Wednesday, 30 November 2016

snowdrop: Word of the day for December 1, 2016

snowdrop , n :
Any of the 20 species of the genus Galanthus of the Amaryllidaceae, bulbous flowering plants, bearing a solitary, pendulous, white, bell-shaped flower that appears, depending on species, between autumn and late winter or early spring, all native to temperate Eurasia.

White-winged fairywren

The Wikipedia article of the day for December 1, 2016 is White-winged fairywren.
The white-winged fairywren (Malurus leucopterus) is a bird species in the family Maluridae, unrelated to true wrens. It lives in the drier parts of central Australia, from central Queensland and South Australia to Western Australia. Like other fairywrens, this species displays marked sexual dimorphism, and one or more males of a social group grow brightly coloured blue plumage during the breeding season. The females, sandy-brown with light-blue tail feathers, are smaller, and almost indistinguishable from the younger sexually mature males. A subspecies is found on Dirk Hartog Island, and another on Barrow Island off the coast of Western Australia, both having black rather than blue male plumage. The white-winged fairywren mainly eats insects, and lives in heathland and arid scrubland. It is a cooperative breeding species, and small groups of birds maintain and defend territories year-round. Groups consist of a socially monogamous pair with several helper birds who assist in raising the young. As part of a courtship display, the male wren plucks petals from flowers and brings them to female birds.

Rival team wants Chapecoense to get soccer title after plane crash

Colombian soccer team Atlético Nacional is urging South America's football governing body to award the Copa Sudamericana title to the Brazilian team which lost many of its players Monday night in a deadly plane crash.

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Football team's fairy-tale rise ends in tragedy

The fairy-tale rise of Brazil's Chapecoense -- from small football club to national heroes -- has been cut tragically short, leaving the country mourning the loss of one of its most endearing sports teams.

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Drunk drivers punished with Nickelback tunes

Talk about cruel and unusual punishment!

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South Africa: Corruption reports pile on the pressure

South Africa President Jacob Zuma has received the backing of his party just weeks after a damning report into top-level government cronyism.

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Mistrust elections? In Ghana there's an app for that

Ghana's youth population is exploding and the upcoming elections provide a window of opportunity for them.

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South Africa's own 'Girl from Ipanema'



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Ivory Coast's incredible wartime parties

The Coupe-Decale movement brought Ivory Coast together at a critical time during the civil wars of the early 2000s. But how is it faring today?

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Tuesday, 29 November 2016

Colombia plane crash: Mourners and investigators search for answers

A charter plane carrying members of a Brazil soccer team crashed near Medellin, Colombia, leaving 71 confirmed dead.

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Jet carrying soccer team may have run out of fuel

Fuel starvation is being investigated as a possible contributor to the plane crash that killed members of Brazil's Chapecoense soccer club.

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Scotland national football team

The Wikipedia article of the day for November 30, 2016 is Scotland national football team.
The Scotland national football team has represented Scotland in association football since the world's first international football match on St. Andrew's Day (Scotland's National Day), 30 November 1872. Controlled by the Scottish Football Association, the team competes in the two major professional tournaments, the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship, but not the Olympic Games. Most of their home matches are played at the national stadium, Hampden Park. They have a long-standing rivalry with England, with annual matches from 1872 until 1989, and six matches since then. They have qualified for the FIFA World Cup on eight occasions and the UEFA European Championship twice; they have never progressed beyond the first group stage of a finals tournament, but they did once beat the FIFA World Cup winners – England, in 1967. Their supporters are collectively known as the Tartan Army. The Scottish Football Association operates a roll of honour for every player who has made more than 50 appearances for the team. Kenny Dalglish, with 102 appearances between 1971 and 1986, holds the record for Scotland; he also shares the record for goals scored (30), with Denis Law.

saltire: Word of the day for November 30, 2016

saltire , n :
(heraldry) An ordinary (geometric design) in the shape of an X. It usually occupies the entire field in which it is placed. The Saint Andrew's cross, the flag of Scotland. Today is Saint Andrew’s Day, Scotland’s national day.

