September 30, 2014

Top News Stories –

George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin’s wedding cost £8m –
George Clooney’s four-day wedding celebrations in Venice, which involved pool-side cocktail parties, dinners in five-star hotels and a lavish wedding reception on the Grand Canal, cost an estimated 10 million euros (£8 million). More than 100 guests, including Hollywood stars such as Matt Damon, Sandra Bullock and Cindy Crawford, converged on the lagoon city for the extravaganza, which began last Friday and culminated on Monday with a civil ceremony in which Mr Clooney and Amal Alamuddin were formally married. The final bill for the spectacle included the cost of Ms Alamuddin’s wedding dress, the first pictures of which emerged on Monday on the covers of People and Hello magazines. [Daily Telegraph]
Amal_ClooneyAmal Clooney

Microsoft unveils Windows 10 system with Start Menu –
Microsoft has disclosed the first details of Windows 10 – its next operating system (OS). The name is a surprise, bearing in mind it represents a jump from the last version – Windows 8. The software will run on a wide range of devices, from phones and tablets to PCs and Xbox games consoles, with applications sold from a single store. It also marks the return of the Start Menu, which had been removed from Windows 8. [BBC] See Video of the Day and List of the Day below.
Windows 10 logo

Fine-free week for Belgian road hogs –
Speeding motorists and road hogs will get off scot free in Belgium this week as the country’s police refuse to levy roadside fines in a protest against increases to their retirement age. Instead of asking drivers to pay up with an on-the-spot fine if they have broken the law, police officers will instead “educate” them about traffic rules and road safety. The protest, by officers opposed to plans to raise the police retirement age to 62, is expected to cost the Belgian government over £5million (€7m) over the next week. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Microsoft unveils Windows 10

List of the Day –

Windows Operating Systems history [from Wikipedia]

Date Title Architecture
20 November 1985 Windows 1.0 x86 – 16-bit
9 December 1987 Windows 2.0 x86 – 16-bit
27 May 1988 Windows 2.10 x86 – 16-bit
13 March 1989 Windows 2.11 x86 – 16-bit
22 May 1990 Windows 3.0 x86 – 16-bit
20 October 1991 Windows 3.0 with Multimedia Extensions x86 – 16-bit
6 April 1992 Windows 3.1 x86 – 16-bit
27 October 1992 Windows for Workgroups 3.1 x86 – 16-bit
27 July 1993 Windows NT 3.1 IA-32, DEC Alpha, MIPS
8 November 1993 Windows for Workgroups 3.11 x86 – 16-bit
21 September 1994 Windows NT 3.5 IA-32, DEC Alpha, MIPS
30 May 1995 Windows NT 3.51 IA-32, DEC Alpha, MIPS, PowerPC
24 August 1995 Windows 95 IA-32
24 August 1996 Windows NT 4.0 IA-32, DEC Alpha, MIPS, PowerPC
25 June 1998 Windows 98 IA-32
5 May 1999 Windows 98 SE IA-32
17 February 2000 Windows 2000 IA-32
14 September 2000 Windows ME IA-32
25 October 2001 Windows XP IA-32
25 October 2001[1] Windows XP 64-Bit Edition (v2002) Itanium
31 October 2002 Windows XP Media Center Edition IA-32
28 March 2003[2] Windows XP 64-Bit Edition (v2003) Itanium
24 April 2003 Windows Server 2003 IA-32, x64, Itanium
30 September 2003 Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004 IA-32
12 October 2004 Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 IA-32
25 April 2005 Windows XP Professional x64 Edition x64
6 December 2005 Windows Server 2003 R2 IA-32, x64, Itanium
8 July 2006 Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs IA-32
8 November 2006 Windows Vista for Business use IA-32, x64
30 January 2007 Windows Vista for Home use; released in fifty countries IA-32, x64
7 November 2007 Windows Home Server IA-32, x64
27 February 2008 Windows Server 2008 IA-32, x64
22 October 2009 Windows 7 IA-32, x64
22 October 2009 Windows Server 2008 R2 x64
6 April 2011 Windows Home Server 2011 x64
4 September 2012 Windows Server 2012 x64
26 October 2012 Windows 8 IA-32, x64
26 October 2012 Windows RT ARM
18 October 2013 Windows 8.1 IA-32, x64
18 October 2013 Windows RT 8.1 ARM
18 October 2013 Windows Server 2012 R2 x64

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1 #StayStrongSNSD Dennis Allen Melbourne
2 #MyOctoberWish #LamerDuos Dion
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5 #EnTwitterNuncaFalta Husain Abdullah #DallyM
6 Husain Abdullah Brady #QandA
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8 #LamerDuos #StayStrongSNSD #StealMyGirlOnTheRadio
9 Windows 10 Windows 10 #springst
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December 6, 2014

Top News Stories –

Typhoon Hagupit hits the Philippines –
Typhoon Hagupit is sweeping across the eastern Philippines, threatening coastal areas with a powerful sea-surge. Roofs have been blown off in the city of Tacloban, where thousands were killed by Typhoon Haiyan a year ago and more than half a million people have fled coastal villages.

