Owner destroys £276,000 Maserati at car show in China just because he was angry with dealer over ‘poor customer service’

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An angry car owner hired three men to smash up his luxury Maserati with sledgehammers outside the company’s show room in a protest at ‘poor customer service.’

The owner, identified only by his surname Wang, saw his £276,000 model turned into wreck in Qingdao, China,

He said he had addressed the dealership over a number of quality and maintenance problems and was dissatisfied with their service.

In a bid to draw attention to his plight, Mr Wang ordered the unusual protest outside the Qingdao International Convention Centre  on the same day as the start of the International Auto Show.

‘I hope foreign luxury car producers acknowledge clearly that Chinese consumers are entitled to get the service that is commensurate with the brand,’ Mr Wang told the Qingdao Morning Post, according to Agence France-Presse.

The supercar was draped in a banner accusing the Italian manufacturer of poor decision-making.

According to Car News China Mr Wang, had been in a longstanding feud with the dealership spanning more than two years.

In 2011, a businessman from Qingdao named Han Nan hired men to annihilate his $750,000 Lamborghini.

He was reportedly fed up with a mechanic who couldn’t fix an engine problem, so he decided to have the car smashed in front of a crowd on World Consumer Rights Day.

 

Statement by H.E. Mr. Edward Nalbandian Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Chairman of the Committee of the Ministers of the Council of Europe Strasbourg, May 16th, 2013

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341. Armenia assumed the Presidency of COESecretary General,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is with distinct pleasure that today I am taking the floor as a Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the oldest and the most renowned organisation on the European soil.

Assuming for the first time the Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers since Armenia’s accession to the Council of Europe is an important task. It is an opportunity, a challenge and a big responsibility.

It is an opportunity because Armenia for the next six months will be at the forefront of our common efforts to contribute to democratic development of Europe.

It is a challenge as we all are facing numerous problems on the continent, which can create difficulties in consolidation of our fundamental values.

It is a big responsibility because the success of our common efforts not only depends on individual contribution of each and every member state, but also on the leadership in streamlining our joint activities. Armenia, as a nation, whose European identity has been defined and shaped by common values, ideals and heritage, confidently takes this responsibility.

 
Chers collègues,

Mesdames et Messieurs,

Pour moi c’est un honneur et un grand plaisir de prendre la parole en tant que Président du Comité des Ministres du Conseil de l’Europe, l’organisation la plus ancienne et l’une des plus renommées sur le sol européen.

Assumer pour la première fois la Présidence du Comité des Ministres depuis l’adhésion de l’Arménie au Conseil de l’Europe, est une opportunité, un défi et une grande responsabilité.

C’est une opportunité, parce que pendant les six prochains mois, l’Arménie sera au premier rang de nos efforts communs visant à contribuer au développement démocratique de l’Europe.

C’est un défi, parce que notre continent est confrontés aujourd’hui à de nombreux problèmes qui peuvent porter atteinte à nos valeurs fondamentales.

C’est une grande responsabilité, car le succès de nos efforts communs dépend non seulement de la contribution de chaque Etat-membres, mais aussi de la capacité de diriger nos activités conjointes.

L’Arménie, dont l’identité européenne prends ses racines des valeurs, des idéaux et de l’héritage communs, prend cette responsabilité en toute confiance.

 

Dear Colleagues,

Our Chairmanship priorities have been defined in response to the challenges that we – as member states of this Organisation – are facing today, with specific focus on issues, which we consider the most pertinent and require immediate action. We will endeavor to bring our contribution also to strengthening the capabilities of the Council of Europe in addressing those challenges.

We will continue supporting the ongoing reform process of the Council of Europe, initiated by the Secretary General, as we believe that this is the right way to raise the effectiveness and responsiveness of our Organisation.

The Armenian Chairmanship will pursue the goals of combating racism and xenophobia in Europe, of promoting European values through intercultural dialogue, of strengthening European standards on human rights and on the rule of law, of fostering democratic societies and of reinforcing the role of the Council of Europe in the European architecture.

