A group of buildings swallowed by a massive sinkhole in China

A sinkhole totally swallowed a group of buildings in Guangzhou, one of China's biggest cities. The first building collapsed at 1620 local time and the other three buildings fell into the ten metre hole later that evening. Police evacuated more than 300 residents from the surrounding area and nearby roads were closed off. "Gas could be smelt from over 30 metres away, and deafening noises could be heard as the land continued to crack and sink," the Shanghaiist reports. The massive sinkhole is about 3,230 square feet and plenty deep. No one was injured in the incident and an investigation was launched into what caused the hole to appear. Let's share this post on TweetBuzz and warn your friends so they do not become a victim of careless Chinese workers.

Two people are rescued after their plane crashes into the icy Hudson River off Yonkers

Two people including a 39-year-old New Jersey woman and her 43-year-old male passenger were rescued from their single-engine plane that went down into the Hudson River off Yonkers. After leaving the Trenton/Robbinsville airport, the duo were flying under visual flight rules and contact with air traffic control when their plane went down. However, the pair were wearing life vests and were able to get out of the plane before it sank. They left the hospital and were back at their homes on Monday night (January 28, 2013). Their identities were also learnt. The pilot was identified as Deniece Depriester Kok, a certified flight instructor. Her passenger was 43-year-old Christopher Smidt. Both of them are from New Jersey. If you know any thing about the plane crash, please share it with me on Opera or just leave a comment here.

More than 230 people died in a nightclub fire in Brazil

More than 230 people were killed in a crowded nightclub in south Brazil early Sunday morning. The fast-moving fire roared through the windowless nightclub. Many of them were caught in a stampede to escape. Inspectors believe the blaze in the university town of Santa Maria began when a band member or someone from its production team igniting a flare, which then set fire to the ceiling.
The vast majority of the victims, most of them university students, died from smoke inhalation rather than burns in what appeared to be the world's deadliest nightclub fire in more than a decade. More than 90 people were hospitalized, including 14 patients with severe burns.
The disaster recalls other incidents including a Buenos Aires nightclub blaze in 2004 that killed at least 194 people, a 2003 fire at a nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island, that killed 100 people, and a 2009 explosion at a nightclub in Russia that left more than 100 dead. Follow me on Google+ and Twitter to know more about the fire.

Queensland on alert for flooding in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Oswald

One man is dead and two other people were reported missing in Queensland's unfolding weather crisis, as Ipswich and Brisbane residents brace for flooding for the second time in as many years. Hundreds of people have been evacuated as heavy rain continued to fall on Sunday, with the towns of Gladstone and Bundaberg preparing for the possibility of major floods. Forecasters are expecting conditions "comparable to a high category one cyclone" with wind gusts of 60 knots, or 125kph, in the southeast corner over the next day. Brisbane is expecting a 2.6 metre flood peak, nearly half of the 4.46 metre peak in 2011. There will likely be two flood peaks in Brisbane at noon on Tuesday and again at noon the following day. Residents of north Bundaberg are being ordered to leave their houses immediately, the ABC reported at midday, with fears 300 houses will be inundated and those that don't to be left isolated. Follow me on Scoop for latest updates on the flood.

Thailand magazine editor jailed for 11 years for articles insulting monarchy

Somyot, a Thai magazine editor has been sentenced to 11 years in jail for defaming the the royal family under the country's draconian lese-majesty law. The criminal court in Bangkok convicted the 51-year-old guy in connection with two articles deemed offensive to the monarchy. The articles in question were published under pseudonyms in Somyot's now-defunct Voice of Taksin magazine in 2010 and the verdict was issued on Wednesday. More than 100 observers, including Thai and international scholars and journalists, diplomats and Somyot's supporters, were in court to hear the verdict. The court handed the editor five-year terms for each magazine article, with an additional year added from a suspended defamation case from three years ago. The editor is the third person convicted in the last month for insulting the royal family as calls grow within Thailand to change laws used to shield the monarchy from criticism. Please share your opinion about the scandal with me on Tumblr and let your friends know about this story.

Five teenage boys wounded in New Orleans shooting

A shooting occurred in New Orleans about 30 minutes after a parade honoring Martin Luther King Jr. passed through the Central City neighborhood on Monday (January 21, 2013). Five people, who were all between 17 and 18 years old, were wounded in the gun violence. Luckily, none of their wounds was life-threatening. Police said that when the victims were gathering outside a small grocery store near LaSalle Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, a white car drove up to them and a passenger fired a weapon from the vehicle's sunroof. The car then sped off in the direction of the Mississippi River. Officers rushed to the area after the shooting, which did not appear to be related to the parade, and quickly brought the situation under control. Besides this blog, you can also follow me on Opera for more breaking news.