Slice of Prince William and Kate’s wedding cake sells for $6,000 at auction –
A wedding cake slice from the 2011 wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge has been sold at an auction in Beverly Hills for $6,000 (£4,000).
The buyer of this romantic slice of history was bought by Gee Chuang, the CEO of online marketplace Listia.com, who plans to give away the piece of wedding cake on the company’s website in April of next year to celebrate the royal couple’s fourth wedding anniversary. The eight-tiered wedding cake, made by pastry chef Fiona Cairns and her team, was adorned with icing flowers, petals and leaves. [Daily Telegraph]
Wedding_of_Prince_William_of_Wales_and_Kate_Middleton

iPhone crash landing protection –
Apple Inc was granted a patent last week on an innovation that can detect when a handset is falling – and rotates it to avoid the screen hitting the ground. If sensors calculate the screen or camera will hit the ground, a motor is instantly activated within the phone which moves an internal weight fast enough to affect the ‘rotational velocity’ of the device and spin it around so that it lands on a reinforced area. The idea could also work with iPads and other devices.

Al-Qaeda hostage killed during rescue mission –
Luke Somers, a US journalist who was being held captive in Yemen since 2013, has been shot by his captors during a a military operation to rescue him and later died. A video was released earlier this week showing a member of al-Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula (AQAP) threatening to kill Mr Somers unless unspecified demands are met.

Video of the Day –

I’ve fallen and I can’t get up – Crowd dynamics test using Miarmy for Maya

I've fallen, and I can't get up! from Dave Fothergill vfx on Vimeo.

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December 12, 2014

Top News Stories –

Star Wars character names posted by director –
The names of characters in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” to be released in December 2015 have been revealed in a mocked-up set of trading cards. John Boyega will be Finn, Oscar Isaac is Poe Dameron and Daisy Ridley’s character is called Rey. Director JJ Abrams confirmed the names via some old school trading cards, in reference to when the Star Wars films were first released in the 1970s.
Oscar_IsaacOscar Issac

World’s longest ship launched –
Shanghai-based marine-shipping company China Shipping Container Lines has launched the world’s largest container ship, the “CSCL Globe”. The ship is more than 400m (1,312ft or a quarter of a mile) long, 56.8m (186ft) wide, 73m (240ft) high and 186,000 tonnes gross. The ship, which is longer than four football pitches, is making its maiden voyage from Shanghai to Europe.
CSCL_GlobeThe CSCL Globe

Marriage proposal fail –
A Dutchman’s attempt at a romantic wedding proposal using a mobile crane has resulted in the crane falling over and smashing into a neighbour’s roof. The man had rented a crane in the central town of Ijsselstein to descend in front of his girlfriend’s bedroom window, play her a song and ask her to marry him. Despite the disaster in which no-one was hurt, his girlfriend agreed to marry him.

Pope avoids Dalai Lama meeting –
Pope Francis will not meet the exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama because of the “delicate situation” with China, according to the Vatican. The Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 after Chinese troops crushed an attempted uprising in Tibet and China describes him as a separatist. The Vatican does not want to jeopardise improving relations between itself and China.
Pope_Francis Pope Francis

Video of the Day –

Star Wars – The Force Awakens Official Trailer –

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December 13, 2014

Ben Haenow wins X Factor 2014 –
Ben Haenow has been named this year’s UK X Factor winner after going head-to-head with Fleur East in the 2014 final at Wembley Arena. The singer from Croydon, south London, was chosen by a public vote with over 10 million votes cast. Mel B the former Spice Girl and one of the four judges, missed the final due to illness. Tulisa Contostavlos stood in as her replacement.
Melanie_BMel B

FIFA dismiss complaints over report –
A complaint by US lawyer Michael Garcia who spent two years investigating World Cup corruption claims for Fifa has been dismissed by football’s governing body. Garcia’s findings were released as a 42-page summary by FIFA-appointed independent judge Hans-Joachim Eckert. Garcia said his summary was “incomplete and erroneous”. There have been calls to release the full report in the wake of Garcia’s complaint, but FIFA president Sepp Blater has said it cannot do so for legal reasons.
2014_FIFA_Announcement_(Joseph_Blatter)_Sepp Blatter at the 2014 FIFA Tournament Announcement in 2007

Indecent proposal –
A Dutchman’s attempt at a romantic wedding proposal using a mobile crane has resulted in the crane falling over and smashing into a neighbour’s roof. The man had rented a crane in the central town of Ijsselstein to descend in front of his girlfriend’s bedroom window, play her a song and ask her to marry him. Despite the disaster, in which no-one was hurt, his girlfriend accepted his offer.

