Author Archives: ankakh

Malaysian Airlines plane missing, 239 people on board

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malaysia-airlines

 

Nobody knows exactly what happened to a Malaysia Airlines plane that disappeared Saturday, but families of the 239 people on board are waiting and expecting the worst.

Air traffic controllers lost track of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 not long after it left Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, on its way to Beijing. More than half the passengers were Chinese nationals.

There’s even confusion about where the plane might have gone down.

Vietnamese and Chinese state media, both citing Vietnam’s military, reported the plane crashed off the southern coast of Vietnam.

But the reports are incorrect, said Malaysia’s acting transport minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein. “The CA (Civil Aviation Authority) says that is not true, and our foreign office says it is not true,” he said.

China, Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia are conducting search and rescue operations south of Tho Chu island in the South China Sea, reported Xinhua, China’s official news agency. Ships, helicopters and airplanes are being utilized.

The Boeing 777-200 departed Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 12:41 a.m. and was expected to land in Beijing at 6:30 a.m., a 2,300-mile (3,700 kilometer) trip. It never arrived.

The plane carried 227 passengers, two of them infants, and 12 crew members, the airline said. Air traffic control in Subang, in Malaysia, had last contact with the plane.

 

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‘Noah’ Banned in Middle Eastern Countries

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Darren Aronofsky’s “Noah” led by Russell Crowe is facing ban in some Muslim countries, The Hollywood Reporter learns.

Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates have already confirmed that “Noah” would not be showing in the countries. Jordan, Kuwait, and Egypt are expected to follow, despite the fact that the biblical drama has already locked March 26 as its Egyptian release date.

In Egypt, Sunni institute Al-Azhar says the movie is “contrary to faith and to the fundamentals of the Islamic Sharia [law].”

“Noah” is due in the U.S. on March 28. After controversies arose among Christian communities, Paramount Pictures issued statement, making it clear that the movie was a creative, not literal, adaptation of the bible story.

 

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Opening Statement by H.E. Mr. Edward Nalbandian Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia High Level Panel Discussion dedicated to the sixty-fifth anniversary of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide 25th Session of the Human Rights Council

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90. Minister Nalbandian participated in Genocide prevention High Level pannel in Geneve - 07.03.2014

 

Mr. President of the Human Rights Council,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

First I would like to thank Madam Navi Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and her Office for holding this High Level Panel Discussion dedicated to the sixty-fifth anniversary of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

I would like also to thank all panelists for their willingness to shape result oriented discussion on genocide prevention. I want to particularly thank Madam Esther Mujawayo, a survivor of the Rwandan genocide, the 20th anniversary of which will be marked in an international conference in Brussels in three weeks.

Armenian people, as a nation that survived the first genocide of the 20th century, feels a strong moral responsibility to bring its contribution to international efforts in prevention of crimes against humanity. I should acknowledge the readiness with which many member states lent their support to our various initiatives for this noble goal. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all co-sponsors of the Human Rights Council Resolution on Genocide Prevention that was adopted by this august body last year.

Through its various actors, the United Nations plays a central role in Genocide Prevention. I would like to mention the personal involvement of Mr. Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General, who gives guidance to this ongoing cooperation. We are encouraged to see the determined work of the Human Rights Council, and other UN bodies together with the member states. I would like to stress the valuable contribution of Mr. Adama Dieng, Special Advisor to the Secretary General on the Prevention of Genocide, who is with us today.

Despite the fact that the Genocide Prevention Convention was adopted in 1948, unfortunately, new genocides, new crimes against humanity have been committed over the ensuing decades, including recent years. From Cambodia to Rwanda to Darfur the terrible phenomenon of genocide has continued seeming unabated.

 

This means that we need not only debates, resolutions, declarations, conventions, but effective mechanisms and actions to prevent their recurrence.

 

Genocide is a complex phenomenon and does not occur according to a single model. Prevention must be based on an accurate understanding of the history of genocides. This includes a thorough analysis of all modern cases. We must understand not only what happened in each case, but also the causes. We must be ready to learn from past failures and be open to new ideas.