Intolerance and xenophobia violate human dignity and challenge the cohesion of our societies. We would like to focus our attention on the hatred and intolerance, racist and xenophobic rhetoric used in political discourse as a tool for political propaganda, which contaminates the souls of the people, incites distrust and creates images of public enemies and leads to hate-induced crimes. The Armenian Chairmanship will contribute to the efforts by organizing a High-Level Conference on Combating Racism and Xenophobia and Intolerance in Europe.

The Armenian Chairmanship will also support the activities within the framework of the No Hate Speech Movement, as we consider the Youth project on combating the hate speech on-line as a timely response to these threats.

Promoting intercultural dialogue is an effective tool for forging greater understanding in European societies. Diversity is the strength and richness of Europe and we should spare no efforts towards maintaining and preserving our distinct cultural heritage. Armenian Chairmanship will host the 2013 Exchange of the religious dimension of intercultural dialogue.

The setting of standards for the human rights and the rule of law is the area of excellence of this Organisation. We need to further strengthen the application of the European Convention on Human Rights, especially at national level. This is a necessary precondition for securing the rights and freedoms of all citizens.

To further reflect on the European standards on the rule of law, in continuation of the efforts of the UK Chairmanship of the Council of Europe, in the framework of the Armenian Chairmanship, the Constitutional Court of Armenia will organise a Conference in Yerevan. It will focus on the role of public administration, notably, the scope and the limits of the States powers’ discretion in designing, implementing and interpreting laws.

Local democracy has been a priority area for a number of previous Chairmanships and we will continue their efforts in this regard, as we firmly believe that local democracy is a crucial element for the democratic advancement of the society. We will focus mainly on the aspect of citizens’ participation and the ways to increase that participation in the decision-making process on matters of local and regional concerns. This issue will be addressed in detail during the conference, which will provide an opportunity to reflect upon all the relevant aspects in order to draw a comprehensive picture, in particular, with regards the best practices, as well as on policies applied in member states of the Council of Europe.

The Armenian Chairmanship will also pay special attention to the problems of the capital cities and their role in overall development of local democracy, given their weight and influence in political, economic, social and cultural life.

Education will also remain within the focus of the Armenian Chairmanship and we will contribute to the cooperation and policy dialogue in the field of higher education. This Organisation has carried out important work in support of the implementation of the Bologna Process, which is currently led by Armenia. Although tangible results have been achieved, nevertheless, there is a need to consolidate the implementation and to further build on the progress achieved.

Armenia will also pay special attention to the area of education for democratic citizenship and youth participation. In this regard we will organize a Youth Policy Symposium in Yerevan, which will serve as a platform for exchange of views and in-depth discussion on youth participation.

The Armenian Chairmanship attaches great importance to the cultural dimension of the Council of Europe activities aimed at raising awareness of European citizens about rich and diverse cultural heritage of Europe.

The Armenian Chairmanship will also contribute to furthering Council of Europe’s cooperation with other international and regional organisations. Such cooperation is essential for better synergies of activities, for an enhanced effectiveness and impact of efforts. In this regard, we will closely follow the process of accession of the European Union to the European Convention on Human Rights, which will further strengthen the protection of human rights and will contribute to the creation of a single European legal space.

During our Chairmanship we will work closely with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Congress of Local and Regional authorities. Two major events of these institutions are planned to take place in Yerevan in the next six months.

We will ensure the continuity of efforts in areas identified as shared priorities and we will be in close cooperation with previous, Andorran and next, Austrian Chairmanships.

 

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Armenia will cooperate in good faith with all member states who are willing to engage in constructive dialogue on issues, which are the competence of the Council of Europe and who wish to contribute to the realization of the objectives of this Organisation.

Thank you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chinese police destroy £21million of counterfeit designer goods… just another £20BILLION to go!