Video of the Day –

Our Streets –

OUR STREETS from Jared Rosenthal on Vimeo.

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January 8, 2015

Top News Stories –

Who’s the daddy? –
A Cuban man convicted of spying in the US and committed to a double life sentence in 1998 has become a father a month after his release. Gerardo Hernandez, who was released last month by the US as part of a diplomatic thaw with Cuba, requested to have his wife artificially inseminated with his sperm while he was still in jail.
CubanFiveVaradero

Imran bowled over –
Sportsman-turned-politician Imran Khan has married his fiance, Reham, at a small wedding ceremony at his home in Islamabad, Pakistan. Khan was Pakistan’s most successful cricket captain, playing for the Pakistani cricket team from 1971 to 1992 and leading them to victory at the 1992 Cricket World Cup.
Imran Khan, chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (8414079377)

Team Wiggo launched –
Former Tour de France champion and Sky Team member Sir Bradley Wiggins launches his own cycling team to help preparations for the Rio 2016 Olympics. The four-time Olympic champion will try to break the individual world hour record as part of his build-up to Rio2016. Team Wiggins will operate independently of British Cycling but the governing body has given its backing to the team.
Roubaix - Paris-Roubaix, le 13 avril 2014 (B16)Bradley Wiggins

App designers golden year –
Apple revealed today that app developers earned more than $10 billion in revenue in 2014, partly due to a 50 percent rise in billings. The App Store has grown to 1.4 million apps since launching in 2008, with 725,000 designed for the iPad.

Russia says drivers must not have ‘sex disorders’ –
The Russian government is tightening medical controls for drivers because the country “has too many road accidents”. Transsexual and transgender people are among those who will no longer qualify for driving licences and fetishism, exhibitionism and voyeurism are also included as “mental disorders” now barring people from driving.

Job for life but don’t turn up –
A.K. Verma, an executive engineer at the Central Public Works Department, India, was fired after last appearing for work in December 1990. Even after an inquiry found him guilty of “wilful absence from duty” in 1992, it took another 22 years and the intervention of a cabinet minister to remove him, the government said.

Video of the Day –

When you say you’re a swimmer –

“When You Say You’re a Swimmer” from Chris Shimojima on Vimeo.

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January 17, 2015

Fake US tweets of start of World War 3 –
The New York Post and United Press International (UPI) have had their Twitter accounts hacked and fake tweets on economic and military news posted. On UPI’s Twitter feed the Pope was quoted as saying that “World War III has begun” and the NY Post had a tweet that hostilities had broken out between the United States and China. The attacks follow the ones on US Central Command on 12th January 2015.

Stephen Fry gets married –
Comedian, actor and QI presenter Stephen Fry (57) marries his 27-year-old partner Elliot Spencer and announced it in a tweet:
copyright @StephenFry twitter account
His “A Bit of Fry and Laurie” comedy partner and star of House M.D. Hugh Laurie responded with his own tweet:
copyright @HughLaurie Twitter account
Plans for the wedding at Dereham Registration Office in Norfolk were revealed on January 6th 2015

New running on water record –
Shi Liliang, a monk from Quanzhou, southeast China’s Fujian province, has broken his own record for running on plywood sheets floating on water. He managed a distance of 120 meters in Changsha, capital of central China’s Hunan province breaking his previous best of 118 meters that he had kept.

Video of the Day –

A Guide to Cracks & Curbs: London from Stay Wild on Vimeo.
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February 13, 2015

Top News Stories –

North Korean issues wide-ranging advice-
North Korea leader Kim Jong-un issues a new set of 310 patriotic slogans including battling rhetoric “Long live the great victory in the war against Japan!” to practical advice “Grow vegetables extensively in greenhouses!”. Some make it sound as if the leader has been watching episodes of Star Trek “Let us model the entire army on Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism!”

Can you change the oil, a nappy and a light bulb?
Betting company William Hill release a list of 50 things every man should be able to do. They range from the date of his wedding anniversary to how to fix a toilet (easy call a plumber) and what exactly is the offside rule (in soccer). It was produced from a survey of 2,000 adults. Full list below.

Voulez-vous tweet?
An investigation by the Canada’s commissioner of official languages finds that tweets by former Foreign Minister John Baird and Public Security Minister Steven Blaney fell foul of the law because they were mainly in English. Now Canada’s most senior politicians must now tweet in both French and English. Over the course of two months, 181 out of 202 of Mr Baird’s tweets were only in English but about 30% of the Canadian population can speak French, with more than seven million describing it as their mother tongue.