 

Genocide prevention requires the development of both enforcement and preventive measures. If genocide is committed, the perpetrators should not stay in doubt that they will definitely be held responsible. On May 24th, 1915 in a special declaration the Allied Powers – Russia, France and Great Britain, warned the perpetrators of the atrocities against the Armenian people that they would be held personally responsible for “these new crimes of Turkey against humanity and civilization,” from which the modern concept of Crimes against Humanity entered the international legal system.

 

The prehistory of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide is related to the most tragic page in the history of the Armenian people. Raphael Lemkin, the author of the term “genocide,” while defining the crime of genocide, referred to the very policy of mass extermination perpetrated against Armenians. Lemkin dedicated his life to the study of crimes against humanity, which, among others, paved the way for the adoption of the 1948 Convention.

The measures foreseen in the Human Rights Council Resolution of 22nd of March 2013 envisages the necessary preventive measures. We are all unanimous on three pillars of genocide prevention: early warning, human rights protection, and public campaign of education and awareness.

 

First, in order for the international community to react promptly, we must be aware of the risk of genocide as early as possible and make the necessary preventive steps. Usually perpetrators of genocide try to hide their intentions as long as possible. The international community should evaluate the origins of genocidal atmosphere leading to this heinous crime and prevent it as early as possible.

 

Over the course of the past decade, both the United Nations and the regional bodies have made much progress in improving early warning and assessment systems. We should do our utmost to ensure that these advances continue in the years ahead. Early identification and warning by themselves will not be effective unless they are followed by concrete forms of deterrence.

 

Second, genocide prevention is a part of the complex international mechanisms of the human rights protection. Moral values stand on the most important defense line against these horrible crimes. Genocide is an unthinkable crime for a society which is founded on the protection of human rights, on the values of mutual respect, tolerance and non-violence.

 

Third, one of our goals is to reinforce in the public these values through education and remembrance. Generations should get knowledge of the history of past tragedies, past genocides. The acknowledgement and condemnation of committed genocides are one of the most effective tools for their prevention in the future. Unacknowledged or preferred ignorance of genocide, which is otherwise called denial, along with impunity pave the way for the repetition of new crimes against humanity. Independent of geopolitical or other interests, the international community should stand together in the recognition, condemnation and punishment of past genocides, especially in light of the 1968 Convention on the Non-applicability of Statutory Limitations, in their efforts towards its prevention in the future.

 

The remembrance days of the victims of genocides, Mets Yeghern, Shoah, remembrance days in Cambodia, Rwanda, Darfur and other genocides should be days of mourning not only for the descendents of victims, but for the descendents of the perpetrators. These days should be approached with willingness to move towards recognition and reconciliation. True reconciliation does not mean forgetting the past or feeding younger generations with tales of denial.

The civilized world resolutely rejects the incitement of hatred, racism, dissemination of intolerance, the denial of genocide, crimes against humanity under the guise of freedom of expression. The prevailing opinion of the international genocide scholars is that denial itself is a continuation of genocide.

Ladies and gentlemen,

While commemorating the 65th anniversary of the Convention on Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide we understand that the effectiveness of each treaty should be evaluated based on its implementation. This panel discussion is a good opportunity for sharing best practices in the implementation of this Convention.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to call upon those states that have not yet acceded to the Convention, to do so in the nearest future and to wish every success to those who spare no effort in genocide prevention.

 

Thank you!

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He came, he saw, he conk-ered: Man sets new world record for typing with his NOSE

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Mohammed Khurshid Hussain

 

A world champion typist has set a new speed record – with his nose.

Mohammed Khurshid Hussain, 23, wrote a 103-character sentence in just 47 seconds after practicing his technique for six hours a day, the International Business Times reported.

