Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, founder of the eponymous financial information company, has been given an honorary knighthood in the UK. Michael Bloomberg, 72, was knighted in honor of his “prodigious entrepreneurial and philanthropic endeavors”. As an American citizen he cannot be called “Sir Mike”, but can add KBE (Knight Commander) to the end… Continue reading Michael Bloomberg knighted for prodigious entrepreneurial and philanthropic endeavors
Year: 2014
Ebola outbreak: Spanish nurse tests positive for virus in Madrid
A Spanish nurse, who treated a victim of Ebola in Madrid, has tested positive for the disease, the health minister has confirmed. The nurse is said to be the first person in the current outbreak known to have contracted Ebola outside Africa. Health Minister Ana Mato said the woman was part of the team that… Continue reading Ebola outbreak: Spanish nurse tests positive for virus in Madrid
Extra Ebola screening at US airports
Health officials have announced that passengers arriving in the US from Ebola-affected countries in West Africa could be subject to extra screening at airports. Extra checks at entry is one of the options under consideration as the US tries to limit the spread of its first confirmed case, a Liberian in Dallas. President Barack Obama… Continue reading Extra Ebola screening at US airports
Uhuru Kenyatta confirms ICC appearance on October 8
Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta has confirmed during a speech in front of the parliament that he will be appearing at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague on October 8. Uhuru Kenyatta told parliament that his deputy, William Ruto, would be in charge during his absence. The president faces charges of organizing ethnic massacres… Continue reading Uhuru Kenyatta confirms ICC appearance on October 8
Putin toilet paper criticized in Crimea
A Ukrainian brand of toilet paper is causing a stir in Crimea because its name has the same initials as Russian President Vladimir Putin. The V.V. brand toilet paper has been criticized by customers in Simferopol because it alludes to “Vladimir Vladimirovich”, the first two names of Russian President Putin, Radio Free Europe (RFE) says.… Continue reading Putin toilet paper criticized in Crimea
John Galliano announced as Maison Martin Margiela’s new creative director
John Galliano is returning to high-end fashion as creative director of Maison Martin Margiela. John Galliano, 53, had been keeping a low profile since he was sacked from Christian Dior in 2011, after a video of him using anti-Semitic language in a drunken tirade was released. The British designer is currently creative director at Russian… Continue reading John Galliano announced as Maison Martin Margiela’s new creative director
Virgin Atlantic to stop running Little Red flight network in 2015
Virgin Atlantic will stop running Little Red in 2015 after just 18 months in operation. Virgin Atlantic launched its UK domestic flight network in March 2013. The flights between London Heathrow and Manchester will stop in March 2015, while those between Heathrow and Edinburgh and Aberdeen will end in September. Little Red was intended to… Continue reading Virgin Atlantic to stop running Little Red flight network in 2015
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2014: John O’Keefe, May-Britt Moser and Edvard I. Moser share award
This year’s Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine has been awarded to three scientists who discovered the brain’s “GPS system”. Prof. John O’Keefe as well as May-Britt Moser and Edvard I. Moser share the award. They discovered how the brain knows where we are and is able to navigate from one place to another. Their… Continue reading Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2014: John O’Keefe, May-Britt Moser and Edvard I. Moser share award
MH370: Search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight resumes in Indian Ocean
The search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has resumed in the southern Indian Ocean. A ship equipped with specialized sonar technology has arrived in a remote stretch of ocean where the plane is believed to have ended its flight. The Boeing 777, with 239 people on board, went missing after it veered radically… Continue reading MH370: Search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight resumes in Indian Ocean
Peter Kassig: Parents release letter from captive son
Peter Kassig’s parents have released a letter he has written in captivity. Peter Edward Kassig, 26, is an American hostage who is being held by Islamic State (ISIS) militants in Syria. He converted to Islam in 2013, changing his name to Abdul-Rahman Kassig. Abdul-Rahman Kassig wrote in June 2014 that he was “scared to die”… Continue reading Peter Kassig: Parents release letter from captive son
Gone Girl tops US box office on its opening weekend
Gone Girl has topped the US box office on its debut weekend, taking $38 million, according to early estimates. Ben Affleck’s thriller, which also stars Rosamund Pike, is about a man who comes under suspicion when his wife mysteriously disappears. Annabelle, featuring the creepy doll from 2013 horror The Conjuring, was a close second with… Continue reading Gone Girl tops US box office on its opening weekend
Brenda Leyland: Madeleine McCann parents Twitter troll found dead in hotel room
Brenda Leyland, who was accused of targeting internet abuse at the family of Madeleine McCann, has been found dead in a room at Marriott Hotel in Leicester, UK. Brenda Leyland, 63, was accused of being one of the so-called “trolls” directing abusive messages at the McCanns. Her body was found days after she was confronted… Continue reading Brenda Leyland: Madeleine McCann parents Twitter troll found dead in hotel room
Jules Bianchi in serious condition after Japanese Grand Prix crash
