Washington Post - 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
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7	豆まき	#NGWSD	#pmqs
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9	D’Alessandro	#MosqueVisit	#obsessedwithmybody
10	#VotaLaliEsposito	#1linewed	#ArianaforLipsy

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

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

Business and economy

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

Disasters and accidents

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

International relations

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

Law and crime

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

Politics and elections

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

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

February 7, 2016

Top News Stories –

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

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

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

Video of the Day –

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

Part One available here

List of the Day –

List of Superbowl Champions [from Wikipedia]

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

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	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#FelizDomingo	#1yearsinceOTRA	#StormImogen
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9	#UFCVegas	#SandraBland	#UFCVegas
10	#あなたの本名当て�…	Ashkelon	Beyoncé

Other News Stories –

Disasters and accidents

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

International relations

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

Law and crime

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

Politics and elections

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

Sport

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

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

February 22, 2016

Top News Stories –

Taylor Swift donates $250,000 to Kesha after her failed lawsuit against Dr Luke and Sony –
Taylor Swift has donated $250,000 (£176,099.74) to Kesha after her failed lawsuit. Kesha on Friday lost her bid to end her contract with Sony. A New York judge denied Kesha a court injunction that would have allowed her to record new music outside of her record label. The ‘Tik Tok’ singer has been unable to record any new music for two years, as she refuses to work with her producer, Dr Luke, who she claims sexually assaulted her. According to the New York Daily News, Kesha will have to record six more albums under Kemosabe Records, Dr. Luke’s Sony imprint. In October 2014, Kesha sued Dr. Luke, accusing him of drugging, raping and abusing her a decade ago; Dr. Luke has denied all charges. [Daily Telegraph]
Kesha

Jeb Bush drops out of presidential race –
A crestfallen Jeb Bush bowed to the inevitable on Saturday night and pulled out of the fight to win the Republican nomination. With the latest projections showing that Mr Bush was locked in a battle to win a distant fourth place in the South Carolina primary, the announcement was hardly a surprise. Fighting back tears he said: “Tonight, I am suspending my campaign, “I’m proud of the campaign that we have run to unify our country.” [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

7 MYTHS You Still Believe About “Healthy Eating”

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	Worldwide	USA	UK
1	#canseliçinsusma	#NationalMargaritaDay	#mondaymotivation
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9	#PidoYaAGritos	#mondaymotivation	#UFCPittsburgh
10	猫の日	#PHXStartupWeek	#MWC16

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir
- 2016 Pampore stand-off
  - Loud explosions and gunfire are heard in a building where Kashmiri forces are fighting Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front militants in a standoff that has claimed the lives of five soldiers and one civilian.(AP via Washington Post)
War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- A suicide bomber kills at least 13 people and injures 19 in Afghanistan‘s Parwan province. The Taliban claims responsibility. (Reuters)

Business and economics

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe assigns all diamond mining operations to the newly formed, government-run Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company, and orders eight foreign diamond mining companies from the country. (UPI)

Disasters and accidents

2015–16 South Pacific cyclone season
- Cyclone Winston
  - The death toll in Fiji rises to at least 17 as authorities continue to assess the damage. All schools in the country are closed for the week. A nationwide curfew remains in effect. (Weatherzone) (CNN)

International relations

Russia–United States relations
- Russia has announced that it will ask permission to fly unarmed surveillance planes over the United States citing the Open Skies Treaty. (CBS)
European migrant crisis, Austria–Germany relations
- German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière strongly criticizes Austria‘s decision to put a daily cap on the number of refugees the country can accept. Austria has set a limit of dealing with 80 asylum applications a day, while letting thousands of others transit to Germany. Maiziere said this sends “the wrong signal” and is “unacceptable”. (AFP via Yahoo! News)
Iran–Russia relations
- Iran holds talks with Russia over buying an upgraded version of the S-300 surface-to-air missile defense system. (Reuters)
Syrian Civil War
- The United States and Russia broker a truce which is due to come into effect on midnight 27 February. (BBC)

Law and crime

2016 Kalamazoo shootings
- Jason Dalton is charged with six counts of murder in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. (CNN)
The Maryland Court of Appeals rules the state’s Public Information Act does not apply to abortion clinic license applicants’ names, denying the Maryland Coalition for Life’s appeal which had noted that courts in Illinois, Kansas and Minnesota have ordered these names released. The ruling can not be appealed to federal courts. (AP via ABC News)

Politics and elections

Philippine Senate election, 2016
- Walden Bello, a socialist candidate for the Philippine Senate, files a petition that may disqualify boxer Manny Pacquiao for violating election rules regarding publicity. Based on the commission’s rules, Pacquiao’s wife, Jinkee Pacquiao, may substitute. (Rappler), (The New York Times), (Fox Sports)
Ugandan general election, 2016
- Opposition leader Kizza Besigye is arrested while trying to obtain copies of the official election results. (AAP via News Limited)
Jat reservation agitation
- Jat protesters reach an agreement with the Indian government on increased reservations similar to those authorized for economically disadvantaged lower castes. Authorities say at least 19 people have been killed in the three-day demonstrations. Protest leaders call for reopening blockaded roads in the northern state of Haryana. Water restrictions, implemented after protesters damaged the water station’s New Dehli feed, remain in effect while engineers repair the equipment. (The Indian Express)
United States presidential election, 2016
- Republican candidate Ted Cruz fires campaign spokesman Rick Tyler who posted incorrect information on Twitter about candidate Marco Rubio. (Fox News) (The Washington Post)
Comorian presidential election, 2016
- Comoros authorities are counting ballots from Sunday’s incident-free, presidential primary on Grande Comore island. The presidency rotates between the nation’s three semi-autonomous islands, which also held gubernatorial elections. Provisional results are due Wednesday. Then, on April 10, 2016, the three leading candidates will vie in a runoff. (Bloomberg)

Science and technology

A new study by scientists from 14 research institutions, that is published in the March 2016 Global Change Biology Journal, finds all U.S. forests are threatened by drought and climate change. (Global Change Biology) (Eureka Alert) (Nature World News)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

March 5, 2016

Top News Stories –

Sport Relief: Shearer beats Savage in 57-hour five-a-side epic –
Alan Shearer’s team have beaten Robbie Savage’s squad by 18 goals in a 57-hour five-a-side game for Sport Relief. Shearer, who captained the Match of the Day team, beat Savage, who led the BBC 5 live team with 547 goals to 529. More than 1,100 people played in the snow and rain outside BBC MediaCityUK in Salford since 09:15 on Thursday, raising £370,592 for Sport Relief. All-time Premier League top goal-scorer Shearer was presented his winning trophy by Gary Lineker. After scoring in extra time of the last game, Shearer said the challenge had tired him out. “My back, my thighs, my knees – they’re all in bits but it was all worth it.” The 57-hour duration of the match was chosen because it is the equivalent of a Premier League club’s entire season. The Premier League is matching all of the public’s donations up to a maximum of £500,000. The money will go towards helping disadvantaged people in the UK and overseas. [BBC]
Alan Shearer

Email inventor Ray Tomlinson dies at 74 –
Internet pioneer Ray Tomlinson, who is credited with the invention of email, has died at the age of 74. The US computer programmer came up with the idea of electronic messages that could be sent from one network to another in 1971. His invention included the ground-breaking use of the @ symbol in email addresses, which is now standard. Tomlinson died of an apparent heart attack on Saturday, according to reports. He sent what is now regarded as the first email while working in Boston as an engineer for research company Bolt, Beranek and Newman. [BBC]
Ray Tomlinson in 2004

Video of the Day –

SAGE “August In Paris” from LABELGUM on Vimeo.