Girl killed in icy Ohio highway pileup

A 12-year-old girl was killed and at least 20 people were injured on Monday in a crash involving at least 86 vehicles on an Ohio highway after a burst of snow hit the area. The accident shut down the highway, Interstate 275 near the Cincinnati suburb of Colerain Township for seven hours. This was one of at least four throughout the state on Monday. Parts of the state saw scattered snow showers, with isolated pockets of heavier snowfall. The little girl, whose name was not released, had gotten out of a damaged vehicle and was standing in the median near a cable barrier, a type of fencing made of ropelike steel wire cables. Another vehicle hit the barrier, snapping a cable, which then struck the girl and killed her. At least 20 people with undetermined injuries were taken to the local hospitals, though their injuries were not expected to be life-threatening and dozens of others with minor injuries were treated at the crash. If you know the name of the girl, please share it with us on Opera and other social networking sites.

Investment bank Gordian Group hired by Hostess union in asset sale

Gordian Group was hired by the union and pension fund for Hostess Brands Inc (HTBRS.UL) to help preserve jobs and workers' benefits as the maker of Twinkies and Wonder Bread sells off its brands. A source close to Gordian Group says the investment bank was selected in part because of its experience working on behalf of employees in other restructurings. New York-based Gordian Group, which specializes in distressed cases, will represent more than 5,000 Hostess workers. It will provide conflict-free advice for the welfare of the company's workers as well. “We aim to be directly involved in the M&A process in a way the union hasn’t been to date,” Peter Kaufman, Gordian Group’s president, said in an interview on January 21, 2013. “We’re open to working with Flowers as well as other bidders for the brands, the assets and the company.”

Actor Johnny Depp dumped by Amber Heard

 Johnny Depp is back on the market as the actor has been dumped by Amber Heard. The couple reportedly snapped up a $16 million mansion only last month. However, Amber Heard  ended their seven-month romance and headed straight for the arms of a woman. The beautiful actress jetted off on holiday with French model Marie de Villepin, the daughter of ex-French premier Dominique. Johnny Depp has signed on return as Captain Jack Sparrow in a fifth instalment of the Hollywood film franchise Pirates of the Caribbean. The movie is expected to be released in July 2015.

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Rand Paul endorses the idea of arming school teachers and principals

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul said on Thursday (January 17, 2013) that teachers and principals should be armed to prevent tragedies such as the Dec. 14 shootings at a Connecticut school from happening. "If my kids were at that school, I would have preferred that the teacher had concealed-carry and had a gun in her desk," the Kentucky Republican told a group of business leaders in Oldham County, Ky. "Is it perfect? No. Would they always get the killer? No. Would an accident sometimes happen in a melee? Maybe. But nobody (at the Connecticut school) had any defense, and he just kept shooting until he was tired and he decided to shoot himself." Rand Paul also said he planned to file legislation that would block President Barack Obama's executive orders. They include directing the Centers for Disease Control to study its causes as well as forcing federal agencies to share more information with the background check system that is used before gun purchases. What do you think about Rand Paul's idea? Share with me your thoughts on Jeqq or just drop a comment here.

Website creates fake Facebook girlfriend for just $39

Facebook has radically altered the dating scene. Valentine's Day is approaching and it's just not the time of year to be alone. That’s why an innovative Brazil-based website has come up with the creative (or creepy) idea of selling fake Facebook girlfriends. For $39.00 NamoroFake will generate a fake Facebook profile for your made-up “girlfriend”, which includes various interactions with your own accounts such as comments and likes, as well the all-important "relationship status" change for thirty days. The website has plenty of plans that come with different details relating to the timeline for which the fake facebook girlfriend will be active, amongst other things. If you want to ask for more, you can get the ultimate $99 plan which is valid for 30 days. Or, for those on a budget, $19.00 will buy you a fake ex-girlfriend. Without revealing numbers, the website says it has "a lot" of male clients who use its services to make former girlfriends jealous and show them they are dating again. I think this service is very interesting. Do you agree with me?

