FridayFri, July 24th Edition Go Back

On this day in 2023

On this day in 2022

• EVENTS
• Singer-songwriter icon Joni Mitchell makes a surprise concert appearance, joining Brandi Carlile at Newport Folk Festval; Mitchell's first public performance in 19 years.
• Pope Francis arrives in Edmonton, Canada, to begin “a penitential trip” to meet with and apologize to First Nation, Métis and Inuit communities for their treatment at church-run residential schools.
• FICTION
• David Warner, British Emmy Award-winning stage, screen, radio, and voice actor (Masada; Star Trek VI; Time Bandits), who died of lung cancer at 80.

On this day in 2021

• WEDDINGS
• Lady Kitty Spencer, niece of Diana, Princess of Wales, marries retail tycoon Michael Lewis, at the Villa Aldobrandini in Frascati, Italy.
• DEATHS
• Dieter Brummer, Australian TV actor (Home and Away; Underbelly), takes his own life at 45.
• Jackie Mason [Yacov Maza], American Emmy and Tony Award winning stand-up comedian, stage, film and television actor (The World According To Me!), who died at 93.

On this day in 2020

• DEATHS
• Eric Sweeney, Irish contemporary composer (The Green One), who died at 72.
• Brandon White, Race Car Driver.
• Ann Syrdal, American psychologist and computer science researcher (developed female synthetic voices at AT& T), who died at 74.
• Naazim Richardson, American boxing trainer (Bernard Hopkins, "Sugar" Shane Mosley), who died of stroke complications at 55.
• Tim Hitt, Race Car Driver.
• MOVIES: NOT RATED
• Fisherman's Friends is released. A fast living, cynical London music executive (Daniel Mays) heads to a remote Cornish village on a stag weekend where he's pranked by his boss (Noel Clarke) into trying to sign a group of shanty singing fishermen (led by James Purefoy). He becomes the ultimate "fish out of water"as he struggles to gain the respect or enthusiasm of the unlikely boy band and their families (including Tuppence Middleton) who value friendship and community over fame and fortune. As he's drawn deeper into the traditional way of life he's forced to reevaluate his own integrity and ultimately question what success really means.
• Helmut Newton: The Bad and the Beautiful is released. One of the great masters of photography, Helmut Newton made a name for himself exploring the female form, and his cult status continues long after his tragic death in a Los Angeles car crash in 2004. Newton worked around the globe, from Singapore to Australia to Paris to Los Angeles, but Weimar Germany was the visual hallmark of his work. Newton's unique and striking way of depicting women has always posed the question: did he empower his subjects or treat them as sexual objects? [Kino Lorber]
• MOVIES: NR
• The Rental is released. Two couples on an oceanside getaway grow suspicious that the host of their seemingly perfect rental house may be spying on them. Before long, what should have been a celebratory weekend trip turns into something far more sinister, as well-kept secrets are exposed and the four old friends come to see each other in a whole new light.
• MOVIES: PG13
• Radioactive is released. The incredible, true story of Marie Curie (Rosamund Pike) and her ground-breaking scientific achievements. In Paris,1893, Marie meets fellow scientist Pierre Curie (Sam Riley). The pair go on to marry, raise two daughters and change the face of science forever by jointly winning the Nobel Prize for the discovery of radium in 1903. Marie Curie was the first female scientist to win the esteemed prize.
• MOVIES: R
• Retaliation is released. Malky (Orlando Bloom) is a demolition worker whose life receives a seismic shock when, out drinking with friends at a local pub, he sees a disturbing figure from his past: the man he holds responsible for a traumatic childhood incident. Fueled by anger, Malky sets out on a path of vengeance—and discovers that no one can escape the consequences of their sins.
• Most Wanted is released. Inspired by the gripping true story, an investigative journalist (Josh Hartnett) unravels a twisted case of entrapment wherein a guy from the wrong side of the tracks, Daniel (Antoine-Olivier Pilon), is forced into a dangerous drug deal against his will and is sentenced to 100 years in a Thai prison. As Daniel endures torture and abuse, the journalist must track down the shady undercover cops benefiting off the conspiracy, while also fighting for Daniel’s freedom.