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4	#Felices20MarioBau	#A3AñosDeTuSiembraComandante	#Shetland
5	#انا_من_جيل	#MakeAMovieFeelTheBern	#gogglebox
6	#A3AñosDeTuSiembraComandante	#ShawnAtRadioCity	#StPiransDay
7	KATHNIEL SA CDO	#5daysTilDangerouswoman	#sgpconf
8	#ALDUBMaineEvent	#Ver01	#UFC196
9	#PrettyLittleWeekend	#WTM16	#OJSimpson
10	#SöylemedenEdemiycem	#OJSimpsonASong	#AMVCA2016

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Taliban insurgency
- The Afghan Taliban releases a statement rejecting peace talks with the government of Afghanistan until foreign forces stop attacking their positions and withdraw from the country. Direct peace talks between the government and the Taliban were expected to take place in Islamabad, Pakistan next week. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- Second battle of Aden
  - Gunmen shoot dead the police chief of Aden‘s Tawahi district and one of his aides. (Reuters)

Business and economy

China announces plans to build a railway linking the Tibetan capital Lhasa with Chengdu. (Channel News Asia)

Disasters and accidents

More than 60 people are hospitalized after an engine explodes on a crowded Bangkok, Thailand, commuter boat. Police suspect a liquefied natural gas leak caused the blast. The boat operator has been ordered to use diesel fuel only on its 25-boat fleet. (AP) (International Business Times)

International relations

North Korea–Philippines relations
- The Philippines impounds a North Korean cargo ship in line with new UN sanctions on North Korea in response to Pyongyang‘s recent nuclear test and missile launch. Presidential spokesman, Manolo Quezon, said the 6,830-tonne cargo ship would not be allowed to leave the Port of Subic, Luzon, where it has been docked for three days, and that its crew would be deported. (The Straits Times)

Law and crime

Media freedom in Turkey
- Turkish police fire tear gas at protesters outside the Istanbul headquarters of the Zaman newspaper which has been taken over by the Turkish government. (BBC)
Gunmen dressed in police uniforms kill at least ten people in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Republican Party presidential primaries, 2016, Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2016
- Voters in the states of Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, Maine, and Kentucky, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico participate in a party caucus or vote in a primary election. (Presidential Primary Schedule)
- Ted Cruz wins the Republican Party caucus in Kansas and Maine. (CBS News), (The Guardian)
- Donald Trump wins the Louisiana primary and Kentucky caucus. (ABC News), (New York Times)
- Bernie Sanders wins the Democratic Party contests in Kansas and Nebraska while Hillary Clinton wins in Louisiana. (CNN), (Washington Post), (NOLA), (CNN)
Slovak parliamentary election, 2016
- Voters in Slovakia choose representatives for all 150 National Council seats. While anti-migrant Prime Minister Robert Fico’s Smer party is expected to lose its parliamentary majority, it should be in position to lead a coalition government. (Reuters via Firstpost) (New Europe), (Bloomberg)
Samoan general election, 2016
- Results from yesterday’s election indicate that the ruling Human Rights Protection Party will retain power in a landslide. (ABC News Australia)
Anti-corruption campaign in China:
- The former party chief of Liaoning and Jilin provinces, Wang Min, is placed under investigation by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. (SCMP)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

March 8, 2016

Top News Stories –

‘Fifth Beatle’ Sir George Martin dies, aged 90 –
Record producer Sir George Martin, known as the “fifth Beatle”, has died, aged 90. His family thanked “everyone for their thoughts, prayers and messages of support” after his death at home on Tuesday, his manager said. Beatles drummer Ringo Starr broke the news on Twitter and led tributes, saying Sir George “will be missed”. Sir George signed the Beatles and produced more than 700 records. He also worked with artists including Gerry and the Pacemakers, Shirley Bassey and Cilla Black. [BBC]
George Martin in 2006

‘Le burger’ now top selling dish in French restaurants, new study reveals –
For the guardians of French gastronomy, the prospect of being served something as unsophisticated as a slab of mincemeat with a bap and slice of cheese would long have been considered sacrilegious. Today, however, the tables have turned. In a culinary revolution, three quarters of French restaurants now sell hamburgers and 80 per cent of these say it has become their top-selling dish, according to a new study. “Le burger” – as the French dub the quintessentially American invention to the despair of linguistic purists of the Académie Française – has become a feature of even the most illustrious eateries. Indeed, such is its success that sales are set to overtake those of the classic “jambon beurre” (ham and butter baguette), the nation’s staple lunchtime sandwich. Last year, the French chomped their way through 1.19 billion burgers, an 11 per cent rise on the previous year, while “le jambon beurre” fell to 1.23 billion. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

A History of Rock in 15 minutes.
348 rockstars, 84 guitarists, 64 songs, 44 drummers, 1 mashup.

History of Rock from Ithaca Audio on Vimeo.

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10	#FelizDiaDasMulheresClubeSDV	#Rainmaker16	Justice for Johnson

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Spillover of the Syrian Civil War
- Mortar shells fired from Syria kill at least one person and injure another in the Turkish border town of Kilis. (Reuters)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Three terror attacks are reported that result in the deaths of four Palestinians and an American tourist with 12 Israelis wounded, including two Israeli policemen, as United States Vice President Joe Bidenarrives in Israel for a two-day visit that includes meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. (AP via WWTV) (AP via ABC News) (CNN)
- The deceased American is Taylor Force, a West Point graduate and former U.S. Army officer from Lubbock, Texas, who was in the first year of a MBA program at Vanderbilt University. Force was part of a 33-person Vanderbilt group that was in Israel to study global entrepreneurship. (CNN) (Houston Chronicle)
Spillover of the Libyan Civil War
- Tunisia‘s army and security forces kill another five suspected terrorists in an operation near the Libyan border. (AFP via Yahoo! News)
Military intervention against ISIL
- The United States military says ISIL’s so-called minister-of-war, Abu Omar al-Shishani, né Tarkhan Tayumurazovich Batirashvili, appears to have been killed in a U.S. air strike near the town of Al-Shaddadi in Syria. (Reuters via msn.com)

Arts and culture

International Women’s Day is celebrated. The International Women’s Day theme for 2016 is “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality”. (The Washington Post)

Health and medicine

Zika virus outbreak (2015–present)
- The World Health Organization cautions pregnant women against traveling to areas where there is ongoing transmission of Zika virus, echoing earlier alerts from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other health agencies in areas where virus infection has been prevalent. Director General Margaret Chan says evidence strongly suggests sexual transmission is more common than previously assumed. (The Washington Post)

International relations

Export restrictions placed by the commerce department of the United States against China‘s state-owned ZTE for alleged violations of U.S.-imposed export controls on Iran takes effect. (Reuters), (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
European migrant crisis, Enlargement of the European Union
- The European Union and Turkey agree on broad principles for a plan to ease the migration crisis which includes returning thousands of migrants to Turkey. For this, the EU will swiftly ease visa requirements for Turks and speed up Ankara’s EU accession talks. A final agreement is to be ready for next week’s two-day EU summit in Brussels, Belgium. (Voice of America) (BBC) (March 17-18, 2016, EU agenda)
- The United Nations and human rights groups warn the tentative EU deal with Turkey that would return irregular migrants in exchange for political and financial rewards could be illegal. U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi says it’s unclear whether migrants, set to be returned, would be afforded the refugee protection as stated in international law. Amnesty International’s Gauri van Gulik says this is outsourcing Europe’s refugee responsibility. “The EU is treating Turkey as the only solution it has to the refugee crisis,” van Gulik added.(Reuters) (Los Angeles Times)
North Korea–South Korea relations
- South Korea imposes direct sanctions against North Korea that blacklists dozens of Northern companies and people for the first time, and bans ships that have visited North Korean ports in the previous 180 days from its waters. (The Washington Post) (AP via USA Today)
Israel–Palestine relations
- A Pew Research Center survey of Jewish and non-Jewish Israelis, via face-to-face interviews from October 2014 through May 2015, finds deep divisions in Israeli society – not only between Israeli Jewsand the country’s Arab citizen minority, but also among the religious subgroups that make up Israeli Jewry. An overwhelming majority (98%) of Israeli Jews agree all Jews should have the right to move to Israel and receive immediate citizenship. Close to half (48 percent) support the expulsion or transfer of Arabs from Israel, yet most secular Jews disagree (58%) with this, as do 54 percent of those in the center politically (more so from the left). Meanwhile, Israeli Arabs, currently about one-in-five of the country’s adults, generally do not think Israel can be a Jewish state and a democracy at the same time. Fewer Arabs (down 24 points) think a peaceful, two-state solution is possible, from 74% in 2013 to 50% now. Both groups are skeptical of the peace process: Israeli Arabs question the sincerity of the Israeli government in seeking a peace agreement, while Israeli Jews are equally skeptical about the sincerity of Palestinian leaders. (Pew is a non-partisan American think tank based in Washington, D.C.)(Pew Research Center)
- Israeli President Reuven Rivlin says the Pew study brings up troubling challenges that need to be dealt with immediately. The finding that 48 percent of Jewish Israelis believe Arabs should be transferred out of Israel is particularly troubling to Rivlin. MK Yousef Jabareen, chair of the Knesset Lobby for Jewish-Arab Coexistence, said, “The transfer of citizens, for whatever reason, is a crime against humanity, and I am frightened to see that half of those polled support such a step.” Human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International Israel and the Anne Lindh Foundation’s Association for the Advancement of Civic Equality in Israel, denounced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the results of the study. (The Jerusalem Post)
Australia–United States relations, Territorial disputes in the South China Sea
- The U.S. military is in discussions with Australian officials about the possibility of basing long-range bombers, whose striking distance would include the South China Sea, in Australia. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Media freedom in Turkey
- An Istanbul court places the Cihan News Agency under state control. The seizure of the Fethullah Gülen-linked news agency comes just days after the Turkish government seized control of the oppositionZaman newspaper. (Reuters)
Acting on requests from neighboring Italy, Swiss authorities arrest 15 people sought as suspected members of the ‘Ndrangheta organized crime syndicate, a Mafia-type organization centered in Calabria, Italy.(AP)]

