CNN)
2015–16 Iraqi protests
- Iraqi security forces fire tear gas and water cannon on protesters attempting to storm the Green Zone in Baghdad, injuring at least 33. (Bloomberg) (WSJ)
- The Iraqi government imposes a curfew in Baghdad. (Reuters)

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May 25, 2016

Top News Stories –

‘Beauty and the Beast’ Teaser Tops ‘Star Wars: Force Awakens’ in First Day –
The first teaser trailer for Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast was viewed a record 91.8 million times in its first 24 hours — besting previous champ Star Wars: The Force Awakens, as well as Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Age of Ultron (each of them Disney films as well). The second teaser trailer for Force Awakens garnered 88 million views, followed by 61 million views for Captain America: Civil War, 55 million views for the second teaser for Force Awakens, and 34 million views for Avengers: Age of Ultron, according to Disney. [Hollywood Reporter] See Video of the Day

Norway consumer body stages live app terms reading –
Norwegians have spent more than 30 hours reading out terms and conditions from smartphone apps in a campaign by the country’s consumer agency. The average Norwegian has 33 apps, the Norwegian Consumer Council says, whose terms and conditions together run longer than the New Testament. To prove the “absurd” length, the council got Norwegians to read each of them out in real time on their website. The reading finished on Wednesday, clocking in at 31:49:11. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Beauty and the Beast Official US Teaser Trailer

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- The Afghan Taliban announces that Haibatullah Akhundzada will be its new leader replacing Akhtar Mansour who died recently in a drone strike. Sirajuddin Haqqani and Mullah Yaqoob are named as deputy leaders. (Al-Jazeera)
- A suicide bomb attack kills at least 10 people and injures four people travelling on a bus for appeals court staff travelling west of Kabul. (Reuters via Yahoo! News)

Business and economy

Greek financial crisis
- The Eurozone agrees to a €10.3 billion ($11.48 billion) bailout package for Greece. (The Guardian)

International relations

Russia–Ukraine relations, War in Donbass
- Ukrainian pilot and parliamentarian Nadiya Savchenko, who has been detained in Russia since 2014, arrives home following a dramatic prisoner swap with Russia. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

In the United States, Hillary Clinton is criticized by the State Department’s inspector general for her usage of a private email server while she was secretary of state. The finding also concluded though that former secretary of state Colin Powell also had a private email server, as did former ambassador to Kenya Scott Gration. The inspector referred to the email server usage as “longstanding systemic weaknesses”. (New York Times)

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May 26, 2016

Top News Stories –

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard in marriage split –
Film star Johnny Depp and his actress wife Amber Heard are to divorce, US court documents have revealed. Heard, 30, filed for divorce in Los Angeles Superior Court citing irreconcilable differences. They married 15 months ago and have no children. They have recently been embroiled in a legal case in Australia after Heard took two dogs into the country illegally. She pleaded guilty in April to a charge of falsifying documents. Depp, 52, and Heard met while co-starring in the 2011 film The Rum Diary. [BBC]
Amber Heard

Trump sews up delegates to seal GOP nomination –
Triumphantly armed with a majority of his party’s delegates, Republican Donald Trump unleashed a broadside attack Thursday on Hillary Clinton’s prescriptions for energy, guns, the economy and international affairs, shifting abruptly toward the general election with his likely Democratic opponent locked in a divisive primary contest. The New York billionaire shrugged off signs of discord in his party hours after sewing up the number of delegates needed to clinch the GOP nomination, a feat that completed an unlikely rise that has upended the political landscape and set the stage for a bitter fall campaign. [AP]
Donald Trump

Python in Thai toilet gives man nasty shock –
A Thai man is recovering in hospital after a 3m (10ft) python emerged from a squat toilet and sank its fangs into his penis. Attaporn Boonmakchuay said the python was “yanking very hard” as he and his wife tried to wrestle it off. Doctors said Mr Attaporn, who lost a lot of blood in the ordeal, was making a good recovery. Workers dismantled the toilet and extracted the python which had slithered through domestic plumbing. It was released back into the wild. The incident happened as Mr Attaporn, 38, went to the toilet at his home in Chachoengsao province, east of Bangkok, before leaving for work on Wednesday. As he used the toilet he said he suddenly felt a sharp pain. “I felt as though my penis had been severed. The snake was yanking very hard,” he said, according to the Bangkok Post. As the python tried to pull him down, he called for his wife and neighbours to help him, the post reported. Mr Attaporn told Thai TV that his wife tied a rope around the snake and he pried its jaws open before passing out. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

THE SIMPSONS | Build Your Own Couch Gag by Michal Socha | ANIMATION on FOX

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Iraqi civil war
- Operation Breaking Terrorism
  - Iraqi security forces and Shiite Popular Mobilization Forces recapture Al-Karmah, about 16 kilometers (10 miles) northeast of Fallujah. (CNN)

Arts and culture

Archaeologists announce the discovery of a 2,400-year-old tomb which they believe to be that of Aristotle based on its grandiosity, and its location atop a hill in Stagira, the city of his birth. (UPI) (The New York Times)
89th Scripps National Spelling Bee
- The Scripps National Spelling Bee in the United States finishes with a tie between Jairam Hathwar and Nihar Janga. This is the third successive year the event has finished in a tie. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

Two United States Navy FA-18‘s crash in the Atlantic Ocean near the Outer Banks off the coast of the US state of North Carolina. The four pilots safely ejected from the planes and are being examined inSentara Norfolk General Hospital in Virginia. (Virginian Pilot) (UPI)
European migrant crisis
- At least 20 people drown in the southern Mediterranean Sea when a repurposed fishing boat sinks 35 nautical miles north of Zuwara, Libya. (The Guardian)

Health and medicine

Researchers at the United States Department of Defense report, in the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, the discovery in the United States of a strain of E. coli that includes the new gene MCR-1, which is resistant to colistin, a last-resort antibiotic. (National Geographic) (The Washington Post) (Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy)

International relations

Chinese state media Xinhua News Agency criticizes Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen as politically extreme and lacking emotional balance because she is unmarried and does not have children. (BBC) (The New York Times)
South Korea plans to import arms worth about 3.5 trillion won (US$3 billion) this year to enhance its defense capabilities. (UPI) (Yonhap)
Ethiopia–South Korea relations
- South Korean President Park Geun-hye, during her state visit to Ethiopia to work toward full-scale defense cooperation, pledges $1 million in aid for drought recovery. Park is expected to continue toUganda and Kenya after this visit. (UPI)