What Castro funeral RSVPs say about the world

Fidel Castro's funeral will bring together an unlikely mix of world leaders, royalty, Marxist guerillas and Hollywood actors. The no-shows speak volumes, too.

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Chapecoense player just found out wife was pregnant

A video has surfaced showing the moment Brazilian soccer player Tiago da Rocha Vieira Alves found out he was going to be a father.

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A charter airplane with more than 80 people on board, including players from the Brazilian soccer team Chapecoense, crashed near Rionegro, Colombia, on Monday, November 28. At least 75 people were killed.

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Miami schools: Immigration rise after Castro's death?

While leaders in Cuba make preparations for Fidel Castro's funeral, one top official in Miami says he's preparing for another possibility: increased immigration.

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Monday, 28 November 2016

Plane carrying 81 involved in accident in Colombia

A plane carrying 72 passengers and nine crew members was involved in an accident near Rionegro, Colombia, according to the country's civil aviation department. Officials didn't specify what happened to the plane but did say that the wounded were being transported to assistance centers.

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Moroccan TV: Use makeup to cover abuse

To help women battling domestic violence, a Moroccan TV channel offered some advice: Cover your bruises with makeup.

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Formula E breaks new ground in Africa



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SMS Lützow

The Wikipedia article of the day for November 29, 2016 is SMS Lützow.
SMS Lützow was the second Derfflinger-class battlecruiser built by the German Imperial Navy before World War I. Launched on 29 November 1913, the ship was named in honor of the Prussian general Ludwig Adolf Wilhelm von Lützow who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. Due to engine damage during trials, Lützow did not join the I Scouting Group until March 1916. She missed most of the major actions conducted by the German battlecruiser force, taking part in only one bombardment operation, at Yarmouth and Lowestoft, on 24–25 April 1916. One month after becoming Admiral Franz von Hipper's flagship, Lützow sank the British battlecruiser HMS Invincible during the Battle of Jutland on 31 May and 1 June; she is sometimes given credit for sinking the armored cruiser HMS Defence as well. Heavily damaged by around 24 heavy-caliber shell hits that flooded her bow, the ship was unable to make the return voyage to German ports. Her crew was evacuated and she was sunk by torpedoes fired by one of her escorts, the torpedo boat G38.

pink-collar: Word of the day for November 29, 2016

pink-collar , adj :
Of or pertaining to employees in predominately female service industries.
Cubans gather around the country to remember longtime leader Fidel Castro.

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Cuba: What's next under Raul Castro?

Is there a chance Raul Castro will move Cuba in a different direction, now that his brother is no longer looking over his shoulder?

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Elian Gonzalez: Fidel Castro was a father figure

Elian Gonzalez, who was at the center of a controversial international custody dispute when he was a boy, saw the late Fidel Castro as a father figure.

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The tram that only stops at vineyards

Vintage-style bio-diesel tram links vineyards on an easy-going tasting trail

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Cubans celebrate Castro's life at mass gatherings this week



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Argentina makes tennis history



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Sunday, 27 November 2016

Keith Miller with the Australian cricket team in England in 1948

The Wikipedia article of the day for November 28, 2016 is Keith Miller with the Australian cricket team in England in 1948.
The Australian cricketer Keith Miller toured England in 1948 as a member of The Invincibles, a team that went undefeated in their 34 tour matches. Miller (28 November 1919 – 11 October 2004) was an all-rounder: a fast bowler and a right-handed middle-order batsman. Don Bradman, the team captain, typically used him and Ray Lindwall in short bursts with the new ball. Miller took 13 wickets at an average of 26.28, playing a key role in subduing England's leading batsmen, Len Hutton and Denis Compton, with a barrage of short-pitched bowling. In the First Test, Miller took seven wickets, including Hutton and Compton twice, bearing a large part of the bowling workload. With the bat, he scored 184 runs in the Tests at an average of 23.15, including 74 in the second innings of the Second Test at Lord's, and a rapid 58 in the Fourth Test that helped Australia regain the momentum in the match. In all first-class matches on the tour, he took 56 wickets at 17.58 and scored 1,088 runs at 47.30. A carefree cricketer, Miller was seen as charismatic; his joie de vivre on the field alienated his captain, and his friendship with Princess Margaret was particularly scrutinised by the media.

