Category: BuzzNews (anglais)

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Éphémérides (anglais)

It happened on a… December 18

2022

In the final of the anthology, Lionel Messi and Argentina defeated France to put a hand on the World Cup of soccer. Lionel Messi adds to his collection the only trophy missing in his phenomenal career.

2020

South Africa announces detection of new variant of COVID-19, called Beta (501.V2), which is driving a second wave of infections.

2019

US House of Representatives votes to impeach President Donald Trump for abuse of power (230-197) and obstruction of Congress (229-198).

2011

The last US troops withdraw from Iraq, formally ending the Iraq War.

2009

James Cameron’s “Avatar” starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver, released in the US, becomes highest-grossing film of all time (since surpassed).

1991

Céline Dion signs a $10 million contract with Sony Music.

1976

“Wonder Woman” debuts on ABC.

“A Star is Born” film directed by Frank Pierson with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson, premieres.

1968

Quebec government founds the multi-campus Université du Québec; Quebec’s first public university and its fourth French language institution; includes six constituent universities, in Montreal, Trois-Rivières, Chicoutimi, Rimouski, Hull and Rouyn.

1963

“The Pink Panther” film premieres directed by Blake Edwards and starring Peter Sellers and David Niven.

1892

Tchaikovski’s ballet “Casse-noisette” premieres in St Petersburg.

1865

Slavery was abolished in the United States with the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution being ratified.

1792

Jean-Antoine Panet elected first President of the Lower Canada Assembly; first Quebec elections.

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Éphémérides (anglais)

It happened on a… December 17

2019

China’s 1st domestically built aircraft carrier, the Shandong, enters naval service.

2017

“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” takes more than $450m worldwide in its opening weekend.

1992

U.S. President George H.W. Bush, Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari signed the North American Free Trade Agreement.

1989

The first episode of television series The Simpsons, “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire”, airs in the United States.

1966

Opening of Quebec Autoroute 15.

1964

“Goldfinger”, 3rd James Bond film, starring Sean Connery and Honor Blackman premieres in London.

1962

Beatles 1st British TV appearance (People & Places).

1939

First contingents of Canadian First Division start arriving in England for service in World War II.

1892

First issue of Vogue is published.

1792

Opening of 1st legislative assembly of Lower Canada in Quebec city.

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Éphémérides (anglais)

It happened on a… December 16

The store of the fashion company Christian Dior in Avenue Montaigne in Paris, France, in November 1970. Dior moved up to be the leading producer of luxury goods after the Second World War. Photo: Wilfried Glienke Where: Paris, Paris, France When: 01 Nov 1970 Credit: /picture-alliance/Cover Images

2020

14 people found guilty of 2015 terror attacks on Charlie Hebdo office and supermarket in Paris.

2010

Final episode of TV talk show “Larry King Live” airs on CNN.

2009

Avatar, directed by James Cameron, was internationally released.

1994

Pop diva Céline Dion marries her long-time manager René Angélil.

1973

O.J. Simpson becomes 1st NFL running back to rush for 2,000 yards in a season.

1972

The Miami Dolphins became the first NFL team to go unbeaten and untied in a 14-game regular season. The Dolphins went on to defeat the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.

1966

Jimi Hendrix Experience releases its 1st single, “Hey Joe”.

1950

Canadien rookies Jean Béliveau and Bernie Geoffrion play their first NHL game, tying the Rangers 1-1; Boom Boom scores his first career goal.

1946

French fashion designer Christian Dior and his backer Marcel Boussac found fashion house Christian Dior.

1913

Charlie Chaplin begins his film career at Keystone for $150 a week.

1903

The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower hotel opens its doors to guests for the first time.

1835

In New York, 530 buildings were destroyed by fire.

1707

Last recorded eruption of Mount Fuji in Japan..

1631

Mount Vesuvius in Italy erupts, burying many villages under lava flows and killing around 3,000 people.

Categories
Éphémérides (anglais)

It happened on a… December 15

2020

MacKenzie Scott announces she has given away more than $4 billion to 384 non profit organizations across the US

2013

China successfully lands its first moon rover (Yutu) on the moon.

2009

Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner makes its maiden flight from Seattle, Washington.

2004

“Million Dollar Baby”, directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman is released (Best Picture 2005).

2001

The Leaning Tower of Pisa reopens after 11 years and $27,000,000 to fortify it.

1988

Jean Perron appointed head coach of the Quebec Nordiques, after Ron Lapointe resigns to battle cancer.

1979

Chris Haney and Scott Abbott develop the board game Trivial Pursuit.