Law and crime

Indonesian President Joko Widodo issues an executive order (Perppu) making child sexual abuse punishable by chemical castration and extends the maximum penalty to death. (UPI) (Time)
Ken Starr, the president of Baylor University, is stripped of his title after an investigation revealed the university mishandled accusations of sexual assault against its football players. The university’s football coach, Art Briles, is also fired. (The New York Times)
A lawsuit brought against Google by Oracle Corporation accusing Google of using copyrighted code for the Android operating system is decided in Google’s favor. (The New York Times)
A bill that punishes hate crimes against law enforcement is signed by Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards. It is the first state to pass such a law. (The New York Times)
A Muslim mob is found to have attacked Coptic homes and stripped a woman in public in Minya Governorate, Egypt, on 20 May 2016. (U.S. News & World Report)

Politics and elections

French labor unions, led by the CGT, implement a strike in protest of proposed reforms to labor laws. (BBC)
United States presidential election, 2016
- The Associated Press reports that Donald Trump has secured enough delegates to secure the Republican Party nomination for President. (AP)

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May 27, 2016

Top News Stories –

UK Royal Mail unveils stamps to mark 50 years of Pink Floyd –
A set of stamps celebrating 50 years of British rock group Pink Floyd have been unveiled by Royal Mail. Ten stamps will be on sale on 7 July, marking five decades since the band turned professional. The collection include the band’s most famous album covers as well as live performance shots. Pink Floyd became known for its innovative album covers, which were made in collaboration with leading graphic designers and photographers. [BBC]
Royal Mail Pink Floyd stamps

Jose Mourinho: Man Utd confirm former Chelsea boss as new manager –
Jose Mourinho has been officially confirmed as Manchester United manager and has signed a three-year contract. He replaces Dutchman Louis van Gaal, who was dismissed on Monday, two days after the club’s FA Cup win. “Jose is quite simply the best manager in the game today,” said United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward. Mourinho, 53, said: “To become Manchester United manager is a special honour in the game. It is a club known and admired throughout the world.” Mourinho has been out of work since being sacked as boss of Premier League rivals Chelsea in December. [BBC]
Jose Mourinho

Video of the Day –

Does Having A “Wingman” Actually Help You Get A Date?

Other News Stories –

Health and medicine

Zika virus epidemic
- More than 150 prominent scientists worldwide send a letter to World Health Organization Director-General Margaret Chan calling for the postponement or relocation of the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Summer Olympics because of the widening Zika virus outbreak in Brazil, despite U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Tom Frieden’s statement yesterday that “there is no public health reason to cancel or delay the Olympics.” (CNN) (Rio Olympics Later) (Reuters)
A preliminary study by the National Toxicology Program finds that cellphone radiation has the potential to increase the risk of tumor growth in male rats. (The New York Times) (biorXiv)

International relations

42nd G7 summit
- The 42nd G7 summit held at Ise-Shima in Japan‘s Mie Prefecture concludes with a declaration that the United Kingdom leaving the European Union would pose a “serious threat to world growth”. (BBC)
- Following the summit, Barack Obama becomes the first sitting President of the United States to visit Hiroshima, the site of the first use of an atomic bomb by the U.S. during World War II. Obama calls for nations to reconsider the development of nuclear weapons and eventually eliminate them. (CNN) (The Washington Post) (The New York Times)
North Korea–South Korea relations
- South Korea fires warning shots after a North Korean patrol boat and a fishing boat cross the disputed west coast Northern Limit Line. The two vessels retreated. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Human rights in Argentina
- Reynaldo Bignone, the last military President of Argentina, is sentenced to twenty years imprisonment for his role in the forced disappearance of more than 100 people in Operation Condor. (AP)
In the U.S., the Iowa Supreme Court rules juveniles, even those convicted of first-degree murder, can not be sentenced to life without parole, becoming the 19th state to ban such sentences. As of January, about 2,300 American juveniles were serving life-without-parole sentences. (The Des Moines Register) (The New York Times) (The Christian Science Monitor)
Over 30 college students in Iran were arrested and punished with 99 lashes each for attending a co-ed graduation party. (The New York Times)
The legal team of Joaquín Guzmán, the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, has challenged the foreign ministry of Mexico’s decision to extradite him to the United States. (The New York Times)

Politics and elections

Philippine presidential election, 2016
- Rodrigo Duterte is officially elected as President and Leni Robredo as Vice President. (Al Jazeera)
United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, 2016
- As of this day, local and central government are prohibited from making announcements in a way that could affect the outcome of the referendum. (Guardian)
Republican candidate for U.S. President Donald Trump urges U.S. senator Marco Rubio to run for re-election after Rubio stated he would speak on Trump’s behalf at the Republican Convention, if asked.(Business Insider)

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May 29, 2016

Top News Stories –

Indy 500: Rookie Alexander Rossi wins 100th running –
Running on fumes on the final laps of the race, rookie Alexander Rossi ran out of fuel coming out of Turn 4 — and still managed to win the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday. Rossi, a 24-year-old native of California, coasted to the line ahead of Carlos Munoz, Josef Newgarden and Tony Kanaan as late-race fuel strategy led to a wild and tense finish. It was perhaps one of the more unlikely Indy 500 victories, as Rossi has almost no experience in racing on oval tracks after spending several years pursuing a career in Formula One. Rossi couldn’t quite believe it himself. “I have no idea how we pulled that off,” he said, in a television interview immediately after the race. [USA Today]
Alexander Rossi

Video of the Day –

The force is still strong for Boogie Storm | Grand Final | Britain’s Got Talent 2016

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Northern Mali conflict
- Five United Nations peacekeepers are killed in an attack in central Mali. (NY Times) (Reuters)
Boko Haram insurgency
- Niger security forces kill 12 Boko Haram militants in Bosso. (Reuters)
- An improvised explosive device kills four civilians and one soldier in Biu, Nigeria. (U.S. News)
Yemeni civil war (2015–present)
- At least 69 people are killed and 25 injured in fighting between the Houthis and government forces loyal to Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi. (ABC News) (FOX News) (Daily Mail)

