Microsoft to unveil next version of SQL Server next month

Microsoft said it will unveil its next version of SQL Server, the company’s flagship database product on June 1, the company announced today. The release follows Microsoft’s usual round of public previews and release candidates since the company first announced this update in 2015. Maybe the biggest difference between this release cycle and others is that the company first tested many of the new features of SQL Server 2016 in its Azure cloud.
As we reported earlier this year, the focus of this update is on speed and security (with the ability to perform some queries on encrypted data without having to decrypt it first), but with this new version, Microsoft is also positioning SQL Server as a solution for data warehousing and big data analytics, thanks to both its built-in R support and its ability to store and query both structured and unstructured data.

This devoted dog sits outside its dead master's house every day for five years

A devoted dog sits outside its dead master’s home, just as it has done every day for the last five years. Locals in the southern Romanian village of Malu Mare are continually amazed by the animal’s loyalty and even when some tried to provide it with a new home, it has always run back to its old master’s house. Five years after the death of its owner, the loyal pet continues to wait outside the house. Neighbours say the dog guards over the main entrance of the now uninhabited house. The animal’s name is unknown as those who live close by say the owner kept himself to himself and they knew nothing about him or his canine friend. Passers-by feed the dog, who refuses to let anyone inside the courtyard. They say they have seen it at the same spot for the past five years, regardless of the season or weather.
The mayor of the village, Alexandru Dicu, said: “The dog is not aggressive, but won’t let anyone in, it just guards the property.

Saudi Arabia gives women the right to possess copy of their marriage contract

Saudi brides will now get a copy of their marriage contracts, a privilege that was previously exclusive to men in the ultra-conservative kingdom, the kingdom’s justice ministry has announced. According to a directorate issued by the justice minister, Walid al-Samaani, clerics who register marriage contracts will now have to hand a copy to the bride “to ensure her awareness of her rights and the terms of the contract”.
The decision aims to “protect the rights of the woman and facilitate procedures for her”, the ministry said in a statement carried by SPA state news agency. It said the decision took into consideration that a woman would need a copy of her marriage contract in case of a dispute with her husband and in court. Women need the permission of their male guardians to get married under Saudi Arabia’s interpretations of Islamic law. They also need that permission to travel and work, in a country where they are not allowed to drive and have to cover from head to toe when in public.

Residents flee as enormous sinkhole opens up in front of brand new homes

Fifty people had to flee their brand new homes after an enormous sinkhole opened up outside their front doors. Residents of the housing development were shocked to open their front doors to discover the deep hole which measures about 25sq metres. London Fire Brigade cordoned off the area as a 'hazard zone' - while officers evacuated people - allowing authorities to look into the cause, which is currently unknown. A total of 40 properties were evacuated, with overnight accommodation provided for those affected. Today though some residents are facing a second night unable to return home as the cause remains a mystery.

Zimbabwe sells off wild animals as drought hits hard

Zimbabwe put its wild animals up for sale on Tuesday, saying it needed buyers to step in and save the beasts from a devastating drought. Members of the public "with the capacity to acquire and manage wildlife" - and enough land to hold the animals - should get in touch to register an interest, the state Parks and Wildlife Management Authority said. There were no details on the animals on offer or their cost, but the southern African country's 10 national parks are famed for their huge populations of elephants, lions, rhinos, leopards and buffalos. A drought across the region has left more than 4 million Zimbabweans needing aid and hit the crops they rely on for food and export earnings, from maize to tobacco.

US cruise ship arrives in Cuba after nearly 40 years

                                                                           (C)EPA

The first American cruise ship in nearly 40 years to set sail for Cuba has docked in Havana harbour with more than 700 passengers on board. The arrival of the Adonia on Monday evening marks the restart of commercial travel between the US and the island-state after five decades of hostile relations brought on by the Cold War. The ship was the first US cruise ship in Havana since president Jimmy Carter eliminated virtually all restrictions of US travel to Cuba in the late 1970s. Travel limits were restored after Carter left office and US cruises to Cuba only become possible again after Presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro declared detente in December 2014.

Property boom in Northern Nigeria following Boko Haram retreat

Property investors in the Nigerian city of Maiduguri are benefiting from a rise in property prices following the retreat of Boko Haram fighters. Maiduguri is the largest city in Borno state, once a stronghold of the fighters and a frequent target for its suicide bombers. The group claims to be fighting against Western influence and is thought to have killed about 15,000 people and driven more than two million from their homes during its six-year insurgency. Since the Nigerian military began a wide-ranging military operation against Boko Haram, many of Maiduguri's residents that had fled are on their way back home. They had sold land and property to escape the armed group's advance but their return is forcing prices to go up.