• Amulet is released. Following an accident that leaves him homeless in London, former soldier Tomaz is brought to the rotting home of Magda, a lonely woman in desperate need of help as she looks after her dying mother. Though at first resistant, Magda eventually welcomes him into their lives and allows him to help her care for them. But as he worms his way into their routine and begins to fall for Magda, Tomaz starts to notice strange, unexplainable, and ugly phenomena. Something seems very wrong with the mysterious old woman who never leaves the top floor, and Magda may in fact be enslaved to do her otherworldly bidding.
• The Big Ugly is released. Neeyln (Vinnie Jones) has always been the loyal enforcer for crime boss Harris (Malcolm McDowell) back in London, taking care of problems and people that disrupt his illicit business. When Harris strikes a deal with an old friend – American oilman Preston (Ron Perlman) – they find themselves in the wild hills of West Virginia. Contracts are signed and the whiskey flows in celebration, but overnight Neelyn’s girlfriend disappears, last seen with Preston’s wayward son Junior. Lines are drawn between family and friends, but nothing will stop Neelyn from getting answers — and retribution.
• Yes, God, Yes is released. After an innocent AOL chat turns racy, a Catholic teenager (Natalia Dyer) in the early 00s discovers masturbating and struggles to suppress her new urges in the face of eternal damnation.
• MOVIES: TV14
• The Kissing Booth 2 is released. Elle Evans (Joey King) just had the most romantic summer of her life with her reformed bad-boy boyfriend Noah Flynn (Jacob Elordi). But now Noah is off to Harvard, and Elle heads back to high school for her senior year. She'll have to juggle a long-distance relationship, getting into her dream college with her best friend Lee (Joel Courtney), and the complications brought on by a close friendship with a handsome, charismatic new classmate named Marco (Taylor Perez). When Noah grows close to a seemingly-perfect college girl (Maisie Richardson-Sellers), Elle will have to decide how much she trusts him and to whom her heart truly belongs.
• ALBUMS
• Wu Hen was released by Kamaal Williams. The second full-length release for the London-based artist features guest appearances from Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and Lauren Faith.
• All the Time was released by Jessy Lanza. The third full-length release for the New York-based Canadian pop artist was again produced with Junior Boys' Jeremy Greenspan.
• Heart's Ease was released by Shirley Collins. The latest full-length release for the British singer-songwriter features four non-traditional songs.
• folklore was released by Taylor Swift. The 16-track surprise release from the pop artist features contributions from Jack Antonoff, Bon Iver, William Bowery, and Aaron Dessner of the National.
• Old Flowers was released by Courtney Marie Andrews. The latest full-length release for the Nashville-based singer-songwriter was written after the end of a long-term relationship and was produced by Andrew Sarlo.
• GAMING: PLAYSTATION 4
• WWI Tannenberg: Eastern Front for PlayStation 4 is released. Experience authentic First World War action with 64 player battles of maneuver on the Eastern Front. Warfare between the Russian Empire and the Central Powers is a tense battle for dominance – stay close to your squad to survive!
• GAMING: SWITCH
• Dex for Switch is released. Discover the truth behind an enigmatic AI striving to reach the Singularity, a theoretical event horizon in which artificial intelligence will surpass human intelligence and all bets about the future will be off. How will you play your part in the story?Explore the futuristic city of Harbor Prime and meet its many inhabitants, answer the challenges the city has to offer, roam the neon-lit streets, and augment your character with skills and implants.Designed as a tribute to the classic RPGs from the 90s, updated for a modern audience, Dex invites you to become part of a living, breathing cyberpunk universe as you decide which ultimate path you will embrace.
• GAMING: XBOX ONE
• Tannenberg for Xbox One is released. Experience authentic First World War action with 64 player battles of maneuver on the Eastern Front. Warfare between the Russian Empire and the Central Powers is a tense battle for dominance – stay close to your squad to survive!
• SPORTS
• Regis Philbin, American talk & game show host (Joey Bishop Show; Live with Regis & Kathie Lee; Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?) dies at 88 [2].

