Monthly Archives: October 2013

Terror in Tiananmen Square: Five killed and dozens injured as car ploughs into pedestrians at site of 1989 pro-democracy protests

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Չինաստան,Պեկին,Տյանանմեն հրապարակ,հրդեհ

 

Five people have been killed killed and dozens injured after a car drove into crowds of tourists and caught fire in Tiananmen Square.

Beijing government officials are unsure if the incident, which occurred at the site of 1989 pro-democracy protests, was a terrorist attack.

 

 

Պեկին,Տյանանմեն հրապարակ,հրդեհ

Three people who were traveling in the vehicle have all died in addition to a female tourist from the Philippines, and a male tourist from southern Guandong province.

Around 38 people are thought to have been injured in the incident.

The central and Beijing governments held a meeting to investigate the cause of the event and ‘ensure the security and stability of the capital.’

The main road through the square was closed for a short period of time as police evacuated part of the square.

 

Terror in Tiananmen Square2

The popular tourist destination is under constant security due to its close proximity to the Zhongnanhai compound of the central leadership and the Great Hall of the People which overlooks the square.

It is also the site of Mao’s mausoleum.

Inspectors Can’t Access 2 Syria Chemical Sites

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UN inspectors in Syria

 

The global chemical weapons watchdog says its inspectors in Syria have not been able to reach two sites because of security concerns, meaning that one of the first in a series of tight deadlines on the path toward destroying the country’s poison gas stockpile by mid-2014 has been missed.

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said Monday that as of Sunday its inspectors in Syria have checked 21 out of 23 sites declared by Damascus to be part of its poison gas and nerve agent program.

The mission update didn’t say who was responsible for the security problem, but that negotiations “to ensure the conditions necessary for safe access” to the two remaining sites will continue.

Officials have said cease-fires may be needed to reach some sites.

 

Students Block Access to Bulgarian University

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Կլիմենտ Օրչրիդսկի համալսարան

Several hundred students have blocked access to Bulgaria’s largest university, demanding the dissolution of Parliament and calling for new elections.

The protest at Kliment Ochridsky University in the capital, Sofia, will likely energize an anti-government movement that has spent four months protesting the country’s leadership.

The demonstrators’ unhappiness stems from allegations that government leaders have ties with shady businessmen and other claims of official corruption.

As the students blocked the entrances to the university Monday, they issued a statement insisting that the country’s governance must be based on “moral values rather than personal benefits.”

University administrators held an emergency meeting to discuss how to handle the blockade and the cancellation of classes it has triggered.

 

6 Miners Die in Northern Spain After a Gas Leak

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TOSHIBA Exif JPEG

 

A Spanish emergency agency says six miners have died and five others have been injured after a gas leak at a coal mine in northern Spain.

The Castilla and Leon regional emergency services said in a statement the accident occurred Monday at the Santa Lucia mine near the town of Pola de Gordon. It said the injured miners had been taken to a hospital in Leon, the regional capital and a medical helicopter and three ambulances had been dispatched to the mine.

Leading newspaper El Pais said the miners may have died from gas inhalation. It said the mine was 700 meters (2,300 feet) underground.

 

It’s the STRAIGHTENING Tower of Pisa: Italian landmark loses 2.5cm of its famous tilt after £25m salvage project

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Պիզայի աշտարակ

Its perilous incline has defied gravity since the 12th century.

But now the Leaning Tower of Pisa has lost some of its famous tilt, researchers have found.

An annual report on the monument’s stability has revealed that the tower had spontaneously recovered some of its vertical incline-straightening by 2.5cm since 2001.

Պիզայի աշտարակ

Previously the 56m bell tower’s tilt was increasing by more than a millimetre a year creating a danger that it could collapse altogether.

In 1993 it was leaning by 5.4m, compared to 3.8m in 1817 and just 1.4m in 1350.

The 14,500-tonne tower was shut for a decade while the foundations were reinforced and water was drained from beneath. Supporting steel cables were placed in circles around the structure.

After the £25million project, the tower straightened itself almost immediately by 38cm.

The 2013 study by a scientific committee tasked with monitoring the celebrated building confirmed ‘that the bell tower is stable but tending to straighten’.

Giuseppe Bentivoglio, technical director of the monument, said that the tower’s future is secure for another two- or three-hundred years.

The tower brings in six million visitors to Pisa every year with three million buying tickets to climb its eight floors.

 

International Observers Praise Georgia’s Election

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Գիորգի Մարգվելաշվիլի

 

International observers gave their stamp of approval to Georgia’s presidential election on Monday, characterizing it as “clean” and “transparent.”

