The Hangover News

Media
THE BBC'S DIRECTOR GENERAL RESIGNED OVER THE 'NEWSNIGHT' SCANDAL
George Entwistle bows out after 54 days in charge

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The BBC's director general George Entwistle has resigned after an episode of Newsnight wrongly implicated Conservative peer Lord McAlpine in a child abuse case at a north Wales care home.

Entwistle had only been in charge for 54 days, during which the Jimmy Savile child abuse scandal surfaced and the BBC came under intense scrutiny for dropping an episode of Newsnight that investigated the claims.

In his statement, Entwistle said that "the wholly exceptional events of the past few weeks have led me to conclude that the BBC should appoint a new leader."

Lord McAlpine praised the ex-director general's decision, saying, "As the editor in chief of that news organisation, George has very honourably offered us his resignation because of the unacceptable mistakes – the unacceptable shoddy journalism – which has caused us so much controversy."

Natural Disasters
A HUGE EARTHQUAKE HIT NORTHERN BURMA
The 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit a week before President Obama's scheduled visit

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A 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit northern Burma – 70 miles north of the country's second largest city, Mandalay – leaving 12 people feared dead and dozens more injured.

Bridges, gold mines and houses reportedly collapsed and a number of temples were damaged, with the impact apparently being felt in the Thai capital of Bangkok, 865 miles away.

The quake hit a week before a scheduled visit by US President Barack Obama, marking the first time an American president will visit the former pariah nation, which is emerging from decades of military rule.

Fighting
ISRAEL FIRED A WARNING SHOT AT SYRIA 
It's the first time they've fired on Syrian forces in almost 40 years

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Israeli troops have fired warning shots into Syria after a Syrian mortar shell hit an Israeli army post on the Golan Heights, an area that supplies Israel with one-third of its water.

Although none have caused damage or injury, four shells from Syria have landed in the Golan Heights in the past week and, last week, three Syrian tanks briefly entered the buffer zone between Syria and the Golan Heights.

The Israeli Defence Forces' (IDF) response came after fears that the Syrian civil war may spill over into Israeli territory and is the first time since the 1973 Yom Kippur war that the IDF have have fired into Syrian territory.

Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu said that the country is closely monitoring the border and is "ready for any development".

Weather
VENICE IS MORE FLOODED THAN NORMAL AFTER BEING HIT BY HIGH TIDES AND HEAVY RAINFALL
More than 70 percent of the city is underwater

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Heavy rain and wind has triggered flooding in "The Floating City" of Venice, prompting the evacuation of 200 people.

Sea levels reached a peak of five feet above normal, flooding 70 percent of the city, before beginning to fall to their normal level, where it looks like most of the city is flooded anyway.

No injuries or deaths have been reported.

Identity Crises
JERMAINE JACKSON IS TRYING TO CHANGE HIS NAME TO JERMAINE JACKSUN
One letter apparently makes all the difference

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Jermaine Jackson – brother of the late King of Pop, Jackson 5 member and former Celebrity Big Brother contestant – has applied to change his name to Jermaine Jacksun.

Jackson's friend, Steve Dennis, enlightened the world to the fact that "Phonetically, it changes nothing," and claimed that instead of blaming it on the boogie, "you've got to blame it on the sunshine".

A hearing on whether Jackson will be able to become Jacksun is scheduled for February 22nd in LA.

Hang on to your seats until then.