If confirmed it will smash the previous time of a minute and 33 seconds, set in Dubai in 2008 by an Indian man who used his nose to write the same sentence: ‘Guinness World Records has challenged me to to type this sentence using my nose in the fastest time.’

It took Mr Hussain, from the southern city of Hyderabad, months of training to break through the 53-second barrier after reaching it at least twice.

Mr Hussain already holds the Guinness World Record for typing the entire English alphabet – although that feat was achieved with his fingers.

 

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Warriors of the White War emerge from their frozen tomb: Almost 100 years after losing their lives in ferocious First World War Alpine battle, melting ice reveals the bodies of the fallen

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mummified bodies - soldiers

The mummified bodies of soldiers who fell in the First World War 100 years ago are still being uncovered as glaciers melt – and experts say there could be many more to come.

Corpses emerge every time there is a hot summer in Trentino, a rugged part of the Italian Alps where countless men were shot, starved or froze to death in a three-year campaign.

Whenever the gruesome finds appear, archaeologists must act within hours – because not only do the bodies decompose, they are also looted by opportunistic thieves.

Dr Franco Nicolis, the director of the Trentino’s Office of Archaeological Heritage, has blamed global warming for the surge in corpses found in the last decade.

The last two soldiers, found side-by-side in 2012 on the Presena Glacier, were as young as 16 and 18 when they went to fight on the bitter Italian front and were buried by fellow fighters in a crevice.

Historians have been collecting material from the mountains ever since, with regular finds since the early 1990s.
Discoveries have included clothes, shoes and a remarkably intact letter from a soldier to his lover.

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THE SECRETARY-GENERAL — MESSAGE FOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

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  պանգի մուն  This International Women’s Day, we are highlighting the importance of achieving equality for women and girls not simply because it is a matter of fairness and fundamental human rights, but because progress in so many other areas depends on it.

Countries with more gender equality have better economic growth. Companies with more women leaders perform better. Peace agreements that include women are more durable. Parliaments with more women enact more legislation on key social issues such as health, education, anti-discrimination and child support.

 

The evidence is clear: equality for women means progress for all.

This simple truth must be central as we work to accelerate progress towards the Millennium Development Goals by next year’s deadline and craft an agenda for the years beyond 2015.

Important gains have been made in access to primary education for girls and political representation by women. But progress remains far too slow and uneven.

A baby girl born today will still face inequality and discrimination, no matter where her mother lives. We have a common obligation to ensure her right to live free from the violence that affects one in three women globally; to earn equal pay for equal work; to be free of the discrimination that prevents her from participating in the economy; to have an equal say in the decisions that affect her life; and to decide if and when she will have children, and how many she will have.

I have a message for every girl born today, and to every woman and girl on the planet: Realizing human rights and equality is not a dream, it is a duty of governments, the United Nations and every human being.

I also have a message for my fellow men and boys: play your part. All of us benefit when women and girls – your mothers, sisters, friends and colleagues — can reach their full potential.

Together, let us work for women’s rights, empowerment and gender equality as we strive to eliminate poverty and promote sustainable development. Equality for women is progress for all!

Chinese waterway becomes so polluted it bursts into flame after lit cigarette is thrown into it

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china-river-fire

River of fire: 

A river in eastern China caught fire after years of pollution from factories upstream had turned it flammable.

The river had become so contaminated that it was set alight by a lit cigarette being thrown into the water.

The flames shot up more than 16ft into the air and had to be extinguished by firemen in the city of Wenzhou in Zhejiang province.

Local residents said that the river has been heavily polluted for years, as a result of oils and chemicals being released into the water by several shoe-making factories and packaging firms further upstream.
Despite this being common knowledge in the area, they say that the council’s environmental protection office have refused to take action against the polluting companies, as they are too important to the local economy.

 

china-river-fire3

The fire also caught several cars that had been parked next to the pavement alongside the river, destroying them in the process.

Fireman had to use special foam fire extinguishers to put out the fire on the river’s surface. Police are now investigating where the chemicals might have come from.