On this day in 2019

• EVENTS
• Queen's iconic ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ video reached one billion views on YouTube, a new record for one of the band’s videos. The milestone made it the first pre-1990s video to reach one billion views on the platform. ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ was also named as the most Googled song of 2018..
• New UK PM Boris Johnson drastically reshapes cabinet in his first day in office, appointing Dominic Raab as Foreign Secretary, Priti Patel as Home Secretary and Sajid Javid as Chancellor.
• Global warming is the fastest in 2,000 years and scientific consensus that humans are the cause is at 99%, according to three major reports published in journals "Nature" and "Nature Geoscience".
• Facebook agrees to pay $5 billion fine, largest ever for violating consumer privacy, to the US Federal Trade Commission.
• 10th million Mini car produced during its 60th anniversary year in Oxford, England.
• Second heatwave of the summer in Western Europe sets record temperatures in Belgium in Kleine Brogel 39.9C (102F), for Holland in Eindhoven 39.3C (102F) and Germany at Geilenkirchen 40.5C (104F).
• 19-year-old Hungarian swimmer Kristóf Milák breaks Michael Phelps'10 year old 200m butterfly world record at the World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea; swims 1:50.73,0.78s faster than Phelps.
• MOVIES: NR
• Angels Are Made of Light is released. Angels Are Made of Light traces the lives of young students and their teachers at a school in the old city of Kabul. Interweaving the modern history of Afghanistan with present-day portraits, the film offers an intimate and nuanced vision of a society living in the shadow of war.
• MOVIES: TVMA
• The Great Hack is released. Data has surpassed oil as the world’s most valuable asset. It’s being weaponized to wage cultural and political warfare. People everywhere are in a battle for control of our most intimate personal details. From award-winning filmmakers Karim Amer and Jehane Noujaim, The Great Hack uncovers the dark world of data exploitation with astounding access to the personal journeys of key players on different sides of the explosive Cambridge Analytica/Facebook data scandal. [Netflix]
• TV SERIES
• South Side: Season 1 is released. Fresh out of community college, the two friends (Bashir Salahuddin and Diallo Riddle) end up working at a rent-tow-own company in the South Side of Chicago in this comedy written by Salahuddin and Riddle.
• GAMING: XBOX ONE
• Pawarumi for Xbox One is released. A modern shoot’em up set in a retro futuristic sci-fi universe. You’ll take control of the almighty ship Chukaru and its three unique weapons. Shoot wisely to either do double damage, heal yourself, or charge your super attack as you dispatch a enormous number of foes.
• POLITICS
• Special counsel Robert Mueller reports to the US Senate that President Trump was not exonerated of obstruction of justice and that Russia interfered in US election to benefit Trump.

