The Daily: January 8

We scour the news so you don't have to
'Wild Boar Attack' leaves Princess Anne's pig dead
Anarchy in the animal kingdom! A pig residing in the Princesses Gloucestershire home has been assassinated by a fellow member of its species and is, "no longer with us" according to Princess Anne's statement at the Oxford Farming conference on Tuesday. It is said that a wild boar, somehow, got into this prized pigs pen and mauled this rare breed of English pig to death. Wild boar are becoming more and more of a problem, especially in Gloucestershire with another recent news story involving a fatal crash due to a boar wandering around on the motorway a mere 15 miles away. This pig has resided comfortably at Princess Anne's farm for years and is a protected species with only 500-1000 breeding females currently in the UK. The Princess is an avid farmer and a patron of the Gloucester Old Spot Pigs Breeders club, an organisation dedicated to promoting the rare English breed of pig which is well known for its docility and intelligence. Can anarchy really leak into the world of the swine?

Russell Brand and Dizzee Rascal to be studied in English A-Level
In an entirely unexpected turn of events, a new exam syllabus to study Russell Brand, Dizzee Rascal and many more surprising candidates has been approved and will now be put into action. As of 2015 this guinea-pig generation of school children will experience yet another change to their syllabus with all A- level exams now to be taken at the end of the two-year curriculum and coursework disposed of entirely. The new curriculum means that classical and modern literature will be studied on a par. First day Shakespeare, next day, Caitlin Moran's twitter feed. A comparison of Wordsworth's Daffodils and Jamie Oliver's cooking show. Even Horrible Histories will receive lengthily examination. The question remains as to whether this is a dumbing down of the syllabus under the guise of the long worded description, "highly regarded contemporary texts" or the modernisation that the English curriculum desperately needs?

Scary Hedgehog meets Hazardous Emu
Police have recently been bombarded with requests of a more, 'unique' variety. In Greater Manchester a man dialled 999 to report a truly terrifying case that he just could not report to anyone else. He had spotted, in his own garden, a germ riddled specimen covered in sharp spikes that could pierce the skin when touched. He reported a hedgehog. Yes, a hedgehog. A cute, pest eating, Tiggy-winkle sort of being. Police attempted a comfort strategy in telling him that they were, "good for the garden" but this did not help in the slightest. On the other side of the world, motorists in a tranquil coastal town were interrupted from their peaceful drive to work when they encountered a rather unlikely runaway loose on the road - an emu. Emus are the second largest living bird and can prove to be quite dangerous when confronted, and quite a trial to catch. The city vehicle that arrived to deal with the, 'situation' could not apprehend the 40kph bird and a man reports that he was, "the only one who managed to chase after it with my scooter." In the future police will need to be put into training for the more weird, ridiculous, yet wonderful cases that seem to be being put to them more and more.

Could the Newest Technology of 2015 be simply a Re-make of what we had a Century ago?
Airships, blimps, zeppelins. What comes to mind? A safe, easy and practical way to travel? Or more of a technological hiccup of the past? Dirigibles are looking as though they are ready for a comeback, modernised and ready for lift off, (or hover off?) Only last month NASA proposed plans for the High Altitude Venus Operational Concept (Havoc.) Havoc includes a space station high in the sky, hovering in the atmosphere above the planet Venus. Artists' impressions of the ships themselves however, scream the 1915s as opposed to 2015. When standing inside the Belly of the Beast one gets the rather claustrophobic feeling of being sat on by some sort of very pale giant. Its simplicity is something to be admired however, and even in tests, when it has been pierced by hundreds of bullets, it's a few hours before it loses enough helium to actually begin any sort of descent. A nostalgic steam punk fantasy seems to be floating its way into reality once more.

Je Suis Charlie! The Heart-warming reaction to a Tragic Event
As darkness fell across Europe yesterday, tens of thousands flooded the street to show their respect and support for those shot down by gunmen in the offices of the satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo, in Paris. Scenes of hundreds of people in different places around the world, gathered together in support, bearing the message, "JeSuisCharlie" to convey their sorrow for France's loss is truly touching. These scenes were repeated all across Europe; in Dublin, Edinburgh, Amsterdam, Brussels, Madrid, Rome, Berlin, Vienna, Moscow and even as far away as Tunis, Rio and Madagascar. In London, swarms of people filled Trafalger square in a silent vigil. Many people chose to hold pens, notebooks, even keyboards in the air to symbolise the unity of their support of free speech and to show that they are feeling for the people who have lost their lives. The unity that this reaction gives us is hope in that we are not alone, and "we are not afraid."