The Daily: July 16

We scour the news so you don't have to.

Henry Moore sculpture stolen
Henry Moore’s “Sundial” sculpture, worth approximately £500,000, has been stolen from The Henry Moore Foundation in Much Hadham, Herts. The 22-inch high sculpture is believed to have disappeared between Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning. This is the second time that Moore’s work has been targeted: a larger sculpture worth 3 million pounds was stolen in 2005 when thieves used a truck with a crane to move the “Reclining Figure” piece off the grounds. The sculpture was then melted down and sold on for as little as £1,500. The police are currently appealing for help in their investigation. The director of the Henry Moore Foundation, Richard Calvocoressi, said: “We are deeply saddened about the loss of Sundial from the gardens of Henry Moore's former home and are helping the police in the hope it may be recovered.”

Rare orchids manage to blossom despite heavy rainfall
The relentless rain this summer has had a negative impact on many crops, resulting in an increase in food prices. However, not all is lost! In despite of the record breaking wet weather from April to June,  the bee orchid - which was discovered in the 1940s and was close to extinction in recent years - has thrived this summer. Andy Byfield, from the charity Plantlife, told The Observer: “Conditions may not have suited humans, but they have been ideal for flowers like the bee orchid.”

The First Family open their doors
The White House is living up to its label ‘The People’s House’ as the Obamas officially open the doors of their home for everyone to see. The First Family have teamed up with Google Art Project and have provided people with the opportunity to take a virtual 360-degree tour of the house. This tour allows people to observe thirteen of the White House’s public rooms including a dining room, library and halls filled with famous artworks. Although the tour allows you to sneak into the ‘Blue Room’, the ‘Green Room’ and the ‘China Room’, access to areas such as the Oval office and more personal rooms are not allowed.

Olympic victory for Saudi women
For the first time the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that Saudi Arabia is going to send two female athletes to compete at the Olympics in London after careful negotiations. Sarah Attar, 17, will represent Saudi Arabia in the women’s 800 metres and Wodjan Ali Shahrkhani in Judo. There will be restrictions for the woman, as they will have to wear body suits with hoods to cover their hair while competing. But both Attar and Shahrkhani are delighted by the results describing it as a “huge honour” and believing that it is a huge step for women’s rights.

Mont Blanc tragedy: nine climbers killed
France has experienced its worst mountain tragedy for more than a decade. Two parties of climbers, all roped together, had been climbing Mont Blanc’s 4,465m peak, Mont Maudit. Tragically, nine climbers were killed as a result of an avalanche including three Britons, three Germans, two Spaniards and one Swiss. A Spanish survivor described the wind and snow as being so intense that you could not even hear the avalanche approaching. French Interior Minister Manual Valls said that the avalanche “was murderous”. An alert was sent by one of the injured and about 50 French rescuers and their dogs spent the day searching. They found the three British victims after seven hours.