On this day in 2018

• EVENTS
• Singer Demi Lovato is hospitalized after a drug overdose in Los Angeles.
• Wildfires near Athens, Greece, kill 91 with 104 injured, over 600 rescued from the coast by boats.
• First bison born in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada, in 140 years, after being reintroduced.
• DEATHS
• John Murray, England cricket wicketkeeper (21 Tests; 55 dismissals), who died at 83.
• GAMING: PLAYSTATION 4
• Airheart: Tales of Broken Wings for PlayStation 4 is released. AIRHEART follows Amelia, a young pilot and sky-fisherwoman who dreams of reaching the stratosphere and catching the legendary Skywhale, a feat that promises riches and fame through the ages. Skyfishing is a cutthroat business, though, and Amelia must outmaneuver sky pirates and automated security zones to survive each perilous flight through the beautiful world of floating islands in the clouds she calls home.
• Detached for PlayStation 4 is released. Detached is a space exploration VR game that demands tactics and skill to survive. Strap yourself in for hardcore gameplay uniquely designed for VR headsets.Trapped in an abandoned space station, you must race against borrowed time to find your crew before your oxygen supply runs out. As you solve puzzles to open airlocks, locate power cores and disable transmitters, something tells you that you wont be alone when you finally escape into the universes deep infinity.
• Train Sim World for PlayStation 4 is released. Take control of mighty machines traveling at breath-taking speeds around the world. Train Sim World puts you in the driver's seat of high speed trains, freight services and intercity locomotives, challenging you to carry out a number of duties all across the globe. Live out your Rail Fan dreams exploring highly detailed and immersive environments, finding the best vantage points from which to capture those once-in-a-lifetime shots. Train Sim World is rich in detail and authenticity, with every control recreated using Unreal Engine 4 technology, along with Dovetail's proprietary SimuGraph vehicle dynamics engine. Feel the thrill as you step into the cab and dominate everyday behemoths that pull thousands of tons of passengers and cargo from city to city. Do you have what it takes to earn your place as a train engineer?
• The Persistence VR for PlayStation 4 is released. Caught in the inexorable pull of a black hole, and with the crew mutated into horrific and murderous aberrations, it’s down to you, a clone of security officer Zimri Eder, to save the ship and make the jump back to earth.
• The Council - Episode 3: Ripples for PlayStation 4 is released. Episode 3: Ripples continues the story of Louis de Richet as plots are revealed, characters reach their breaking point, and an unexpected, terrifying truth is uncovered. It will take all of Louis’ influence to prevent the situation from growing out of hand in this third episode of the adventure game The Council.
• GAMING: SWITCH
• Semblance for Switch is released. Semblance is a innovative platformer with deformable terrain, set in a beautiful minimalist world. It's a game that asks, what if you could deform and reshape the world itself? Semblance takes the idea of a 'platform' in a platformer and turns it on it’s head. What if platforms were actually part of the gameplay, part of the way you solved problems?
• Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 for Switch is released. Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 includes Mega Man X5, X6, X7, and X8.
• GAMING: XBOX ONE
• No Man's Sky for Xbox One is released. Inspired by the adventure and imagination that we love from classic science-fiction, No Man's Sky presents you with a galaxy to explore, filled with unique planets and lifeforms, and constant danger and action. In No Man's Sky, every star is the light of a distant sun, each orbited by planets filled with life, and you can go to any of them you choose. Fly smoothly from deep space to planetary surfaces, with no loading screens, and no limits. In this infinite procedurally generated universe, you'll discover places and creatures that no other players have seen before - and perhaps never will again.Embark on an epic voyageAt the centre of the galaxy lies a irresistible pulse which draws you on a journey towards it to learn the true nature of the cosmos. But, facing hostile creatures and fierce pirates, you'll know that death comes at a cost, and survival will be down to the choices you make over how you upgrade your ship, your weapon and suit.Find your own destinyYour voyage through No Man's Sky is up to you. Will you be a fighter, preying on the weak and taking their riches, or taking out pirates for their bounties? Power is yours if you upgrade your ship for speed and weaponry.Or a trader? Find rich resources on forgotten worlds and exploit them for the highest prices. Invest in more cargo space and you'll reap huge rewards.Or perhaps an explorer? Go beyond the known frontier and discover places and things that no one has ever seen before. Upgrade your engines to jump ever farther, and strengthen your suit for survival in toxic environments that would kill the unwary.Share your journeyThe galaxy is a living, breathing place. Trade convoys travel between stars, factions vie for territory, pirates hunt the unwary, and the police are ever watching. Every other player lives in the same galaxy, and you can choose to share your discoveries with them on a map that spans known space. Perhaps you will see the results of their actions as well as your own...
• SPORTS
• Tony Cloninger, American MLB pitcher and coach (2 Grand Slams in one game), who died at 77.

On this day in 2017

• EVENTS
• Taliban suicide bomber on a motorbikes kills at least 26 and injuries 50 in Lahore, Pakistan.
• Linkin Park released their first official statement after the death of frontman Chester Bennington the previous week. "Our hearts are broken. The shock waves of grief and denial are still sweeping through our family as we come to grips with what has happened, "it read..
• Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner says he did not collude with Russia after meeting with Senate investigators.
• TV SERIES
• Midnight, Texas: Season 1 is released. Traveling psychic Manfred Bernardo (François Arnaud) settles in the small Texas town of Midnight and discovers there are more to the people in town than meets the eye in this supernatural drama based on the book series by Charlaine Harris.
• POLITICS
• Polish President Andrzej Duda vetoes 2 laws to put Polish courts under political control.

On this day in 2016

• EVENTS
• 103rd Tour de France won by Chris Froome of Great Britain.
• British Senior Open Men's Golf, Carnoustie: Englishman Paul Broadhurst wins by 2 strokes from American Scott McCarron.
• DEATHS
• (Margaret) "Marni" Nixon [McEathron], American soprano singer and film 'ghost voice'(for Audrey Hepburn in "My Fair Lady" ; Natalie Wood in "West Side Story**" ; Deborah Kerr in "The King And I"), who died at 86.
• Marni Nixon, American singer (for Audrey Hepburn, Natalie Wood & Deborah Kerr), who died at 86.

