Society's ChildS


Treasure Chest

Twin rivals of Zuckerberg become 1st Bitcoin billionaires

Cameron Winklevoss (L) and his brother Tyler Winklevoss
© Andrew Burton / Getty Images North America / AFPCameron Winklevoss (L) and his brother Tyler Winklevoss
The twin brothers who successfully sued Mark Zuckerberg, claiming he stole the concept for Facebook are now billionaires after investing their lawsuit winnings in Bitcoin. The cryptocurrency surpassed a record high of $11,700 on Sunday.

According to the Telegraph, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss bought 1 percent of all currently mined Bitcoin for a price of $11 million in 2013. Since then, the $11 million crypto-bet has ballooned by almost 10,000 percent, making the twins the first Bitcoin billionaires.

Colosseum

Iconic Pontiac Silverdome survives failed controlled demolition

Stadium
© Google maps
Sunday was supposed to be the day that Detroit's iconic Pontiac Silverdome closed its doors for the last time, as demolition crews moved in for the kill. The stadium, however, had other ideas.

Demolition experts planned to flatten the arena on Sunday morning, with a powerful blast designed to break the metal beams supporting the upper ring of the stadium, collapsing the the structure in on itself.

Eiffel Tower

Shanghai's ancient Huzhu Pagoda has twice the tilt of leaning Tower of Pisa (VIDEO)

The Huzhu Pagoda in Shanghai
© RuptlyThe Huzhu Pagoda in Shanghai.
Italy's Pisa may be famed for its extraordinary gravity-defying tower, but an ancient pagoda in Shanghai boasts a slant almost twice as big, with a stunning 7.1-degree lean.

The Huzhu Pagoda, a Buddhist temple in the city's Songjiang District, was built nearly 1,000 years ago, in 1079, during the Northern Song Dynasty.

The 20 meter (65.6 ft) tower tilts because it was built on two different types of surfaces, causing a dramatic lean almost twice that of the famous leaning tower of Pisa. The Italian tower once had a 5.5-degree tilt. However, following recent restoration work, it now leans at a 3.99 degree angle.

Li Kongsan, an official at the cultural heritage bureau of Shanghai, said the city inspects the pagoda twice a year and that the leaning is under control.

Arrow Up

US shale to surge after OPEC extension

Just as expected: OPEC and the group of non-OPEC countries led by Russia extended their production cuts for an additional nine months through the end of 2018.

oil production
© Lucy Nicholson / Reuters
"It's been a good long day... in fact, it's been a great day," Saudi oil minister Khalid Al-Falih said at the presser. "I'm pleased to announce the decision has been unanimous." The deal to cut 1.2 mb/d from OPEC, plus nearly 0.6 mb/d from non-OPEC countries, will run from January to December 2018.

Assuaging some concerns from the Russian delegation, the deal also included a review of the production limits at the next official OPEC meeting in June. That opens up the possibility of removing or adjusting the agreement in six months' time, although because OPEC meets every six months anyway to roll over the deal, this is a somewhat redundant statement. Al-Falih said the group will be "agile" and "on its toes," ready to respond if market conditions change significantly.

Attention

UK drug gang kidnap and torture man in Nazi themed S&M dungeon over debt

The sex dungeon where a drugs gang held and tortured Gary Jones (Image: SWNS)
© SWNSThe sex dungeon where a drugs gang held and tortured Gary Jones
Film released by the police after the gang were jailed for a total of 28 years shows a variety of sex toys, shackle chairs, manacles, chains, handcuffs, canes, paddles and restraints hanging from the ceiling.

A Nazi uniform with the insignia of the SS hangs off a hook on the back of a door.

A court had heard how victim Gary Jones, 27, was jumped by four men at his home and had a balaclava pulled over his head with the eye holes taped up.

He was then bundled into a car and driven to the fetish dungeon on an industrial estate in Cornwall.

Satellite

Nearly two thousand apply for Trump's drone pilot program

drone machine
© MEL EVANS/AP
President Donald Trump issued a mandate last month that would roll back some "overly burdensome" Federal Aviation Administration regulations on drone use.

The new initiative proposes to set up "innovation zones" in certain state and local jurisdictions where drone operators could test the technology outside the visual line of sight, near people and at night. Those conditions are restricted by the FAA if the operator doesn't have a specific waiver.

The Transportation Department and the FAA are already accepting proposals to participate in the "Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program," according to a Federal Register notice.

As of this week, about 1,823 separate entities, including individual drone operators, have listed their names on an FAA spreadsheet as "interested parties," according to a FedBizOpps posting.

Attention

German town's 'pro-refugee' mayor calls moratorium amidst Merkels struggle to form coalition

image of migrants arriving in Germany in 2015
© AFP/Gettyimage of migrants arriving in Germany in 2015
The Christmas market selling Santa chocolates, Advent wreaths and spiced wine is in full swing.

In a German town with an unrivalled record of welcoming migrants and making them feel at home, excited children wave from carousel rides as shoppers chattering in German and Arabic mingle.

On the face of it, it's a relaxed scene of which Angela Merkel, the German leader, would surely approve.

Except that here in Salzgitter, things are abruptly changing. It's pro-refugee Mayor has declared a moratorium on any more foreigners coming to join the 5,800 who have already arrived.

He admitted a few weeks ago: 'Right now, we are overwhelmed. We have received too many in too short a time. The locals are having fears for the future.'


Network

Internet slams woman who had '50 surgeries' to look like Angelina Jolie... or did she?

Sahar Tabar
© sahartabar_official / Instagram
The internet has erupted in debate over a woman who reportedly had 50 plastic surgery procedures to look like Angelina Jolie, but instead came out looking like a "corpse bride." RT's Verification Unit has found that the images are most likely doctored.

The story of Iranian woman Sahar Tabar made waves across the internet this week, with Belgian news site Sudinfo reporting that she had undergone some "50" plastic surgeries to look like Jolie. It also said she had lost 40kg (88lb) in an attempt to achieve Jolie's slender figure.

Stop

OJ Simpson issued trespass notice from Las Vegas hotel after release on parole

oj simpson
OJ Simpson
OJ Simpson has been issued a trespass notice at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas after he was seen there Wednesday night.

Details on what, exactly, occurred at the hotel while Simpson was present were scarce, but Simpson's attorney Malcolm Laverne, issued a statement confirming that the former athlete was banned.

"Cosmopolitan exercised its right to issue a trespass notice. Any private property in Nevada has the right to tell any person that you are trespassing and please don't come back, if you come back you are subject to a misdemeanor arrest," Laverne said.

Comment: OJ Simpson released from Nevada prison 26 years early for good behavior


Pirates

Neo-Nazi flag spotted in Italian police barrack calls for quick investigation into "a shameful act"

Neo-Nazi flag
© Ruptly
A German Imperial war flag, widely used by the far-right, has been spotted hanging in a Carabinieri dormitory in Florence, triggering an investigation into "a shameful act."

The black-white-and-red flag of the German empire could be seen hanging in the Baldissera barracks of the 6th Battalion 'Tuscany' for several days, according to the Ruptly video agency. Alongside the flag, a poster seemingly depicting a leader of the anti-immigration Northern League party, Matteo Salvini, is visible in the footage.

The Italian defense minister reacted to the video, calling on the Carabinieri General Commander, Tullio Del Sette, to find "quick clarifications and strict measures" in order to punish those behind "such a shameful act." "Anyone who swears to be military does so by declaring loyalty to the Republic, its laws and the Constitution," Roberta Pinotti said.