Jules Bianchi has undergone surgery after suffering a severe head injury in a crash at the Japanese Grand Prix. Earlier, governing body the FIA said the Marussia driver would be operated on before being moved to intensive care. Jules Bianchi, 25, was unconscious when he was taken to hospital from Suzuka. He was injured after… Continue reading Jules Bianchi in serious condition after Japanese Grand Prix crash
Yahoo set to invest in Snapchat
Yahoo is planning to invest millions of dollars in mobile messaging service Snapchat, which may value the start-up at about $10 billion, reports say. Snapchat allows users to send images and videos that “disappear” seconds after being viewed. The company is said to have rejected a $3 billion takeover offer from Facebook and other tech… Continue reading Yahoo set to invest in Snapchat
Typhoon Phanfone closes schools and suspends flights in Japan
Powerful Typhoon Phanfone is bringing many parts of Japan to a standstill with heavy wind and rain as it heads towards Tokyo. Thousands of households have lost power and Japan’s two largest airlines have suspended many flights. The adverse weather has also forced the suspension of a search operation for missing people after a volcanic… Continue reading Typhoon Phanfone closes schools and suspends flights in Japan
Dallas remake canceled after three seasons
TNT has decided to cancel the remake of classic 1980s Dallas after three seasons. The network said: “TNT has decided not to renew Dallas”, adding it “defied expectations by standing as a worthy continuation of the Ewing saga”. TNT thanked “everyone involved in the show” and the people of Dallas “for their warm and generous… Continue reading Dallas remake canceled after three seasons
Chechnya suicide attack: At least five police officers killed in Grozny
At least 5 police officers have been killed and 12 others injured in a suicide attack in the Chechen capital, Grozny, Russia’s interior ministry says. The attack took place outside a hall where a concert marking Grozny’s City Day was about to take place. A statement from the ministry said police were searching a “suspicious”… Continue reading Chechnya suicide attack: At least five police officers killed in Grozny
Pope Francis opens Vatican’s Family Synod
Pope Francis has opened the extraordinary general session of the Synod of Bishops on family life at the Vatican. The pontiff and more than 200 senior bishops will be joined by lay Catholics to discuss some of the most controversial issues affecting the Catholic Church: abortion, contraception, homos**uality and divorce. The extraordinary Synod lasts two… Continue reading Pope Francis opens Vatican’s Family Synod
Glastonbury 2015: All 15,000 pre-sale tickets sell out in 14 minutes
The pre-sale tickets for Glastonbury 2015 have sold out in just 14 minutes on Friday, October 3. A total of 15,000 coach and admission packages for the next year’s festival were snapped up in less than a quarter of an hour. Emily Eavis, who organises the event with her father Michael, said on Twitter: “Wow,… Continue reading Glastonbury 2015: All 15,000 pre-sale tickets sell out in 14 minutes
Nick Cannon covers up Mariah Carey tattoo on his back
Nick Cannon has altered the Mariah Carey tattoo on his back. Nick Cannon, who recently announced he and Mariah Carey secretly separated a few months ago, got his estranged wife’s first name inked across his shoulders in large letters shortly before they tied the knot in 2008. According to new reports, Nick Cannon recently had… Continue reading Nick Cannon covers up Mariah Carey tattoo on his back
Hajj 2014: Two million Muslim pilgrims gather at Grand Mosque in Mecca
About two million Muslim pilgrims gathered at the Grand Mosque in Mecca on October 4 as they took part in one of the final rites of the annual hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. The pilgrims completed a five-day religious journey that is considered one of the Muslim faith’s greatest acts of worship. Wearing unstitched folds… Continue reading Hajj 2014: Two million Muslim pilgrims gather at Grand Mosque in Mecca
Steve Martin to be honored with AFI Life Achievement Award
Steve Martin will be honored with this year’s Life Achievement Award from the American Film Institute (AFI). The AFI announced on October 3 that Steve Martin would be getting its highest award for a career in film. The award will be given at a tribute in Los Angeles in June 2015. The gala ceremony will… Continue reading Steve Martin to be honored with AFI Life Achievement Award
Charlie Sheen sued by dental technician for assault and battery
Charlie Sheen is being sued by a dental technician for assault and battery after punching her in the chest during an office visit. Margarita Palestino filed the lawsuit on October 3 in Los Angeles seeking unspecified damages from Charlie Sheen. Her lawsuit accuses Charlie Sheen of attacking her during a dental appointment on September 25,… Continue reading Charlie Sheen sued by dental technician for assault and battery
Thomas Eric Duncan in critical condition at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital
Thomas Eric Duncan, the first person to be diagnosed with Ebola within the US, has deteriorated from a serious to a critical condition, doctors in the state of Texas say. Thomas Eric Duncan, who caught the virus in his native Liberia, is being treated at a Dallas hospital in isolation. Earlier it emerged that the… Continue reading Thomas Eric Duncan in critical condition at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital
Ashoka Mukpo: NBC cameraman to be transferred to Nebraska Medical Center
Freelance photojournalist Ashoka Mukpo was diagnosed with Ebola on Thursday, October 2, and was being cared for at a treatment centre in the Liberian capital, Monrovia. His family said he was expected to leave there on Sunday, October 5, and arrive at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha on Monday, October 6. Ashoka Mukpo, 33,… Continue reading Ashoka Mukpo: NBC cameraman to be transferred to Nebraska Medical Center