Thursday, October 22

ENGLISH

Government shoots down petition 1.85m signed to cancel Trump visit to London
ENGLISH, London

Government shoots down petition 1.85m signed to cancel Trump visit to London

    Demonstrators march to Downing Street in a protest against US President Donald Trump's travel ban. The Government has insisted that US President Donald Trump should be extended the full courtesy of a state visit to Britain later this year in response to a 1.85-million strong petition against it. In a statement, the Foreign Office said the Government “recognises the strong views expressed by the many signatories of this petition, but does not support this petition”. Support for the call to downgrade Mr Trump’s visit because it would be “embarrassing” for the Queen snowballed after he imposed a travel ban on nationals from seven mainly Muslim countries. The Government was compelled to reply to the petition because it garnered more than 10,000 signatures. MPs will debate it i...
NASA warns that asteroid larger than the Empire State Building could smash into Earth
ENGLISH, Technology

NASA warns that asteroid larger than the Empire State Building could smash into Earth

    The asteroid, labelled 2015 BN509 by NASA, flew past the Earth last week at close to 44,000mph. At its closest point, it was 14 times the distance between the Earth and the moon. The asteroid measures roughly 200m (660ft) wide and 400m (1,310ft) long. But the American space agency has labelled it potentially hazardous and warned that it could one day strike the Earth. It was captured on film by the Arecibo Observatory, a giant radio telescope, during its flyby of the Earth. The skyscraper-sized chunk of rock can be clearly seen tumbling through the blackness of space. Dr Edgard Rivera-Valentín, a planetary scientist with the Universities Space Research Association who studies data from The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, told Business Insider: The peanut shape comes fr...
Britain’s most notorious prisoner Charles Bronson proposes to ex-Coronation Street actress girlfriend for Valentine’s Day
ENGLISH, United Kingdom

Britain’s most notorious prisoner Charles Bronson proposes to ex-Coronation Street actress girlfriend for Valentine’s Day

    The 64-year-old twice-married robber had planned to pop the question today after ordering a ring be delivered to lover Paula Williamson’s house. He had then hoped to serenade her in a romantic telephone call from inside jail. But he decided to bring forward his proposal forward because he wanted to go down on one knee when Paula visited HMP Wakefield. Ex-Corrie actress Paula, 36, said before the meeting: We are so in love. I’ve had relationships with both men and women in the past but none of them come close to my love for Charlie. He’s so eccentric, but so am I. It’s a perfect match. Armed robber Bronson has been behind bars for 41 years, and all but four of them in solitary confinement, after repeatedly having his sentence increased for attacking prison staff and taking ...
Gambia to rejoin the Commonwealth within months: Boris Johnson announces ahead of trip
ENGLISH, London

Gambia to rejoin the Commonwealth within months: Boris Johnson announces ahead of trip

    Gambia is to rejoin the Commonwealth, Boris Johnson will announce on Tuesday as he declares that Britain’s influence is growing in the wake of the Brexit vote. The country’s new president a former Argos security guard is expected to fulfil a campaign promise to return Gambia to the group with months. Gambia will become just the fourth country to return to the Commonwealth after leaving it, following South Africa, Pakistan and Fiji. Mr Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, heralded the return as he set off for a two-day visit to Gambia and Ghana. I am very pleased that Gambia wants to rejoin the Commonwealth and we will ensure this happens in the coming months, Mr Johnson said. The strength of our partnerships show that Global Britain is growing in influence and activity around t...
Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn resigns
America, ENGLISH

Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn resigns

    President Donald Trump's embattled national security adviser Michael Flynn resigned late Monday night, following reports that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence and other officials about his contacts with Russia. His departure upends Trump's senior team after less than one month in office. In a resignation letter, Flynn said he held numerous calls with the Russian ambassador to the U.S. during the transition and gave "incomplete information" about those discussions to Vice President Mike Pence. The vice president, apparently relying on information from Flynn, initially said the national security adviser had not discussed sanctions with the Russian envoy, though Flynn later conceded the issue may have come up. Trump named retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg as the acting na...
Most valuable coins: Loose change in your pocket which could be worth thousands
ENGLISH, United Kingdom