 

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Scientists dig up giant virus more than 30,000 years old in Siberia

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Scientists have unearthed a giant virus more than 30,000 years old from the frozen soil in a remote region of Siberia.

While this ancient virus is harmless to people, the scientists behind the discovery warn that the discovery suggests that the thawing of permafrost in polar regions, as a result of either climate change or mining, could bring threats to human health.

The ancient virus, named Pithovirus sibericum, infects amoebas, not humans or animals.

It survived in the Siberian ice from a period when woolly mammoths and saber-tooth cats roamed the earth.

Its discovery was reported by the researchers, from French and Russian institutions, in an article published this week by the U.S. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Crimea Sets Referendum on Whether to Join Russia

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crimea-referendumLawmakers in the embattled Crimean region of Ukraine have decided to hold a referendum March 16 on whether Crimea should become part of Russia.

“This is our response to the disorder and lawlessness in Kiev,” Sergei Shuvainikov, a member of the local Crimean legislature, said Thursday. “We will decide our future ourselves.”

The parliament in Crimea, which enjoys a degree of autonomy under current Ukrainian law, voted 78 with eight abstentions in favor of holding the referendum. Local voters will also be given the choice of deciding to remain part of Ukraine, but with enhanced local powers.

There was no immediate response from the Ukrainian central government to the vote. On Wednesday, Ukraine’s prime minister told The Associated Press that Crimea would remain part of Ukraine.

Let’s hope it doesn’t melt overnight! Farmer spends two months building 50-foot snowman complete with TREES for arms and a trash barrel for a nose

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15մ բարձրությամբ ձնեմարդ

 

A Minnesota farmer turned the snow that was ruining his greenhouses this winter into a spectacular 50-foot snowman that is now attracting national media attention and visitors from miles around.

Greg Novak knew he had to clean up the nuisance snow, but he also thought it would be a great way to perk up his Gilman community deep in the winter doldrums.

Hundreds of hours and about five weeks later, people began flocking to Novak’s farm as news of his impressive creation filled up newsfeeds, inboxes and social media across the web.

Friends and family pitched in to help with Granddaddy, or to do farm chores while Novak worked on building the snowman using a skid loaders to pile snow and a silage blower to direct snow into stacked cylinders, the St. Cloud Times reported.

 

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Million Dollar iPhone: Jewellers create a gold version of Apple’s flagship handset – complete with 700 diamonds

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iPhone

 

Apple iPhones have the reputation for being fragile at the best of times, but a jeweller has created a model so expensive its unlikely its owner will want to take it out of the box.

The handset, built by London-based jewellery firm Alchemist, is the world’s most expensive iPhone with a £600,000 ($1 million) price tag.

Dubbed Million Dollar iPhone, the handset has a handmade, 24-carat gold bezel and is covered in 700 individual diamonds, totalling over seven carats.

The company said it set out to create an item that was so luxurious it would ‘redefine the meaning of grandeur’ and spent seven months making the bespoke device.

The navigation button is also made from 24-carat gold and has a two carat diamond cut into the centre.

Only two of the handsets will be sold, with prospective buyers being asked to formally register their interest on either of the company’s two websites, the-million-dollar-iphone.com and gold-alchemist.com.

 

 

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82. Minister Nalbandian delivered a speech at the UN Human Rights Council 05.03.2014 (2)

STATEMENT BY

 

H.E. Mr. EDWARD NALBANDIAN

 

MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA

 

at the High Level Segment of the

United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva

 

Tuesday, 4 March 2014

 

 

 

Mr. President,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

I would like to join previous speakers in congratulating Mr. Baudelaire Ndong Ella on his election as the President of the Human Rights Council, and to wish him success in this important endeavor.

In today’s world, where human rights are praised more than ever, and at the same time violated not less than in the past, in this Palace of Nations the words of one of the world’s most dedicated personalities to human rights Nelson Mandela is more than relevant: “to deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.”

