Figures & Facts

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Sweden '[we] cannot cope' - closes borders to those without passports or ID cards: Sweden, with a population of 9.8 million, took 160,000 asylum seekers in 2015, a higher number of refugees per capita than any other country in the European Union. In September, prime minister Stefan Lofven said: 'My Europe takes in people fleeing from war', but by last month he admitted ' [we] cannot cope' - closing the borders to those without passports or ID cards.

Thousands of commuters traveling across the five-mile road and rail bridge and accompanying tunnel between the Danish capital Copenhagen and Malmo in Sweden were yesterday told to expect their journeys to take half an hour longer than the usual 40 minutes.

The decision to close the borders to those without passports or ID cards marks a massive turnaround for the Swedish government, which had been the most welcoming to migrants but changed course after more than 160,000 applied for asylum last year – the highest number per capita in Europe.  read more »

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telegraph.co.uk 23 Dec 2015 - Computer glitch frees 3,200 prisoners early in Washington state: the governor of Washington state has admitted that 3,200 prisoners have been released by mistake from his jails, after a computer glitch approved their early discharge.

Since computer systems were updated in 2002, around three percent of criminals have been released early due to an error that incorrectly calculated credit for "good time" served. Some of those who were released early will have to return to prison to finish their sentence, said Jay Inslee, the governor. Five have already been put back behind bars.

"That this problem was allowed to continue for 13 years is deeply disappointing to me, totally unacceptable and, frankly, maddening," said Mr Inslee on Tuesday. "So, when I learned of this, I immediately ordered the department to fix it, fix it fast and fix it right."

Mr Inslee said he had asked the state to work with local law enforcement to identify those people who need to be returned, and 7 of the 3,200 have so far been identified. The state estimates the average number of days offenders were released early is 49, with the luckiest prisoner being released 600 days early.

The state was made aware of the error in 2012 when the family of a crime victim learned the offender responsible was being released too early. But the state says the "coding fix was repeatedly delayed".  read more »

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Prince Harry’s moving Christmas card photo honors World War II Royal Air Force fighter pilot. The touching story behind - Harry recalled meeting WWII veteran Tom Neil as one of his "most memorable moments" of 2015, which is why it felt right to put it on the card. For his annual holiday missive, Harry chose a snap taken of him with a veteran at the Battle of Britain commemorative event he attended in September. (You'll recall his major Top Gun moment striding around in that flight suit).

Prince Harry's Very Touching Official Christmas Card - Harry and Neil, his "most memorable moments" of 2015 meeting a Hurricane ace Tom Neil, 95, in Battle of British, wwii  read more »

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*update* 16Dec2015
BBC - India Supreme Court cracks down on Delhi vehicle pollutionIt has ordered a temporary ban on the sale of large diesel vehicles and stopped trucks more than 10 years old from entering the city. India has 13 of the world's 20 most polluted cities, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported last year.

The Guardian - Delhi is now the world’s dirtiest city, surpassing Beijing for air pollution limits  read more »

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The spending bill presents Mr. Ryan with his most important test so far as speaker and will be a measure of how long members will remain enchanted with him. He can only hope their newfound ardor will match that for his new beard.
The short exchange had many signets of Mr. Ryan’s nascent leadership style, which contrasts sharply with that of his predecessor, John A. Boehner. Mr. Ryan has for the most part pushed the privilege of crafting legislation — and with it, the responsibilities — out of the leadership offices and back into the hands of members, replacing Mr. Boehner’s smoke-filled rooms, at least for now, with energy bar-lined committee conference rooms. When he wants to chat, he texts. In a grooming contrast to Mr. Boehner that seems almost willful, Mr. Ryan now also shuns shaving.

Proud of his furry face, Mr. Ryan wondered on social media whether he was, in fact, the first bearded House speaker in a century. While it was has not quite been 100 years, Mr. Ryan was close. According to the House historian, the last speaker with a beard was the appropriately named Frederick H. Gillett, who presided over the chamber until 1925.  read more »

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30 Nov 2015 - world's largest windfarm installation vessel, Seajacks Scylla delivered to UK by South Korea
Classification society ABS reports that the world's largest and most advanced wind farm installation and offshore construction vessel, the ABS-classed Seajacks Scylla, has been delivered by Samsung Heavy Industries' Geoje, South Korea, shipyard.  read more »

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Owls have long been a part of human folklore and legend. Owls often depicted in various ways in popular culture. They rank on par with bats and spiders as the most celebrated of Halloween creatures. Owls are a group of birds known for their distinct calls, nocturnal habits and silent flight. Owls are familiar to many people because they are often depicted in various ways in popular culture. They rank on par with bats and spiders as the most celebrated of Halloween creatures. Owls also appear as wise and noble characters in many children's stories, including Winnie the Pooh, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH and Harry Potter.

Owls are depicted in cave paintings in France that date back 15,000 to 20,000 years. Owls also appear in Egyptian hieroglyphics. They have held a variety of symbolic roles in culture and have represented misfortune, death, prosperity, and wisdom.

Owls have developed special feather adaptations that enable them to minimize the sound made when flapping their wings. For instance, the leading edges of their primary feathers have a stiff fringes that reduces noise while the trailing edge of their primaries have soft fringes that helps to reduce turbulence. Downy feathers cover the surfaces of the wing to further reduce sound.  read more »