Video of the Day –

How to (not) change a lightbulb –

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April 11, 2015

Top News Stories –

Andy Murray and Kim Sears wedding: Hundreds of wellwishers flood Dunblane –
Hundreds of people turned out to see Andy Murray wed Kim Sears in Dunblane Cathedral this afternoon. The couple, who turned down all offers from celebrity magazines to cover their wedding, made sure that their wedding remained a private affair – with Sears’ careful arrival granting onlookers the barest of glimpses of her dress. Murray and Sears, an artist, married in Dunblane’s 12th century cathedral at 4pm before attending a small reception with family and friends. The pair met in 2005 when they were introduced by Sear’s father Nigel, a tennis coach. [The Independent]
Andy-Murray-Kim-Sears-copyright-Stirling-CouncilKim Sears and Andy Murray (Photo by Stirling Council)

Grand National 2015: Many Clouds wins as McCoy finishes fifth –
Many Clouds won the 2015 Grand National to give jockey Leighton Aspell his second consecutive victory in the race. Champion jockey AP McCoy was denied a fairytale Aintree farewell, finishing fifth on favourite Shutthefrontdoor. The Northern Irishman had said he would retire immediately if he had won, but the 40-year-old could now race on until the Sandown meeting at the end of April. [BBC]
Tony-McCoyA P McCoy

Boat Races 2015: Oxford women and men beat Cambridge –
Heavy favourites Oxford beat Cambridge to win the historic first staging of the Women’s Boat Race on the same course and same day as the men. They finished six-and-a-half lengths ahead over the four-mile, 374-yard stretch from Putney Bridge to Chiswick Bridge in London on Saturday. The Dark Blues were half a length up after the first minute and pulled away ruthlessly to finish 19 seconds clear. Oxford also won the men’s race for the sixth time in eight years. In doing so, president Constantine Louloudis became just the 15th man to triumph for a fourth time. [BBC]

Capitol Building on lockdown after shots fired –
Shots were fired near the front of the US Capitol Building in Washington, according to police. The seat of Congress was immediately put on lockdown.
It later emerged that a man had committed suicide by shooting himself, sparking the alert. “The suspected shooter has been neutralised but the US Capitol Building has been locked down as a precautionary measure,” said Lt Kimberly Schneider of the Capitol Police, adding that no-one was being allowed to enter or exit. Police said they were also investigating a suspicious package on the lower West Terrace of the building, believed to be the man’s suitcase. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

One Bright Dot from Clément Morin on Vimeo.

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May 15, 2015

Top News Stories –

BB King: Tributes pour in after blues legend dies aged 89 –
His lawyer Brent Bryson said that King, who suffered from diabetes, died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Las Vegas on May 14, where he had been receiving hospice care. King’s style of singing and guitar playing was an inspiration to scores of musicians, and he mentored stars including Eric Clapton as well as collaborating with U2 on the 1989 track When Love Comes To Town. [Daily Telegraph] See List of The Day
B.B.KingB.B. King in 2009

Geri Halliwell marries Red Bull F1 team boss Christian Horner –
Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell has married Red Bull F1 team boss Christian Horner in a wedding attended by a string of celebrities from showbiz and motor racing worlds. The 42-year-old singer wed in St Mary’s Church in Woburn, Bedfordshire. She arrived at the parish church, just off the High Street, in a vintage Rolls Royce ahead of the wedding to Horner, who she first met in 2009. She was accompanied by her daughter Bluebell, who was her bridesmaid. [BBC] In February 2010 Geri Halliwell apparently made then boyfriend Henry Beckwith feel like Duke of Edinburgh according to his father
Geri-HalliwellGeri Halliwell

Janet Jackson Announces New Album, Tour –
Janet Jackson delivered a surprise for fans on her birthday, announcing a new album and world tour. The singer made the big reveal at midnight eastern time on May 16 by tweeting a link to a video in which, in her unmistakable voice, she coos: “I promised you’d hear it from my lips and now you will. This year: new music; new world tour; a new movement. I’ve been listening. Let’s keep the conversation going.” [Billboard.com]
Janet-JacksonJanet Jackson

Boston bombing trial: Death sentence for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev –
A US jury has sentenced Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to death by lethal injection. After 14 hours of deliberation, the jury of five men and seven women came to its decision. Three people were killed and 260 were injured when Tsarnaev, now 21, and his brother placed bombs at the finishing line of the Boston Marathon in 2013. Victims and their family members sobbed as the sentence was read. Tsarnaev bowed his head but showed no emotion. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Janet Jackson announcing new album and tour

Announcement from Janet Jackson on Vimeo.