 

The Human Rights Council has addressed many questions in attempts to respond to the situations of gross violation of human rights in various parts of the world.

 

It is vital to concentrate on the concept of prevention. The UN Secretary-General’s Five-Year Action Agenda draws special attention to the issue of prevention. Early prevention can surely stop escalation of conflicts, tragedies and crimes against humanity. Implementation of this Agenda allows us to address the issue of prevention at a global level through regular assessment of possible risks.

 

One of such risks leading to the most dangerous consequences is the propaganda of hatred on racial, ethnic or religious ground. This propaganda is often accompanied with aggressive bellicose rhetoric. The South Caucasus region in the past witnessed and now is witnessing this kind of risks. Such propaganda preceded anti-Armenian massacres in Azerbaijan – in Sumgait, Baku, Maragha and many other places, when thousands of Armenians were tortured, killed, thus starting the ethnic cleansing of Armenians living on the territory of Azerbaijan. Twenty five years later, in today’s Azerbaijan, similar, and even worse hate-speech, war propaganda emanating from the highest level of Azerbaijani authorities often results in the escalation of the situation and loss of innocent lives.

 

The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) in its report on Azerbaijan noted with deep concern the “constant and negative official and media discourse concerning the Republic of Armenia” and recommended the Azerbaijani authorities to “adopt an appropriate response to all cases of discrimination and hate speech against Armenians.” Responsive nature of our organization entails proper assessment and adequate reaction to this behavior.

 

Mr. President,

 

The UN treaty bodies do an important job to monitor human rights situation worldwide and help countries improve their human rights record. We especially appreciate the work of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, which recently elaborated Recommendation No.35 on racist hate speech. In particular, the Committee underlined the role of hate speech in processes leading to mass violations of human rights in conflict situations and genocide. The Committee members issued the above-mentioned Recommendation being fully aware of the role of hate speech in instigating racial hatred and discrimination, and reflected at length on the dangers it posed.

 

The Universal Periodic Review became a good tool in protection and promotion of human rights. It is a known fact that efficiency of human rights protection international mechanisms depends on the political will and readiness of Member States to implement their commitments by respecting the adopted rules and procedures. Since its launch in 2008, the UPR was meant to focus exclusively on human rights and avoid politicization of the raised issues. During Armenia’s UPR review, the Armenian side accepted the recommendations made by Member States. Azerbaijan during its UPR turned the entire review into a politicized show, selectively interpreting international community’s perception of human rights, refusing to accept any of recommendations made by the Armenian delegation – just because they were “recommended by Armenia”. Such behavior undermines the whole concept and the foundations of the UPR. This was a violation of rules of procedure. I call upon the Member States to strongly react to such cases in order not to create such destructive precedence.

 

Last year Armenia assumed chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. The priorities of the Armenian Chairmanship have been defined in response to the challenges that the world faces today with regard to the protection of human rights, strengthening of democracy and respect for the rule of law. Racism and racial discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance grossly violate human dignity and give rise to tensions within and between societies. That is why the fight against them became one of the main priorities of our chairmanship.

 

Mr. President,

 

We often speak about universality and indivisibility of human rights. All human rights are equally important and must be equally protected. In this context I would like to mention the right of peoples to self-determination. In accordance with the founding purposes of the UN Charter, Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights recognizes that all peoples have the right to self-determination, which is of particular importance because its realization is an essential prerequisite for the effective guarantee of human rights. This inalienable right unequivocally belongs inter alia to the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.

 

 

82. Minister Nalbandian delivered a speech at the UN Human Rights Council 05.03.2014

Mr. President,

 

Speaking on the situation in Syria that still continues to remain complex and in the centre of attention of international community, I would like to welcome the unanimous adoption by the Security Council of the Resolution that speaks about the urgent need to increase humanitarian aid access in Syria, calling to immediately cease attacks against civilians and lift the siege of populated areas. We welcome all efforts towards the peaceful solution of the crisis. Armenia has already received over 10.000 refugees from Syria, and our Government tries to do its best to assist them.