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Police destroy 200m Yuan worth of counterfeit goods, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China - 14 May 2013Chinese police destroyed £21 million of counterfeit designer goods today in a lavish publicity stunt aimed at showing the world they are cracking down on the illegal trade.

Fake wine, cigarettes, handbags and cosmetics were all thrown on a fire in Guiyang, southwest China’s Guizhou Province.

But authorities have a long way to go – a recent UN report revealed a staggering 75 per cent of all fake goods seized worldwide from 2008 to 2010 were primarily from China.

The UN report stated that counterfeit goods accounted for one third of the organised crime in East Asia and the Pacific is worth approximately $90bn (£58bn).

Most counterfeits fall into four categories: CDs and DVDs; accessories, watches and footwear; tobacco products; and textiles.

Last year an entire city in China literally shut up shop when nearly all of its stores closed after it was falsely reported that officials were planning a clampdown on the sale of counterfeit products.

Officials in Shenyang city were forced to beg store owners to reopen after 95 per cent of shops remain closed.

In November police arrested 73 people suspected of manufacturing and selling almost 1 million fake luxury bags in China.

The Ministry of Public Security said police seized more than 20,000 fake Louis Vuitton, Hermes and Coach bags and closed 37 sites where the forgery ring made or sold the bags.

Police said the ring sold more than 960,000 bags and exported many to the United States and Middle East.

 

Viagra harvest shuts schools in Himalayas as locals rush to collect aphrodisiac fungus

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Schools in rural Nepal have been left deserted as villagers scramble to harvest a rare high-altitude fungus said to boost sexual performance.

The reported aphrodisiac properties of Yarchagumba are so potent the fungus has been dubbed ‘Himalayan Viagra’, and demand in China and other Asian markets is such that it can fetch the equivalent of up to $20,000 per kilo.

Education officials in Jajarkot district – where around 8,000 students have joined the annual rush to hunt for the fungus in meadows high in the Himalayas – said there was ‘no point’ in keeping schools open.

Parents and teachers are also among those flocking to high meadows in search of the fungus.

‘In this district alone, about 8,000 students have left school for the expedition,’ Prakash Subedi, from the Jajarkot district eduction office, said in a report on ninemsn.com.

‘Without the students, there’s no point running the school so we close them. Even the teachers go to collect it,’ he said.

Mr Subedi added that extra classes were held during the autumn at some schools to make up for the time students miss during the spring tmie Yarchagumba harvest.

Although parents are urged not to take children with them when they go in pursuit of the rare fungus, schools’ pleas tend to fall on deaf ears because children can earn as much as 100,000 rupees – the equivalent of over $1,000 – during the harvest, Mr Subedi said.

The word Yarchagumba means ‘summer grass, winter worm’ in Tibetan.

While no research has been published on its aphrodisiac properties, Chinese herbalists believe Yarchagumba can enhance sexual performance.

The fungus is boiled in water to make tea or added to soups or stews, and is also reputed to cure a host of ailments.

Tuck in! People should eat more insects to fight hunger and reduce pollution, U.N says

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The U.N. has new weapons to fight hunger, boost nutrition and reduce pollution.

But the answer to food crises around the world may not be that palatable – because they want people to eat insects.

The Food and Agriculture Organization on Monday hailed the likes of grasshoppers, ants and other members of the insect world as an underutilized food for people, livestock and pets.

A 200-page report, released at a news conference at the U.N. agency’s Rome headquarters, says 2 billion people worldwide already supplement their diets with insects, which are high in protein and minerals, and have environmental benefits.
Insects are ‘extremely efficient’ in converting feed into edible meat, the agency said.

On average, they can convert 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of feed into 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of insect mass. In comparison, cattle require 8 kilograms (17.6 pounds) of feed to produce a kilo of meat.

Currently, most edible insects are gathered in forests and what insect farming does take place is often family-run and serves niche markets.

But the U.N. says mechanization can ratchet up insect farming production. The fish bait industry, for example, has long farmed insects.