BB King Studio albums [from Wikipedia

Year Original album
and alternate reissues
Company
/Subsidiary
Cat# Peak chart positions Certifications
US US R&B US Jazz US Blues SWI
1957 Singin’ the Blues Modern/Crown CLP-5020
1958 The Blues Modern/Crown CLP-5063
1959 B. B. King Wails
The Incredible Soul of B.B. King (LP, 1965)
I Love You So (LP, 1970)
Modern/Crown
Modern/Kent
United Superior
CLP-5115
KST-539
US-7711
Sings Spirituals
Swing Low Sweet Chariot (LP, 1970)
Modern/Crown
United Superior
CLP-5119
US-7721
1960 The Great B. B. King Modern/Crown CLP-5153
King of the Blues
Better than Ever (LP, 1966)
Modern/Crown
Modern/Kent
CLP-5167
KST-561
1961 My Kind of Blues Modern/Crown CLP-5188
More B.B. King
Blues for Me (LP, 1970)
Modern/Crown
United Superior
CLP-5230
US-7708
1962 Twist With B.B. King Modern/Crown CLP-5248
Easy Listening Blues Modern/Crown CLP-5286
Blues in My Heart
A Heart Full of Blues (LP, 1970)
Modern/Crown
United Superior
CLP-5309
US-7703
1963 B.B. King
The Soul of B.B. King (LP, 1970)
Modern/Crown
United Superior
CLP-5359
US-7714
Mr. Blues ABC-Paramount 456
1966 Confessin’ the Blues ABC-Paramount 528
1968 Blues on Top of Blues ABC/Bluesway BLS-6011 46
Lucille ABC/Bluesway BLS-6016 192
1969 Live & Well ABC/Bluesway BLS-6031 56 11 17
Completely Well ABC/Bluesway BLS-6037 38 5
1970 Indianola Mississippi Seeds ABC Records ABCS-713 26 8 7
1971 B. B. King in London ABC Records ABCX-730 57 15
1972 L.A. Midnight ABC Records ABCX-743 53 21
Guess Who ABC Records ABCX-759 65 14
1973 To Know You Is to Love You ABC Records ABCX-794 71 13
1974 Friends ABC Records ABCX-825 153 27
1977 King Size ABC Records AB-977 154 34
1978 Midnight Believer ABC Records AA-1061 124 27
1979 Take It Home MCA Records MCA-3151 112 22
1981 There Must Be a Better World Somewhere MCA Records MCA-5162 131 26
1982 Love Me Tender MCA Records MCA-5307 179 45
1983 Blues ‘N’ Jazz MCA Records MCA-5413 172 38 21
1985 Six Silver Strings MCA Records MCA-5616 31 23
1988 King of the Blues: 1989 MCA Records MCA-42183
1991 There is Always One More Time MCA Records MCA-10295 76
1993 Blues Summit MCA Records MCA-10710 182 64 93
1995 Lucille & Friends MCA Records MCD-33008
1997 Deuces Wild MCA Records MCD-11711 73 1 33
  • CAN: Platinum
  • US: Gold
1998 Blues on the Bayou MCA Records MCD-11879 186 2
1999 Let the Good Times Roll MCA Records 088 1120422 2
2000 Riding with the King Reprise Records 9 47612-2 3 3
  • AUS: Gold
  • CAN: Platinum
  • US: 2x Platinum
Makin’ Love Is Good for You MCA Records 112 299-2 2
2001 A Christmas Celebration of Hope MCA Records 088112756-2 151 1
2003 Reflections MCA Records 000053202 165 2
2005 B. B. King & Friends: 80 Geffen Records B000526302 45 1 78
2008 One Kind Favor Geffen Records B0011791-02 37 1 78

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June 13, 2015

Top News Stories –

Sweden royal wedding: Prince Carl Philip marries ex-reality star –
Sweden’s Prince Carl Philip has married a former reality-TV star and glamour model in a lavish ceremony in the chapel at Stockholm’s Royal Palace.
Sofia Hellqvist, 30, also worked as a topless model and a yoga instructor before helping to set up a charity. Her new husband, 36-year-old Carl Philip, is third in line to the throne. Thousands of well-wishers lined the streets for the event, despite polls suggesting the Swedish royal family’s popularity is waning. They cheered as Miss Hellqvist, a 30-year-old commoner, became a princess. [BBC]
Sofia-HellqvistSofia Hellqvist