Disasters and accidents

At least three people are missing after heavy rains caused flooding in the U.S. states of Texas and Kansas. So far, four people have died in the flooding. (AP)
A fire at a home for elderly people near the Ukrainian capital Kiev kills at least 16 people. (BBC)
European migrant crisis
- The United Nations fears that approximately 700 migrants have drowned in three Mediterranean Sea shipwrecks over the past few days. (AP)
Tropical Storm Bonnie makes landfall on the East Coast of the United States, affecting mainly the city of Charleston, South Carolina. (AccuWeather)

International relations

Foreign relations of North Korea
- In compliance with recent UN Security Council resolutons, President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda announces an end to security and military cooperation with North Korea. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Mexican international football player Alan Pulido, who plays for Olympiacos F.C., is kidnapped by masked men near his home in Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas. He is later rescued. (BBC), (AP via Sun MV)

Politics and elections

United States presidential election, 2016, Gary Johnson presidential campaign, 2016
- Gary Johnson, former Governor of New Mexico, secures the nomination for the Libertarian Party in the U.S. presidential election. Johnson picks former Massachusetts governor, and former Republican,William Weld as his running mate. (Washington Post)

Sports

2016 Indianapolis 500
- In motor sport, rookie Alexander Rossi wins the 100th Indianapolis 500. (USA Today)

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May 31, 2016

Top News Stories –

Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood becomes father to twins, aged 68 –
Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood has become a father again at the age of 68. His wife Sally, who is 38, gave birth to twin girls late on Monday evening, Wood’s publicist confirmed. A statement said: “Ronnie & Sally Wood are delighted to announce the birth of their twins Gracie Jane (6lb) & Alice Rose (5.7lb). “The girls arrived on 30 May at 22:30 and all are doing brilliantly. The babies are perfect.” The twins are Wood’s fifth and sixth children, but the first for him and his wife, who is a theatre producer. [BBC]
Ronnie Wood in 2012

MySpace and Tumblr hit by ‘mega breach’ –
Hundreds of millions of hacked account details from social networks MySpace and Tumblr have been advertised for sale online. In both cases, the logins appear to have been stolen several years ago but only recently came to light. The incident comes the same month it emerged that a four-year-old database containing more than 167 million LinkedIn IDs had been traded online. One expert said it was “intriguing” all had emerged in such a short period. Security researcher Troy Hunt also said millions of IDs from adult dating site Fling – which had been breached in 2011 – had been offered on a hacking forum at the start of the month. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Giant Gator Walks Across Florida Golf Course –

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- At least 23 people are killed in overnight air strikes in Idlib, Syria. (CNN) (BBC)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- Suspect Taliban militants kill nine and kidnap 170 in an attack on three passenger buses in Kunduz, Afghanistan. (Reuters) (CNN)

Business and economics

In the United States, a Delaware court rules Michael Dell and Silver Lake Partners underpriced their 2013 $24.9 billion buyout of Dell Inc. by about 22 percent, and may have to pay tens of millions to investors who opposed the deal. (Financial Times) (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

At least 17 army personnel are killed in a fire in an ammunitions depot in the Indian town of Pulgaon, Maharashtra. (The New York Times) (NDTV) (AFP via ABC News Australia)
A five-storey apartment block collapses in Russian city of Mezhdurechensk, killing one man and injuring three. (RT)

Law and crime

The U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals rules (12-3) a warrant is not required for police to obtain a person’s cellphone location data from wireless carriers. (Reuters)

International relations

In an interview with the German broadsheet Frankfurter Allgemeine, the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama says that Germany has taken too many refugees and “from a moral standpoint” refugees should “only be accommodated temporarily” — with the goal of them returning home to rebuild their countries. (NBC News)
North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- North Korea attempts again to launch a BM25 Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of striking South Korea or Japan but is unsuccessful. (The Guardian)
A recent Global Slavery Index report estimates the number of people born into servitude, trafficked for sex work, in debt bondage, or forced labour to be 45.8 million. India is reported to have the highest number at an estimated 18.4 million slaves, and North Korea the highest ratio, 4.4 percent of its population. (Reuters) (Bloomberg)

Politics and elections

Iranian legislative election, 2016
- Ali Larijani is reelected chairman of the Iranian Parliament for a one year term while Masoud Pezeshkian and Ali Motahari are elected deputy chairpersons. All three elected members were supported byList of Hope in the recent election. (Yahoo! news) (Xinhau net) (The New York Times)
Papua conflict
- Thousands of people take to the streets of Jayapura and other towns in Papua, Indonesia, in support of the Free Papua Movement and its effort to join the Melanesian Spearhead Group. Indonesia responded with a large police and military presence, with reports of police firing on demonstrators in Wamena and arresting dozens across the province. (Radio New Zealand)
Mohamed Abdelaziz, the leader of the Polisario Front which fought for the independence of Western Sahara from Morocco, dies after leading the group since 1976. (Al Jazeera)
United States presidential election, 2016
- Conservative leaders seeking an alternative to the Republican Party’s presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump are urging Tennessee attorney and National Review writer David French to enter the 2016 presidential race as an independent candidate. (The Washington Post)

Sports

Association football icon Pelé announces that he will sell 1,500 lots of his possessions via Julien’s Auctions, which will include his medals, trophies, jerseys, and diplomatic gifts. (BBC)

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June 7, 2016

Top News Stories –

Chelsea doctor Eva Carneiro settles dismissal case –
Former Chelsea doctor Eva Carneiro has settled her dismissal claim against the club on confidential terms. Dr Carneiro, who claimed constructive dismissal against Chelsea, also reached a discrimination settlement against the club’s former manager Jose Mourinho. Chelsea said it apologised “unreservedly” to the former first team doctor for the distress caused. On Monday it emerged Chelsea had offered Dr Carneiro £1.2m to settle her claims, which she had rejected. Dr Carneiro claimed she was sexually discriminated against after she went on to the pitch to treat Chelsea player Eden Hazard during the opening day of the Premier League season last August. She claimed that Mr Mourinho shouted the Portuguese phrase “filha da puta” at her, which means “daughter of a whore”, as she ran on to the pitch. Dr Carneiro left the club in September after being demoted. [BBC]
Eva Carneiro in 2014

Video of the Day –

Max Man & Maya Man from WOW inc on Vimeo.