Insect farming is ‘one of the many ways to address food and feed security,’ the food agency said.

‘Insects are everywhere and they reproduce quickly,’ the agency said, adding they leave a ‘low environmental footprint.’

They provide high-quality protein and nutrients when compared with meat and fish and are ‘particularly important as a food supplement for undernourished children,’ it said.

Insects can also be rich in copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium and zinc, and are a source of fibre.

But the question on everyone’s lips is – are they tasty?

The report noted that some caterpillars in southern Africa and weaver ant eggs in Southeast Asia are considered delicacies and command high prices.

 

Angelina Jolie undergoes double mastectomy

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bb_horizontal_bigger19268914Editor’s note: Have you made the decision to have a preventative mastectomy? Send us your thoughts and experiences.

(CNN) — Actress Angelina Jolie announced in a New York Times op-ed article on Tuesday that she underwent a preventive double mastectomy after learning she carries a mutation of the BRCA1 gene, which sharply increases her risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

“My doctors estimated that I had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer, although the risk is different in the case of each woman,” Jolie wrote. “Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could. I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy.”

Jolie’s mother, actress and producer Marcheline Bertrand, died of ovarian cancer in 2007 at the age of 56.

Jolie visits Syrian refugeesJolie visits Syrian refugees

In the Times op-ed, titled “My Medical Choice,” Jolie said she finished three months of medical procedures at thePink Lotus Breast Center in California on April 27 that included the mastectomies and reconstruction.

“I wanted to write this to tell other women that the decision to have a mastectomy was not easy. But it is one I am very happy that I made,” Jolie wrote. “My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87 percent to under 5 percent.”

BRCA stands for breast cancer susceptibility genes — a class of genes known as tumor suppressors, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Mutation of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes has been linked to hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.

Oscar-winning film star

Jolie may be best known for title role in the “Laura Croft” series of films, but also won an Academy Award as best supporting actress in “Girl, Interrupted.” She also received a Golden Globe Award and SAG Award for the same role.

Jolie serves as a special enjoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and has visited refugee camps around the world.

The actress has been in a relationship with actor Brad Pitt since the mid 2000s and they are engaged. The couple has three biological and three adopted children.

In telling her story, Jolie acknowledged that surgery might not be the right choice for every woman.

“For any woman reading this, I hope it helps you to know you have options,” Jolie wrote. “I want to encourage every woman, especially if you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, to seek out the information and medical experts who can help you through this aspect of your life, and to make your own informed choices.”

But for Jolie, the decision ultimately came down to her kids.

“I can tell my children that they don’t need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer,” she said.

It’s a pain Jolie knows all too well from losing her mother to the disease.

 

Russian daredevil takes his life in his hands as he hangs like a monkey off 1,000ft crane

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b1These pictures taken from footage showing a Russian teenager climbing around a crane 1,000ft up in the sky are enough to make your palms sweat even if you have never suffered from vertigo.

The youth is seen walking along the crane as if it were a tightrope, without showing even a flicker of fear at being so far from the ground.

Without a safety harness, hard hat or even a rope, he confidently walks – and even skips – along the red metal crane in his trainers.

The three-minute clip, posted on Youtube, shows his astonishing courage (or should that read foolhardiness?) as he casually strips off his jumper and puts on a woolly hat for his sky-high work-out

The boy, who looks little older than 16 or 17, then climbs over the side and hangs from just one hand.

The cars in the street below are so tiny they look like toys as he does monkey bars dangling off the crane.

Eventually, just when the viewer’s nerves can take it no longer, the film stops with the logo Dangerous For Life.

It has already been viewed by tens of thousands of armchair adventurers, though most of those who commented on Youtube realised the danger the youth was putting himself in.

One wrote: This crazy kid is probably going to be responsible for so many tragic deaths, if not his own.

 

Bangladesh riot death toll rises to 37 after Islamic hardilners demanding blasphemy law battled police

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ba137 people were killed and hundreds more injured in Bangladesh today in fierce street fighting between police and Islamic hardliners demanding the death penalty for blasphemy.