Gunman killed by police snipers after attack on Dallas police headquarters –
A police sniper has shot and killed an armed suspect in Texas hours after the gunman opened fire on Dallas police headquarters before fleeing in an armoured van. The getaway vehicle was pursued by police to a fast food restaurant parking lot in the nearby city of Hutchin, where officers disabled the vehicle, in the incident early on Saturday morning. Some hours later, police said the suspect was killed. Two explosive devices, including one described as a pipe bomb, were found earlier on outside the Dallas police building. They have both been cleared. One detonated when a bomb disposal robot attempted to move it, but nobody was injured. [Daily Telegraph]

Queen’s birthday honours list: knights outnumber dames five to one –
Men outnumber women by almost five to one in the highest honours announced for the Queen’s birthday, which sees knighthoods for comedian Lenny Henry, trade unionist Paul Kenny and singer-songwriter Van “the Man” Morrison. For only the second time in honours history, more women received awards – 51% of all recipients – but just seven are made dames, compared with 33 knighthoods for men, reflecting a gender imbalance at the highest levels of industry, business, politics and academia. [Guardian] See List of the Day

Video of the Day –

BEAT DOWN from Camp 4 Collective on Vimeo.

List of the Day –

The Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2015 – [For full list click here from the Metro]

KNIGHTS BACHELOR

Henry Angest. National Treasurer Conservative Party. For political service. (London)

Professor Harshad Kumar Dharamshi Bhadeshia F. R.S., Tata Steel Professor of Metallurgy, University of Cambridge. For services to Science and Technology. (Cambridgeshire)

The Rt Hon Simon Hugh McGuigan Burns. Member of Parliament for Chelmsford. For parliamentary and political service. (Essex)

Dr Philip Henry Montgomery Campbell. Editor in chief Nature. For services to Science. (London)

Dr Kevan Arthur Collins. Chief executive Education Endowment Foundation. For services to Education. (London)

Naim Eliahou Dangoor, CBE. Philanthropist. For charitable services. (London)

Michael Lawrence Davis. Chair Prime Minister’s Holocaust Commission. For services to Holocaust Commemoration and Education.

Ciaran Gearoid Devane. Chief executive Macmillan Cancer Support. For services to Cancer Patients. (London)

Professor Charles Peter Downes, OBE, FRSE. Principal and vice-Chancellor, University of Dundee. For services to Higher Education and Life Sciences. (Newport-on-Tay, Fife)

Gareth Owen Edwards, CBE. For services to Sport and for charitable services. (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan)

Bernard Peter Gray. Chief of Defence Materiel Ministry of Defence. For public service, particularly to Defence. (Oxfordshire)

Patrick Head. Director Williams Hybrid Power Ltd. For services to Motorsport. (London)

Lenworth George Henry, CBE. Actor and Comedian. For services to Drama and Charity. (London)

The Rt Hon Simon Henry Ward Hughes. Member of Parliament for Bermondsey and Old Southwark. For public and political service. (London)

Thomas Baird Jeffery, CB. Director general, Department for Education, Children’s Services and Departmental Strategy Directorate. For services to the Department for Education. (Lewes, East Sussex)

Dr Karl William Pamp Jenkins, CBE. Composer. For services to Composing and Crossing Musical Genres. (London)

Paul Stephen Kenny. General secretary GMB Union. For services to Trade Unions. (London)

Dr James Loy Macmillan, CBE. Composer and conductor. For services to Music. (Glasgow)

Francis McLoughlin, CBE. Principal, City and Islington College and Chair, Commission on Adult Vocational Teaching and Learning. For services to Further Education. (London)

Iain Macleod McMillan, CBE. For services to the Scottish Economy. (Falkirk, Stirling and Falkirk)

George Ivan Morrison, OBE. For services to the Music Industry and to Tourism in Northern Ireland. (Down)

Professor Stephen John Nickell, CBE, FBA. Economist. For services to Economics. (Banbury, Oxfordshire)

Dr Nicholas Beaver Penny, FBA. Director general, National Gallery. For services to the Arts. (London)

Professor Hussein Munir Pirmohamed. David Weatherall Chair of Medicine University of Liverpool. For services to Medicine. (West Kirby, Merseyside)

Andreas Whittam Smith, CBE. For public service particularly to the Church of England. (London)

Gary Keith Verity. Chief executive Welcome to Yorkshire. For services to Tourism and the Tour De France Grand Depart 2014. (North Yorkshire)

Professor Ian Vincent Derrick Weller. Emeritus Professor of Sexually Transmitted Diseases Department of Infection and Population Health, University College, London.