1973

American Psychiatric Association declares homosexuality is not a mental illness

1965

Gemini 6 launched; makes 1st rendezvous in space (with Gemini 7).

1964

Commons votes to adopt design for a new National Flag of Canada.

1949

Albert Camus’ play “The Just Assassins” (“Les Justes”) premieres in Paris.

1939

“Gone With the Wind,” based on the novel by Margaret Mitchell, premiered at Loew’s Grand Theater in Atlanta. The movie starred Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable.

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Entertainment Gossip News News

CEO fired in Sports Illustrated AI scandal’s aftermath

Arena Group, owner of Sports Illustrated, has made a radical change in the world of media and publishing, sacking CEO Ross Levinsohn as part of a wide-ranging reshuffle of its management team after a scandal linked to the use of artificial intelligence in the creation of content for Sports Illustrated.

This announcement comes on the back of several high-profile redundancies in the company’s executive ranks, and while Arena Group has issued a statement highlighting the board’s decision to let Levinsohn go as part of an overall strategy to boost operational efficiency and increase revenues, it’s hard to ignore the scandal the company has been embroiled in over the past few weeks.

Indeed, it was revealed that the company had published articles whose content was generated by artificial intelligence, even though it claimed that this content was published by a real author. What’s more, the bios, photos and names of the alleged authors were all made up.

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Controversy erupted when Futurism contacted Sports Illustrated with questions about the AI-generated author profiles, which were quickly deleted.

Arena Group defended itself, claiming that the articles in question were licensed content obtained from AdVon Commerce, which guaranteed that all content had been written and edited by using authors whose pen names were legitimate.

Several company executives have since been dismissed, including Rob Barrett, president of media and Julie Fenster, the company’s general counsel, and ultimately CEO Ross Levinsohn, although the company has yet to officially establish a direct link between these dismissals and the fake author scandal.

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Entertainment Gossip News News

E3 is dead, long live E3!

E3, the legendary video game event, has been officially cancelled. The Entertainment Software Association has announced that it has pulled the plug on the E3 convention after more than 20 years of industry milestones and groundbreaking announcements!

Established in 1995, E3 quickly became the premier showcase for video game innovation and an important pilgrimage for video game enthusiasts and industry giants alike.

In particular, E3 has seen the launch of some of the most important consoles in the world of video games, such as the debut of the Nintendo 64 in 1996 and the brilliant introduction of 3D gaming, the PlayStation 4 in 2013 offering a new era of gaming, and the Xbox Series X in 2019, promising unrivalled power.

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Great video games have also been unveiled here, including Final Fantasy VII in 1997, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in 1998, Super Mario 64 in 1996, Halo: Combat Evolved in 2000, World of Warcraft in 2001, Half-Life 2 in 2003, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim in 2010, The Last of Us in 2012, Cyberpunk 2077 in 2018, and Elden Ring in 2021.

The changing dynamics of the industry and new ways of reaching the public are said to be among the reasons why E3 organizers have chosen to put an end to these major gatherings. Several major events of this type have also been forced to go digital, a trend that was emerging even before the Covid-19 pandemic.

In recent years, several major companies had also withdrawn from the convention, including Sony.

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While other companies like Blizzard Entertainment managed to resume their popular BlizzCon convention in person this autumn, after going virtual during the pandemic, E3 was not so lucky, after the mixed success of their all-virtual conference in 2021, when they had to cancel the 2020 one, and simply chose to give up.

The end of E3 certainly marks the end of an era in the video game industry.

E3 is dead, long live E3, thanks for the memories!

Categories
Automotive Entertainment Gossip News News

Tesla issues massive recall due to safety issues

Electric vehicle company Tesla is making headlines this week with the announcement of a large-scale recall of almost all of its cars on U.S. roads, totaling nearly two million electric vehicles, NBC News reports.

This major recall follows a series of concerns about Tesla’s Autopilot system, which has been implicated in several accidents and road safety incidents according to an investigation conducted, since August 2021, by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Tesla’s Autopilot enables cars to automatically manage their speed, braking and steering in a single lane. This Autopilot system has played a central role in Tesla’s brand identity and marketing strategies since its initial version was introduced in October 2014.

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Many concerns were raised in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s investigation. Drivers’ lack of engagement with what’s happening on the road when using Autopilot is said to be the cause of several road accidents. Collisions with stationary emergency vehicles are said to have been the alarm bell for potential problems caused by Tesla’s Autopilot.