Rioters chanting ‘God is greatest!’ torched shops and vehicles, blocked roads and fought bloody battles with police in the capital of Dhaka and its suburbs.

At least 70,000 activists ran amok in the capitals financial district overnight, forcing hundreds of workers to sleep in their offices as gunfire rattled through the night.

Dozens of demonstrators were arrested, while the leader of the protests was put on a plane to the country’s second city Chittagong and the deputy chief was detained in the capital.

Activists from the fundamentalist Hefajat-e-Islam group had marched along at least six roads, blocking transport between Dhaka and other cities.

Police have said about 200,000 people marched to central Dhaka, where tensions erupted as protesters – armed with rocks – clashed with security officials, who beat them back with batons.

It is believed rioting broke out after police tried to intercept protesters, many of whom had travelled from remote villages and had gathered in front of the country’s largest mosque.

The protests had been instigated by Allama Shah Ahmad Shafi, the leader of Hefajat-e-Islam who is said to be around 90 years old.

Hefajat-e-Islam is a newly created radical Islamist group that wants greater segregation of men and women, and a stricter Islamic education. It also want the restoration of pledges to Allah in the constitution.

The government in Bangladesh has rejected the groups’ demands, saying the Muslim-majority nation is governed by secular liberal laws.

Leaders have threatened to launch a campaign to oust the government unless their demands are met.

 

 

A big thumbs up: Traveller hitchhikes 100,000 miles around the world without spending any money

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t19Frenchman Jeremy Marie has spent five years travelling over 100,000 miles around the world, relying all the way on the kindness of strangers for a free ride.

From trekking in 50C heat through the deserts of Sudan to braving temperatures of -20C while catching a lift in Kazakhstan, Mr Marie has visited over 71 countries.

The 29-year-old globetrotter has hitched lifts with cars, boats, planes and even a donkey since he set off from Caen, Normandy in October 2007.

Remarkably despite his 180,000km trip, Jeremy has not paid a penny towards his transport and instead relied on the generosity of strangers to give him a free ride.

During his trip he hitchiked and sofa surfed his way across Europe, USA, South America, Africa, Australia, New Zealand and plenty more in between.

He said: ‘My passion for travelling came when I stayed with a Polish family as part of a school foreign exchange trip.

‘I like to hitchhike, it’s a good way to meet people and you get to see the world from a local’s point of view and see and experience things a tourist wouldn’t usually be able to.

‘Some countries are very easy to hitchhike around, New Zealand was great the people are very friendly, the roads are good and there was no danger of miscommunication.

‘But it was difficult in the US as it’s against the law to hitchhike there, so people were very reluctant to stop and offer me a lift.’

‘Sometimes I felt scared, there’s good and bad people everywhere and so you have to be careful about who you choose to trust when you’re hitchhiking.

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The police does not allow to commemorate the victims of the terrorist attack at the Oil Academy(video)

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ադրբեջանReinforced police prevented the youth activists to commemorate the victims of the massacre in the Oil Academy on the occasion of the 4th anniversary of the tragedy.

Police cordoned off the building of the Oil Academy, where the bloody drama was played out, and no one was  allowed there.   The police forced out young people with flowers in their hands, and detained Abulfaz Gurbanly, the head of the Youth Committee of Popular Front.

Later, a member of the  NIDA Movement, Turgut Gambar, was detained near the Library named after Akhundov.  It happened when the police began to disperse approximately  50 young people who  gathered  to make a rally.

Another group of young people  managed to lay flowers on the boulevard, where the concert will take place today. In this way, young people protested against the  concert on the day of the victims of terror.

Neither the government nor the leadership of the Oil Academy conduct activities commemorating the victims of the tragedy.