On this day in 2015

• MOVIES: NOT RATED
• Big Significant Things is released. A week before he's set to move across the country with his girlfriend, Craig impulsively sets out on a solo road trip across the US to see the nation’s largest sites in this funny, warm-hearted comedy of self-discovery. [Oscilloscope Laboratories]
• Dark Was the Night is released. Maiden Woods is a remote and quiet town of decent hard-working people, but something stirs in the dark woods surrounding this isolated community. After a logging company decimates an area of the forest, a rash of increasingly violent and unexplainable events transpires. Sheriff Paul Shields (Kevin Durand) and his deputy (Lukas Haas) struggle to confront their own personal demons while facing down a new breed of raw terror that is possibly older than humanity itself… And much, much hungrier. [Image Entertainment]
• A Gay Girl in Damascus: The Amina Profile is released. Amina Arraf, an attractive Syrian-American revolutionary, is having an online affair with Sandra Bagaria, a young, brilliant and well-informed Montreal professional. Amina then launches her provocatively named blog, A Gay Girl in Damascus. As the Syrian uprising gains momentum, the blog acquires a huge following. But it’s Amina’s subsequent abduction—carried out in broad daylight in downtown Damascus, allegedly by the Syrian secret police—that sparks an international movement to save her from torture, rape or even death. Set against the tumultuous backdrop of a divided nation being drawn into civil war, this tale of virtual relationships in the era of online data takes on international dimensions. What starts as a love story becomes a story about an unprecedented media and sociological hoax, infotainment, deceit and betrayal.
• Five Star is released. A member of the notorious Bloods since he was 12 years old — both in the film and in real life — Primo takes John, the son of his slain mentor, under his wing, versing him in the code of the streets. [XLrator Media]
• Horse Money is released. While the young captains lead the revolution in the streets, the people of Fontainhas search for Ventura, lost in the woods.
• The Outrageous Sophie Tucker is released. Discover the rags to riches story of The Outrageous Sophie Tucker, an iconic superstar who ruled the worlds of vaudeville, Broadway, radio, television, and Hollywood throughout the 20th century. Before Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Bette Midler, Marilyn Monroe, and Mae West, Sophie Tucker was the first woman to infatuate her audiences with a bold, bawdy and brassy style unlike any other.
• MOVIES: PG13
• The Vatican Tapes is released. A priest and two Vatican exorcists must do battle with an ancient satanic force to save the soul of a young woman.
• Paper Towns is released. Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life—dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows. After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Quentin arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Quentin soon learns that there are clues, and they're for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Quentin sees of the girl he thought he knew.
• Phoenix is released. Nelly (Nina Hoss), a German-Jewish nightclub singer, has survived a concentration camp, but with her face disfigured by a bullet wound. After reconstructive surgery, Nelly emerges with a new face, one similar but different enough that her former husband, Johnny (Ronald Zehrfeld), doesn’t recognize her. Rather than reveal herself, Nelly walks into a dangerous game of duplicity and disguise as she tries to figure out if the man she loves may have betrayed her to the Nazis. [IFC Films]
• Pixels is released. When intergalactic aliens misinterpret video-feeds of classic arcade games as a declaration of war against them, they attack the Earth, using the games as models for their various assaults. President Will Cooper (Kevin James) has to call on his childhood best friend, '80s video game champion Sam Brenner (Adam Sandler), now a home theater installer, to lead a team of old-school arcaders (Peter Dinklage and Josh Gad) to defeat the aliens and save the planet. Joining them is Lt. Col. Violet Van Patten (Michelle Monaghan), a specialist supplying the arcaders with unique weapons to fight the aliens. [Sony Pictures]
• MOVIES: R
• Southpaw is released. Billy Hope (Jake Gyllenhaal), the reigning Junior Middleweight Champion, seemingly has it all with an impressive career, a beautiful and loving wife (Rachel McAdams), an adorable daughter (Oona Laurence) and a lavish lifestyle. When tragedy strikes and his lifelong manager and friend (Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson) leaves him behind, Hope hits rock bottom and turns to an unlikely savior at a run-down local gym: Tick Willis (Forest Whitaker), a retired fighter and trainer to the city’s toughest amateur boxers. With his future riding on Tick’s guidance and tenacity, Billy enters the hardest battle of his life as he struggles with redemption and to win back the trust of those he loves. [TWC]