Other News Stories –

Armed attacks and conflicts

June 2016 Istanbul bombing
- Seven police officers and four civilians are killed, and 36 people are wounded, three critically, by a car bomb explosion near the main tourism district in Istanbul, Turkey. The explosives, detonated by remote control, wrecked a passing police bus, reports CNN Türk. There is no immediate claim of responsibility. (Reuters) (AP)
- Turkish police detain four people for interrogation. (The Daily Star)
- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemns today’s terrorist attack in Istanbul. Ban says, “The UN stands in solidarity with the people and Government of Turkey at this difficult time.” (UN News Centre)
2016 Aktobe shootings
- Kazakhstan police report the death toll from Sunday’s attack in Aktobe is now 19 — three civilians, three National Guard servicemen, and 13 attackers. (Reuters)

Business and economics

The U.S. Justice Department announces pharmaceutical companies Genentech Inc. and OSI Pharmaceuticals Inc. will pay $67 million to settle False Claims Act allegations for misleading statements about the effectiveness of the drug Tarceva in treating non-small-cell lung carcinoma. (UPI)

Disasters and accidents

Australian east coast low
- The search continues for three missing people in the Australian states of New South Wales and Tasmania. Four deaths have so far been confirmed in the Australian Capital Territory, Tasmania and NSW.(AAP via 9 News), (ABC)
A pickup truck reported to be driving erratically mowed down a group of nine bicycle riders, killing five and injuring four near Kalamazoo, Michigan. The driver was arrested after fleeing. Authorities have not established any contributing causes of what is being called the worst bicycle accident in the county. (Atlantic) (CTV News)

Health and medicine

Johns Hopkins University researchers report, in the journal Health Affairs, that media reports about people accused of committing violent crimes having mental illnesses rarely discuss successful treatment of patients, and thereby overstate the problem. Most people exhibiting the types of psychological conditions the media mention are not generally violent. The researchers suggest coverage reinforces fear of mental illness and the people who have it, and, because of the social stigma, discourages people from seeking treatment. (UPI) (Health Affairs)

Politics and elections

United States presidential election, 2016
- Voters go to the polls in six states, including California and New Jersey, with Hillary Clinton gaining enough delegates to become the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party. She will be the first woman nominee by a major party to run for President of the United States. (Reuters), (Fox News)
- Hillary Clinton wins in California, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota. Bernie Sanders wins in Montana and North Dakota. (AP²) (NMPolitics.net)
- Donald Trump wins the Republican Party primaries in California, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota. (AP) (AP²)

Sport

A German federal court upholds the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s 2009 blood doping ruling against Olympic speed skating champion Claudia Pechstein who is seeking compensation from the International Skating Union for the two-year ban. (AP)

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June 9, 2016

Top News Stories –

Experiment ‘turns waste CO2 to stone’ –
Scientists think they have found a smart way to constrain carbon dioxide emissions – just turn them to stone. The researchers report an experiment in Iceland where they have pumped CO2 and water underground into volcanic rock. Reactions with the minerals in the deep basalts convert the carbon dioxide to a stable, immobile chalky solid. Even more encouraging, the team writes in Science magazine, is the speed at which this process occurs: on the order of months. “Of our 220 tonnes of injected CO2, 95% was converted to limestone in less than two years,” said lead author Juerg Matter from Southampton University, UK. “It was a huge surprise to all the scientists involved in the project, and we thought, ‘Wow! This is really fast’.” [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Office Pet | The Dude Perfect Show

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Somalia (2009–present)
- Al-Shabaab says it has killed at least 60 Ethiopian soldiers in an attack on a AMISOM base in central Somalia. (BBC)
Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
- Two separate car bombs explode in Baghdad, killing at least 20 people. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

Arts and culture

Thailand celebrates the 70th anniversary of King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s accession to the Thai throne. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

A bus plunges over a ravine in Brazil‘s São Paulo state, resulting in at least 18 people killed and 28 injured. (Globo.com)
A Northrop F-5 of the Swiss Air Force crashes during an air show at the Leeuwarden Air Base in the Netherlands. (RTL Nieuws)
Three people aboard a small plane are killed when the aircraft crashes into a parked car near the Houston, Texas, Hobby Airport. (AP)
A 6.1 magnitude earthquake hits the northwestern coast of Nicaragua not far from the Honduran border. La Prensa reports the walls of a church collapsed in the city of Chinandega. There are no immediate reports of casualties. (AP)

Health

2015–16 Zika virus epidemic
- The World Health Organization advises women in areas where the Zika virus is prevalent to delay pregnancies. (New York Times)

International relations

Israeli–Palestinian conflict (2015–present)
- Israel suspends 83,000 entry permits for Palestinians for Ramadan following a mass shooting in downtown Tel Aviv that killed four and injured 17 people. (AFP via Naharnet)
China–Japan relations, Senkaku Islands dispute
- Japan summons China‘s ambassador, Cheng Yonghua, to Tokyo after a People’s Liberation Army Navy warship sailed close to its territorial waters near the disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Seafor the first time. (Reuters)
2016 Bilderberg Conference
- The 64th annual conference of the secretive Bilderberg Group takes place at the Taschenbergpalais hotel in Dresden, Germany. (The Independent)
Yemeni civil war
- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon temporarily removes the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen from a U.N. blacklist for violating children’s rights because its supporters threatened to stop funding many U.N. programs. (AP)
Fiji–New Zealand relations
- New Zealand Prime Minister John Key visits Fiji, the first time a Kiwi leader has done so since the 2006 coup d’état. Key is hoping to improve relations between the two countries though it’s clear their political tensions don’t have easy solutions. (AP)

Law and crime

Papua New Guinea student protests
- Papua New Guinea student protest leader Noel Anjo says demonstrations will continue despite the court order barring protests. “The students are not going to give up until and unless the prime ministerresigns or surrenders himself to police and is arrested and charged,” Anjo said. (BBC) (Reuters)
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rules there is no Second Amendment protection for concealed weapons, upholding a California law that does not consider “general self-defense” sufficient for a license.(CNN)
Venezuelan opposition lawmaker, Julio Borges, is left bloodied after being hit in the face with a pipe in downtown Caracas. He spoke at a press conference after the attack with blood streaming down from his nose and mouth, and bloody stains on his button-down shirt, accusing the attackers of being supporters of President Nicolás Maduro. (AP via ABC News)
California’s right to die law, that allows physicians to prescribe medicines to terminally ill patients to hasten their deaths, goes into effect. California is the fifth state in America where this practice is legal. Opponents sue to overturn the law as unconstitutional because it denies terminally ill patients protections afforded other citizens. (Los Angeles Times)