* On April 30, 2009 a native of Georgia, Farda Gadirov, entered the building of the Oil Academy, opened fire with a pistol, killing 12 and wounding 13 people. Four fellows of  Gadirova were convicted on the case  – three to life imprisonment, and one – to 11 years in prison. –16C06-

Nude statues pulled from Olympic exhibition after Qatari authorities insist on veiling them

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Greek statue.Greece has pulled two ancient statues of nude males from an Olympic exhibition in Doha after Qatari authorities insisted covering the genitalia with black cloths.

A Culture Ministry official says exhibition organisers wanted to avoid scandalising female visitors.

Greek Deputy Culture Minister Costas Tzavaras, who visited the Muslim country last month for the exhibition opening, objected, saying the works should be displayed as they were or shipped home.

The statues have already returned to Greece,’ a Culture Ministry source told Agence-France-Presse, who added that, ‘Organizers in Qatar wanted to cover up the statues’ members with black cloth. So they were never put on display, they went back into storage and returned on April 19.’

Qatari officials could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday night.

The statues date to the 6th and 2nd centuries BC.

They were among nearly 600 antiquities brought from Greece for the ‘Olympics – Past and Present’ exhibition.

 

Inter hit with UEFA racism fine

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130426155822-inter-milan-fans-story-top(CNN) — Inter Milan has been hit with a $58,600 by UEFA after being found guilty of “improper conduct” following allegations its fans racially abused Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor.

The Togolese striker, who scored a precious away goal to take Tottenham through to the next round during last month’s Europa League tie, appeared to be subjected to monkey chants, while a fan was also seen with an inflatable banana.

Inter won the match 4-1 but crashed out of Europe’s second-tier competition on the away goals rule with Adebayor’s strike proving crucial.

Read: Inter Milan faces new racism charge

The Italian club was also charged with “insufficient organization” and “throwing of missiles and/or fireworks.”

Boateng: Racism in football must end

Juventus midfielder: Stop racism

Hayatou: Good example key against racism

Inter has already been punished in domestic competition after the Italian football authorities found its fans guilty of racially abusing former players Mario Balotelli and Sulley Muntari, who now play for fierce rival AC Milan.

Read: Lazio punished for fourth racism offense

The club was fined $65,500 for the incident which took place in March, while it was also forced to pay out $22,700 after fans sang racist chants about Balotelli during a Serie A game against Chievo.

Inter is one of two Italian clubs to have been punished by UEFA for racist behavior this season with Lazio having been hit with four charges this campaign alone.

Lazio was punished with a $52,000 fine in February on the back of the $230,000 it was forced to pay for racist abuse and other offenses during two group stage games against Tottenham and Slovenian side Maribor.

Meanwhile, Benfica has been fined $41,000 for organizational problems and the conduct of its supporters during last month’s Europa League clash against Bordeaux in Lisbon.

NY police: Landing gear part found, is tied to 9/11

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Landing Gear from 9/11 Plan DiscoveredNew York (CNN) — A piece believed to be from one of the airliners that hit the World Trade Center towers on September 11, 2001, has been found behind the site of an Islamic community center near ground zero, the New York Police Department said Friday.

Investigators are looking into how a part of what appears to be landing gear became wedged between 51 Park Place — the site of a controversial community center — and another building, just a few blocks from ground zero.

“If you see how confined this space is, and you realize the chaos that existed on this street, I think it’s understandable. It’s not that surprising,” NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly said.

“It’s very, very confined and no construction work went on, or no clean up went on in this 18 inch space between the two buildings” after the attacks.

Even so, he said investigators were looking at all possibilities, including whether the part was intentionally placed between the two buildings.

“We are also looking into a possibility it was lowered by a rope,” Kelly said, adding that a piece of rope appeared to be intertwined with the part.

But Kelly said an initial investigation show there are no marks on the walls between the two buildings consistent with such an object being lowered. He also said there appears to be a break in the rope and that it came down from the roof on top of the plane part.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators will determine whether the part is from either United Airlines Flight 175 or American Airlines Flight 11, which hit the twin towers, he said.