Despite initial disagreements with the findings of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Tesla and CEO Elon Musk have decided to recall Tesla Y, S, 3 and X models manufactured between October 5, 2012 and December 7, 2023. Tesla has also committed to making software updates to add additional alerts and protective measures to enhance driver engagement.

The recall is likely to spark debate about autonomous driving and Tesla’s oft-criticized practice of testing its features on real users in public places.

Tesla shares fell slightly following the recall announcement.

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Entertainment Gossip News News

3rd beluga dies in captivity at Mystic Aquarium

Tragedy strikes again at Connecticut’s Mystic Aquarium, as the team mourns the death of Kharabali, a nine-year-old beluga whale, who had begun showing worrying signs last November. This unfortunate incident marks the third death out of five whales transported in 2021 from Marineland, Niagara Falls, Canada, to Mystic Aquarium.

Kharabali died despite efforts by the intensive care unit to keep her healthy. The aquarium said it would carry out an autopsy to determine the cause of death, expressing its deep sadness at the death of Kharabali, loved by everyone at the aquarium.

Kharabali is the third beluga whale to die in a group of five collected in 2021 from Marineland water park in Niagara Falls, Ontario, to die after arriving at Mystic Aquarium.

Havok, a male beluga whale who died in August 2021, and Havana, a female beluga whale who died in February 2022, were both declared by the aquarium to be suffering from incurable diseases that ultimately caused their deaths. Jetta, a whale that was part of the 2021 group and fell ill, is reportedly recovering and thriving, according to the aquarium.

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The deaths of Havok, Havana and Kharabali highlight the wider problem of whales kept in captivity. Many advocates argue that captive confinement can lead to a number of negative effects such as boredom, frustration and even signs of physical stress like dorsal fin collapse.

These concerns are reflected in notable cases such as the death of Kiska at Marineland, dubbed the “world’s loneliest whale”, last March. Kohana is a 20-year-old orca from Loro Parque zoo, and Tilikum the orca from SeaWorld’s “Blackfish”.

The transfer of belugas from Marineland to Mystic Aquarium has sparked controversy. A Delaware animal rights organization claimed that the transfer would cause physical and mental damage to the animals. Authorities argued that the belugas were bred in captivity and could not be safely released back into the ocean. Following the beluga’s death, the U.S. Department of Agriculture carried out an inspection. The aquarium reported that the problems had been resolved.

Animal rights activists call for an end to whale breeding and captivity programs.

Categories
Éphémérides (anglais)

It happened on a… December 14

Disney

2017

The Walt Disney Company buys most of 21st Century Fox for $52.4 billion

2016

Amazon announces its 1st delivery by drone 2 km from their warehouse in the UK.

2015

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” directed by J.J. Abrams and starring Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Harrison Ford has its world premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles.

2008

Muntadhar al-Zaidi throws his shoes at then-U.S. President George W. Bush during a press conference in Baghdad, Iraq.

1987

Ben Johnson named Canada’s Male Athlete of the Year.

1981

Israel annexes Golan Heights (occupied during the 1967 Six-Day War).

1969

The Jackson Five made their first network television appearance in the US when they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show.

1967

Prime Minister of Canada, Lester B. Pearson announces that he is retiring from politics, succeeded by Pierre E. Trudeau.

1947

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) started its activities in Daytona Beach, Florida,

1911

Norwegian Roald Amundsen’s expedition is the 1st to each the South Pole.

1782

The Montgolfier brothers’ first balloon lifts off on its first test flight.

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Entertainment Gossip Ton Barbier

Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny disappears from prison

Where is Alexey Navalny?

The situation of the imprisoned Russian opposition leader have become a major concern.

His whereabouts remain a mystery since his legal team has been unable to locate him.

Mr. Navalny’s scheduled appearance via video link was cancelled without explanation, adding to the confusion and tension.

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Navalny’s absence was made more visible by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement that he would run for another term in elections scheduled for March 2024. This could extend his mandate until 2030, or even longer. Navalny represents a political threat to Putin, as he has opposed his regime for years by organizing protests against the government and exposing allegations of Kremlin corruption.

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The United States, in particular, has expressed deep concern over Navalny’s disappearance.

The White House called for Mr. Navalny’s immediate release and considered his imprisonment illegitimate.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected these concerns. He pointed out that Mr. Navalny was serving a legal sentence under Russian law for the crimes of which he had been convicted.

Mr. Peskov also stated that the Kremlin had neither the intention nor the ability to monitor the status and movements of prisoners.

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Mr. Navalny’s trial, originally scheduled to begin earlier this week, has been postponed.

The international community is watching closely for any sign of Navalny… and the Kremlin’s next moves.