Politics and elections

Republican Party presidential primaries, 2016, Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2016
- Voters in the U.S. states of Mississippi, Michigan, Hawaii and Idaho vote in primary elections and caucuses. (Presidential Election News)
- Hillary Clinton wins the Mississippi Democratic primary. (New York Times)
- Bernie Sanders wins the Michigan Democratic primary. (NBC News), (Washington Post)
- Donald Trump wins both the Michigan and Mississippi Republican primaries and the Hawaii caucus. (The Independent)
- Ted Cruz wins the Idaho Republican primary. (CNN), (Washington Post)
The United States Federal Communications Commission announces an expansion of the federal Lifeline program, which currently offers monthly subsidies for phone and basic cell service, to include broadband Internet service, pending approval at the Commissioners’ March 31 meeting. (The Hill) (Reuters) (Multichannel News)
Philippine presidential election, 2016
- The Supreme Court of the Philippines, in a 9-6 ruling, reverses the Commission on Elections order that had disqualified Senator Grace Poe from running in the May 9, 2016, presidential election. The petitioners plan to file a motion for reconsideration. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Science and technology

U.S. carrier Alaska Airlines reschedules Flight 870 from Anchorage, Alaska, to Honolulu, Hawaii, to depart at 2:00 p.m. local time (23:00 UTC) so passengers can view 2016’s only total solar eclipse for 1 minute and 59 seconds, 695 miles north of Honolulu at 37,000 feet. (KING-TV) (Alaska Airlines) (The Verge) (NASA TV stream)
Boston College (U.S.) researchers, in findings published in the eLife scientific journal, have uncovered the global spread of an ancient group of retroviruses that affected about 28 of 50 modern mammals’ ancestors back as far as 30 million years ago. (Headlines & Global News) (American Association for the Advancement of Science)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

March 15, 2016

Top News Stories –

Mother Teresa to be made a saint in September –
Pope Francis has announced that Mother Teresa will be elevated to sainthood on 4 September, months after he approved a second miracle for the late nun and Nobel prize winner who was known as the “Saint of the Gutters”. The canonisation of Mother Teresa, who was hailed for her work with impoverished and dying people living in the slums of Kolkata, India, has been highly anticipated by supporters, and will be a highlight of the church’s jubilee year of mercy. More than 300,000 pilgrims went to Rome in 2003 for Teresa’s beatification – the first step towards sainthood. The Vatican said in a short statement on Friday that the Argentinian pontiff had approved the second miracle – the final hurdle to make her a saint – in which a Brazilian man was said to have been cured of multiple brain tumours in 2008 following the nun’s intercession. [Guardian]
Mother Teresa in 1986

California homeless man receives $100,000 for spotting fugitives –
A homeless man from San Francisco is to be given a reward of $100,000 (£71,000) for helping police recapture two prison inmates who had escaped. Matthew Hay-Chapman had seen photographs of the two fugitives on the news and spotted them in a stolen van. They had broken out of Orange County Jail six days earlier, sparking a state-wide manhunt. The full $150,000 (£106,000) reward was split between four people, with Mr Hay Chapman getting the largest share. Mr Hay-Chapman spotted the fugitives in the stolen van next to a market in San Francisco and alerted officers in the area. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

After Hours from Todd Martin on Vimeo.

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8	#PrimaryDay	3 Chicago	Sausage Party
9	#SiempreQueAndoFeliz	Mother Teresa	#BestFirstDateQuestions
10	#TerörsüzGünler	#FelizMartes	Mother Teresa

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

American-led intervention in Syria
- A senior Iraqi intelligence official, who is also a Syrian activist leader, says Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant commander Omar al-Shishani (Omar the Chechen, real name Tarkhan Tayumurazovich Batirashvili) died of wounds suffered in a March 4 U.S. airstrike near the Syrian town of Al-Shaddadah. The U.S. State Department offered up to $5 million for information on his whereabouts. Amaq news agency, which supports ISIL, says Shishani is neither dead nor hurt. (New York Times) (Chicago Tribune) (Reuters via Swiss Broadcasting Corporation)
2016 Brussels police raid
- Belgian security forces hunt gunmen linked to the November 2015 Paris attacks following a raid on a house in Brussels which left four officers wounded and one suspect dead after an exchange of gunfire. Roads have been blocked off in the Belgian capital’s southern suburb of Forest as one or more gunmen remain at large. (The Independent) (Irish Times)
Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
- Airstrikes reportedly kill at least 41 people and wound 75 others in Yemen‘s northern Hajjah Governorate. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

Pope Francis announces that Mother Teresa will be canonized on September 4. (The Guardian)

Business and economy

Brookfield Asset Management Inc and Qube Holdings join forces to make a A$ 9.1 billion bid for Australian freight logistics company Asciano Limited. (Bloomberg)
Linn Energy, an oil-and-gas producer with about $10 billion in debt, says a bankruptcy filing may be unavoidable. The company was founded in 2003 and had its initial public offering in 2006. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Ecuadorian Air Force Arava crash
- An Ecuadorian Air Force IAI Arava 201 crashes near Shell Mera in a mountainous part of eastern Ecuador during military exercises, killing all of the 22 soldiers on board. (BNO News) (Aviation Safety Network)
The entire Washington D.C. Metro system will shut down for 29 hours beginning at midnight Wednesday for an emergency investigation after an electric cable caught fire on Monday. (The Washington Post)(NBC4 Washington)
A fire severely damages the 16th century Wythenshawe Hall, near Manchester, England. (BBC)
A deadly fire breaks out at a rehabilitation center for addicts in Sterlitamak, Bashkortostan, a Republic of Russia, killing 12 people. An investigation was immediately launched. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

Health and medicine

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issues final recommendations urging doctors to try something besides an opioid when first treating pain, and if an opioid drug, such as hydrocodone oroxycodone, is the best choice, start with the lowest possible dose. (The Washington Post) (NBC News)

International relations

Burundian unrest (2015–present)
- The European Union suspends direct financial aid to Burundi after concluding that the Burundian authorities had not done enough to find a political solution to the ongoing conflict occurring in the country.(The Guardian)
Argentina–China relations
- Argentina‘s coastguard says it has sunk a Chinese fishing trawler that was operating illegally within its territorial waters. The coastguard says it rescued four of the trawler’s crew while others who abandoned ship were picked up by another Chinese vessel shadowing the pursuit. (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
The parliament of the Netherlands passes a resolution calling on the government to stop selling arms to Saudi Arabia, citing ongoing “violations of humanitarian law” in Yemen. (Middle East Eye)

Law and crime

Shooting of Michael Brown, Ferguson unrest
- The Ferguson, Missouri, city council, after last month voting to change the terms of the agreement, reverses course and unanimously (6-0) agrees to accept a U.S. Justice Department overhaul of its troubled police force and municipal courts. This avoided a likely expensive legal battle with the federal government which had filed suit against the city following last month’s vote. (CNN)

Politics and elections

United States presidential election, 2016
- Voters in the U.S. states of Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri, North Carolina and the commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands head to the polls for Republican and Democratic Party primaries that the media has dubbed “Super Tuesday 2”. (AFP via Yahoo! News)
- Donald Trump wins primaries in Illinois, North Carolina, Missouri and Florida while John Kasich wins in Ohio. (NY Daily News) (Decision Desk HQ), (CNN), (USA Today), (NBC News)
- Donald Trump wins the Northern Mariana Islands caucus. (Politico)
- Hillary Clinton wins the Democratic primaries in Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri and North Carolina. (Fox News), (Washington Post), (NBC News), (NBC News Live Blog)
- Marco Rubio suspends his presidential campaign following a disappointing defeat in his home state of Florida. (The New York Times)
- North Carolina’s controversial voter ID law is in effect for the first time. Voters without these new ID credentials, including voters with a “reasonable impediment” to obtaining an ID, can cast a provisional ballot. Citizens (2,567) faced this problem during early voting, including U.S. Senator Richard Burr who, because his driver’s license was stolen, was without ID. In addition, votes for congressional candidates for House seats don’t count because the state’s congressional district map was redrawn after the ballots were printed. The actual congressional primary is scheduled for June 7. (WRAL)(The Nation via Moyers & Company) (NPR) (Charlotte Observer) (The New York Times)
Nigerien general election, 2016
- The government will release opposition candidate Hama Amadou from prison due to health issues. Amadou is facing off against incumbent President of Niger Mahamadou Issoufou in the second round of voting on Sunday. (Reuters)
The Myanmar Assembly of the Union, or parliament, selects Htin Kyaw as the new President. Kyaw, a confidant of Aung San Suu Kyi, will be the first civilian president in decades. Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, is constitutionally barred from the office. (Indian Express), (ABC News Australia)
The Obama administration announces it is cancelling plans to permit drilling for oil and gas off the southeastern U.S. Atlantic coast. A new plan involves 10 potential lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and three off the coast of Alaska. (USA Today) (The Island Free Press)