Sunday’s election was won easily by Giorgi Margvelashvili, a 44-year-old former university rector with limited political experience.

“In a positive and transparent election, the Georgian people have confirmed last year’s historic transfer of power,” Joao Soares who lead the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe observer mission, said in a statement. “This clean election following a political cohabitation tells me that Georgia’s democracy is maturing.”

Margvelashvili won Sunday’s election with 62 percent of the vote.

The presidential candidate from Saakashvili’s party, former parliament speaker David Bakradze, finished second with 22 percent.

In third place among the 23 candidates with 10 percent was Nino Burdzhanadze, a veteran politician who has called for Saakashvili to be jailed.

 

President attended the opening of the Yerevan Show-2013 International Jewelry Exhibition

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Սերժ Սարգսյան, տիկին Ռիտա Սարգսյան,«Երևան շոու-2013»

President Serzh Sargsyan and Mrs. Rita Sargsyan today attended the opening of the Yerevan Show-2013 International Jewelry Exhibition at the Karen Demirjian Sport and Concert Complex. The event is being held on the next day after the Jeweler’s National Day holiday established by the decree of the Government of Armenia.

At the exhibition, which has become a traditional event, presented are world famous companies manufacturing jewelry and watches, jewelers, suppliers of jewelry from Armenia and from two dozen countries from all over the world. Over 140 buyers have arrived to Armenia to participate in the Exhibition, which according to the organizers, is a good opportunity for the local companies to find new markets for their products.

The President of Armenia toured the pavilions of the Exhibition, observed jewelry products presented by 125 local and foreign companies, tools and devices for jewelry manufacturing, conversed with the participants of the Exhibition about the problems of the area and programs for future development.

With regard to the events organized in the framework of the Exhibition, President Sargsyan was informed that there is an intention to organize a conference entitled the “Current Situation in the Jewelry Production: Problems and Prospects.” At the Conference, the Chairman of the World Armenian Jewelers Association (AJA) Gagik Gevorkian will present Union’s project on establishing in Yerevan a jewelry free trade zone. At the Conference introduced will be the newly established the AJA’s research Fund of the Armenian Jewelers.

 

 

Pentas

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Пентас-ланцетовидный1

Pentas is one of the best butterfly-attracting plants around. It blooms all summer long, even during the hottest weather, with large clusters of starry blooms that attract butterflies by the dozens as well as hummingbirds. The plant grows well in containers and in the ground — and it can even make a good houseplant if you have enough light. It does best in full sun and moist, well-drained soil. Pentas is grown as an annual in most parts of the country, but it’s hardy in Zones 10-11. Plant it outdoors after all danger of frost has passed.

Light:
Sun
Zones:
10-11
Plant Type:
Annual,Perennial
Plant Height:
To 4 feet tall
Plant Width:
To 3 feet wide
Landscape Uses:
Containers,Beds & Borders,Privacy,Slopes,Groundcover
Special Features:
Flowers,Attracts Birds,Attracts Hummingbirds,Easy to Grow

1266266413_pentas

pentas_lanceolata

Pentas1

Top Varieties

Pentas ‘Butterfly Light Lavender’ bears lavender-pink flower heads on compact 14-inch-tall plants.
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Pentas ‘Graffiti Bright Red’ bears large clusters of rich-red flowers on dwarf 12-inch-tall plants.
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Pentas ‘Graffiti Lipstick’ is adorned by clusters of bright rosy-pink flowers on compact 12-inch-tall plants.
view >

Pentas ‘Graffiti Pink’ bears big heads of pink flowers on 12-inch-tall plants.
view >

Pentas ‘Graffiti Red Lace’ bears large heads of red flowers with white centers on 1-foot-tall plants.
view >

Pentas ‘Graffiti White’ bears large flower heads of pure-white blooms on 12-inch-tall plants.
view >

Pentas ‘Kaleidoscope Appleblossom’ shows off clusters of soft-pink flowers through the summer. It grows 18 inches tall.
view >

Pentas ‘Kaleidoscope Deep Red’ is an especially showy selection with clusters of rich-red flowers all summer long. It grows 18 inches tall.
view >

Pentas ‘Kaleidoscope Pink’ bears large clusters of soft-pink blooms on 18-inch-tall plants.
view >

Pentas ‘New Look Pink’ bears light pink flowers on 12-inch-tall plants.
view >

Pentas ‘Northern Lights Lavender’ is a large selection that’s been bred to tolerate cooler temperatures. It offers lavender-pink flowers on a 4-foot-tall plant.
view >

фото Пентаса ланцетовидного фото Пентаса ланцетовидного сорт Nova фото Пентаса ланцетовидного сорт Kermesina
Pentas lanceolata Pentas lanceolata ‘Nova’ Pentas lanceolata ‘Kermesina’

 

 

Conrad Murray completes jail time for killing Michael Jackson

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Քոնրադ Մյուրեյը

 

Dr. Conrad Murray left the Los Angeles County jail under sheriff’s escort, avoiding reporters and Michael Jackson fans waiting for his release early Monday.