• Staten Island Summer is released. Pals Danny (Graham Phillips) and Frank (Zack Pearlman) spend the summer after high school working as lifeguards while figuring out their future.
• Samba is released. When Samba (Omar Sy) is suddenly ordered to leave France, he enlists the help of Alice (Charlotte Gainsbourg), an emotionally vulnerable immigration advocate with little experience but plenty of heart. As the immigrant aspiring chef and the burned-out corporate executive tentatively explore an unexpected bond, they inspire each other to reinvent themselves in this vibrant comedy full of tender humor and heartfelt optimism. [Broad Green Pictures]
• Unexpected is released. When Samantha Abbott (Cobie Smulders) begins her final semester teaching science at a Chicago high school, she faces some unexpected news: She’s pregnant. Soon after, Samantha learns that one of her favorite students, Jasmine (Gail Bean), has landed in a similar situation. [The Film Arcade]
• ALBUMS
• Universes was released by Seven Davis Jr.. The debut full-length release for the Los Angeles-based artist features influences from funk, hip-hop, house, and pop music.
• Woman was released by Jill Scott. The fifth full-length studio release for the R&B/soul singer features production from 9th Wonder, David Banner, and Andre "Dre"Harris.
• VII: Sturm und Drang was released by Lamb of God. The eighth studio release for the metal band led by Randy Blythe features guest appearances from the Deftones' Chino Moreno and Dillinger Escape Plan's Greg Puciato.
• Works for Tomorrow was released by Eleventh Dream Day. The 12th full-length release for the Chicago alternative rock band that includes Janet Bean, Mark Greenberg, Doug McCombs, and Rick Rizzo features the addition of guitarist Jim Elkington.
• Seraph was released by Mas Ysa. The debut full-length release for Thomas Arsenault as Mas Ysa features a guest appearance from Hundred Waters’ Nicole Miglis.
• St. Catherine was released by Ducktails. The fifth release for the solo project of Real Estate's Matt Mondanile was produced by Rob Schnapf.
• Subjective Concepts was released by Strange Wilds. The debut full-length release for the alternative rock trio from Olympia, Washington, was produced with Jackson Long.
• The Blade was released by Ashley Monroe. The second full-length release for the country singer-songwriter (who is also a member of Pistol Annies) was produced by Vince Gill and Justin Niebank.
• Little Victories was released by The Strypes. This is the second full-length release for the Irish rock quartet was produced by Charlie Russell and Bradley Spence.
• Lost Time was released by Fox Millions Duo. The debut release for Liturgy's Greg Fox and Oneida's Kid Millions was recorded in two separate sessions.
• Man Plans God Laughs was released by Public Enemy. The 13th release for the rap group led by Chuck D was produced by Gary "G-Wiz"Rinaldo.
• Infinite Dissolution was released by Locrian. The latest release for the Chicago-based experimental rock band was inspired by Elizabeth Kolbert's book "The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History"and was produced by Greg Norman.
• Music For Drifters was released by Field Music. The Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival commissioned the band to compose a new score for the 1929 silent documentary by John Grierson called Drifters.
• Key Markets was released by Sleaford Mods. The third full-length release for the British duo was self-produced.
• Array 1 [EP] was released by Loop. The four-track EP from the British alternative rock band founded by Robert Hampson comes after the group reunited in 2013 for the All Tomorrow's Parties festival.
• Bahdeni Nami was released by Omar Souleyman. The second studio release for the Syrian electronic artist features production from Four Tet, Legowelt, Modeselektor, Gilles Peterson and Black Lips' Cole Alexander.
• GAMING: PC
• Cradle for PC is released. Cradle is a sci-fi first-person-view quest designed for the player to explore the surrounding world. The story is built around the relations of the protagonist and a mechanical girl who by quirk of fate found themselves amidst the desert.
• Victor Vran for PC is released. Victor Vran is an isometric Action-RPG with a vast selection of weapons, items, outfits, demon powers and destiny cards. Experience combat action with dozens of enemies attacking you from all sides and unleash powerful skills to finish them off.
• GAMING: XBOX ONE
• Q.U.B.E. Director's Cut for Xbox One is released. The Director’s Cut is the definitive version of Q.U.B.E. featuring new content, puzzles and an all new story line from award winning writer Rob Yescombe.
• POLITICS
• US President Barack Obama begins an historic 2 day visit to Kenya.

