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5 things you absolutely must know today

Every morning, we scour the Internet and vet what we believe are the five things you absolutely need to know for the day. Join this mailing list to receive 5 things you absolutely must know today every morning, Monday to Friday, by 8 a.m.  

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Euro 2016 qualifier between Serbia and Albania ends early in brawl

A Euro 2016 qualifying match between Serbia and Albania ended in a brawl yesterday, after a flag and drone incident that one high-ranking official calls “political provocation.” A drone carrying the Albanian flag flew over the field, prodding the always-tenuous civility between the two Balkan rivals. Their rivalry is so intense that according to the BBC, “ordinary” Albanians were not allowed to attend the match. Stefan Mitrovic, a Serbian defender, pulled the flag off the drone. This upset a few Albanian players, who then attempted to retrieve it from him. Fighting ensued. Following the incident, rumours surfaced that the Albanian Prime Minister’s brother, Olsi Rama, masterminded the whole thing. But no charges have been laid.  The match in Belgrade ended after 41 minutes of play. [Source: BBC]

 Man Booker prize goes to The Narrow Road to the Deep North

The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Australian author Richard Flanagan has won the Man Book literature prize, Britain’s prestigious 50,000-pound nod. Flanagan’s novel, set during the construction of the “Death Railway” in World War Two, won over a strong shortlist of six titles, said jury chairman Anthony Grayling.”It’s an absolutely superb novel, really outstanding, it’s a great work of literature,” Grayling said. The other books in contention for the prize were:  We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Jay Fowler; To Rise Again at a Decent Hour by Joshua Ferris; J by Howard Jacobson; The Lives of Others by Neel Mukherjee; and How to be Both by Ali Smith.  [Source: CBC]

Bono apologizes cramming Innocence down our throats

It was hard to care that it happened, when it happened. And it’s hard to care about an apology for letting it happen. But Bono wants the world to know that he and his bandmates, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen, Jr, may have reached beyond the limitations that restrict us mortals when they shoved Songs of Innocence into our music libraries without consent. The apology comes in the form of a video response to a fan letter asking them to never do what they did again. Bono’s response: “Oops … I’m sorry about that. I had this beautiful idea. Might have gotten carried away with ourselves. Artists are prone to that thing. A drop of megalomania, a touch of generosity, a dash of self-promotion, and deep fear that these songs that we poured our life into over the last few years might not be heard. There’s a lot of noise out there. I guess, we got a little noisy ourselves to get through it.” There’s a humanity present in his apology, but barely. It reads as hubris. More than 26-million people have downloaded the album. And about 81-million have listened to the album as part of the promotion. Apple has since released a tool to cleanse your library of the scourge. We joke. It’s not that terrible.  [Source: TheVerge]

Violence between protesters and police escalates in  Hong Kong

Violence erupted in Hong Kong last night between police and protesters battling for control of an underpass situated near government headquarters. Officers were reportedly seen kicking a handcuffed activist as part of a clash that news sources are calling the worst violence since the protests began more than two weeks ago. Many protesters were knocked to the ground with batons, and others were seen being dragged away. It’s unclear what provoked the police aggression. “Hong Kong police have gone insane today, carrying out their own punishment in private,” said Lee Cheuk-yan, a pro-democracy lawmaker. “Hong Kong’s values and its rule of law really have been completely destroyed by police chiefs.” Beijing remains at an impasse with the protestors wanting Leung Chun-ying’s resignation and democratic elections, both sides unwilling to relent. “Now there is a feeling we are not just here to fool around or just to sit peacefully,” said a student protestor. “We are feeling more prepared. We have become more united in building defences.” [Source: CBC]

Storm conditions ravage Nepal’s hiking trails, killing many

A storm and avalanche in Nepal on Wednesday has killed 12 people including four Canadians. The tragedies occurred over a few districts in the country, as bizarre weather conditions spurred by a cyclone that made landfall in India a few days ago dumped heavy snow and rain on trails and mountains. The strange weather hit during a time when Nepal is a popular destination for hikers around the world.  Rescue crews employing the use of two army helicopters have been busy flying survivors to Jomsom town. The rescue effort is expected to continue for days. The identities of the deceased have not yet been released.  [Source: CTVNews]

Honourable mention: Parrot goes missing for four years, returns speaking Spanish.

“Darren Chick told the Daily Breeze newspaper that he doesn’t know where African grey parrot Nigel has been for four years but that aside from the language switch, the bird is doing fine back at home.” [Source]

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