Science and technology

Andrew Wiles wins the 2016 Abel Prize for his solution to Fermat’s last theorem. (Nature)
Scientists, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences scientific journal, report that so-called fairy circles are caused by the plants themselves, which have self-organized. Michael Cramer and Nichole Barger suggested this in 2013. (The Washington Post) (PNAS) (The Atlantic)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

March 16, 2016

Top News Stories –

Chinese city brings in penalty points for dog owners –
A city in eastern China is tackling negligent dog owners with a new driving licence-style system. The pilot scheme, which started this month, gives pooches in the city of Shaoxing a licence pre-loaded with 12 points which are then gradually docked for breaking the rules, Qianjiang Evening News reports. Taking a dog into a public place such as a school or restaurant will cost an owner three points, while “failing to take effective measures” to stop a badly behaving dog results in six points being docked. A microchip under the dog’s skin will hold data on the penalties incurred. The biggest penalties are reserved for owners who use their pets to cause deliberate wounding, and those who abandon or abuse their animals – they’ll lose all 12 points and be banned from reapplying for an ownership licence. “Like drink-driving and other bad behaviour, dog owners will be blacklisted, and won’t be able to raise dogs again,” says city official Zhang Zhuoming. The paper says Shaoxing has experienced problems with both stray and domestic dogs, with more than 7,000 dog biting incidents registered last year. [BBC]

Pigeons track air pollution in London with tiny backpacks –
A small flock of pigeons have been given tiny backpacks to monitor air pollution in London. The project was dreamt up by Plume Labs, a company focused on the environmental problem, and the marketing agency DigitasLBi. The rucksacks are fitted to the birds using small fabric vests, and the sensors inside are able to measure nitrogen dioxide and ozone levels. Only 10 birds are in flight at any one time, so the amount of data being collected is pretty small. However, it’s still a creative way of analysing the air that millions breathe in every day in the capital. [Endgadget]

Video of the Day –

X-Men: Apocalypse | Official Trailer [HD] | 20th Century FOX

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10	#BirdenŞöyleDedim	#smileforjoe	Trump and Clinton

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in North-West Pakistan
- 2016 Peshawar bus bombing
  - A bomb detonates in a bus carrying government employees in Peshawar, Pakistan, killing 15 and injuring at least 54. (AP via CBS)
Boko Haram insurgency
- 2016 Maiduguri suicide bombings
  - Two female suicide bombers detonate their explosives at a mosque during morning prayer on the outskirts of Maiduguri, Nigeria, killing 22 and injuring 18. (AP via New York Times) (Newsweek)

Disasters and accidents

The Washington Metro, a commuter rail system which transports nearly 1 million passengers across the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area per day, shuts down to allow for an emergency inspection of 600 electrical cables, following two fires occurring over the past 14 months. Officials say the system is scheduled to resume service by the following morning, though individual Metro lines or stations could remain closed indefinitely if problems are identified. (The Washington Post) (The Washington Times) (CBS News)

Health and medicine

Zika virus outbreak
- Cuban officials announce they have detected the first case of the Zika virus transmitted inside the country: a 21-year-old Havana woman who had not traveled abroad. Cuba has reported a handful of travel-associated Zika cases, all believed imported from Venezuela. (Medical Xpress) (Outbreak News Today)

International relations

North Korea–United States relations
- North Korea sentences American Otto Warmbier, a 21-year-old from Cincinnati, Ohio, studying at the University of Virginia, to 15 years hard labor for removing a political poster from a hotel. (The Guardian) (The Washington Post)
- President Barack Obama orders new sanctions against North Korea in response to ‘illicit’ nuclear, missile tests. (AP)
Syrian Civil War, Syrian peace process
- The delegation of the government of Syria rules out starting any direct talks with the opposition delegation as U.N. sponsored peace talks enter a third day in Geneva. (BBC)
- Kurdish officials say they plan to declare a federal region in northern Syria after being excluded from peace talks in Geneva aimed at ending the 5-year-old conflict. The move will combine three Kurdish-led autonomous areas into a federal system in what is set to alarm neighboring Turkey. (USA Today)
Turkey–United Kingdom relations
- Turkey deports British academic Chris Stephenson, a computer science lecturer at Bilgi University in Istanbul, who is charged with making terrorism propaganda. The UK Foreign Office said it was providing assistance; there has been no comment from Turkish officials. (AP)

Law and crime

The travel ban for former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is lifted by the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Musharraf is currently facing treason charges in Pakistan. (Reuters)
PKK rebellion (2015–present)
- Authorities in Turkey arrest three academics on charges of “terrorist propaganda” after they called for an end to security operations in the country’s Kurdish-majority southeast. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Attacks on humanitarian workers
- The U.S. military disciplines more than a dozen personnel for mistakes that led to the bombing of a Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) hospital that killed 42 people in Afghanistan last October. No criminal charges are pending. The partially redacted investigation report is expected to be made public shortly. (AP)

Politics and elections

Republican Party presidential debates and forums, 2016
- Donald Trump announces he will skip the Fox News GOP presidential debate between the three remaining candidates on March 21, saying he thinks “we had enough of debates.” (Newsmax)
- Ohio Governor John Kasich says he will also skip the debate if Donald Trump follows through on his vow not to attend. (The Hill)
- Fox News cancels the Republican debate scheduled for Monday in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Utah Republican Party has received more than 50,000 ticket requests. Utah Lieutenant Governor Spencer Cox is upset Trump, “…is snubbing the state of Utah.” According to Deseret News, Trump is in fourth place in Utah polls. (The Salt Lake Tribune) (Deseret News)
2016 Republican Party presidential primaries:
- Senior GOP rules committee member Curly Haugland says that “We (RCN committee members) choose the nominee, not the voters”. (Washington Post)
United States presidential election, 2016
- In the Missouri Primary, media outlets have held off calling yesterday’s races due to the extremely close results. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton lead in their party’s vote, but by just two-tenths of 1 percent ahead of Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders, respectively. Missouri law states a recount may be requested if the margin is less than half a percentage point. Either Cruz or Sanders or both can request a recount. These results are unofficial, until they’re certified by the Missouri Secretary of State, which reportedly could take up to four weeks. Trump leads by about 1,700 votes and Clinton’s edge is about 1,500. The state also needs to count the remaining absentee and provisional ballots; the deadline for overseas ballots is noon Friday. (The Hill) (CNN)
Barack Obama Supreme Court candidates
- President Barack Obama nominates Merrick Garland to replace Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court of the United States. (BBC) (CNN)
Brazil‘s ex-president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva takes Cabinet post as chief of staff to Brazil’s current president, Dilma Rousseff, thereby gaining legal shield. Only the Brazilian Supreme Court can try presidential Cabinet members for crimes. (New York Times) (UPI)
- Protests erupt outside the presidential palace in Brasília, and on São Paulo’s main Avenue Paulista. on news of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s appointment as President Rousseff’s chief of staff. Federal Judge Sérgio Moro says taped conversations between the two show Lula and Rousseff, apparently, trying to influence the investigation. (Reuters)

Science and technology

Scientists release a small flock of pigeons, dubbed “The Pigeon Air Patrol”, carrying tiny backpacks to monitor London‘s air quality during a period of moderate to high pollution. The backpacks contain sensors used to measure nitrogen dioxide and ozone levels. (Engadget) (The Guardian)

Sport

The PGA of America announces it is discontinuing the PGA Grand Slam of Golf, a special postseason event among the year’s winners of the four major championships of regular men’s golf. This year, it was set to be held at Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles, California. The 2015 event was cancelled after the PGA decided to move the exhibition contest from the same Trump Club, and they couldn’t find a replacement course golf course with suitable dates. (AP) (PGA) (ESPN)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

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)

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April 13, 2016

Top News Stories –

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

Video of the Day –

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

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide	USA
#DiaDoBeijo	#MambaDay
#MambaDay	#WednesdayWisdom
#DiaInternacionalDelBeso	#DiaInternacionalDelBeso
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#حبيت_واكتشفت_�…	Sean Parker
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#CaravanaDelPueblo	#MyAdviceToTrump
#شي_حلو_من_خمس_�…	#WHScienceFair
#SDVQuartaComChalanco	Hump Day

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Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Donbass
- The Ukrainian Army says eight of its soldiers were wounded in fighting against Russian-backed separatists in the east of the country during the previous 24 hours. A military spokesman said there had been 29 shelling incidents around Mariupol. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Moro Conflict
- Battle of Tipo-Tipo
  - ISIL claims responsibility for clashes between militants linked to the group and the Philippine Army that claimed 23 lives. (Reuters via Trust)