 

Mr. President,

 

Prevention of genocide and crimes against humanity should be amongst our priorities. Last year, during the 22nd session of the Human Rights Council, Armenia initiated a resolution on Prevention of Genocide, which was adopted by consensus. One of the aims of that Resolution is genocide prevention through joint efforts of the UN Member States. I would like to take this opportunity and thank all those countries that co-sponsored the Resolution. In two days, on March 7th, the Human Rights Council will convene a high-level panel to mark the 65th Anniversary of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The panel is organized in accordance with the requirements of the said Resolution. I call upon all Member States to actively participate in this important panel discussion.

 

Thank you!

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New York Times corrects article about ’12 Years a Slave’ — 161 years later

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12 Years a Slave

It’s a correction more than 160 years in the making.

In its Tuesday edition, The New York Times published a correction for an article that ran on January 20, 1853.

The newspaper has Hollywood and Twitter to thank for bringing the error to light.

The Times explained that the article in question told the story of Solomon Northup, a free African-American man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery.

Northup’s memoir, “12 Years a Slave,” was turned into a movie that won the best picture Oscar at this year’s Academy Awards on Sunday.

The problem was that the 1853 article spelled Northup’s name wrong, in two different ways. It appeared as Northrop in the body of the article and Northrup in the headline.

As the Oscars focused attention on “12 Years a Slave,” a Twitter user unearthed the old article from The Times archives, and it spread quickly on social media.

“The errors came to light on Monday after a Twitter user pointed out the article in The Times archives,” the correction said.

 

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Great Scrawl of China! Special section of ancient wall to be set aside to allow tourists to write graffiti on it

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A section of the Great Wall of China has been set aside for graffiti in a bid to save other parts being vandalised by tourists.

Authorities chose a popular stretch of the ancient monument where visitors can scrawl their names in the hope it will stop the spread of graffiti.

A spot on the Mutianyu section in Huairou County, about 43 miles north-east of Beijing, was chosen. It is one of the most popular tourist spots along the wall.

The graffiti section will be set up at one of the fighting towers that has become a common place there for tourists to scrawl on the walls.

It attracts millions of tourists per year, 40 per cent of whom are estimated to be foreigners, which explains why most of the graffiti is in English.

OSCE Sending Military Observer Mission to Ukraine

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զինվոր

 

A U.S. official says the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe will send a military observer mission to Ukraine at its request.

Daniel Baer, the chief U.S. representative to the OSCE, said 15 of its nations, including the United States, decided in Vienna on Tuesday to volunteer members for the mission, which Ukraine had asked for. He said it will head to Ukraine as early as Wednesday, with the goal of then traveling to Crimea.

On Saturday, heavily armed pro-Russian forces took over the strategic peninsula in Ukraine, surrounding its ferry, military bases and border posts. Two Ukrainian warships remained anchored in the Crimean port of Sevastopol, blocked from leaving by Russian ships.

The U.S. is preparing economic sanctions against Russia amid worries that Moscow is ready to stretch its military reach further into the mainland of the former Soviet republic.

The OSCE includes Russia, the United States, and all European countries.

 

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Corruption Scandal May End Erdogan’s Political Career

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Հարութ Սասունյան

By Harut Sassounian

Publisher, The California Courier

 

In a series of secretly recorded phone conversations revealed last week, Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was heard instructing his son to hide from police tens of millions of dollars of cash stashed in his Istanbul house.

 

This shocking revelation generated widespread calls for Erdogan’s resignation who claimed that the phone recordings are fake or edited. It appears, however, that the wiretapped conversations between the Prime Minister and his son are authentic, according to Guarded Risk, an American cyber company that conducted a comprehensive forensic analysis of the phone calls.

 

It is ironic that Erdogan who came to power as an Islamist with the declared aim of eliminating corruption from Turkish politics, has fallen victim to the dictum: “power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely!”