Politics and elections

2016 United States presidential election
- U.S. President Barack Obama endorses Hillary Clinton for President of the United States. (The Hill)
Peruvian general election, 2016
- Election officials announce all ballots have been processed and Pedro Pablo Kuczynski wins the closest presidential contest in five decades with 50.1 percent of the votes versus 49.9% for Keiko Fujimori. Fujimori has yet to concede defeat. As many as 50,000 ballots still need to be reviewed, but experts say Fujimori can not make up the difference of roughly 40,000 votes separating her from Kuczynski.(BBC News) (ABC News) (AP)

Science and technology

Researchers in Iceland report, in the journal Science, that carbon dioxide emissions can be pumped into the earth and changed chemically to stone — significantly faster than expected. (Phys.org) (Science)

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June 14, 2016

Top News Stories –

Iceland strengthens road signs to stop thefts –
Iceland has strengthened its road signs in order to stop tourists stealing them to take home as novel souvenirs, it’s reported. The most popular signs to be pinched are the sort rarely found in other countries, specifically those marking fords that cross rivers, blind rises and gravel tracks, according to Iceland’s RUV national broadcaster. Viktor Arnar Ingolfsson of the Road and Coastal Administration says they are now “using bolts that can’t be dismantled with an ordinary car toolkit”, and making the signs too heavy to carry off easily. Mr Ingolfsson, who is also a noted crime novelist, designed some of the signs. He tells RUV that the international Vienna Road Traffic Agreement “simply doesn’t provide for our topography”, and this makes unique Icelandic signs particularly appealing to memento-hunter. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Tokyo Aglow (At The CONFLUX Part Two) from Justin Tierney on Vimeo.

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Afghanistan–Pakistan skirmishes
- Afghan and Pakistani soldiers clash at the Torkham border crossing between the two countries, leaving one Afghan soldier and a Pakistani major killed. At least 22 other people were also injured. Tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan have grown since the latter’s attempts to build a gate at the crossing. (Al Jazeera)
June 2016 Magnanville stabbing
- The attacker is identified as Larossi Abballa, a 25-year-old man who, according to police sources, was a neighbor of the murdered couple. Abballa was one of eight men convicted in Paris in 2013 for making plans to travel to Pakistan for terrorist training, and then to commit terrorists acts. Abballa was sentenced to three years in prison. He was released after the trial as six months of the sentence was suspended, and he had already spent two years in jail awaiting trial. (The Telegraph) (The New York Times)
- Abballa was recording the attack and posting it on Facebook Live, according to French officials. (CBSNews)
2016 Orlando nightclub shooting
- Six of the wounded are critically ill, five remain in “guarded” condition, and 16 more are still hospitalized. Forty-four people were brought to the Orlando Regional Medical Center after the shooting. (The Washington Post via The Providence Journal)

Disasters and accidents

A Vietnamese air force Su-30MK2 goes missing during a trial flight along the coast of Nghệ An Province (Reuters via Euronews)
A Cessna 208 Caravan plane crashes in the small town of Yahukimo in Papua, Indonesia, injuring at least seven people. (Radio New Zealand)
Three fishermen are killed, and six others injured, during the crash of a van in Atka, Alaska, United States.(Alaska Dispatch News)

International relations

European Union-Turkey relations
- Hansjörg Haber (de), the European Union’s top envoy to Turkey, resigns effective August. Ömer Çelik, Turkish Minister of European Union Affairs, had complained that Haber had shown disrespect for Turkey’s national values, and for President Tayyip Erdoğan. EU officials declined to comment on the reason for Haber’s resignation. (Prensa Latina)
- Turkey’s EU accession process has been stalled over the EU’s requirement that Turkey reform its counter-terrorism laws concerning their application against intellectuals, Kurdish sympathizers, and critics of Erdoğan. Tomorrow, EU envoys are scheduled to formally agree to open negotiations on financial and budget issues. (Reuters)

Law and crime

An armed man, holding two people hostage in a Walmart in Amarillo, Texas, is shot and killed by a police SWAT unit. No other injuries are reported. (Reuters)
United States presidential election, 2016
- Alleged Russian hackers have penetrated the computer network of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and have gained access to the entire database of research on Republican Party presidential candidate Donald Trump, according to committee officials and security experts. The DNC says that no financial, donor or personal information appears to have been accessed or taken, suggesting that the breach was traditional espionage, and not the work of criminal hackers. (The Washington Post)
A U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit three-judge panel upholds the Federal Communications Commission’s net neutrality rules that prohibit broadband providers from giving or selling access to faster internet service to selected customers. (Reuters)
An Egyptian Misdemeanor Court acquits 52 people charged with taking part in anti-government demonstrations in April. Thousands rallied on April 25 to protest the transfer of Red Sea islands Tiran andSanafir to Saudi Arabia. Police arrested nearly 300 demonstrators; government reports indicate all have been released from prison. (AP via ABC News)
Los Angeles, California, police arrest a 21-year-old homeless man after five bodies of apparent transients are found in the wreckage of a vacant former medical building that burned down Monday night. Firefighters had been able to rescue three people. (Los Angeles Times) (LA Weekly) (UPI)

Politics and elections

United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, 2016
- Rupert Murdoch-controlled tabloid The Sun, Britain’s second biggest selling newspaper, endorses Brexit, saying that the people of UK should “Take back control and BeLeave in Britain”. (The Guardian)
United States presidential election, 2016
- Hillary Clinton wins the Washington D.C. Democratic Party primary, the last scheduled primary on the party’s schedule before the 2016 Democratic National Convention in late July. (NBC News)

Sport

UEFA Euro 2016
- UEFA fines the Russian Football Union €150,000 (US$168,000) for the violence that broke out between Russian and English supporters in Marseille on June 11. UEFA also warned that any further misconduct will disqualify the Russian team. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
In ice hockey, ESPN reports that the NHL will place an expansion team in Las Vegas, provided the team’s backers can pay a US$500 million expansion fee. The team, which would enter the league no earlier than the 2017–18 season, would be the first major professional sports team in Las Vegas. The league’s board of governors is scheduled to hold a formal vote on the expansion on June 22. (ESPN)

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June 18, 2016

Top News Stories –

UK astronaut Tim Peake returns to Earth –
UK astronaut Tim Peake is back on Earth after a historic six-month stay on the International Space Station. A Soyuz capsule carrying Major Peake and two other crew members touched down in Kazakhstan at 10:15 BST. He called the journey back “the best ride I’ve been on ever”, adding: “The smells of Earth are just so strong.” Maj Peake is the first person to fly to space under the UK banner since Helen Sharman in 1991 and made the first spacewalk by a UK astronaut. During the 186-day mission, Maj Peake also remotely steered a robot on Earth and ran the London Marathon. Just before 15:00 BST, Maj Peake landed by helicopter on the runway at Karagandy airport. [BBC]
Timothy Peake

Video of the Day –

WALT from justinclifton on Vimeo.