It's amazing! Mom and daughter reunite after 36 years

A Hobart Indiana woman and her daughter are back together after 36 years of separation. Jenny Hadley was only 15 years old when she was pregnant with Elaine Harman. She gave her baby up for adoption and what she knew would be a better life. However the pair never stopped searching for each other through adoptee reunion websites. Now decades later, they finally found each other online just after Christmas and have been exchanging phone calls, e-mails and photos ever since. After an hour of waiting, the train pulled in and life suddenly changed for Jenny and Elaine Harman. They kissed and embraced for what seemed like minutes. Elaine brought a gift for her mother from Virginia, where she lives now. It was two photos of both them as young children. It’s hard to tell them apart. Harman’s adoptive parents have also welcomed Hadley, who has an open invitation to every Christmas dinner from now on. I think this story is very interesting and worth sharing on Tumblr or Facebook. Do you agree with me?

Good news from Wal-Mart

Guys, I have good news for you. Global retailing giant Wal-Mart announced Tuesday that, starting Memorial Day, it hire more than 100,000 veterans. This is definitely a good news as the unemployment rate in our country has been higher than 7 percent for more than four years. The hiring pledge covers veterans within a year of coming off active duty. The moves are likely to receive a cool reception from critics who claim the nation's largest retailer does not pay its workers enough and should be taken to task for selling too many goods made overseas in lower-cost countries such as China. Wal-Mart which also operates Sam's Clubs, employs more than 1.4 million employees in the U.S. Most of the jobs will be in Wal-Mart's stores or its Sam's club locations. Let's prepare you CV and share this good news with your friends on BuzzFeed or Opera and other social networks.

Reddit co-founder Aaron Swartz dies at the age of 26

I don't use Reddit. I think Google+ and TweetBuzz are much cooler. However, I was so sad when I heard the news. Aaron Swartz, a hacker-activist and a committed liberator of information, was found dead in the New York City borough of Brooklyn on Friday evening. The 26-year-old committed suicide in his apartment as he was facing federal charges, a possible sentence of 35 years in prison and a $1 million fine, for downloading subscription-only academic papers with the intent to distribute them. Aaron Swartz, whose death has sparked grief and anger from online rights advocates, was a co-author of the specifications for the Web feed format RSS 1.0 at the age of 14. The Internet savant then helped develop Reddit and co-founded Demand Progress, a political action group that campaigns against Internet censorship. In 2011, Aaron Swartz was arrested for alleged computer fraud and illegally obtaining documents from protected computers in Boston. R.I.P Aaron Swartz.

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez is recovering in Cuba

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez is not in a coma as some cruel people have rumored, his brother, Adan Chavez, said after his trip to Havana. Chavez's brother, Adan Chavez, who is governor of Chavez's home state of Barinas, said the 58-year-old socialist leader is responding well to cancer treatment and making progress on a daily basis. His brother also said foreign media were in league with local opposition activists to promote lies about the president. Venezuela’s leader Hugo Chavez is still fighting against complications that emerged in the wake of his cancer surgery. He missed his scheduled inauguration for a new, six-year term last week and he rarely appears in public since stepping aside as president of the communist country six years ago.
If you know anything about his health condition, please share your stories with us on Google+ and Twitter. Have a nice weekend.

Dog mistaken for lion leads to 911 calls in Norfolk, Virginia

Charles the Monarch, an adorable 3-year-old Labrador-poodle groomed to look like a lion, caused a bit of a scare to Norfolk, Virginia locals who called 911 to report the faux baby king of the forest. The 911 caller reported that the baby lion was walking down Colley Avenue, possibly looking for food, near 50th Street. So police called the Virginia Zoo around 10:15 a.m. to make sure their two lions were in their cages, said Winfield Danielson, a zoo spokesman. The owner, Daniel Painter, who owns a garden shop on Colley Avenue where the dog is regularly seen, told the newspaper this isn't the first time Charles has been mistaken for the real thing. He had his pet shaved to look like the mascot of Old Dominican University. "He has a thousand-and-200-some friends on Facebook," Daniel told The Pilot on Tuesday. The cute dog also loves children and tailgating at ODU football games, as well as the occasional slice at University Pizza.
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“California's Gold” host Huell Howser dies at his home at the age of 67

“California's Gold” host Huell Howser died from natural causes at his home Sunday night (January 5, 2013). The seasoned TV man, who wrote, produced and edited most of his programs, was dead at the age of 67 after announcing his retirement in late November. Huell Howser began his TV career at WSM-TV in Nashville. He also hosted a magazine-style series at WCBS-TV in New York City before going to Los Angeles to work as a reporter for KCBS-TV. In addition to “California's Gold,” which is aired by PBS stations all over California, Oregon, Nevada and Tennessee, Huell Howser was also behind the shows including “Road Trip With Huell Howser,” “California's Golden Parks,” “Visiting…With Huell Howser.” Please share this story on Google+ and Facebook with your friends.