sickle: Word of the day for November 28, 2016

sickle , n :
(agriculture) An implement having a semicircular blade and short handle, used for cutting long grass and cereal crops. German philosopher Friedrich Engels, who wrote The Communist Manifesto (1848) with Karl Marx, was born on this day in 1820. The hammer and sickle are common symbols of Communism.

Saturday, 26 November 2016

Cuba's strides under Castro offset by decades of repression, reports say

The legacy of political repression that marked Fidel Castro's rule in Cuba offset and undermined his achievements, two major human rights groups said.

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Banksia canei

The Wikipedia article of the day for November 27, 2016 is Banksia canei.
Banksia canei (mountain banksia) is a shrub of the subalpine areas of the Great Dividing Range between Melbourne and Canberra in southeastern Australia. First collected on 27 November 1962, it superficially resembles B. marginata, but is more closely related to another subalpine species, B. saxicola. Although no subspecies are recognised, four geographically isolated populations have been described, as there is significant variation in the shape of both adult and juvenile leaves between populations. B. canei is generally encountered as a many-branched shrub with narrow leaves that grows up to 3 m (9.8 ft) high, with yellow inflorescences (flower spikes) from late summer to early winter. The old flowers fall off the spikes, and up to 150 finely furred follicles develop, which remain closed until burnt in a bushfire. Each follicle bears two winged seeds. Birds such as the yellow-tufted honeyeater and various insects forage among the flower spikes. B. canei is frost tolerant in cultivation, but copes less well with aridity or humidity, and is often short-lived in gardens. One cultivar, Banksia "Celia Rosser", was registered in 1978, but has vanished.

garlicky: Word of the day for November 27, 2016

garlicky , adj :
Tasting or smelling of garlic.

Health: A Promising Alzheimer’s Drug Doesn’t Work After All


New story from TIME in Health : The first drug designed to treat Alzheimer’s failed to show dramatic benefit

Health: You Asked: Can People Be Allergic to Semen?


New story from TIME in Health : Yes. And many women are without realizing it.

Health: Thanksgiving: 4 Easy Ways to Become More Grateful


New story from TIME in Health : And why gratitude is so good for you

Castro's death takes time to absorb in hometown

In the town of Bíran, near far eastern tip of Cuba, people began knocking on Martin Castro's door early Saturday. The phone hasn't stopped ringing.

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U.S.: Army Corps Orders Dakota Access Pipeline Protesters to Vacate


New story from TIME in U.S. : Protesters face arrest if they stay in the area after Dec. 5

Raul Castro Fast Facts

Read CNN's Fast Facts about Raul Castro, the President of Cuba and the brother of former President Fidel Castro.

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Entertainment: Let’s Talk About That Gilmore Girls Ending


New story from TIME in Entertainment : On those last four words and future of the franchise

Politics: President Obama on Fidel Castro’s Death: History Will Judge His Impact


New story from TIME in Politics : President Obama also extended a "hand of friendship" to Cubans

Fidel Castro Fast Facts

View CNN's Fast Fact on the life of Fidel Castro and learn more about the former Cuban leader.

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U.S.: Miami Residents Take to the Streets to Celebrate Fidel Castro’s Death


New story from TIME in U.S. : Florida leaders, including Sen. Marco Rubio, condemned Fidel Castro's legacy

Officials say object is not a lost bomb

People living near Canada's Pacific coast can breathe a sigh of relief -- the Royal Canadian Navy said that an object found recently in the ocean is not a lost bomb or nuclear weapon.