List of the Day –

Ten longest human space flights [Wikipedia]

#	Time in space	Crew	Country	Launch date (Launch craft)	Landing date (Landing craft)	Space Station or mission type
1	437.7 days	Valeri Polyakov	Russia	1994-01-09 (Soyuz TM-18)	1995-03-22 (Soyuz TM-20)	Mir
2	379.6 days	Sergei Avdeyev	Russia	1998-08-13 (Soyuz TM-28)	1999-08-28 (Soyuz TM-29)	Mir
3	365.0 days	Vladimir Titov Musa Manarov	Soviet Union	1987-12-21 (Soyuz TM-4)	1988-12-21 (Soyuz TM-6)	Mir
4	340.4 days	Mikhail Korniyenko Scott Kelly	Russia United States	2015-03-27 (Soyuz TMA-16M)	2016-03-01 (Soyuz TMA-18M)	International Space Station
5	326.5 days^[	Yuri Romanenko	Soviet Union	1987-02-05 (Soyuz TM-2)	1987-12-29 (Soyuz TM-3)	Mir
6	311.8 days	Sergei Krikalev	Soviet Union/ Russia	1991-05-18 (Soyuz TM-12)	1992-03-25 (Soyuz TM-13)	Mir
7	240.9 days	Valeri Polyakov	Soviet Union	1988-08-29 (Soyuz TM-6)	1989-04-7 (Soyuz TM-7)	Mir
8	237.0 days	Leonid Kizim Vladimir Solovyov Oleg Atkov	Soviet Union	1984-02-08 (Soyuz T-10)	1984-10-02 (Soyuz T-11)	Salyut 7
9	215.4 days	Mikhail Tyurin Michael López-Alegría^]	Russia United States	2006-09-18 (Soyuz TMA-9)	2007-04-21 (Soyuz TMA-9)	International Space Station
10	211.4 days	Anatoli Berezovoy Valentin Lebedev	Soviet Union	1982-05-13 (Soyuz T-5)^[19]	1982-12-10 (Soyuz T-7)^[19]	Salyut 7

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Terrorism in the European Union
- Twelve people are arrested and three men are subsequently charged with terrorism offences in Belgium after dozens of raids were carried out mainly in the Brussels region. (BBC)
Spillover of the Syrian Civil War
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports at least eight people, including four children, are shot and killed, and another eight wounded by Turkish border guards. The group was trying to cross from northwestern Syria into Turkey’s Hatay Province. (The Times of Israel) (AP)

Disasters and accidents

A week of heavy rains and flooding in south China results in at least 25 deaths, six people missing and 33,000 people displaced. (ABC News)
Six people are killed and 10 injured when a van crashes in the U.S. state of Virginia. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Death of Jo Cox
- Thomas Mair from the town of Birstall, West Yorkshire, is charged with the murder of British MP Jo Cox. (West Yorkshire Police), (BBC)
A 73-year-old gunman shoots dead a police officer, and seriously wounds another before shooting himself dead in Vihti, Finland. Finnish broadcaster Yle reports it is the first time a police officer in Finland has been killed in the line of duty since 2007. (AP via Daily Mail)
Mohamed Morsi, former President of Egypt, is sentenced to life imprisonment and another 15 years for his role in allegedly leaking government secrets to Qatar. Six people, including two Al-Jazeeraemployees, are sentenced to death. (Daily News Egypt), (Al-Jazeera)
At least six people have been shot dead and 12 injured as a result of 18 shootings in the American city of Chicago, Illinois. (ABC7 Chicago)

Politics and elections

Sudanese conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile
- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir declares a four-month ceasefire in the states of Blue Nile and South Kordofan in order to give rebels of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North a chance to join the peace process and to lay down arms in order to end the conflict which has been ongoing since 2011. (Al Jazeera)
United States presidential election, 2016, 2016 Republican National Convention
- Apple Inc. notifies the GOP that this year it will not fund or provide other support for the party’s 2016 presidential convention, citing Donald Trump’s controversial comments about women, immigrants and minorities. (Politico)

Science and technology

Three astronauts return from a mission to the International Space Station, Briton Tim Peake of the European Space Agency, Timothy Kopra of NASA and Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko. (BBC)

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June 23, 2016

Top News Stories –

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

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

Video of the Day –

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

List of the Day –

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

England

Leave 53.4%

15,188,406 VOTES

Remain 46.6%

13,266,996 VOTES

Counting complete

Turnout: 73.0%

Northern Ireland

Leave 44.2%

349,442 VOTES

Remain 55.8%

440,437 VOTES

Counting complete

Turnout: 62.9%

Scotland

Leave 38.0%

1,018,322 VOTES

Remain 62.0%

1,661,191 VOTES

Counting complete

Turnout: 67.2%

Wales

Leave 52.5%

854,572 VOTES

Remain 47.5%

772,347 VOTES

Counting complete

Turnout: 71.7%

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Boko Haram insurgency
- According to Médecins Sans Frontières, more than 1,200 people have died of starvation and illness at a refugee camp for those fleeing Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Jiangsu tornado
- A tornado, accompanied by heavy rainfall and hailstones, kills at least 98 people and injures 800 in the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu (JSTV). One-hour rainfall reached 102 millimeters (about four inches) in Lianshui County. (Reuters) (China Radio International)

International relations

Holy See–Turkey relations
- Pope Francis’s visit to Armenia this weekend may stress relations with Turkey. The Pope is seeking to avoid reigniting the diplomatic dispute that arose last year when he described the 1915 mass killings of Armenians as a genocide. The Vatican prefers the Armenian phrase “Medz Yeghern,” which roughly translates as “the great evil or calamity.” (Reuters), (PanARMENIAN.Net) (NBC News)
South Sudanese Civil War
- The United Nations announces that peacekeepers in the country will be sent home over a “lack of responsiveness” during an attack on a UN-run refugee camp last February in Malakal that killed at least 40 people. (Al Jazeera)
European migration crisis
- The Italian Coast Guard rescues 4,500 migrants at sea. (AFP via Yahoo! News)
North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- The United Nations Security Council condemns North Korea’s most recent ballistic missile launches as a grave violation of the international ban, and urges all countries “to redouble their efforts” to fully implement the March sanctions. (Reuters) (AP)