For services to HIV Research. (Grantham, Lincolnshire)

Nicholas John Weller. Executive Principal Dixons Academies, Bradford. For services to Education. (Leeds, West Yorkshire)

Adrian Edwin White, CBE, DL. For services to International Trade and Investment. (Dorking, Surrey)

 

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5 #AssistamTeuOlharFLY Uncle Jesse #SkypeREECEandCHARLIE
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August 3, 2015

Top News Stories –

Ronaldo ‘gives football agent Mendes Greek island’ –
The multi-millionaire Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has given his agent Jorge Mendes a Greek island as a wedding present, media reports say. The island has not been named but the price tag could run into the millions, reports say. Spain’s Mundo Deportivo website says Ronaldo knows the Greek islands well from holidays. Mr Mendes married his partner Sandra in Portugal on Sunday. Sir Alex Ferguson was among the celebrities there. [BBC]
Jorge_Mendes Jorge Mendes

Trader jailed for 14 years over Libor rate-rigging –
Former City trader Tom Hayes has been found guilty at a London court of rigging global Libor interest rates. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison for conspiracy to defraud. The 35-year old is the first individual to face a jury trial for manipulating the rate, which is used as a benchmark for trillions of pounds of global borrowing and lending. Many of the world’s leading banks have paid heavy financial penalties for tampering with the key benchmark. The jury found Hayes guilty on all eight charges of conspiracy to defraud. Hayes, a former star trader originally from Fleet in Hampshire, rigged the Libor rates daily for nearly four years while working in Tokyo for UBS, then Citigroup, from 2006 until 2010. [BBC]

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Turn your Smartphone into a 3D Hologram | 4K

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3 Carmona #IfAnythingSchoolTaughtMe #MondayMotivation
4 Briana Darren Wilson #IfAnythingSchoolTaughtMe
5 ファッションホモ #CleanPowerPlan #3YearsOfTheVamps
6 José Dirceu #SHESKINDAHOTMUSICVIDEO #waggytails
7 #SHESKINDAHOTMUSICVIDEO will and jada Ted Heath
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  • Flooding caused by heavy monsoon rains has caused over 100 deaths in India over the past week with tens of thousands of people taking shelter in refugee camps. (BBC)
  • Twenty people are injured when two cranes overturn whilst installing part of the Julianabrug at Alphen aan den Rijn, Netherlands. (NL Times)
  • At least twelve people are killed with many feared trapped in the rubble as a fifty year old building collapses in the Indian city of Thane after days of heavy rain. (NDTV), (AP)
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September 5, 2015

Top News Stories –

Russia set to set up new police unit to deal with rowdy weddings –
Police in southern Russia have set up a new unit dedicated to keeping the peace at the region’s notoriously drunken wedding parties. A squad of 40 officers will be assigned to stop “uncontrolled expressions of joy” during marriages, during which well-wishers often have a habit of firing guns in celebration. The unit will operate in the North Caucusus region of Adygea, near the Black Sea coast, where one wedding reveller was fined 50,000 roubles last month (£500) for firing his pistol outside a registry office in the capital, Maykop. “The creation of the ‘wedding police’ should put an end to uncontrolled expressions of joy by people in wedding motorcades,” said Aleksandr Rechitsky, Adygea’s Interior Minister. [Daily Telegraph]

Sam Smith’s In The Lonely Hour makes chart history –
In the Lonely Hour has been in the UK top 10 for 67 weeks in a row – that’s the longest unbroken run of any debut album. It’s not left the top 10 since it was released in May 2014, when it debuted at number one with opening week sales of 101,000. The chart record was previously held by Emeli Sande, with her debut album Our Version Of Events. [BBC Newsbeat] See List of the Day
Sam-Smith-2014Sam Smith

Video of the Day –

The 9 BEST Scientific Study Tips

List of the Day –

List of albums which have spent the most weeks on the UK Albums Chart [List from Wikipedia]

