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The Ferrari FF is a grand touring car made by the Italian carmaker Ferrari. Succeeding the 612 Scaglietti, the FF—whose name is an acronym for "Ferrari Four"—was produced between 2011 and 2016 in Ferrari's manufacturing facility in Maranello, Italy. Featuring the body style of a shooting brake, the vehicle made its first public appearance at the Geneva International Motor Show in 2011. Upon its release, the FF was the world's fastest four-seater car and Ferrari's second-fastest grand tourer after the 599 GTO. The FF features a 6.3 L V12 engine, producing a power output of 485 kW (660 PS; 651 hp) and a torque output of 683 N⋅m (504 lb⋅ft) to give the car a top speed of 335 km/h (208 mph) and a 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration of 3.7 seconds. The car has been praised by critics, who call it a "Ferrari for the whole family" and appreciate its design. The FF has received several awards, including Top Gear's Estate Car of the Year in 2011. (Full article...)

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Limia tridens male

... that a hypothesized land bridge may have allowed some fish species (example pictured) to migrate from South America to Cuba?
... that a Sunday afternoon phone call to Ken Battle laid the foundations for the Canadian Child Benefit program?
... that in the narrative epic Pem Nem, the union of two lovers is a metaphor for the union of the soul with God?
... that after becoming a born again Christian, soprano Jane Stuart Smith abandoned a successful opera career to pursue a life of service?
... that Singapore's first R-rated play was performed despite the police finding parts of it "offensive"?
... that the Filipino boy band SB19 considered disbandment after their debut single "Tilaluha" saw little success?
... that Richard Stratton's diplomatic career took him "from South America to Japan, and from Southern Africa to the foothills of the Himalayas"?
... that while Germans murdered millions of prisoners of war during WWII, the survival ratio of Jewish POWs was generally tied to the army or nation they served with, and not to their ethnicity?
... that American football player Noah Knigga went viral for his last name and had to clarify its pronunciation?

In the news (For today)

Wildfire in Pacific Palisades

A series of wildfires (pictured) in Southern California, United States, leaves 5 people dead and forces more than 100,000 others to evacuate.
A 7.1-magnitude earthquake hits Tingri County in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China, leaving at least 126 people dead.
Indonesia becomes a full member of BRICS.
Justin Trudeau announces his intention to resign as prime minister of Canada.
Luke Littler wins the PDC World Darts Championship.

On the next day

January 10

New Orleans

236 – Pope Fabian, said to have been chosen by the Holy Spirit when a dove landed on his head, began his papacy.
1812 – New Orleans (pictured), the first steamship on the Mississippi River, arrived at New Orleans to complete its maiden voyage.
1929 – Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, the first volume of The Adventures of Tintin by the Belgian cartoonist Hergé, began serialisation.
1993 – The Braer Storm, the strongest extratropical cyclone ever recorded in the North Atlantic, reached peak intensity.

Georg Forster (d. 1794)
Hrithik Roshan (b. 1974)
Yip Pin Xiu (b. 1992)
Constantine II of Greece (d. 2023)

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Original Dixieland Jass Band

Pre-1920 jazz standards are musical compositions written before 1920 that are widely known, performed and recorded by jazz artists as part of the genre's musical repertoire. They are considered standards by at least one major fake book publication or reference work. From its conception at the change of the twentieth century, jazz was music intended for dancing. This influenced the choice of material played by early jazz groups: King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band, New Orleans Rhythm Kings and others included many Tin Pan Alley popular songs in their repertoire, and record companies often used their power to dictate which songs were to be recorded by their artists. Certain songs were pushed by recording executives and therefore quickly achieved standard status; this started with the first jazz recordings in 1917, when the Original Dixieland Jass Band (pictured) recorded "Darktown Strutters' Ball" and "Indiana". The origins of jazz are in the musical traditions of early twentieth-century New Orleans, and some of the most popular early standards come from these influences. (Full list...)

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Michael William Balfe (1808–1870) was an Irish composer, best remembered for his operas. Balfe was born in Dublin and grew up on Pitt Street, which was renamed Balfe Street in 1917 in his honour. After moving to Wexford with his family as a child, he began a career as a violinist, moving to London in 1823 after his father's death, later relocating again to Italy and Switzerland, where he married the Hungarian-born singer Lina Roser. Balfe began pursuing an operatic singing career as well as composition, and moved back to London with his family in 1835. In a career spanning more than 40 years, he composed at least 29 operas, almost 250 songs, several cantatas, and other works. He was also a noted conductor, directing Italian opera at Her Majesty's Italian Opera House for seven years, among other conducting posts. His most notable opera is The Bohemian Girl, which continues to be performed. This photograph of Balfe was taken by the studio of the French photographer Nadar; this albumen print was made in 1900.

Photograph credit: Nadar; restored by Adam Cuerden

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