Law and crime

Supreme Court of the United States
- The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 4–3 decision, upholds the University of Texas’s practice of considering race in college admissions. Justice Elena Kagan recused herself for prior work on the case as United States solicitor general. (Reuters) (AP) (The New York Times)
- The Supreme Court deadlocks (4–4) in the challenge to President Barack Obama’s executive order that set up the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans plan, which could have shielded up to five million illegal immigrants. The tie leaves in place an earlier ruling against the plan. (NBC News) (The New York Times)
2016 Summer Olympics
- The government of Kuwait sues the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for US$1.3 billion in damages over the suspension of its Olympic committee last October due to the government’s interference in sports. (Al Jazeera)
Death of Freddie Gray
- Baltimore police officer Caesar Goodson is cleared of all charges for the murder of Freddie Gray, a black detainee, on April 19, 2015. (BBC)
Viernheim shooting
- An unidentified man who had been reported to have fired shots inside a theater has been shot dead by police in Viernheim, Germany. No other fatalities were reported. (BBC)

Politics and elections

United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, 2016
- Voters in the United Kingdom go to the polls to vote in a referendum on whether the UK should leave the European Union. (The Telegraph), (BBC),
- Polling stations are closed, and ballots are being counted in centres around the UK with the result expected Friday morning. (BBC)
Colombian conflict
- The government of Colombia and FARC rebels sign a ceasefire deal, putting an end to 50 years of conflict in the country between the two sides. (BBC)
United States presidential election, 2016, 2016 Republican National Convention
- A federal district judge, in a suit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, rules Cleveland’s regulations governing protests and marches during next month’s Republican National Convention infringe on the right of free expression. Judge James Gwin orders both sides into mediation to begin negotiating new rules with another federal judge overseeing those talks. (AP)

Science and technology

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

Sport

2016 NBA draft
- In basketball, the NBA draft is held with the Philadelphia 76ers choosing Australian Ben Simmons as the number one pick. (ESPN)

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June 27, 2016

Top News Stories –

Euro 2016: Roy Hodgson resigns after England lose to Iceland –
Roy Hodgson has resigned as England manager after his side’s 2-1 defeat by Iceland saw them knocked out of Euro 2016. The 68-year-old had been in charge for four years after replacing Italian Fabio Capello but has won just three of 11 games in major tournament finals. Iceland – with a population of just 330,000 – were among the lowest-ranked teams in France at 34 in the world. “I’m sorry it will have to end this way but these things happen,” Hodgson said. “I hope you will still be able to see an England team in a final of a major tournament soon,” he added. “Now is the time for someone else to oversee the progress of a hungry and extremely talented group of players. They have done fantastically, and done everything asked of them.” [BBC]
Roy Hodgson

Video of the Day –

case / lang / veirs – Atomic Number (Official Music Video) from KANGMIN KIM on Vimeo.

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon
- A suicide bomber attacks the Lebanese village of Qaa near the Syrian border, with at least six people dead and 13 people injured. (BBC)
At least two people are killed and 72 are injured following a grenade attack on a concert at the Mahamasina Municipal Stadium in Madagascar‘s capital, Antananarivo. (Reuters)

Business and economy

Brexit impact
- The value of the British pound initially falls by more than 2% as Asian markets open to a decline. (Reuters)
- A number of analysts, including Ralf Preusser from Bank of America and Ric Deverell from Credit Suisse, believe that the United Kingdom economy is heading into a recession. (Poundsterlinglive)
- The Dow Jones drops by more than 300 points in early trading, but rebounds a bit to close at a loss of 260.51. (CNBC)
- Standard & Poor’s downgrades the UK credit rating from AAA to AA with a negative outlook. Fitch follows by downgrading UK from AA+ to AA. (The Guardian)
Volkswagen emissions scandal
- Volkswagen faces settlement costs of $15 billion to settle lawsuits in the United States resulting from the rigging of emissions tests. (Bloomberg)

Disasters and accidents

Singapore Airlines Flight 368
- A Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300ER en-route to Milan‘s Malpensa Airport makes an emergency landing at Singapore‘s Changi Airport after the pilots received an engine oil warning message, whereafter the plane’s right engine caught fire. Singapore Changi Airport’s aircraft rescue and firefighting services extinguished the fire and Singapore Airlines confirmed that all 222 passengers and 19 crew members evacuated safely. (CNN) (The Sydney Morning Herald)
2016 West Virginia flood
- Two men initially thought to have died when a camper was swept away in Greenbrier County are found alive, lowering the death toll from the disaster to 20 confirmed fatalities and three others missing and presumed dead. (AP via Fox News)

International relations

India formally joins the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). (The Times of India)
Russia–Turkey relations, 2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan writes Russian President Vladimir Putin to offer condolences to the family of the deceased Russian pilot of the Sukhoi Su-24 warplane shot down last November. The Kremlin has insisted on a personal apology for months. A Turkish spokesman says this is a step toward improving bilateral relations between the two countries. (The Washington Post) (The Guardian
Israel–Turkey relations
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım announce their countries have agreed on a pact to normalize diplomatic relations that have been strained for six years since the Gaza flotilla raid when nine Turkish activists were killed. (Christian Science Monitor) (Los Angeles Times) (The Times of Israel)

Law and crime

Former Moldovan Prime Minister Vlad Filat is sentenced to prison for nine years after being found guilty of corruption and abuse of power. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt
- The Supreme Court of the United States strikes down a law that would have required abortion clinics in Texas to upgrade in order to meet new “hospital-like” standards. Supporters of abortion rights said that the proposed law would force nearly all abortion clinics in the state to shut down, while their opponents argued for women’s health benefits. (CNN)