 

The phone calls were secretly recorded on the day police raided the homes of several cabinet members, prominent businessmen, and the head of the state bank. They were all accused of involvement in bribery and other corrupt practices.

 

Here is the English translation of excerpts from Erdogan’s five wiretapped conversations with his son, Bilal:

 

First phone call at 8:02 am on Dec. 17, 2013:

 

Erdogan: …Take everything you have out of your house, OK?

Bilal: What would I have, dad? Your money is in the safe.

Erdogan: That’s what I am talking about….

Bilal: What shall we do with it, daddy? Where shall we put it?

Erdogan: In specific places, in some specific places… . Do it!

 

Second call at 11:17 am:

 

Bilal: …My brother [in-law] Berat has another idea. He says we should give some of it to Faruk [Kalyoncu, president of a construction company] for the other job, so he can process them like the previous ones. Shall we do that? We can sort out a big amount of money that way.
Erdogan: Possibly.
Bilal: OK. For the other part, because we started a business partnership with Mehmet Gur [managing director of a construction group], we thought of giving it to him saying, ‘keep it, you can use it as projects come up.’ This way, we can reduce it and move the rest to somewhere else.
Erdogan: OK, fine, as long as you do it…. It would be good if you do… If you can liquidate them all.
Bilal: Yes, we will liquidate them all today, God willing!

 

Third call at 3:39 pm:

 

Erdogan: Did you complete the tasks I gave you?

Bilal: We will finish them by this evening. We sorted some out; We sorted the Berat part, now we will first handle the part with Mehmet Gur, and the rest, we will do after dark….
Erdogan: What did Sumeyye [daughter] do?
Bilal: She took them out, brought them over, we spoke, etc.
Erdogan: Do not speak on the phone with each other.

 

Fourth call at 11:15 pm:

 

Bilal: Hi daddy, I am calling to… we did [it] mostly. Did you call me just now, daddy?

Erdogan: No I did not, you called me.
Bilal: I was called from a secret number.
Erdogan: When you say ‘mostly,’ did you fully liquidate it?
Bilal: It’s not zero yet, daddy. Let me explain. We still have 30 million euros that we could not yet liquidate. Berat has an idea. There was an additional 25 million dollars Ahmet Calik [businessman] should receive. They say let’s give this [to him]. When the money comes, we do [something], they say. And with the remaining money we can buy an apartment from Sehrizar, he says. What do you say, father?
Erdogan: Whatever, we will sort it out.
Bilal: Should we do it like this?
Erdogan: OK, do it.
Bilal: Do you want them all liquidated, father, or do you want some money for yourself?
Erdogan: No, it can’t be left over, son. You could transfer it to the other, with Mehmet you could transfer it there.
Bilal: Yes, we gave it to them. We gave $20 [million] to them.
Erdogan: For God’s sake, first you should have transferred it. Then you could have done it…
Bilal: We were able to give this much for now. It is hard already; it takes too much space. We are putting part of it somewhere else, we gave part of it to Tunc, and then…
Erdogan: Did you transfer all to Tunc?
Bilal: They asked, I guess he said that he could only take 10 million euros.
Erdogan: Whatever! Don’t talk on this [phone].
Bilal: OK, then, we will sort it.
Erdogan: OK, do it. I am not able to come tonight. I’m staying in Ankara.

 

Fifth call at 10:58 am on Dec. 18, 2013:

 

Erdogan: I decided to call to see if there is anything new.