Business and economics

Peabody Energy, the largest privately-owned producer of coal in the world headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, files for bankruptcy court protection due to high debts and a drop in world prices. (Reuters)(ABC News Australia)

Disasters and accidents

At least 15 people are killed and 20 injured following a road accident in the Pakistani city of Faisalabad. (Samaa)
2016 Myanmar earthquake
- A magnitude 6.9 earthquake strikes Myanmar 396 kilometers (246 miles) north of the capital, Naypyidaw, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. (AP via CBS News)
The government of Malawi declares a state of emergency across the country over worsening food shortages caused by a severe drought that is affecting much of Southern Africa with about 2.8 million Malawians, or 20% of the population, facing food insecurity. (Al Jazeera)
2014–16 El Niño event
- Indian officials report, with 24 deaths today, the heatwave in the eastern state of Odisha has killed 135 people. Temperatures of 105.5 degrees Fahrenheit were recorded yesterday at 19 locations across the state. Meteorologists say the heat, an after-effect of El Niño, has delayed the traditional April rains. (UPI)
A Britten-Norman Islander light aircraft crashes in the Papua New Guinea town of Kiunga resulting in the deaths of all twelve people on board. (ABC News Australia)

Health

Zika virus outbreak (2015–present)
- The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms that the Zika virus causes birth defects like microcephaly. (Fox News)

International relations

Russia–United States relations, Cold War II
- Two unarmed Russian Air Force Sukhoi Su-24 jets flew simulated attacks on United States Navy destroyer USS Donald Cook in the Baltic Sea on Tuesday, according to a U.S. official, who described it as one of the most aggressive interactions in recent memory. A Russian Kamov Ka-27 naval helicopter also made seven passes around the USS Donald Cook, taking pictures of the warship. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Recognition of same-sex unions in China
- A judge rules against a gay couple in China’s first same-sex marriage case. (AP)
November 2015 Paris attacks
- Three people arrested yesterday in connection with last year’s attacks in Paris are released without charge. (AFP/Reuters via ABC News)
LGBT rights in the United States
- Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards signs an anti-discrimination order protecting the rights of gay and transgender people that rescinds one his immediate predecessor, Bobby Jindal, signed that sought to limit same-sex marriage rights and the ability of transgender people to choose which public restrooms they may use. (Reuters via Huffington Post)

Politics and elections

South Korean legislative election, 2016
- Voters in South Korea go to the polls for a legislative election with the ruling Saenuri Party losing seats in a surprise setback. (AP) (Bloomberg)
- The opposition Minjoo Party of Korea wins the most seats in the Parliament. (BBC)
Syrian parliamentary election, 2016
- Voters in mostly government controlled areas of Syria will head to the polls to elect 250 members to the People’s Council of Syria. (RT) (TeleSUR)
2015–16 protests in Brazil
- The Progressive Party announces it is leaving President Dilma Rousseff’s coalition government and that its 47 politicians would support her impeachment. (Al Jazeera)
Papua conflict
- Massive demonstrations in support of the Free Papua Movement take place in various cities in the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua. The demonstrations voice support for the Liberation Movement to become a full member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group. (Radio New Zealand)
A number of people were injured in clashes between police and several thousand protestors in Skopje, Macedonia, with demonstrators breaking into President Gjorge Ivanov‘s offices. (RT)

Sport

The World Anti-Doping Agency advises that WADA-accredited laboratories are currently conducting studies on meldonium excretion rates since existing data is lacking. Meldonium became a banned substance on January 1, 2016. A large number of athletes, including grand-slam tennis champion Maria Sharapova, had taken the medication in the past, and have tested positive this year. The new data will address how long meldonium stays in the body and determine if athletes were provided a reasonable amount of time to adhere to the new restrictions prior to testing. The drug was used by many Soviet-bloc athletes since the 80s. (Reuters) (WADA)
2015-16 NBA season
- In basketball, the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors team sets a new NBA record for regular season wins with 73 wins this season. The 1995-96 Chicago Bulls previously held the record with 72. (Washington Post)
- Kobe Bryant plays his last game in the NBA for the Los Angeles Lakers. He sets a new points record for a final match scoring 60 against the Utah Jazz. (Washington Post)

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April 15, 2016

Top News Stories –

New Zealand stages first Pastafarian wedding on pirate boat –
The light-hearted Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster has staged its first legally recognised wedding. Toby Ricketts and Marianna Fenn tied the “noodle knot” in the New Zealand South Island town of Akaroa. The happy couple say that guidelines of the Pastafarian religion stipulate that wedding celebrants must be pirates. Members of the church profess the belief that the world was created by an airborne spaghetti and meatballs-based being and humans evolved from pirates. New Zealand officials last month designated the religion as an officially-recognised faith, allowing Wellington-based Pastafarian Karen Martyn the legal right to conduct marriages. She carried out her inaugural wedding as an ordained “ministeroni” on Saturday. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

While You Were Away from Ben Mallaby on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide	USA
#SextaDetremuraSdv	#FlashbackFriday
#DiaMundialDelArte	#UnbreakableKimmySchmidt
#BuenViernes	#JackieRobinsonDay
#جمعه_الارض	#BernieAtTheVatican
#ComoTuiterosPodemos	#newmusicfriday
#GeziyiUnutma	#OneBostonDay
#6YearsSinceNiallsAudition	#TtW16
#ALDUBMonthsaryPlans	#6YearsSinceNiallsAudition
#BuyHairOniTunes	#DayofSilence
#DemDebate	#ISOJ

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- A battle rages in the Kunduz Province of Afghanistan as the Taliban launches its spring offensive to capture the city of Kunduz. According to a Taliban spokesperson, several outposts already fell to them but this could not be verified immediately while a police chief says that the security forces were keeping “the situation under control”. (Al Jazeera)
PKK rebellion (2015–present)
- At least four Turkish Army soldiers are killed and two others are wounded after a roadside bomb hit their vehicle in the southeast Mardin Province. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

Human rights abuse victims during the regime of Ferdinand Marcos stake a claim on auction proceeds from Imelda Marcos‘ art collection, which includes pieces by Michelangelo, Monet, Van Gogh, andPicasso. (Rappler)

Disasters and accidents

2016 Kumamoto earthquake
- The death toll from yesterday’s earthquake rises to nine with eight dead in the town of Mashiki. Eight hundred people have been injured including over 50 seriously injured. (AP)
At least two people are killed and five missing after a building collapses in Tenerife in the Canary Islands. (France 24)
A tornado hits the Uruguayan town of Dolores resulting in at least four deaths and seven injuries. (AP via Star Tribune)
A Malayan tiger attacks and kills a 38-year-old American zookeeper at the Palm Beach Zoo in Florida. (Reuters)

International relations

Territorial disputes in the South China Sea, Philippine general election, 2016
- Presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte says he will set aside the Philippine claim on the Spratly islands and forge better economic relations with China. (Rappler)
North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- South Korea‘s Yonhap news agency reports that North Korea tried to launch a BM25 Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile but was unsuccessful. (Reuters)
- Chinese state media condemn the action saying that saber-rattling will “lead the country to nowhere”. (The Guardian)
Russia–United States relations
- John Kerry informs Russia that under the rules of engagement the plane that flew over the USS Donald Cook on April 13th could have been shot down. (AFP via MSN)
Poland–Russia relations, NATO–Russia relations
- Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski, during a visit to Slovakia for talks on the future of NATO, says Russia is more dangerous than the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). “By all evidence, Russia’s activity is a sort of existential threat because this activity can destroy countries,” Waszczykowski told reporters in Bratislava. He described ISIL as a very serious threat but said “it is not an existential threat for Europe”. (The Guardian)

Law and crime

Authorities in Rwanda jail former politician Léon Mugesera for life. Mugesera was known for describing Tutsis as “cockroaches” and called for their extermination in a speech in 1992 and is said to be a precursor to the Rwandan genocide. (BBC)
Two firefighters are shot, one fatally and the other is in critical condition, during a welfare check in Temple Hills, Maryland. (AP)

Politics and elections

The New York Post, a daily newspaper controlled by media magnate Rupert Murdoch, makes a u-turn and endorses Donald Trump for President of the United States. (Washington Post) (New York Post)
Philippine presidential election, 2016
- Presidential candidate Miriam Defensor Santiago, who lags in surveys, accuses pollsters of fabricating results by excluding her name in opinion polls.(GMA News) (Inquirer) (The Manila Bulletin)
Impeachment process against Dilma Rousseff
- The Supreme Federal Court of Brazil rejects a bid by the Attorney General to suspend a vote in the parliament to begin impeachment procedures against the President Dilma Rousseff. (Reuters)
- Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies begins debating the impeachment of the President. (AP)
Aftermath of the 2016 Brussels bombings
- Belgian Minister of Transportation Jacqueline Galant resigns in the wake of the recent bombings that shook Brussels last March. Galant resigned amid accusations her ministry ignored EU criticism of security at Belgium’s airports. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Riot police violently break up an anti-Sisi protest in Cairo, Egypt. In the first sign of public discontent with President Sisi’s rule, hundreds of people gathered and shouted slogans calling for his overthrow. (Al Jazeera)
Leaders of the Czech Republic choose “Czechia” as the one-word alternative name of their country to make it easier for companies, politicians and sportsmen to use on products, name tags and sporting jerseys. However, this change must still win cabinet approval before the foreign ministry can lodge the name with the United Nations for it to become the country’s official short name. (The Guardian)

