Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Health Promotion Board
We are not interested in the survey at all.
Please stop calling us repeatedly and immediately.
St Frances X Cabrini
Parishioners in Massachusetts have admitted defeat in their efforts to keep their church open, bringing to a tearful end their 11-year protest.
A group of about 100 worshippers at St Frances X Cabrini Church in Scituate have kept an around-the-clock vigil.
Jaguar and Tata Motors
Strong sales of the luxury brand Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) have lifted profits at Tata Motors.
Monday, May 30, 2016
Income for Doing Nothing
One of the world's richest countries could, in the near future, pay its residents a monthly income with no condition. Yes, you read that right - they could get paid for doing absolutely nothing.
Come June 5, the Swiss will vote in a referendum on the proposal of a basic income for all citizens.
Lorenz Machine
A historic machine used to swap top secret messages between Hitler and his generals has been found languishing in a shed in Essex.
Volunteers from The National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park used eBay to track down the keyboard of the Lorenz machine.
It was advertised as a telegram machine and was for sale for £9.50.
Boateng
The German right-wing Alternative fuer Deutschland (AfD) party has come under fire over comments by one of its leaders about footballer Jerome Boateng that are widely regarded as racist.
Verdun
France and Germany have marked the 100th anniversary of the World War One battle of Verdun in north-eastern France with a call for European unity.
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Johnny Depp
A US judge has ordered actor Johnny Depp to stay away from his estranged wife, actress Amber Heard, after she alleged he assaulted her.
Ko Yong-suk
An aunt of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been running a dry-cleaning business in the US after defecting with her family in 1998, the Washington Post reports.
Ko Yong-suk told how she looked after Kim when he was at school in Switzerland.
Ko, a sister of Kim's mother, now lives anonymously outside New York City.
Migrants in Spring
The rescue of more than 600 migrants off Libya on Saturday by a flotilla of EU ships took the weekly total to at least 13,000, Italian authorities say.
The rescues were the latest by a patrol of Italian, German and Irish ships operating in the Mediterranean.
Spring weather has led to a surge of people attempting the perilous crossing from Africa to Europe.
It is now the main migration route since an EU-Turkey deal curbed numbers sailing to Greece.
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Fracking
Drilling companies suggest trillions of cubic feet of shale gas may be recoverable from underneath parts of the UK through a process known as "fracking".
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a technique designed to recover gas and oil from shale rock.
Aurukun
Carjackings, children armed with axes and machetes and teachers airlifted out for their own safety are not the kind of scenes witnessed in most Australian towns. But in the Aboriginal community of Aurukun, in Queensland's remote Cape York, they have become familiar of late says journalist Kathy Marks.
Trump Wall
At the south-western tip of California, straddling the dirty trickle that is the Tijuana river, stands a wall - or rather a series of walls, fences and ditches.
This is the stuff of Donald Trump's dreams, only his wall would be bigger and better of course, not to mention longer, stronger and vastly more expensive.
Friday, May 27, 2016
Tomatoes and Nigeria
The topic of tomatoes - a staple of the Nigerian diet - is currently not a laughing matter outside the digital realm in Nigeria. A state of emergency has been declared in the tomato sector in Kaduna state, in the north of the country and farmers are said to have lost up to 80% of their tomato crop.
Labour Dispute in France
Industrial action over labour law reforms is gripping France nationwide, with oil refineries, nuclear power stations and transport hubs affected.
Enough Backers for Donald Trump
The US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has reached the number of delegates needed to secure the party's presidential nomination.
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Bright Blue Lobsters
Two Canadian fishermen have been celebrating catching bright blue lobsters over the last few days.
Live App Terms Reading in Norway
Norwegians have spent more than 30 hours reading out terms and conditions from smartphone apps in a campaign by the country's consumer agency.
Massive Social Experiment
Eleven US states have filed a lawsuit challenging the Obama administration's recent efforts to expand the rights of transgender students.
The White House issued a directive this month, mandating that all students be allowed to use the toilet that matches their gender identity.
The states called the order "a massive social experiment".
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
EU-Turkey Migrants Deal
Turkey's parliament will block a deal reached with the EU on migrants if Turks do not gain visa-free access to the bloc, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned.
$6 Bourdain-Obama Meal
Deep in the heart of Hanoi, US President Barack Obama sat down for a $6 meal with celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain on Tuesday. The chef, known for his love of adventurous street food, described the date in a series of tweetsand an Instagram post.
Bill Cosby
A US judge has ordered actor and comedian Bill Cosby to stand trial on charges of sexual assault.
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
BTO August 2016
The next BTO launch will be in August. HDB said it will offer about 4,810 BTO flats in Hougang, Sembawang, Tampines and Yishun.