Bilal: No, nothing. We finished the tasks you gave us, with God’s help.
Erdogan: Has it been all liquidated?
Bilal: Completely! How should I put it? I had Samandira and Maltepe’s money, 730,000 US Dollars and 300,000 Turkish Liras. I will handle these too. We owe 1 million Turkish Liras to Faruk İsik [parliament member]; I will give it to him and tell him to transfer the rest to the academy.
Erdogan: Do not speak so openly!
Bilal: Shouldn’t I?
Erdogan: Don’t. OK?
Bilal: OK, daddy
Erdogan: I mean, do not keep anything on your person, whatever it is Samandira or whatever… Send it to where it needs to be, why do you keep it on you?
Bilal: OK, daddy, but I think currently we are under surveillance.
Erdogan: What have I been telling you since the very beginning!
Bilal: But is the security staff following us, father?
Erdogan: Son, you are being wiretapped.
Bilal: But they are also visually monitoring us.
Erdogan: That may be true. Now, we’ve just done some things at the Istanbul police headquarters.

 

Additional recordings have since surfaced in which Erdogan and his son talk about rejecting a $10 million bribe offer from a Turkish businessman for being insufficient.

 

Erdogan could end up losing not only his current position and the chance of becoming President later this year, but may also face prosecution and a lengthy jail term for his alleged crimes.

 

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Peugeot’s new ‘posh’ 308 small family hatchback crowned European Car of the Year 2014

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Geneva Motor Show

 

Peugeot’s new 308 small family hatchback designed to make the French car-maker more upmarket has been named European Car of the Year.

The crowning of the ‘posh’ Peugeot  was made on the eve of the Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland, where the world’s car makers are gathering.

The Peugeot 308 received a winning 307 points from an international jury of 58 motoring writers – with top points awarded by 22 of them.

The French hatchback beat six other rivals including two electric cars the BMW i3 (with 223 points), the Tesla S (216), Citroen C4 Picasso (182), Mazda3 (180), Skoda Octavia (170), and Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
Built in Sochaux, Peugeot’s historic home in Eastern France, the new 308 was launched in mainland  Europe during the last four months of 2013 and in the UK in January this year, where already more than 4,000 orders have been taken for the car priced from £14,495  to £24,345 .
Production and sales of the 308 in China, the biggest car market in the world, will start early in 2015.
From the start of Spring, the new 308 range will be expanded by the introduction of a second body style: the 308 SW estate.

 

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Give children cheap toys like buckets and hay bales… report suggests simple toys may be better for youngsters as they keep them active

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Children who play with cheap toys like crates and buckets are more physically active and creative than children with expensive playground apparatus, new research found.

A group of 120 primary school children aged between five and 12 were given access to cheap simple toys like buckets, pipes, exercise mats, hay bales and foam swimming pool toys.

They were compared to children from a nearby school with an expensive playground that included monkey bars and slides.

The study, published in the journal BMC Public Health, found that children playing with cheaper toys were less likely to sit around, with sedentary behaviour falling from 61.5 per cent to 30.5 per cent.

Children playing with everyday household objects took 13 more steps per minute and played more intensively and vigorously than those in the traditional playground.

Researchers now believe that conventional playgrounds may stifle energetic and imaginative children, and that cheap toys could be one way of preventing childhood weight problems.

 

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Chanel makes the supermarket chic! Runway turns into a shopping centre as muses Cara Delevingne and Kendall Jenner take to the catwalk in tracksuits

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Karl Lagerfeld - Cara Delevingne

 

Move over Harrods, there’s a new luxury shopping centre in town and Chanel kaiser Karl Lagerfeld is at the helm.

The Chanel creative director today transformed his catwalk into a high-end supermarket all in the name of fashion at his AW14 show in Paris.

Cara Delevingne, a favourite of the French fashion house, was joined by Chanel newcomer and fashion’s new darling (and little sister of Kim Kardashian) Kendall Jenner on the catwalk.

Karl, well known for his theatrical shows – which have previously featured giant icebergs and even an underwater kingdom – transformed the French capital’s Grand Palais into the world’s chicest and most luxurious grocery store.

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Shopping ‘baskets’ were adorned with the label’s famous chains, as seen on their luxury handbags, and models pushed trollies around the ‘supermarket’ as they perused the Chanel-branded food – such as haute Ketchup, eau de Chanel and Jambon Cambon, named after the location of Chanel’s original store.

 

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