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April 27, 2016

Top News Stories –

Facebook profits up almost 200% to $1.51 billion –
Facebook has revealed stronger-than-expected results for its first quarter, helped by a growing number of users and higher advertising revenue. The social network reported earnings of $1.51 billion, or 52 cents per share, up from $512 million, or 18 cents per share, in the same period a year earlier, and over 1.65 billion users now use the social network, with the average users visiting for 15 minutes a day. The results are in stark contrast to Apple and Twitter, who posted poor results yesterday, with Apple shares falling 7% today. Separately, Facebook also announced that it will create a new class of non-voting stock, known as ‘Class C capital stock,’ designated to let CEO Mark Zuckerberg keep tight reins on the company even as it issues more shares to compensate employees and investors. [Daily Mail]
Mark Zuckerberg

Video of the Day –

Reebok 25,915 Days

Top Twitter Trends –

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#ProjectHomeLouisDay	#ProjectHomeLouisDay
#QuartaDetremuraSdv	#WednesdayWisdom
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#WednesdayWisdom	#YoFirmoYoRevoco
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#FelizMiercoles	#womancard
#あなたのツイッタ�…	#727WorldTour
#السكن_ليس_حق_ل…	#DenimDay
#BringBackTheGloryAteneo	Cod 4
#YoFirmoYoRevoco	#RoadToRio

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Moro conflict
- Philippine president Benigno Aquino III says that the Abu Sayyaf militants plan to kidnap his sister actress Kris Aquino and boxer Manny Pacquiao. (CBS)
2016 Bursa bombing
- A suicide bomber blows herself up in the Turkish city of Bursa, injuring at least seven people. (AP via The Washington Post)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Israeli forces kill two Palestinian assailants at a checkpoint in the West Bank. (Reuters)
2016 Cape Verde army mutiny
- Cape Verdean police capture a suspect in the murder of 11 soldiers. (AFP)
2016 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes
- According to officials from the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, one of their soldiers was killed overnight by Azerbaijani troops. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
War in Donbass
- Representatives of the Russian-backed Donetsk People’s Republic in Eastern Ukraine say at least five civilians are killed by artillery fire at a checkpoint in the town of Olenivka, with another 10 injured.Kiev denies the accusation. A local border-guard spokesman says there was an explosion at the checkpoint but he saw no artillery fired from either side, suggesting the blast could have been a bomb.(Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
War in Afghanistan
- The U.S. military warns that the Kabul Attack Network, comprised of fighters from various jihadist groups such as the Taliban and Haqqani networks, is planning attacks on people in the Parwan, Khost,Kabul, and Logar Provinces, Afghanistan, and asks for information from the Afghan public. (The Long War Journal)

Arts and culture

Archaeologists in Taiwan discover 48 sets of remains unearthed in graves in Taichung. The most striking discovery among them is the 4,800-year-old skeleton of a mother looking down at a child cradled in her arms. (The Guardian)
The German cities of Augsburg and Cologne are testing a scheme of traffic lights embedded in the ground to reduce cell phone-texting pedestrian accidents with vehicles that happen when so-called “smombies” step out into the street against the signal. (The Christian Science Monitor) (Autoblog)

Business and economy

Philippine presidential election, 2016
- The Philippine peso sinks to become the “worst performing currency in Asia” as a result of a volatile and unpredictable presidential election. (Bloomberg)

Disasters and accidents

Heavy rain pelts earthquake-hit Ecuador causing floods, mostly in the town of Alluriquin in the Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas Province, killing at least four people and injuring several more. About 300 people have been affected by the floods after a local river burst its banks, engulfing the town with water. (Al Jazeera)

Health and medicine

In the United Kingdom, the Royal College of Physicians reports e-cigarettes are “much safer” than tobacco smoking, and should be widely promoted as an option for smoking cessation. (BBC) (Daily Mail)

International relations

The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea Peter O’Neill states that the Manus Island Regional Processing Centre will be closed following the ruling of the Supreme Court and that he will ask the Australian Government to make alternative arrangements for the asylum seekers detained there. (ABC News)
Libyan Civil War
- The unrecognized House of Representatives, one of the rival governments based in eastern Libya, ships its first cargo of crude oil in defiance of the U.N.-backed authorities in the capital Tripoli in a move that could deepen divisions within the country. The Tripoli-based government asked the United Nations Security Council yesterday to blacklist the tanker. (The Guardian)
European migrant crisis
- The government of Austria passes a new law that restricts the right of asylum in the country and allows claimants to be rejected directly at the border, a move criticized by rights groups. Officials say they are also considering building a fence at the main border crossing with Italy at the Brenner Pass. (BBC)
Taliban insurgency
- The Taliban’s Qatar office confirms its leaders are in Pakistan to talk about Afghan refugees and the release of prisoners. The representative did not say if the delegation will discuss the peace process.(The Nation PK) (Pakistan Today)
United Nations Security Council members are considering a draft resolution that would restore the UN mission in Western Sahara to full functionality. Last month, Morocco expelled 75 UN staffers. (AFP via GlobalPost)
Iraqi Civil War
- Senior Kurdish and Shi’ite Muslim leaders agree to withdraw from Tuz Khurmato, Iraq, where recent violence has killed more than 10 people. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Two days before the one-year anniversary of the execution of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, the ringleaders of the Bali Nine, member Michael Czugaj is discovered to be in possession of drugs in prison. (SBS)
November 2015 Paris attacks
- Belgian prosecutors hand over Salah Abdeslam, a key suspect in the November 2015 Paris attacks, to French authorities. (Washington Post)
Former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Dennis Hastert is sentenced to 15 months in prison for breaking banking laws in order to make payments to cover sexual misconduct from past decades. (Wall Street Journal)
Iraqi authorities ban Qatar-based satellite television network Al Jazeera from broadcasting in the country and closes its offices in Baghdad, accusing it of violating government guidelines issued in 2014 to regulate media “during the war on terror”. (Reuters)
Censorship in Iran
- Iran sentences four reformist newspaper journalists to long prison terms for so-called national security crimes. Analysts say this case indicates that President Hassan Rouhani’s calls for press freedoms will likey face an unsympathetic hearing from Iran’s conservative judiciary. (UPI)

Politics and elections

An Iranian asylum seeker self-immolates himself in Nauru to protest Australia’s treatment of refugees. The protest coincides with a visit by representatives from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to the island. Instead of admitting refugees into the country, Australia has been sending them to Nauru or Papua New Guinea. (Radio New Zealand)
The government of North Korea announces its ruling Workers’ Party of Korea will hold a party congress on May 6, the first in nearly 40 years. (BBC)
United States presidential election, 2016, Ted Cruz presidential campaign, 2016
- Texas Senator Ted Cruz names former Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina as his vice-presidential running mate. (CNN)
Bradford West MP Naz Shah is suspended from the opposition Labour Party over comments she made on Facebook about Israel. (BBC)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s office confirms German Federal Intelligence Service President Gerhard Schindler will be replaced by Bruno Kahl. Schindler has been widely criticized following the disclosure his agency spied for the U.S. National Security Agency. (BBC)

News from Wikipedia – please support this valuable resource

May 15, 2016

Top News Stories –

Max Verstappen becomes youngest F1 winner in history at Spanish Grand Prix –
The delivery of the prodigy Max Verstappen, who became the youngest winner of a Formula One race when he triumphed in Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix, brought an iridescence to a sport that for too long has laboured in the single colour of the silver Mercedes. When Verstappen made his F1 debut for Toro Rosso as a 17-year-old last year he was so young that the concerned people at the FIA changed the rules; now you have to be 18. Verstappen was actually only 16 in 2014, when it was first announced that he would be driving in F1. Many sagacious voices said he was too young but there can be no doubts now. He crossed the winning line aged 18 years and 228 days, beating Sebastian Vettel’s previous record by two and a half years – Vettel was 21 and 73 days when he won in Italy in 2008. [Guardian]
Max Verstappen