BTO and SBF May 2016
The Housing Development Board (HDB) launched 8,940 flats for sale on Tuesday (May 24) in its second Build-To-Order (BTO) and Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) exercise this year.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Board said the launch comprises over 3,000 BTO units and over 5,000 SBF units across 25 towns and estates.
This month's BTO exercise includes a wide range of flats, including 2-room Flexi to three-generation (3Gen) flats so as to meet the diverse housing needs of applicants.
For the BTO exercise, HDB will offer a total of 3,770 BTO flats across four projects in the non-mature towns of Bukit Panjang and Sembawang and another two projects in the mature towns of Ang Mo Kio and Bedok.
Tess Holliday and Facebook
Facebook has apologised after refusing to run an advert featuring plus-sized model Tess Holliday wearing a bikini.
£1,500 Car for Prime Minister's Wife
Prime Minister David Cameron has bought a £1,500 used car as a "cheap run-around" for his wife, according to the salesman he bought it from.
Alexander Van der Bellen
Alexander Van der Bellen has won Austria's presidential election, preventing Norbert Hofer from becoming the EU's first far-right head of state.
Monday, May 23, 2016
Palme d'Or
British director Ken Loach's film I, Daniel Blake has won the Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival.
Austria's Presidential Run-off
The far-right and independent candidates in Austria's presidential run-off face a dead heat, a public TV projection suggests.
Norbert Hofer of the Freedom Party and Alexander Van der Bellen are each on 50%, according to the estimate, which includes postal votes not yet counted.
Aung San Suu Kyi and Rohingya
Myanmar's de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi has asked for "enough 'space" to address the Rohingya issue.
Sunday, May 22, 2016
George Osborne
It's not exactly breaking news. But 13 years after it was written a letter by George Osborne to one of his then constituents is being widely shared on social media.
In the letter Mr Osborne wrote passionately about his opposition to the £3,000 a year university tuition fees introduced by the Labour government of the day.
By 2012 he clearly felt differently. Then as the British chancellor of the exchequer, he oversaw an increase in the fees to £9,000 a year.
Candace Payne
A braying Chewbacca mask found "on clearance" has shot a Texas mother, Candace Payne, to internet stardom.
Cyclone Roanu
Cyclone Roanu has pounded coastal areas of Bangladesh, forcing half a million people to flee their homes.
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Boomerang Poms
Thousands of Britons head for a new life in Australia every year, but it is often not the one-way trip they anticipated.
Paid Fake Posts in China
China is "flooding" social media with comments by paid supporters in a bid to sway public opinion, a report has said.
The research by Harvard academics draws on leaked documents to paint a picture of the way China polices social media.
The government and its army of helpers write 488 million fake posts a year, the report said.
Friday, May 20, 2016
Rescued Chibok Girl
The first of the missing Nigerian schoolgirls to be rescued from Boko Haram militants has met President Muhammadu Buhari at his villa in Abuja.
Amina Ali Nkeki, 19, was found with a baby by an army-backed vigilante group on Tuesday in the huge Sambisa Forest, close to the border with Cameroon.
Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders
US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has said her primary race against Bernie Sanders is effectively over.
Enough Fish for McDonald's
A leaked New Zealand government memo casts serious doubts on the sustainability of fish that are widely used in McDonald's restaurants.
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Venezuela Crisis
Venezuelan police have fired tear gas against anti-government protesters in Caracas who demand a recall referendum on embattled President Nicolas Maduro.
Freed Chibok Girl
The first of the missing Nigerian schoolgirls to be rescued since her capture two years ago has had an emotional reunion with her mother.
Amina Ali Nkeki, 19, was found with a baby by an army-backed vigilante group on Tuesday in the huge Sambisa Forest, close to the border with Cameroon.
Donald Trump and Megyn Kelly
Presumptive US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has admitted he "has regrets" about his US election campaign but said he would not have been successful otherwise.
He was speaking to Fox News presenter Megyn Kelly, with whom he has had a feud since a TV debate last August.
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
ICBC Standard Bank
China's ICBC Standard Bank, the world's biggest bank by assets, has agreed to buy a massive vault in London.
Christian Kern
Austria's new chancellor has refused to rule out co-operation with the country's far-right Freedom Party.
Brexit Chaos
The European Council president has said the only alternative to the EU is "political chaos" and key Leave campaigner Boris Johnson's recent comments were "absurd".
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Global Temperature
April was the seventh month in a row that broke global temperature records, Nasa figures show.
Last month smashed the previous record for April by the largest margin ever, the data show.
That makes it three months in a row that the monthly record was broken by the largest margin ever.