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After Fidel's Castro's death, can Cuba finally move on?

Fidel Castro's death is the end of an era. He has gone not with a bang, as he arrived, nor with a whimper, but a simple fading away.

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History: How Fidel Castro Went From Revolutionary to Ruler


New story from TIME in History : The Cuban leader has died at 90

Live updates: Cuba's Fidel Castro dies at 90

Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro has died at age 90, his brother Raul Castro announced in a televised statement.

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Cuba's Fidel Castro survived hundreds of assassination attempts

Fidel Castro turned 90 on August 13 -- no small feat, considering he survived what Cuban officials say were more than 600 plots to kill him.

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Friday, 25 November 2016

Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro dies

Fidel Castro, the Cuban despot who famously proclaimed after his arrest in a failed coup attempt that history would absolve him, has died aged 90.

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Warlugulong

The Wikipedia article of the day for November 26, 2016 is Warlugulong.
Warlugulong (1977) is an acrylic painting by Indigenous Australian artist Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri. In 2007 it was purchased by the National Gallery of Australia for A$2.4 million, a record auction price for a contemporary Indigenous Australian art work. The painting illustrates eight dreamings of traditional locations the artist had knowledge of, and depicts the story of an ancestral creature called Lungkata or the Blue-Tongue Lizard Man, who created bushfire. The painting portrays the aftermath of a fire caused by Lungkata to punish his two sons who had not shared a kangaroo with him that they had caught. The sons' skeletons are on the right-hand side of the image, shown against a background representing smoke and ashes. The painting exemplifies a distinctive style developed by Papunya Tula artists in the 1970s, blending representation of landscape with ceremonial iconography. Art critic Benjamin Genocchio describes it as "a work of real national significance [and] one of the most important 20th-century Australian paintings".

on the wagon: Word of the day for November 26, 2016

on the wagon , adj :
(idiomatic) Abstaining from drinking any alcoholic drink, usually in the sense of having given it up (as opposed to never having partaken); teetotal. (by extension) Maintaining a program of self-improvement or abstinence from some other undesirable habit. Bill W. (Bill Wilson), one of the co-founders of Alcoholics Anonymous, was born on this day in 1895.

U.S.: Black Friday Shootings Kill 2 and Leave More Injured


New story from TIME in U.S. : One fight broke out over a parking spot

Mexican volcano spews ash

Mexico's Popocatépetl volcano surprised observers with a startling sight Friday: a massive column of ash billowing in the air.

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Sports: Penn State Won’t Fight $2.4M Fine for Lax Crime Reporting


New story from TIME in Sports : An investigation found the university repeatedly violated campus crime reporting requirements

Newsfeed: Grandma Keeps Promise to Have Thanksgiving With Teen She Accidentally Invited


New story from TIME in Newsfeed : Jamal Hinton and Wanda Dench had never met before their Thanksgiving meal

Entertainment: See Florence Henderson’s Best Moments on The Brady Bunch


New story from TIME in Entertainment : She died at the age of 82

Brazil: Minister Geddel Vieira Lima resigns

A key minister in Brazilian President Michel Temer's government resigned Friday over a scandal that has cast a shadow over the President himself.

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Business: Black Friday Shoppers Hunt for Deals and Hit the Stores


New story from TIME in Business : "It was a really good start. But I have never seen Black Friday morning so calm"

U.S.: California Woman Reunited With Husband After Surviving Kidnapping


New story from TIME in U.S. : The woman was found on the side of a road on Thanksgiving

Mexico: Dozens of bodies found in hidden graves

Mexican investigators say they've unearthed 32 bodies and nine severed heads in hidden graves in Guerrero state.

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Uganda to shut down schools funded by Zuckerberg, Gates

Uganda's High Court has ordered Bridge International Academies to shut down their 63 schools in Uganda, leaving the lives of thousands of pupils in limbo.

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Sending selfies just got easier



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