Magnetic Hyperloop pod unveiled at MIT –
A people-carrying pod designed to levitate and travel at extremely high speeds has been unveiled in Boston. A 30-strong team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is one of several groups and companies working on making the Hyperloop concept a reality. The idea, first envisioned by Tesla chief executive Elon Musk, is to create a transport system that propels pods through airtight tubes. The MIT team said its pod design paved the way for “a mode of transportation that could change how we think about travel”. Critics of Hyperloop say it is unlikely to succeed because of prohibitive costs. A white paper by Mr Musk published in 2013 proposed a Hyperloop tube connection from San Francisco to Los Angeles. At speeds of around 700mph (1,127km/h), Mr Musk predicted the journey time would be around 30 minutes. [BBC] See Video of the Day

Video of the Day –

MIT Hyperloop Intro

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Iraqi civil war (2014–present)
- Suicide bomb attacks in a state owned cooking gas plant in Taji, north of Baghdad, kill at least 18 people, while 11 others die in attacks across the country. (Al-Jazeera) (Reuters via Daily Mail)
Yemeni civil war (2015–present)
- A suicide bombing kills at least 30 and injures 70 others in the southern city of Mukalla, Yemen. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claims responsibility for attack. (Xinhua) (Reuters) (Canadian Press via Chronicle-Herald)

Disasters and accidents

A truck collides with a motorised rickshaw in the Adilabad district of India‘s Telangana state resulting in 16 deaths. (AP via Washington Post)

Law and crime

Capital punishment in the Philippines
- President-elect of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, vows to reintroduce capital punishment and give security forces permission to shoot to kill for organized crime figures and people resisting arrest. Duterte is due to take office on June 30, 2016. (BBC)
A released report from an interview with former U.S. diplomat Donald Rickard reveals that he provided intelligence that led to the arrest of Nelson Mandela. (The Telegraph)

Politics and elections

Dominican Republic general election, 2016
- Voters in the Dominican Republic go to the polls for a general election. (AP)

Sports

2016 Formula One season
- 18-year old Max Verstappen becomes the youngest ever driver and the first Dutchman to win a Formula One race by winning the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix. (The Guardian)
2015–16 Premier League, 2015–16 Manchester United F.C. season
- Tens of thousands of people are evacuated from Old Trafford shortly before kick-off between Manchester United F.C. and A.F.C. Bournemouth after a suspect package was found. A controlled explosion was then carried out within the stadium. The package is discovered to be an explosives training device left behind earlier in the week by a private company following a training exercise involving explosive search dogs. (BBC)

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May 21, 2016

Top News Stories –

Manchester United win FA Cup and replace their manager –
Manchester United came from behind and survived Chris Smalling’s sending-off to beat Crystal Palace and win the FA Cup at Wembley through Jesse Lingard’s extra-time strike. As Wembley was awash with growing speculation this this would be Louis van Gaal’s final match as United manager – with BBC Sport understanding he will be replaced by Jose Mourinho next week – he was able to add English football’s most glamorous cup to his honours list. United looked on course to end the season empty-handed as well as missing out on Champions League football when substitute Jason Puncheon’s powerful far-post finish put Palace ahead with 12 minutes left. It was harsh on United, who had hit the woodwork through Marouane Fellaini and Antony Martial, but they responded within four minutes with a brilliant run from Wayne Rooney that ended with Juan Mata scoring from close range. United lost Smalling to a second yellow card for hauling back Yannick Bolasie in extra time – but Lingard took the trophy to Old Trafford when he lashed home a first-time strike from Damien Delaney’s half-clearance after 110 minutes. [BBC]
Louis van Gaal

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Cruising with Tesla’s Autopilot in Houston traffic

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Attacks on secularists in Bangladesh
- A homeopathic doctor is hacked to death in Bangladesh. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claim responsibility. (Reuters) (CNN)
War in Afghanistan
- Six police officers are killed in an insider attack in Uruzgan province. (NY Times)
- A suicide bomber attacks a NATO convoy in Parwan province, wounding two civilians. (Stripes) (VOA News)
- The United States kills Taliban leader Akhtar Mansour in an air strike along the Afghan Pakistan border near the town of Ahmad Wal. (Fox News) (CNN), (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

Cyclone Roanu
- At least 21 are killed and more than 500,000 are displaced by cyclone Roanu in Bangladesh. (Reuters) (Al Jazeera), (The Daily Star)
- The toll from landslides and heavy flooding in Sri Lanka rises to at least 73. (The Guardian) (bd24new.com) (Washington Post) (Press Trust of India via Business Standard)
At least 37 people have been killed and 22 injured in a bus crash in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (ABC News)

Health

2015-16 Zika virus epidemic
- The World Health Organization confirms that the Zika virus strain spreading in Cape Verde is the same as the one in the Americas. (Daily Mail) (CIDRAP)

International relations

Syrian Civil War, War on Terrorism
- The Pentagon rejects a Russian proposal to stage joint airstrikes against Al-Qaeda linked groups in Syria. (VOA News) (Reuters) (Huffington Post)
War in Afghanistan
- Norway Foreign Minister Børge Brende says his government is doubling humanitarian aid to Afghanistan to around 200 million kroner (US$24 million). (AP)

Politics and elections

2015–16 Iraqi protests
- At least four are killed and 90 injured among protesters who stormed the Green Zone in Baghdad. (Reuters)
Kazakhstan police detain dozens of protesters during rallies against proposed land reforms in the former Central Asian Soviet Republic. (AP) (Al Jazeera)
2014–16 Venezuelan protests
- The Venezuelan Army holds the biggest military exercise in its history, citing threats to national security, amidst opposition demands of a recall referendum on President Nicolas Maduro. (Bloomberg)(Stratis Times)
At least one person is dead in protests that have turned violent in Chile. (FOX News)

Science

Lake Mead in Mohave County, Arizona, the largest reservoir in the United States, drops to its lowest level in history, declining to its lowest level since it was filled in the 1930s. The reservoir serves water to the states of Arizona, Nevada and California. (WFAA)

Sport

2016 Preakness Stakes
- Exaggerator wins the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. (Courier-Journal via USA Today), (CBS Sports)
- Two horses die during a rainy Preakness Day’s early races. A 9-year-old gelding apparently suffered cardiovascular collapse. A 4-year-old filly broke her left front cannon bone during her race and waseuthanized, while her jockey broke his right collarbone as he was thrown to the turf. (AP)
2016 FA Cup Final
- Manchester United F.C. beat Crystal Palace F.C. 2-1 at Wembley Stadium in London to win the 2015–16 FA Cup. (BBC)

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May 23, 2016

Top News Stories –

Barack Obama eats $6 dinner in Vietnam with chef Anthony Bourdain –
Barack Obama didn’t want to miss out Monday night in Hanoi, so he hit the town with renowned chef-turned-television host Anthony Bourdain. The pair dined together at Huong Lien, a bún chả restaurant that serves the grilled pork and noodle dish thought to originate in Vietnam’s capital city. The US reporters in the White House press pool that was accompanying Obama in the presidential motorcade were not allowed to follow the pair inside the restaurant, which was crowded with local patrons. But social media lit up with photos from those who were present for the surprise visit, which was not listed on the president’s public schedule. [The Independent]
Anthony Bourdain tweet

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If Meat Eaters Acted Like Vegans – Ultra Spiritual Life episode 35

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war
- Reuters reports nearly 150 people are killed and at least 200 wounded in a series of car bomb and suicide attacks in the Syrian cities of Jableh and Tartus in government-controlled territory that hostsRussian military bases. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group claims responsibility. (Al Jazeera) (USA Today) (Reuters)
Yemeni civil war (2015–present)
- At least 41 army recruits are killed and 60 others injured in a suicide car bomb attack in Aden, Yemen. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group claims responsibility. (Reuters)
- At least 13 suspected Al-Qaeda militants and two soldiers are killed in a raid in Aden, Yemen. (VOA News) (National Yemen)
Iraqi civil war (2014–present)
- The Iraqi government begins Operation Breaking Terrorism, aimed at retaking the city of Fallujah, which has been under the control of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group since early 2014. (Al Jazeera)
Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir
- Three policemen are killed in Srinagar, India. Hizbul Mujahideen claims responsibility. (News 18) (The New York Times)
War in Afghanistan
- The Taliban leadership council reportedly meets to determine a successor to Mullah Akhtar Mansour, killed this weekend during an American drone strike in Pakistan. (Reuters)

Business and economy

Germany‘s Bayer AG makes an unsolicited bid valued at $62 billion cash to takeover American company Monsanto to create the world’s largest agricultural chemical company. (Bloomberg) (The Wall Street Journal)

Disasters and accidents

An overnight fire at Pitakiatwittaya Christian elementary school’s dormitory in the northern Chiang Rai Province in Thailand kills 18 girls between the ages of 5 and 12. The other 20 girls sleeping in the dorm are rescued, though five are injured. (CNN) (Facebook)
Cyclone Roanu
- Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Centre reports 92 people are confirmed dead with 109 people still missing from landslides and floods resulting from Roanu. More than 500,000 have been driven from their homes. (EconomyNext)
- Bangladesh reports at least 26 deaths caused by drowning or homes collapsing with 500,000 evacuated during the storm. Maheshkhali Island officials are monitoring a badly damaged 17-mile stretch of mud embankment in danger of collapsing, allowing seawater to flood the communities. (The Weather Channel) (The Navhind Times)
At least five people are killed after a Cessna 182 light-aircraft crashes near Port Allen Airport on Hawaii‘s Kauai island. (CBS News)