Mexico City orders 40% of cars off the street as smog alert is issued

Mexico City officials issued a new air pollution alert, meaning that 40 percent of vehicles will be banned on Tuesday, while industries will be required to cut emissions. Smog in the megacity of more than 20 million people worsened in March, prompting authorities to issue the first alerts in a decade and impose new traffic restrictions through June.
The new rules keep one-in-five cars off the road every day, but the alert issued on Monday will double the ban on Tuesday. Some 5.5 million vehicles circulate on normal days.
The Environmental Commission of the Megalopolis, which includes authorities from the capital and surrounding states, also ordered cement, chemical, pharmaceutical, oil and power companies to reduce emissions by as much as 40 percent.

Saudi Binladin construction firm layoff 77,000 workers

Saudi Binladin, said to be heavily in debt, lays off foreign workers and aims to cut 12,000 jobs held by Saudi citizens. Saudi Binladin Group, a Saudi-owned construction company, has laid off about 77,000 foreign workers and plans to cut thousands of jobs held by Saudi nationals, according to a local newspaper report. Binladin has issued 77,000 final exit visas to foreign workers so that they can leave Saudi Arabia, and is expected to lay off 12,000 of 17,000 Saudis in supervisory, administrative, engineering and management jobs, Al Watan newspaper quoted an unnamed source in the company as saying on Monday.

12 benefits of lemon

Household Deodorizer
There are a lot of different ways to use lemons to deodorize in and around the home. An ideal way to get rid of nasty odors in the refrigerator is to soak a sponge in lemon juice and then leave it in the fridge for a few hours. Lemon peel added to the trash can, or slices of lemon placed near a cat box, will also help to reduce odors. You can make an excellent room freshener by simmering lemon peel in boiling water with a couple of cinnamon sticks and handful of cloves. Put it in a spray bottle and use when needed.

Cleaning Agent
Lemon juice has the ability to cut right through grease and grime and is especially useful for cleaning dirty windowpanes. An excellent homemade window cleaner can be made by combining lemon juice with vinegar, water and a little cornstarch together. Greasy cutting boards can be cleaned using a cut lemon together with coarse salt, and a teaspoonful or two added to dishwasher helps to cut through the grease on plates and dishes. Cut lemon also works wonders when rubbed over faucets and shower fittings to clean them. Lemon juice combined with lemon essential oil, vinegar, baking soda and water makes a really good all-purpose cleaner. A great idea for greasy graters that have been used to grate cheese is to rub with half a lemon instead of a sponge.

Hikers lost in New Zealand forest rescued after 5 days

Hiker Rachel Lloyd said she was on the verge of dying when search and rescue crews found her and her mother five days after they got lost in the New Zealand wilderness. The North Carolina natives set out on a day hike Tuesday but soon became lost in Tararua Forest Park in New Zealand. Rachel, 25, became injured and could no longer walk. Her mother, Carolyn Lloyd, 45, used branches to spell out "HELP" in two clearings of the forest. That's how rescue helicopters found the pair days later.
The Lloyds began their hiking adventure on the Kapakapanui Track of Tararua Forest Park on Tuesday. The track takes about six to eight hours to hike and is known to have one of the best viewpoints in the Tararua Range. Though experienced day hikers, the pair became disoriented on the course. Instead of following the orange trail markers, "we saw blue markers and thought this must be another track to go down the mountain," said Carolyn.

Woman sentenced to 100 years for cutting baby from stranger’s womb

A judge in Colorado has sentenced a woman to 100 years in prison for cutting an eight-month-old baby from a stranger’s womb with kitchen knives, local media reported. The sentence included the maximum penalties for attempted murder and unlawful termination of a pregnancy, which Judge Maria Berkenkotter said on Friday reflected the brutality of last year’s attack.
A jury in February found Dynel Lane guilty of attempting to kill Michelle Wilkins by beating, stabbing and choking her after luring her to her home by posting an advertisement for maternity clothes on Craigslist, the online classified listings service. Prosecutors could not charge Lane with murdering the baby because a coroner found no evidence it had survived outside the womb. Lane, 36, had faked a pregnancy for months, deceiving her husband David Ridley, whom she had told would be the baby’s father.