Populist Uprising
Europe faces a "populist uprising" if it is unable to show people it can control the migrant crisis, former MI6 head Sir Richard Dearlove has said.
The Vegetarian
The Vegetarian, a novel about a woman who "wants to reject human brutality" and gives up eating meat, has won the 2016 Man Booker International Prize.
The book was translated by Deborah Smith, who only started teaching herself Korean in 2010.
Monday, May 16, 2016
Hyperloop
A people-carrying pod designed to levitate and travel at extremely high speeds has been unveiled in Boston.
The Punisher of Philippines
Philippines President-elect Rodrigo Duterte has vowed to reintroduce capital punishment and give security forces permission to shoot to kill.
The controversial policies are the latest in a series from the soon-to-be leader, including bans on alcohol and smoking and a curfew for children.
Serena Williams and Italian Open
Serena Williams beat Madison Keys in straight sets to win the Italian Open - her first WTA title in nine months.
Sunday, May 15, 2016
Nicolas Maduro
The Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro, has ordered the seizure of factories that have stopped production and the jailing of their owners.
Russian Yacht and North Korea
A Russian yacht has been detained by North Korean coastguards in the Sea of Japan, Russia's foreign ministry says.
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Singlish
According to Oxford, the terms wah, sabo and hawker centre are "new senses of common English words", "loanwords from Chinese... and Malay", and "formations in English that are only used in Singapore".
Dr Kirpal Singh, associate professor of English literature at Singapore Management University, said there are "good qualities" to Singlish and the recognition means it has earned respect.
Jon Platt
A father who refused to pay a £120 fine for taking his daughter on an unauthorised term-time holiday has won a High Court ruling in his favour.
Magistrates had ruled that Jon Platt had no case to answer as, overall, his daughter had attended school regularly.
Kosovo, Gilbraltar and Fifa
Kosovo and Gibraltar can enter the 2018 World Cup after being accepted as members of world governing body Fifa.
Friday, May 13, 2016
Dilma Rousseff and Farce
Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff has condemned the move to impeach her as a "coup" and a "farce", denying she has committed any crimes.
Paul Ryan and Donald Trump
Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan have said they are "totally committed" to party unity in a statement following their meeting.
Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors
Japanese carmaker Nissan will take a 34% stake in rival Mitsubishi Motors, in the wake of the latter's recent scandal over fuel efficiency.
The all-share deal is worth 237bn yen ($2.2bn; £1.52bn).
Thursday, May 12, 2016
NTUC Fairprice White Sands
Why are the queues at the check-out counters
so long and slow these days?
Dilma Rousseff
Brazil's Senate is debating whether President Dilma Rousseff should face a full impeachment trial.
The Queen's China Comments
The Queen has described Chinese officials as having been "very rude" during last October's state visit to the UK by President Xi Jinping.
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Obama Visits Hiroshima
Barack Obama is to visit Hiroshima this month - the first serving US president to travel to the Japanese city since it was hit by a US nuclear bomb in 1945.
The visit will be part of an Asian trip from 21-28 May that will also take in Vietnam.
Trending Topics on Facebook
A US senator is questioning Facebook over allegations that it manipulated its Trending Topics section to exclude conservative topics.
Republican Senator John Thune has asked that if the allegations are true the company is misleading the public about the feature.
William Gadoury
A Canadian teenager has outshone the experts after discovering a lost Mayan city. William Gadoury, from Saint-Jean-de-Matha, Quebec, made the discovery by comparing star charts with satellite images. The new city, discovered in a Mexican jungle, is thought to be the fourth biggest Mayan city, and has been named 'Mouth of Fire' by the teenager.
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Dilma Rousseff
The impeachment process against Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has been thrown into doubt.
Panama Papers Online
The Panama Papers affair has widened, with a huge database of documents relating to more than 200,000 offshore accounts posted online.
The database became accessible from 18:00 GMT at offshoreleaks.icij.org.
Monday, May 9, 2016
Prince Harry's Private Life
Prince Harry has criticised what he has described as "incessant" intrusions into his private life.
Car-Free Champs Elysees
Thousands of people have taken advantage of a move by the authorities in Paris to close the famous Champs Elysees thoroughfare to traffic.
Taxes for Rich and Donald Trump
Presumptive US Republican nominee Donald Trump has said taxes for rich people may have to go up in an apparent reversal of his stated policy.
Sunday, May 8, 2016
Wildfire in Saskatchewan
A huge wildfire raging in the Canadian province of Alberta is growing further and could spill in to neighbouring Saskatchewan, officials say.
Oxyx and Antelope
Over a million spiral horned antelopes – the Scimitar-horned oryx once galloped across vast areas of Northern Africa.