On this day in 2014

• EVENTS
• 47th San Diego Comic-Con International opens at San Diego Convention Center.
• Over 10,000 Palestinians protest Israel's operation in Gaza; 2 Palestinians killed after Al-Aqsa Brigades members fire at Israeli forces.
• Duran Duran took legal action against a US company charged with running their fan club over unpaid revenues. The group claimed they are owed $40,000 (£23,500) by the Illinois-based outfit WorldWide Fan Clubs. The company had been charged with managing subscriptions and fan records for Duran Duran, with 75% of profits going to the musicians..
• DEATHS
• Ik-Hwan Bae, South Korean-American violinist (Bargemusic,1982-95) and educator (Indiana University Jacobs School of Music,1999-2014), who died of cancer at 57.
• GAMING: 3DS
• Siesta Fiesta for 3DS is released. Siesta Fiesta is a colorful action game where players take control of the snoozing Siesta as he's taken on a one-of-a-kind tour of Fiestaville: home to the beloved Fiestas. Use Siesta's bed to bounce, boost and rebound across the island's 8 fun-filled regions. Siesta Fiesta combines various elements of classic arcade gameplay to create a truly unique adventure. Use the ball-like Siesta to smash Pinata Blocks, activate Power-Ups, battle bosses and trigger a host of whacky contraptions. With its intuitive gameplay and varied level design, Siesta Fiesta aims to appeal to both long-time gamers and newcomers alike.
• GAMING: PC
• Gods Will Be Watching for PC is released. Gods Will Be Watching is a minimalistic point and click thriller centered on despair, commitment, and sacrifice as players face narrative puzzles and moral dilemmas that will affect both the lives of your team and the people you are sworn to protect. Set against the backdrop of an interstellar struggle, Gods Will Be Watching follows Sgt. Burden and his crew in six tense chapters from hostage situations and wilderness survival to biological weapon prevention and agonizing torture scenarios. Each decision is crucial and players will need to choose between the lives of their team and the saving the world from genocide. There's no good or evil, just decisions, with only you and the gods as a judge to your actions.
• GAMING: WII U
• Super Toy Cars for Wii U is released. Super Toy Cars is a tabletop arcade combat racing game featuring fast, cool-looking cars, impressive tracks made of everyday objects, and a bunch of power-ups that will let you destroy your opposition. Collect all the cars and upgrades to keep up with the competition as you progress in career mode, or have a quick race against AI opponents or friends. You can even play with up to four players locally.There are 16 different cars in the game, each with its unique handling model. Experiment with them and find the ones that best suit your driving style, as well as the different situations you'll find in all 12 tracks. You may even want to use different cars depending on the type of event you're playing, because there are 48 events in career mode, but not all of them are races!Super Toy Cars is big, with lots of options for you to tweak and play with, but most importantly it's been carefully crafted to be fun to play and fun to race in, whether alone or with friends.
• Wooden Sen'SeY for Wii U is released. You follow Goro, a village chief, as he seeks revenge through a variety of levels (Japanese temples, ocean beds, flying boats, and other inhospitable caverns).The game has 9 levels with bosses that Goro has to overcome using his axes.Run, grab hold, throw yourself forward, chop, throw shurikens: anything goes in pursuit of your goal!
• POLITICS
• Fuad Masum is elected as the President of Iraq.
• Reuven Rivlin is sworn in as the President of Israel.

On this day in 2013

• EVENTS
• 80 people are killed and 140 are injured after a high-speed train derails in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
• 22 are left dead after a conflict between the Knights Templar Cartel and Mexican police in Michoacan.
• Santiago de Compostela derailment. A high-speed train traveling from Madrid to Ferrol derailed on a curve killing 79 people and injuring over 100..
• BIRTHS
• Shanaya Kochar, Family Member, born in India.
• DEATHS
• Nikos Mamangakis, Greek classical and electronic music composer, who died at 84.
• MOVIES: R
• Terraferma is released. Set on and around a summer tourist island off the coast of Sicily, Terraferma tells the story of two struggling, yet disparate families, whose members become fatefully intertwined. A well intentioned, but illegal rescue of immigrant ‘boat people, ’ forces the individuals of the indigenous family to choose between their economic survival and doing the morally correct thing with respect to the family they’ve saved at sea. In the process, both families are slowly torn apart as they come to grips with the harsh reality and consequences of their actions. [Cohen Media Group]
• GAMING: PC
• Teleglitch: Die More Edition for PC is released. Teleglitch is a roguelike top-down shooter with pixel graphics.
• NASCAR: The Game 2013 for PC is released. NASCAR The Game 2013 lets players take to the tracks and redefine races using the new Gen 6 model cars. Supporting an updated and enhanced paint booth tool, players can customize their Gen 6 paint schemes and import them into the games multiple race modes to show the world their design skills. Supporting the new 2013 roster with all the team and driver changes, players can take their own shot at being crowned the Sprint Cup Series Champion by starting a competitive season as a rookie and racing against their favorite drivers in career mode, or race online with friends.