The part “includes a clearly visible Boeing identification number,” police said in a written statement released earlier in the day.

American Airlines and United Airlines declined to comment.

The part was discovered Wednesday by surveyors hired by a property owner. They called 911 to report that they’d found “apparently damaged machinery,” police said.

Part of a landing gear was discovered wedged between 51 Park Place and another building.
Part of a landing gear was discovered wedged between 51 Park Place and another building.

“The NYPD is securing the location as it would a crime scene, documenting it photographically,” the statement said.

The plane part will not be moved until after the medical examiner’s office completes a health and safety inspection.

“The office of the chief medical examiner will do an in-depth examination of the site to see if there are, in fact, human remains there,” Kelly said.

New York police officers were standing guard Friday through the weekend outside the buildings. Investigators are expected to return Monday to determine how to remove the part.

The plane part is about five feet long, four feet wide and 17 inches deep, Kelly said. It was discovered between the two buildings, in a space about 18 inches, he said.

The discovery of the plane part comes more than 11 years after the two airliners slammed into the towers of the World Trade Center.

“Well, obviously, this is a manifestation of a horrific terrorist attack a block and a half away from where we stand,” Kelly said. “So sure. It brings back terrible memories to anyone who was here and anyone who was involved in that event.”

Sally Regenhard, whose son Christian — a probationary firefighter — died when the towers collapsed, said she was not surprised by the find.

“I’m disgusted, because after 9/11 the proper search was never done. The whole aftermath was uncoordinated. It was inadequate,” she said.

Regenhard has been one of the leading voices and, at times, critics for the families of the September 11 victims, pushing hard for a federal investigation and calling for a more comprehensive search for remains and debris.

“We advocated for a huge trajectory from that collapse,” she said. “Human remains were thrown at least for a mile, but probably two or three miles from the site.”

In the years since, a number of pieces of debris as well as human remains have been discovered in Lower Manhattan.

“We are cooperating fully with the appropriate authorities to make sure this piece of evidence is removed with care as quickly and effectively as possible,” said Sharif El-Gamal, president of Soho Properties, the owner of 51 Park Place.

The building had been the site of furious protests, pitting those opposed to putting an Islamic center near ground zero and those who say it is a center meant to bring people together.

The hunt for Misha: Bomb investigators search for mysterious ‘bald, red-bearded Armenian man’ accused of radicalizing Tamerlan

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t3As the investigation into why and how the Boston bombers unleashed their deadly attacks continues, the focus has centered to an elusive and mysterious Muslim convert known only as Misha.

Family members of Tamerlan Tsarnaev describe Misha as the guiding influence in the elder bomber developing radicalized views – but to date it is believed that law enforcement and the media have failed to find him.

Speculation as to who Misha is wildly varies, with some suggesting he is the mastermind behind the marathon bombings while others think that he could be a Russian spy – sent to identify and keep tabs on young men like Tamerlan who are at risk of turning to militant Islam.

All that is known about him is that he is an Armenian man in his 30s with distinctive red beard and that he has disappeared – no longer living in the Cambridge, Massachusetts area.

However, family members have been telling reporters that in the years before the Boston marathon bombings, Tamerlan, 26, fell under the strong influence of a new friend, a Christian who converted to Islam and who steered the religiously apathetic young man towards adopting strong Islamic views.

 

Rescuers use massive strips of cloth as escape chutes after Bangladeshi textile factory collapses killing at least 96 people

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b2An eight-storey building housing several garment factories collapsed this morning in Bangladesh, killing at least 83 people and trapping many more in the rubble.

Rescuers used massive strips of cloth as escape chutes from the textile factories to help the workers escape the devastation.

Fire fighters and army personnel worked frantically through the morning at the Rana Plaza building in Savar, 30 km (19 miles) outside Dhaka, to rescue people trapped inside.

An official at a control room set up to provide information about the missing and injured said more than 700 people were injured.

