Obscure Box

The world will be a strange place on New Year’s Eve. At exactly midnight a leap second will be added to your clock with some news reports already noting the need for a pause in the cheers. The wires agency AFP makes the point in “New Year on hold: leap second makes time stand still” [...]

The US media is working itself up over the appointment of Australian actor Hugh Jackman as host of next year’s Oscars. One way is even suggesting smelling salts be issued to all in the audience in case he’s a bore. The American awards ceremony hasn’t done too well of late with ratings on the slide. [...]