Murray, who served two years of a four-year sentence for causing Michael Jackson’s death, was driven away in a sheriff’s car for the “safety and security” of the jail, sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore said.

The handful of Jackson fans gathered outside the jail accused the Los Angeles County sheriff of showing favoritism to Murray by slipping him out of the jail through a back exit, instead of the door where freed prisoners normally leave.

Murray, who the sheriff’s spokesman described as an exemplary inmate, was kept away from the general inmate population during his two years in the jail. He was also allowed to have liberal use of a telephone inside his cell during his last year.

Murray’s lawyer told reporters outside the jail that he would try to get his medical licenses reinstated in California, Texas and Nevada so he can resume the medical career interrupted by his conviction on the involuntary manslaughter in 2011.

 

Young People for United Europe

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Masnakicner31 young people from Armenia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Romania and Poland from 22 to 28 of October took part in a Youth Exchange “Intercultural Bridges for United Europe” in Tsaghkadzor.

The project is organized by the efforts of the local youth NGO “Youth for Exchange and Cooperation” and is funded by the European Commission in the framework of the European Union’s “Youth in Action” Programme. The aim of this Programme is to inspire a sense of active European citizenship, solidarity and tolerance among young Europeans and to involve them in shaping the Union’s future.

The Youth Exchange will offer the young people the opportunity to present their countries and learn about the cultures and values of the other countries. This will create space for intercultural dialogue, will help the participants to get new skills and tools for breaking stereotypes about other cultures and countries and create an atmosphere of common understanding.

During the project the participants were involved in different creativity workshops, and tried to express themselves through art and showed their understanding of «United Europe» through different expressions of art.

As mention the participants, the activities and different discussions carried out during the Project helped them to develop the sense of confidence, as well as encouraged them to be active citizens and to take active role in the life of their communities.

The participants also had a chance to visit local youth organization and get introduced to their work and activities.

This project has been funded with support from the European Union. This publication/communication reflects the views only of the author, and the European Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of information contained therein.

 

President received delegation headed by the Senator-Mayor of Marseille Jean-Claude Gaudin

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4427_b

 

 President Serzh Sargsyan received today delegation headed by the Senator-Mayor of Marseille Jean-Claude Gaudin which has arrived to Armenia on an official visit.

Serzh Sargsyan welcomed the members of the delegation and stressed the importance of different level visits for the continuous development and strengthening of bilateral relations. In this context, the interlocutors recalled warmly President Serzh Sargsyan’s visit to Marseille in 2011 and underlined with satisfaction that cooperation between Armenia and France, which is based on centuries-long close friendly ties of the two nations, are developing incessantly in almost every area – political, economic, and cultural.

Attributing a great role for the development of bilateral relations to decentralized cooperation, the President of Armenia highlighted efficient work conducted in that area in recent years and expressed confidence that the visit of the delegation headed by Jean-Claude Gaudin to Armenia will give a new impetus to the development and strengthening of the Armenian-French relations. According to the President, thanks to the active interaction between the regional and municipal authorities of Armenia and France and reciprocal visits, many joint programs in the areas of education, culture, health care, tourism, and other areas of mutual interest are being implemented.

The Senator-Mayor of Marseille Jean-Claude Gaudin presented to Serzh Sargsyan results of his meetings in Yerevan, including agreements signed in a number of areas, which in his opinion will further deepen cooperation in these areas.

Jean-Claude Gaudin noted that his delegation comprises also representatives of French business community which will definitely have a positive impact on the establishment of new Armenian-French business relations and enhancement of French investments in Armenia.

Senator-Mayor Jean-Claude Gaudin welcomed also opening in Marseille of the Consulate General of the Republic of Armenia.

Mount Etna Volcano Erupts; Airspace Briefly Closed

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Էթնա լեռան հրաբուխ

 

Mount Etna, Europe’s most active volcano, has erupted, sending up a towering plume of ash visible in much of eastern Sicily.