Politics and elections

United Kingdom withdrawal from the European Union:
- Peter Altmaier, German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s chief of staff, warns Britain of dire consequences of exit from the European Union, saying in a newspaper interview that UK leaders should not rule out the possibility of another referendum on the same issue. (Daily Mail) (Bloomberg)
- Joining their 12 colleagues from the day before, Luciana Berger, Angela Eagle, Maria Eagle, Kate Green, Nia Griffith, John Healey, Lisa Nandy and Owen Smith resign from the Labour Shadow Cabinet of Jeremy Corbyn, alongside 18 junior shadow ministers and 9 additional frontbenchers, while Angela Smith and Steve Bassam of the House of Lords leadership will boycott attending Shadow Cabinet meetings, all in protest at Jeremy Corbyn‘s leadership over the EU referendum, and the firing of Hilary Benn. (The Guardian)
- The European Union refuses informal talks with the United Kingdom until they trigger Article 50 to leave. (BBC)

Sport

UEFA Euro 2016
- Underdogs Iceland defeat England 2-1 at the Allianz Riviera in Nice to reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA European Championship. (BBC)
- Roy Hodgson announces his resignation as England manager following the team’s defeat to Iceland. (BBC)

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June 29, 2016

Top News Stories –

Facebook gives friends higher priority in News Feeds –
Facebook is to give posts by users’ friends and family greater prominence in their News Feeds. The social network said its members had expressed concerns that they were missing “important updates” from the people they cared about. The move reverses a trend towards giving more space to content posted by the news media and brands. One expert said it highlighted that newspapers and broadcasters’ interests did not always match those of the firm. Facebook said that in several surveys it had carried out, users had told it they wanted to see more “friend content”, and it was altering its algorithms to accommodate this. [BBC]

Vietnam capital sets target to ban motorbikes –
Officials in Hanoi are aiming to ban motorbikes from the city centre within 10 years, it’s reported. The local government wants streets to be motorbike-free by 2025 as part of efforts to tackle congestion, the Thanh Nien News website says. The Vietnamese capital has notoriously chaotic roads, with around five million motorbikes vying for space alongside half a million cars. That situation is forecast to get worse in years to come: the authorities estimate that by 2020 there will be seven million motorbikes, and the number of cars will double. “This means the traffic situation in Hanoi will become extremely complicated in the next four to five years, so we really need a timely solution to this,” says mayor Nguyen Duc Chung. The city’s transport authority wants to reduce the number of individual vehicles and boost public transport instead, and its chairman wants the number of buses to double. Construction of a new urban rail system is already under way. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Watch NYers’ Hearts Break As They JUST Miss The Subway Train

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

2016 Istanbul airport attack
- The death toll from the attack on the Istanbul Atatürk Airport rises to 42. (CNN)
Syrian Civil War
- At least 10 people are killed and nine others are wounded following a car bomb attack in Tell Abyad, near the Syria–Turkey border, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (AFP via Daily Mail)
- 2016 al-Bukamal offensive
  - New Syrian Army rebels fail to capture the border town of Al-Bukamal from ISIL militants, with an ISIL affiliated news source claiming the group killed 40 rebels and captured 15 more in a counter-attack. (Reuters)
War in Somalia
- Kenyan army forces kill five suspected Al-Shabaab militants, four during a clash at a military camp in Lamu County, and another in Malindi. (Reuters)

Business and economics

Toyota, which on Tuesday announced a recall of 1.43 million hybrids because of an airbag problem, today announces the recall of 2.87 million vehicles worldwide, produced between April 2006 and August 2015, because of a possible problem with their evaporative fuel emissions control unit. (Reuters)
The Lesedi La Rona diamond, the largest uncut diamond in the world, went on sale at an auction in Mayfair with it expected to sell at £52 million, or US$70 million. However, the diamond only managed to draw a high bid of US$61 million, falling short of the reserve price to sell it. (BBC) (CBC News)
The London FTSE index recovers from its losses after the result of the European Union membership referendum, closing at its highest level since April. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

The Vietnamese Ministry of Defense says eight bodies from a Coast Guard plane that crashed June 16, 2016, have been found. The search continues for the ninth crew member. The CASA C-212 Aviocarwas on a search and rescue mission for the then-missing pilot of a crashed Su30-MK2 fighter jet; the pilot’s body was found on the 17th. (AP) (Tuổi Trẻ)
EgyptAir Flight 804
- Data from one of the flight recorders from EgyptAir Flight 804 shows that there was smoke on board when the Airbus A320 crashed into the water. Soot has also been found on the wreckage. (AFP via ABC News Australia)

International relations

Philippines v. China
- On his final day as President of the Philippines, Benigno Aquino III says he was right when he sued China over the South China Sea. (Rappler)
United Kingdom withdrawal from the European Union
- European Union leaders advise the United Kingdom that, after their EU exit, to retain access to the bloc’s lucrative single market, the UK must allow free movement for EU workers. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President François Hollande reiterated that freedom of movement of EU citizens is non-negotiable. (BBC) (Reuters)

Law and crime

A prosecutor in Michigan, United States, is considering whether the words of an African grey parrot could be used to try the woman accused of killing the pet parrot’s owner. (The Guardian)
Luxembourg Leaks
- Antoine Deltour and Raphael Halet, two whistleblowers who revealed the Luxembourg Leaks financial scandal, are found guilty of leaking the documents and are given a 12 and nine month suspended sentence and fined €1,500 and €1,000 respectively, while Edouard Perrin, the journalist who was given the leaks, is acquitted of all charges. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Mongolian legislative election, 2016
- Voters in Mongolia go to the polls for a legislative election at a time of economic slowdown. (The Guardian)
Conservative Party (UK) leadership election, 2016
- The process to elect a new leader of the Conservative Party to replace outgoing Prime Minister David Cameron begins in the United Kingdom. The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Stephen Crabb is the first Conservative Party politician to announce his official candidacy for leader. (BBC)
United Kingdom withdrawal from the European Union
- Prime Minister David Cameron tells the House of Commons that legal experts advise that the UK-wide Brexit result binds the entire nation, even though Northern Ireland and Scotland voted to stay in the EU. Yesterday, both Scottish and Northern Irish representatives told the European Parliament’s plenary session they will leave the UK if that is the required price to keep their homelands fully connected to Europe. (The News Letter) (New Europe)
2016 United States presidential election, 2016 Republican National Convention
- The Cleveland Board of Control approves changes to convention security rules negotiated with the ACLU, per Federal District Judge James Gwin’s June 23rd court order. (The Hill) (The Plain Dealer)
North American Leaders’ Summit aka the Three Amigos Summit
- Takes place in Ottawa, Canada as US President Barack Obama and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto meet with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. President Obama later gives a special address to the Parliament of Canada. (Toronto Star) (CBC)

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Ten longest human space flights [Wikipedia]

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