Leicester City wins Barclays Premier League 2015/16

Leicester City have won the Premier League title after Tottenham Hotspur failed to beat Chelsea on Monday night. The Foxes become the first club since Nottingham Forest in 1977-78 to win the English top-flight league title for the first time, having only once before -- in 1928-29 -- finished as runners-up. After Leicester drew 1-1 with Manchester United at the weekend, Tottenham were left needing to beat the Blues to keep the title race alive, but Claudio Ranieri's men are now an unassailable seven points clear of their rivals with two games left to play after the 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge.

Owner of Kenya building which collapsed killing at least 21, arrested

The owner of a building which collapsed in Kenya’s capital Nairobi on Friday, killing at least 21 people, has been arrested, police told the BBC. Samuel Karanja Kamau would appear in court on Tuesday, police added. Earlier, officials said he did not have permission to rent out 119 rooms in the six-storey building. Mr. Kamau has not yet commented on the allegation.
More than 90 people are still feared trapped beneath the rubble, BBC reports. About 135 people, according to local media, have been freed so far from the collapsed building.
The governor of Nairobi, Evans Kidero, said that officials who approved the construction of the building in the poor neighbourhood of Huruma would be sacked. Three days of rainfall caused landslides and flooded roads in Nairobi.

This prototype fork can shock your tongue to stimulate the taste of salt

                                                                              (C)RekimotoLab

Sprinkling salt on food makes it taste better, but extra sodium can cause health problems. Now researchers have built a device that adds the salty taste, but without actually adding the salt. A battery-powered fork will electrically shocks taste buds to simulate the taste of salt, as well as also sourness and different food textures. Still in the prototype stages, the device is geared towards individuals who are on low-salt or salt-free diets but still crave the taste, reports Nikkie Technology.
'It's a technology that allows electricity to be used as seasoning,' Hiromi Nakamura, a researcher at the University of Tokyo, who is part of the 'No Salt Restaurant' project that aims to improve local diets, told Inverse.

Research shows how the shape of a woman’s genital can determine her ability to orgasm during intercourse

We often hear how a man's anatomy is to credit - or blame - for a partner's level of sexual pleasure. But new research suggests that a woman's own genital configuration will ultimately determine her ability to orgasm during penetrative sex. The study, conducted by Leslie Hoffman at Indiana University's department of anatomy, says the clitoris' close proximity to the urinary tract is essential for satisfaction. And, interestingly, it's something that's determined while still in the womb. The report, published in the journal Clinical Anatomy, claims the clitoris 'drifts' away from the vaginal opening during gestation. Where it ends up is determined by the amount of hormones its exposed to, but if the eventual distance measures 2.5 cm or less then women will still enjoy sufficient friction during traditional intercourse.

Pilots are to blame for Air Algerie crash that killed 116 people

The final report on a 2014 Air Algerie airliner crash that killed 116 people, released on Friday, said the accident was largely due to the pilots failing to activate the plane's anti-icing system. The McDonnell Douglas MD-83 crashed in the desert in northern Mali in bad weather, barely half an hour into its flight from Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou to Algiers, killing everyone on board. France bore the brunt of the tragedy with 54 dead - nearly half of the victims - and in some cases, whole families wiped out. Presenting the report by investigators from France's BEA civil aviation authority in Bamako on Friday, Mali's Transport Minister Mamadou Hachim Koumare said engine pressure sensors had become blocked, seemingly by ice crystals, and the crew did not turn on the anti-icing system.

A peep into Europe’s first underwater museum

The island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands set up of the first sculptures in what will be the first completely underwater museum in Europe.
Museo Atlántico - Atlantic Museum - is the vision of British artist Jason deCaires Taylor, who has created similar works in both Cancun, Mexico and Grenada in the West Indies. The sculpture park in Grenada was the first of its kind in the world and has been listed as one of National Geographic's Top 25 Wonders of the World.
More pictures after the cut

Teenager accidentally shot himself in the head while taking selfie with a gun

An Indian teenager accidentally shot himself in the head with his father's gun while trying to take a “selfie” photograph, police said Sunday, the latest in a series of such accidents. The 15-year-old is being treated in hospital at Pathankot in Punjab state and is expected to survive, said the city's deputy police superintendent, Manoj Kumar. The accident happened on Friday evening when the schoolboy was playing at home with the licensed revolver which is normally kept in a wardrobe, Kumar told AFP.
“The boy's father and family said that he was trying to take a selfie with his gun,” he said.

Pics: Snakes at the mercy of killer spiders

More pictures after the cut