Etna’s eruptions aren’t infrequent, although the last major one occurred in 1992.

Catania airport said the eruption Saturday forced the closure of nearby airspace before dawn, but authorities lifted the order in early morning.

Several inhabited villages dot the mountain’s slopes, but evacuations weren’t necessary despite the lava flow.

 

Washing your hands makes you HAPPIER: Cleaning boosts our confidence and washes away feelings of failure

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washing boost self esteem

 

It seems you really can wash away your pain, as the song lyrics go.

A new study has found that the ritual of cleaning makes us more optimistic after failure.

Dr Kai Kaspar, from the University of Cologne, examined how physical cleansing affects us after a bad event.

He found that people who washed their hands after failing a task were more confident they could complete it the next time.

Dr Kaspar divided 98 people into three groups. In the first part of the experiment, participants from two groups had to solve an impossible task.

When both the groups failed, one group then washed their hands.

Both groups were optimistic that they would better at the task next time but the ‘clean hands’ group were much more optimistic.

But there was a twist. While people who washed their hands felt better afterwards, they were also less likely to complete the task successfully next time.

Dr Kaspar explained: ‘While physical cleansing after failure may eliminate negative feelings, it reduces the motivation to try harder in a new test situation.’

Meanwhile, the non-hand washers performed better on the next occasion.

The study was published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science.

Previous research from the University of Michigan found that handwashing is physically and emotionally cleansing.

A team of psychologists reported that the simple act of washing hands made people feel more comfortable about the decisions they had made.

 

Police smash high class prostitution ring that paid well-known Brazilian models £60,000 a WEEK to ‘service’ clients around the world

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photo of an unconnected dancerPolice in Brazil have smashed a high-end prostitution ring that delivered well-known Brazilian models and cover girls to businessmen and politicians in Europe and Africa, it was reported today.

The women, who according to police appeared regularly on Brazilian TV and in men’s magazines, are believed to have been paid as much as £60,000 a week, investigators said.

Police claim the gang transported as many as 90 women a year from Brazil to wealthy clients in Angola, South Africa, Portugal and Austria in a racket believed to have amassed them over £28 million since 2007.

Federal police officers moved in on the gang yesterday following a year-long investigation, arresting three men and two women in the state of Sao Paulo, southeast Brazil.

Eleven luxury cars, as well as 23 passports, 14 visa requests for travel to Angola, foreign money and drugs were also seized, police said.

Police chief Luiz Tempestini, who led the investigation, told Brazil’s O Globo newspaper that many of the women, who have not been named, worked as dancers, models or actresses on popular Brazilian TV shows.

The gang members who were arrested have been charged with participation in organised crime, international people trafficking, embezzlement, false imprisonment and endangering the health and life of others, and face a maximum jail term of 30 years.

Two other suspects wanted by Brazilian police and believed to be living outside the country were placed on Interpol’s red notice list.

 

More than 250 students sick after eating in school cafeteria in China

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school lunchAt least 253 students are undergoing treatment following suspected food poisoning this week in northern China, state media reported.

In addition to students, two teachers were also hospitalized, Xinhua news agency reported.

The incident occurred Thursday at a middle school in Baotou, which is in China’s inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Victims suffered various symptoms, including stomach ache and vomiting after eating at the same counter in the school dining hall, the news agency said Friday.

Employees who work at that counter are in police custody undergoing questioning, according to Xinhua.

 

PRESIDENT PARTICIPATED AT THE COUNCIL OF THE CIS HEADS OF STATE IN MINSK

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4405_bIn the framework of this working visit to the Republic of Belarus, President Serzh Sargsyan participated today at the session of the Council of the CIS Heads of State conducted initially in the restricted and later in the extended format.

The Presidents of the Commonwealth member states in the framework of the agenda discussed 14 items encompassing different areas and pertinent to the prospects of expanding trade and economic relations, cooperation in the law enforcement area, further development of cultural and humanitarian ties.

Issues under consideration comprised programs related to cooperation in 2014-2016 in fighting terrorism and other violent manifestations of extremism, cooperation in fighting drug trafficking and program of countering drug abuse for years 2014-2018. Participants of the meeting approved all programs mentioned above.

The Presidents discussed and approved also the interstate program of joint events for 2014-2018 of fighting crime and program of cooperation of the CIS member states in fighting human trafficking for the same period of time.

Adopted at the meeting were also the agreement on the establishment of the interstate council for fighting corruption and the concept on the fight against crimes carried out with the use of technological means.