The collapse happened about 8:30 a.m. and since garment factories in the area routinely work 24 hours a day, it appeared likely that the five housed in the building were staffed at the time.

Mohammad Asaduzzaman, in charge of the area’s police station, said factory owners appeared to have ignored a warning not to allow their workers into the building after a crack was detected in the block on Tuesday.

One fireman said that about 2,000 people were in the building when the upper floors jolted down on top of each other.

Buildings in the crowded city of Dhaka are sometimes erected without permission and many do not comply with construction regulations.

 

Tigran Sargsyan: “Our language will bring us together to make a unified fist”

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6701_ru_4Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan attended the opening of Diaspora Ministry-hosted “Armenian language is in my heart” pan-Armenian youth conference in Yerevan.

Welcoming the participants on behalf of the Government, the Prime Minister said. “We attach great importance to all pan-Armenian events. This is why the Ministry of Diaspora was et up at the initiative of the President of the Republic of Armenia for the first time five years ago to unite Armenians around the world. Every week a language dies in the modern world, which means that the bearers of a specific language, alias an ethnic group disappears on the globe. Competition is growing keener in the 21st century, especially among and between nations, with the language proving to be the main pledge for keeping one’s ethnic identity. Our language will bring us together to make a unified fist, which can help us defy many challenges ahead.”

According to the Prime Minister, the modern world has entered a new stage, which is characterized by rapid changes and our young people should be able to keep track of their identity. As the chief driving force behind the Armenian identity, our statehood has helped us overcome many global and regional threats and challenges over the past couple of decades.

“We are building a statehood to implement our youth’s desire to preserve national values and ethnic identity. From this perspective, Nagorno-Karabakh is struggling for survival. The Artsakh issue is that of the future of our nation. The perception of this problem by young Armenians is the key to a safe future because we cannot achieve a fair settlement of the problem without unity,” the head of government emphasized.

Tigran Sargsyan believes that having a powerful army, for the first time in history our people can provide for the nation’s security.

“The modern world is a world of knowledge, where the Armenian nation has a competitive advantage. It is time our youth proved that we are part of the global competition among nations. In the 21st century, competition has moved to the intellectual field of knowledge, and this means that the number one problem is the formation of such an educational system that will give you the opportunity of getting competitive knowledge,” the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister stressed the importance of the activities of Luys Foundation, which was established at the initiative of the President of the Republic of Armenia. Note that the Foundation subsidizes the scholarship of Armenian students at the world’s top 10 universities.

Scheduled for April 22-24, the conference is attended by 500 young people from 30 countries. Issues of nationwide importance will be discussed, including new approaches to achieving international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict, language and culture-related problems etc.

Heroic father punches out alligator to save his son from the reptile’s jaws

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a1A terrified Florida father got into a fistfight with an eight-foot alligator Friday to save his son’s life.

Joseph Welch and son Joey, 6, were on a canoe trip through the Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge in Boynton Beach when the boy fell into the water and the waiting alligator’s jaws.

‘I heard these blood-curdling screams and I saw this gator that had his right arm in his jaw and I just freaked,’ Joseph said.

a2Joseph told Local 10 that he immediately jumped into the water to save his son.

The alligator wasn’t wasting time either.

‘He just swam up to me and clamped my arm,’ Joey said. ‘He didn’t wait for a second.’

Joseph feared a struggle could tear the boy apart.

‘I didn’t want to play tug-of-war with the alligator and get his arm ripped off,’ Joseph told WSVN 7. ‘So I started punching the alligator on top of the head as hard as I could.’

Luckily an unidentified good Samaritan joined the man-versus-beast brawl and booted the alligator in the stomach.

Joey escaped with minor injuries and the gator was later tracked and killed by authorities because of its aggression.

Once on the attack, alligators are relentless.

Kaleb Langdale, 17, had his arm bitten off by a ten-foot long alligator last summer.

‘(I) knew I either got to lose this arm or I’m gonna die,’ he told reporters.

 

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