Health and medicine

2015–16 Zika virus epidemic
- Health officials are concerned about the spread of the Zika virus in Haiti, which suffered the worst epidemic of cholera in recent history following the deadly 2010 Haiti earthquake. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports there are 2,214 suspected cases as of April 23. But new research indicates the virus has been present since 2014. The actual infection rate remains unknown since the poor, densely populated nation lacks routine data systems that can track and document disease outbreaks. (AP)

International relations

United States–Vietnam relations
- United States President Barack Obama ends the American arms embargo with Vietnam during his visit in the country. (Washington Post) (USA Today)
World Humanitarian Summit
- The first-ever United Nations humanitarian summit opens in Istanbul, Turkey, to address the 125-million people crisis, the worst since World War II. (AP via Deseret News) (Reuters)
Pope Francis meets with the Grand Imam of al-Azhar Ahmed el-Tayeb in the Vatican. (Al Jazeera) (ABC News) (US News)

Law and crime

Death of Freddie Gray
- Judge Barry Williams finds Baltimore, Maryland, Police Officer Edward Nero not guilty of all charges. Nero was accused of second-degree intentional assault, two counts of misconduct in office, and reckless endangerment. Community leaders and elected officials appeal for calm. (CNN)
- The Baltimore Police Department says Nero remains on administrative duty while an internal investigation continues. (AP via Daily Mail)
- Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake says the city is prepared to respond to any disturbance after today’s acquittal. (AP via Salon)
Threatening robocalls lead to mass evacuation of students in the United States and United Kingdom. None of the threats were found to be credible but disrupted General Certificate of Secondary Educationtests in the UK. (NBC News)
Democratic Governor of Virginia Terry McAuliffe is being investigated by federal prosecutors over campaign contributions, including a foreign contribution from a Chinese businessman, and what they consider to be “suspicious personal finances”, as part of a public integrity probe that has lasted for more than a year, according to officials. The United States Department of Justice would not confirm or deny the investigation. (The Washington Post)

Politics and elections

Tajikistani constitutional referendum, 2016
- The Tajikistani constitutional referendum results in the removal of term limits of incumbent President Emomali Rahmon. (TASS), (ABC News)
Binali Yıldırım is appointed Prime Minister of Turkey after the resignation of Ahmet Davutoğlu amid disagreements with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. (ABC New), (BBC), (VOA)
Austrian presidential election, 2016
- Independent candidate Alexander Van der Bellen, a member of The Greens, is elected President of Austria in a tight contest that was decided by mail-in votes. (CNN) (USA Today)
Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippines presumptive president-elect, says he will allow the immediate burial of former kleptocratic dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Heroes’ Cemetery in metropolitan Manila. (AP)
Cypriot legislative election, 2016
- The Democratic Rally wins the legislative election. (Daily Sabah) (TASS) (EU Observer)

Science

ISRO successfully launched India‘s Reusable Launch Vehicle demonstrator mission (RLV-TD).(NASA Spaceflight)

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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

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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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June 2, 2016

Top News Stories –

Dagger in Tutankhamun’s tomb was made with iron from a meteorite –
A dagger entombed with King Tutankhamun was made with iron from a meteorite, a new analysis on the metal composition shows. In 1925, archaeologist Howard Carter found two daggers, one iron and one with a blade of gold, within the wrapping of the teenage king, who was mummified more than 3,300 years ago. The iron blade, which had a gold handle, rock crystal pommel and lily and jackal-decorated sheath, has puzzled researchers in the decades since Carter’s discovery: ironwork was rare in ancient Egypt, and the dagger’s metal had not rusted. Italian and Egyptian researchers analysed the metal with an x-ray fluorescence spectrometer to determine its chemical composition, and found its high nickel content, along with its levels of cobalt, “strongly suggests an extraterrestrial origin”. They compared the composition with known meteorites within 2,000km around the Red Sea coast of Egypt, and found similar levels in one meteorite. That meteorite, named Kharga, was found 150 miles (240km) west of Alexandria, at the seaport city of Mersa Matruh, which in the age of Alexander the Great – the fourth century BC – was known as Amunia. [Evening Standard]

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How Is Your Phone Changing You? ASAP Science

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Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Somalia (2009–present)
- In a raid by Somali forces near Kismayo, at least 16 Al-Shabaab militants are killed, including the mastermind of the Garissa University College attack. (BBC) (Daily Caller)

Disasters and accidents

2016 European floods
- At least eleven people are killed in heavy flooding across Europe. (BBC) (Bloomberg)
- The Louvre will close briefly to move the artwork most at risk from flooding. (The New York Times)
A Romanian medical helicopter crashes near Cahul, Moldova, killing four people. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
2016 Oklahoma floods
- At least five United States Army soldiers are killed and four are missing after their Light Medium Tactical Vehicle overturns near Fort Hood in Texas. (KXAN)

International relations

Armenian Genocide recognition
- The German Bundestag passes a resolution classifying the Ottoman Empire’s killing of Armenians in 1915 as genocide, provoking a furious reaction in Turkey. (BBC)

Law and crime

An autopsy finds that American musician Prince died of an overdose of fentanyl, an opioid painkiller 50 times more powerful than heroin. (AP) (The New York Times)
2016 UCLA shooting
- A second victim of the UCLA shooter is found in Minnesota; the shooter is identified as a former Ph.D. candidate in mechanical engineering that claimed his first victim had “cleverly stolen his code.” (The New York Times)
Four Syrians who are suspected of traveling to Europe on behalf of the Islamic State to attack Düsseldorf are arrested. (The New York Times)
2016 Mathura clash
- 24 people are killed and 368 arrested in the Indian city of Mathura as police attempt to clear members of a radical religious group from land they are occupying. (The Times of India)
Violence breaks out in a rally supporting Donald Trump in San Jose, California. An officer and several demonstrators were assaulted, and a few people were arrested. (CNN)

Politics and elections

U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan endorses Donald Trump for President of the United States. (CNN), (Washington Post)
The Supreme Court of the United States accepts a petition by five people from American Samoa arguing that people born in this U.S. territory are entitled to U.S citizenship under the United States Constitution. The State Department currently opposes this idea. (Radio New Zealand)

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August 16, 2016

Top News Stories –

Chinese drivers fashion rat-proof car ‘skirts’ –
Residents of a city in southern China have been attaching “skirts” to their cars to protect them from rats. Locals in Nanning, in the Guangxi autonomous region, came up with the unusual solution after rodents were found to be clambering inside the vehicles and gnawing through the wiring. Parked cars have been spotted around the city sporting the makeshift, wraparound shields – dubbed “car maxi skirts” in the Chinese media – some fashioned from fabric and chicken wire, others using bamboo. Many social media users are amused by the curious sight, with one person writing on the popular NetEase web portal: “I like this elevated Guangxi humour.” Some share the locals’ frustrations, but others think they’re overreacting. “Are they preparing against a large-scale rodent invasion?” one user asks. [BBC]

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Procrastination

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Armed conflicts and attacks

The Russian Air Force uses an Iranian airbase near Hamadan to launch attacks against Syrian regime opponents. (BBC)
Houthi shelling kills seven in Saudi Arabia; nine Yemenis from one family die from an airstrike by the Saudi-led alliance. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

The Westfield World Trade Center opens on schedule, part of the World Trade Center Ground Zero redevelopment in New York City. (CBS NY)

Business and economy

João Havelange, President of FIFA from 1974 to 1998, dies at the age of 100. (BBC Sport)
Barnes & Noble fires CEO Ronald Boire after less than a year in the job. Executive Chairman and company founder Leonard Riggio, who is postponing his September retirement, will assume Boire’s duties.(Reuters) (USA Today)
China launches the first communication satellite that uses photon beam communication. (The New York Times)

Disasters and accidents

2016 California wildfires
- The town of Wrightwood, California, is evacuated due to threats from the Bluecut Fire burning in the Cajon Pass. (KTLA)
- The Governor of California declares a state of emergency in San Bernardino County due to the Bluecut Fire. (ABC 7)

Law and crime

California wildfires
- California authorities charge a Clearlake resident with 17 counts of arson in connection with the wildfires over the last two years. (The Los Angeles Times)
Medical marijuana
- A United States Court of Appeals rules that the Department of Justice, per the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment, cannot spend money to prosecute federal marijuana cases if the defendants comply with state medical marijuana laws. (Washington Post) (Reuters)

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