Most valuable coins: Loose change in your pocket which could be worth thousands

    You might want to rummage through your pockets as your change could be worth a small fortune. The London Olympic 50p coin changes hands for £3,000 now while a 1983 ‘New Pence’ 2p coin would get you £650 (enough for 32,500 standard 2p pieces). They are among a host of coins, of which hundreds of thousands are in circulation, which have a value that belies the price on it. Elsewhere, a special 50p piece featuring Kew Gardens is now changing hands for more than £50. Experts estimated one in 300 people currently have a Kew Gardens 50p. However, they are expected to disappear quickly into private collections now the Royal Mint has declared the coin as the rarest in general circulation. Here’s a run down of the loose change which could bolster your pocket... Dateless 20p piece -...
People welcome spring celebrating Pahela Falgun
Bangladesh, ENGLISH

People welcome spring celebrating Pahela Falgun

    Pahela Falgun, the first day of Spring in the Bengali month of Falgun, is being celebrated across the country on Monday in a colourful way with young girls and boys joining various functions wearing dazzling dresses. Falgun is the eleventh month in the Bengali calendar and the first month of the season, Spring, the king of all the six seasons that brings back warm sunshine, budding flowers and dancing of birds. The first of Falgun is known as Pahela Falgun and usually falls on 13 February of the Gregorian calendar. After the dryness of winter, new leaves start to come out again and the nature adorns the branches with new colourful flowers such as Shimul, Polash and Marigold. Falgun brings joys and colours both in nature and life. Everything in nature gives an impression of...
Bangladesh’s several world records in Guinness
Bangladesh, ENGLISH

Bangladesh’s several world records in Guinness

    Guinness World Records, known from its inception in 1955 until 1998 as The Guinness Book of Records is a reference book published annually, listing world records and national records, both of human achievements and the extremes of the natural world. Like other countries, Bangladesh has enlisted its name in the world record book in several category stands. Most people singing a national/regional anthem simultaneously In 2014, Guinness World Records, the global authority on record breaking achievement, provided The Bangladesh Ministry of Cultural Affairs, with remote adjudications service for the official record ‘Most people singing a national/regional anthem simultaneously’. Thinnest nation The country with the lowest Body Mass Index (BMI) is Bangladesh, with a national ave...
Conmen netted £1.3 million by pretending to be businesses and ordering alcohol, food and soft drinks
ENGLISH, United Kingdom

Conmen netted £1.3 million by pretending to be businesses and ordering alcohol, food and soft drinks

    Two fraudsters netted £1.3 million after ordering huge quantities of wholesale goods using false identities. Malik, 31, and Ahmed, 24, were both jailed at Manchester Crown Court on Friday after admitting the crimes. Safi Ullah Malik and Mirzar Israr Ahmed hijacked the identities of businesses and ordered alcohol, food, soft drinks and other items from suppliers across the UK. Taking advantage of the credit system used by businesses, the pair charged the goods to the company accounts of legitimate businesses. They then arranged for hauliers to collect the goods and deliver them to various locations across Greater Manchester. The items were then sold on to pre-arranged buyers. Malik, of Pytha Fold Road, Withington, pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud by false representatio...
Hate crimes could soar once Article 50 is triggered: police and community groups warn
ENGLISH, United Kingdom

Hate crimes could soar once Article 50 is triggered: police and community groups warn

    Police forces across the UK are ramping up intelligence gathering and putting protection in place for vulnerable communities ahead of a projected spike in hate crime when Theresa May triggers Article 50 next month. The move follows a dramatic rise in the number of racially and religiously-motivated crimes reported to police following the June referendum result in favour of Brexit, including assaults and arson. Community groups representing EU nationals in the UK have warned about the potential for an undercurrent of xenophobia to spread after the talks with Brussels get underway. The head of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Rebecca Hilsenrath, has also said he is hugely concerned about a backlash against European citizens once the Government’s EU withdrawal negoti...