Title Artist Released Peak Weeks
Queen’s Greatest Hits Queen 1981 1 895
ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits ABBA 1992 1 721
Legend Bob Marley & The Wailers 1984 1 684
Rumours Fleetwood Mac 1977 1 611
Bat Out of Hell Meat Loaf 1978 9 517
The Dark Side of the Moon Pink Floyd 1973 2 457
The Sound of Music Original Soundtrack 1965 1 374
Queen’s Greatest Hits II Queen 1991 1 367
The Immaculate Collection Madonna 1990 1 338
Simon and Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits Simon & Garfunkel 1972 2 329
Bridge over Troubled Water Simon & Garfunkel 1970 1 328
South Pacific Original Soundtrack 1958 1 315
Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of the Worlds Jeff Wayne 1978 5 313
Nevermind Nirvana 1991 7 301
Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman 1988 1 292
Tubular Bells Mike Oldfield 1973 1 286
Thriller Michael Jackson 1982 1 283
Face Value Phil Collins 1981 1 275
Brothers in Arms Dire Straits 1985 1 268
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band The Beatles 1967 1 261
Appetite for Destruction Guns n’ Roses 1987 5 261
Making Movies Dire Straits 1980 4 252
Hot Fuss The Killers 2004 1 247
Automatic for the People R.E.M. 1992 1 245
My Way: The Best of Frank Sinatra Frank Sinatra 1997 7 244
Guns n’ Roses’ Greatest Hits Guns n’ Roses 2004 1 241
(What’s the Story) Morning Glory? Oasis 1995 1 237
Queen’s Greatest Hits III Queen 1999 2 234
Definitely Maybe Oasis 1994 1 231
Back to Black Amy Winehouse 2006 1 228
Off the Wall Michael Jackson 1979 3 224
Number Ones Michael Jackson 2003 3 223
Jagged Little Pill Alanis Morissette 1995 1 220
Sigh No More Mumford & Sons 2009 2 214
The Very Best of Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac 2002 6 213
Out of Time R.E.M. 1991 1 212
Never Forget Take That 2005 2 209
The Beatles 1962 – 1966 The Beatles 1973 3 206
Under a Blood Red Sky U2 1983 2 204
The King and I Original Soundtrack 1956 1 203
The Bends Radiohead 1995 4 203
Love Over Gold Dire Straits 1982 1 200

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1 #ALDUBBATTLEForACause #WorldBeardDay #rED15
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4 #EuroBasket2015 #YouKnowSummersOverWhen #EGGPLANT
5 #ماذا_تعرف_عن_ع… Stanford Freddie Mercury
6 #اشياء_اشتقتول… Penn State J Hus
7 Nadal #EMABiggestFans1D #savesyriaschildren
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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.

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May 19, 2018

Top News Story –

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have become husband and wife in a moving ceremony at Windsor Castle.

An emotional-looking prince and his smiling bride exchanged vows and rings before the Queen and 600 guests at St George’s Chapel.

Ms Markle, wearing a white boat-neck dress by British designer Clare Waight Keller, was walked down the aisle by Prince Charles.

At the altar, Prince Harry told her: “You look amazing.”

After the service the couple – who will now be known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex – kissed in front of cheering well-wishers on the steps of the chapel.

Thousands of members of the public turned out in bright sunshine to see them driven around Windsor in a horse-drawn carriage.

Later, Prince Harry drove the couple to their reception in a 1968 silver blue Jaguar that has been converted to run on electric power, with a registration plate that referenced the date – E190518. [BBC]


©Mark Jones

Twitter trends [from Trendinalia] – today from UK

List of the Day –

FA Cup winners after Chelsea won on this day

ClubWinsFirst final wonLast final wonRunners-upLast final lostTotal final appearances
Arsenal13193020177200120
Manchester United12190920168201820
Chelsea8197020185201713
Tottenham Hotspur819011991119879
Liverpool7196520067201214
Aston Villa7188719574201511
Newcastle United6191019557199913
Blackburn Rovers618841928219608
Everton5190619958200913
West Bromwich Albion5188819685193510
Manchester City5190420115201310
Wanderers51872187805
Wolverhampton Wanderers418931960419398
Bolton Wanderers419231958319537
Sheffield United418991925219366
Sheffield Wednesday[A]318961935319936
West Ham United319641980220065
Preston North End218891938519647
Old Etonians218791882418836
Portsmouth219392008320105
Sunderland219371973219924
Nottingham Forest218981959119913
Bury21900190302
Huddersfield Town119221922419385
Oxford University118741874318804
Royal Engineers118751875318784
Derby County119461946319034
Leeds United119721972319734
Southampton119761976320034
Burnley119141914219623
Cardiff City119271927220083
Blackpool119531953219513
Clapham Rovers118801880118792
Notts County118941894118912
Barnsley119121912119102
Charlton Athletic119471947119462
Old Carthusians11881188101
Blackburn Olympic11883188301
Bradford City11911191101
Ipswich Town11978197801
Coventry City11987198701
Wimbledon[B]11988198801
Wigan Athletic12013201301
Leicester City0419694
Queen’s Park0218852
Birmingham City0219562
Crystal Palace0220162
Bristol City0119091
Luton Town0119591
Fulham0119751
Queens Park Rangers0119821
Brighton & Hove Albion0119831
Watford0119841
Middlesbrough0119971
Millwall0120041
Stoke City0120111
Hull City0120141

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

  • Russian military intervention in Ukraine
    • Ukraine‘s Joint Forces Operation says Russian-led militants have mounted 43 attacks on Ukrainian troops in Donbas in the past 24 hours, using artillery systems and 120mm and 82mm mortars 10 times, with no casualties among the Ukrainian servicemen. According to intelligence data, two militants are killed and three others wounded. (UNIAN)

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