With regard to the cooperation in the humanitarian area, discussed were preparatory issues for the celebration of the 70th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. It was decided to declare year 2014 a Year of Tourism in CIS. In addition, it was decided to implement in 2014 the interstate program The Cultural Capitals of CIS.

It was decided to convene the next meeting of the CIS Heads of State in Kiev. Ukraine assumed Presidency in the CIS.

In the capital of Belarus, President Serzh Sargsyan along with other Presidents of the CIS member states participated also in the founding of the Alley of Honorary Guests in the courtyard of the Independence Palace.

2 wonderful classical music concerts with Vladimir Spivakov and Hasmik Papian

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1 (12)Within the framework of Aram Khachaturian International Festival, dedicated to the 110th anniversary of the great composer, on November 10-11 National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia under the artistic director and principal conductor Vladimir Spivakov will perform in Armenia.

On November 10 at 19.00 the concert will be held in Aram Khachaturian concert hall. The Yerevan concert is dedicated to the 80th anniversary of violist and conductor Zareh Sahakyanc, the founder of Chamber Orchestra of Armenia.

And on November 11 National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia headed by V.Spivakov will perform in Gyumri. The Gyumri concert will be held in the frames of “Gyumri CIS Cultural Capital 2013”.

The soloists will be Alexander Romanovsky (piano, Italy), Vasily Ladyuk (baritone, Russia), Juliette Galstian (mezzo-soprano, Switzerland), Hasmik Papian (soprano, Armenia).

The concerts of National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia in Armenia will be held with the assistance of Ministry of Culture of RA, Ministry of Culture of RF and Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation of CIS member states.

Aram Khachaturian International Festival is organized by the State Youth Orchestra of Armenia.

 

The £40million pink sparkler: Enormous diamond set to become the world’s most expensive jewel

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Pink Star

 

The diamond is dazzling and so is the price. This flawless 59.60-carat gem, known as the Pink Star, is expected to go for more than £40million at auction next month.

That will make the huge diamond, one of the world’s rarest and with an extraordinary depth of colour, the most valuable jewel ever to be sold.

Discovered in South Africa in 1999 by mining giant De Beers, the pink gem was polished and cut over two years.

The oval-cut stone is more than twice the size of the Graff Pink diamond that was sold for a world record £29million in 2010.
Sotheby’s, which will auction the Pink Star in Geneva, described it as ‘exceptional’.

The gem belongs to small group of diamonds – known as type 11a – that are renowned for their transparency and chemical purity.

 

վարդագույն ադամանդ

Can a sex strike work? Women in small Colombian town launch ‘Crossed Leg Movement’ to demand dangerous road be repaved

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Barbacaos-Colombia-women- sex strikeWomen in the small town of Barbacaos, southwest Colombia, have reportedly gone on their second sex strike in two years, demanding that the roads to their remote region be repaved.

Dubbed the ‘crossed legs movement,’ the women in the town are refusing to have sex with their significant others until the road that connects their small, isolated town to the rest of the country is repaired, according to Colombia-based reporter John Otis.

And it might have actually worked. PRI reports that construction has resumed on the single road, which is in such poor condition that trips to the nearest hospital take up to 14 hours, and many people in need of care die along the way.

Women in the town first began withholding sex in 2011 to protest the poor condition of the road, where Judge Marybell Silva joined the strike after seeing a young woman die along with her unborn child because the ambulance got stuck on the road and failed to reach a hospital in time.

Strike leader Ruby Quinonez said at the time: ‘Why bring children into this world when they can just die without medical attention and we can’t even offer them the most basic rights? We decided to stop having sex and stop having children until the state fulfils its previous promises.’

After three months and 19 days of abstinence, town politicians promised the road would be repaired and the government pledged $21million to pave at least half of the 35-mile road.

But after two years and no change, women resumed the strike. Now it seems the Army Corps of Engineers have brought in bulldozers and ‘heavy machinery’ to prove  they will indeed rebuild the road.

 

Russian Parliament Passes New Anti-Terror Bill

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Ռուսաստան,Պետդումա,ահաբեկչություն

 

The lower house of Russian parliament has approved a new legislation that toughens punishment for terrorism and requires terrorists’ relatives to pay for the damages caused in attacks.

The bill, unanimously passed Friday by the State Duma, is expected to see a similarly swift approval in the upper house and be signed by President Vladimir Putin to become law.

The document says that training for terrorist activities is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. It also introduces a punishment of up to six years for those participating in a militant group abroad.

The measure appears to be a response to Russian nationals fighting alongside rebels in Syria. Russian officials have voiced concern that they may launch attacks at home when they return.