Reading News 21-27 Dec. 2015

News on 21 - 27 December 2015

 21   December   2015 

Adele announces her North American tour

Adele fans stateside have had to watch enviously as European fans snap up tickets for her tour there, but no more.

On Monday morning, the singer tweeted a link to what we have all been waiting for: her North American tour dates.

According to her website, Adele's 56 North American tour dates will kick off in St. Paul, Minnesota, on July 5 and end November 15 in Mexico City.

It will be the British star's first tour in the United States since 2011. Her latest album, "25," has been doing massive numbers and is the top-selling album of 2015 despite having been released only a few weeks ago.

Billboard reports the album has sold over 5 million copies in the United States in its first three weeks.

By Lisa Respers France, CNN

 http://edition.cnn.com

 

 22   December   2015 

Steve Harvey’s Gigantic Miss Universe Mistake

In what had to be the most awkward moment on live television in recent memory, Steve Harvey accidentally crowned Miss Colombia, Ariadna Gutiérrez-Arévalo, the winner of the 2015 Miss Universe Pageant. The confusion came at the end of the telecast when Harvey was meant to announce that the pageant’s first runner-up was Gutiérrez-Arévalo and the actual winner was Ms. Philippines, Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach. Instead, Harvey blundered and said the wrong name.

Immediately after saying her name, the audience cheered, and Gutiérrez-Arévalo was given a crown and large bouquet. The next few minutes were met with awkward tension as Miss Colombia waved to a cheering crowd. Finally, Harvey returned to the stage.

“Listen, folks let me take charge of this,” Harvey said. “This is exactly what is on the card. I will take responsibility for this. It was my mistake. Horrible mistake, but the right thing — I can show it to you — the ‘first runner up Miss Columbia.’ It is my mistake. Still a great night.”

Wurtzbach, meanwhile, looked on, disbelieving what happened. Finally, she approached Gutiérrez-Arévalo and stood by as last year’s winner, Paulina Vega, took the crown off of Miss Colombia and placed it on her head. Harvey, who is no stranger to gaffes and blunders on Family Feud, continued his apologies on Twitter, writing to the audience at home, “I’d like to apologize to the viewers at that I disappointed as well. Again it was an honest mistake.”

By George Back

 https://www.yahoo.com

 

 23   Decemcer   2015 

Tuk-tuk dress is best at Miss Universe

Miss Universe Thailand won the Best National Costume award at Monday morning's Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas.

Aniporn "Nat" Chalermburanawong, the 21-year-old beauty from Lampang, also advanced to the last 10 of the pageant's finalists, but was eliminated at the selection for the Top 5.
She had earlier praised the unique costume, designed in Thailand and the winner of a contest to choose the best dress for Miss Universe Thailand 2015.

The winning design, Tuk-tuk Thailand, was chosen from 356 entries and was created by Hirankrit Pattaraboriboonkul, 35, an official at the Culture Ministry.

The designer Mr Hirankrit said he expected the new organiser of the Miss Universe pageant would expect new things on the stage, so he decided to utilise 3-D technology in his costume design.

 http://www.bangkokpost.com

 24   December   2015 

Thailand murders: Men found guilty and sentenced to death

 
A court in Thailand has sentenced two migrant workers from Myanmar to death for the murder of two British tourists on the holiday island of Koh Tao.

A judge found Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun guilty of murdering David Miller and Hannah Witheridge in September 2014. 

Both men initially confessed but later retracted their statements, saying they had been tortured.

Jonathan Head reports

http://www.bbc.com

 25   December   2015 

Nick Vujicic, the 32-year-old president of motivational speech marketer Attitude is Altitude, was born without arms or legs. Though he struggles with some practicalities of everyday living (brushing teeth, for example), he has become an in-demand inspirational speaker.

He has a small foot on his left hip which helps him balance. He can type, pick things up between his toes and even kick a ball. The self-confessed adrenalin junkie regularly swims and has gone skydiving.

Confidence didn’t come naturally to Vujicic. Growing up in Melbourne, Australia, he struggled with depression and was bullied at school. When he was just 10 years old, he attempted suicide. Over time, Vujicic worked on adopting a positive attitude, and, at 17, an encounter with his high school janitor inspired him to go into public speaking. The charismatic Australian now travels the world addressing huge crowds, including business groups and schoolchildren. He has visited more than 50 countries and given thousands of talks. 

The author of memoir Love Without Limits now lives in California with his wife, Kanae, and their 2-year-old son. They are expecting another child later in 2015. Vujicic runs a non-profit ministry, Life Without Limbs, as well as Attitude is Altitude, which markets his motivational speeches and campaigns against bullying.

By Peter Bowes 
http://www.bbc.com

 26   December   2015  

Cancer mum Heidi Loughlin's premature baby dies

A baby who was born 12 weeks prematurely in order for her mother to be treated for cancer has died.

Heidi Loughlin, 32, discovered she had a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer after falling pregnant with her third child.

Ally Louise Smith was born by C-section on 11 December weighing just 2lb 5oz but died on Saturday.

Ms Loughlin, from Portishead, north Somerset posted a poem dedicated to her daughter on her blog.

In it, the Metropolitan Police officer wrote: "Yesterday afternoon our hearts broke in two. For we had to say goodbye to you."

She added that "the pain in my body and heart and my soul feels it will consume me and leave me un-whole".

Doctors discovered Ms Loughlin's cancer in September after she noticed a rash on her breast while feeding her baby son Tait.

She was given the option of terminating the pregnancy so she could begin aggressive chemotherapy.

But she decided to keep her baby and begin a less aggressive form of treatment which is expected to start on Wednesday.

Writing on her blog after Ally's birth, the mother-of-three said she was "absolutely thrilled" to announce the baby had been born safely.

"She was born today via c section at 1237. She came out foot first and is breathing on her own. She weighs 2lb 5ozs. She has a Laughlin (sic) nose and she has more hair than me!!!"

http://www.bbc.com

 27   December   2015 

More Wonders of Hua Hin

Located on an army-owned plot covering 222 rai in Hua Hin, Ratchapak Park and the statues of seven former Thai kings were constructed by the Royal Thai Army under royal permission from His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. HM the King also granted the name of this park.

The seven kings are King Ramkhamhaeng of the Sukhothai Period, King Naresuan and King Narai of the Ayutthaya Period, King Taksin of the Thonburi Period, King Rama I, King Rama IV and King Rama V of the Rattanakosin Period. 

Made of bronze, the statues are about 14m high and in the standing posture. The creation of the statues took 10 months to complete and the official unveiling ceremony took place yesterday. The space under the bases of the statues will be turned into a museum on the kings starting next month.

Nonetheless, if all these things are no longer interesting, tourists may want to travel 7km south from downtown Hua Hin to worship the gigantic statues of seven great Thai kings at the new Ratchapak Park opposite the tranquil Suanson Pradipat beach.

By Pichaya Svasti 
http://www.bangkokpost.com