It was one of several other species of antelope which lived in the Sahara desert and nearby Sahelian grassland areas.
By the 1990s the oxyx had disappeared. It was extensively hunted, while at the same time its habitat dwindled.
Though they are fully protected, the same fate is looking likely for its close cousin, the Saharan Addax antelope.
Saturday, May 7, 2016
Fort McMurray
The only evacuation convoy leaving the Canadian city of Fort McMurray has been suspended due to 200ft (60m) flames flanking the road, officials say.
Sadiq Khan
Sadiq Khan has been elected the new Mayor of London - boosting Labour after it slumped in Scotland's elections.
Mr Khan is the city's first Muslim mayor, after beating Tory Zac Goldsmith by 1, 310,143 votes to 994, 614.
Boaty McBoatface
The UK's new polar research ship is to be named RRS Sir David Attenborough, despite the title "Boaty McBoatface" previously topping a public vote.
Friday, May 6, 2016
Craig Wright and Bitcoin
The Australian entrepreneur who has claimed to be the inventor of Bitcoin has reneged on a promise to present new "proof" to support his case.
Craig Wright had pledged to move some of the virtual currency from one of its early address blocks, an act many believe can only be done by the tech's creator.
Mariinsky Symphony Orchestra in Palmyra
A renowned Russian conductor has led a concert in the ruins of Palmyra in Syria, which were recaptured from the so-called Islamic State (IS) in March.
Valery Gergiev, a supporter of Russia's President Vladimir Putin, conducted the Mariinsky Symphony Orchestra, from St Petersburg, at Palmyra's Roman Theatre.
Paul Ryan and Donald Trump
US House Speaker Paul Ryan has said he cannot currently support Donald Trump as Republican presidential nominee.
Mr Ryan, the highest-ranked elected Republican, called for Mr Trump to strive for "higher aspirations".
Thursday, May 5, 2016
MaxiCabs
ComfortDelGro-owned MaxiCabs will be implementing a surcharge for rides with more than four passengers.
Donald Trump
Donald Trump is now close to being assured the Republican nomination in the US presidential race, something few would have predicted 12 months ago.
The Democratic race is still going, but it looks increasingly likely that Hillary Clinton will be the nominee, despite Vermont senator Bernie Sanders' win in Indiana on Tuesday.
John Kasich
Ohio Governor John Kasich has dropped out of the presidential race after struggling to gain traction against Republican front-runner Donald Trump.
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
USA and Russia
US Defence Secretary Ash Carter has accused Russia of "nuclear sabre-rattling" and of being intent on eroding international order.
He said he regretted strained relations with Moscow but said the US had to "prioritise deterrence" on Nato's eastern flank.
US-Russian ties have been strained by the Ukraine crisis and recent military encounters in the Baltic Sea.
Russia has accused Nato of threatening its national security.
No Food Theft Crime
Stealing small amounts of food to stave off hunger is not a crime, Italy's highest court of appeal has ruled.
Google Tax
Multinational companies that move profits offshore to avoid tax will be penalised under new measures in Australia's budget.
Companies caught shifting profits will be taxed at a penalty rate of 40%, rather than the usual 30% rate .
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
WhatsApp in Brazil
A judge in Brazil has blocked access to messaging service WhatsApp for 72 hours, the latest suspension to hit the hugely popular application.
The judge, Marcel Montalvao, issued the order because WhatsApp owner Facebook failed to hand over information requested in a criminal investigation.
Good Way and Noisy Way
"In general, signal theory says if you have a good way of proving something and a noisy way of proving something and you choose the noisy way chances are it's because you couldn't do the good way in the first place." ~ Gavin Andresen
Craig Wright and Bitcoin
Members of the Bitcoin community remain sceptical about Craig Wright's claim to be the mysterious creator of the digital currency.
Monday, May 2, 2016
May Day Rally in South Korea
Tens of thousands of South Koreans on Sunday joined May Day protests against labour reforms pushed by the government, and called for a higher minimum wage.
Alternative fur Deutschland
The German right-wing party Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) has adopted an explicitly anti-Islam policy.
Malia Obama
US President Barack Obama's eldest daughter Malia will attend Harvard University in 2017, after taking a year off following her high school graduation, the White House says.
Sunday, May 1, 2016
PrimaDeli
Bakery chain PrimaDeli has apologised, and sacked a staff who allegedly made racist remarks to a candidate during a job interview.
Passenger Train Services in Cambodia
Cambodia has restarted passenger train services on one route after a gap of some 14 years.
The first service set out on Saturday from the the capital Phnom Penh for the tourist areas of the south-west coast.
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