Monthly Archives: October 2013

Lindsey Vonn puts comeback on ice for now

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Lindsey Vonn(CNN) — Ski queen Lindsey Vonn has put her return to racing on ice — for now.

The new World Cup ski season begins in the Austrian resort of Soelden this weekend but the Olympic downhill champion will not take part as she continues her comeback from a serious knee injury.

Vonn was airlifted to hospital February after she landed heavily on her right knee on the opening day of the Alpine Ski World Championships in Austria.

Less than seven months after her horror crash, the 29-year-old American returned to the slopes in Chile to test out her reconstructed knee.

 

Lindsey Vonn vows to take on the men

See skier’s downhill (careful at 1:21!)

Secret of U.S. ski team’s success

But Vonn, who is dating golfer Tiger Woods, says she is not yet ready to return to competitive action on the snow.

“My training camp in Soelden went very well and I made great progress, but I feel that I need more training before I start racing again,” Vonn explained on her personal website.

“The Soelden race is not in the cards this year. Patience is not my strong suit so not racing is very hard for me but it will only make me more excited for the next one.”

Vonn was crowned America’s snow queen when she became the first American woman to win the Olympic downhill title at the Vancouver Games in 2010.

She followed up her Vancouver victory with a stellar World Cup season in 2011-2012, winning 12 races and the overall title with a new record points haul.

A combination of illness and injury disrupted Vonn’s dominance on the slopes last season but she is confident she remains on course to defend her Olympic crown.

She plans to return at the World Cup event in Beaver Creek, Colorado on November 29.

“I will go home to Vail and continue my preparation for the Beaver Creek races and my ultimate goal in February!” she said.

There is an old face returning to the opening round of the new World Cup season in Soelden, however, as American Olympic super combined champion Bode Miller is back from his ski sabbatical.

It will be the 36-year-old’s first World Cup start since February of 2012.

Ted Ligety, Julia Mancuso and slalom world champion Mikeala Shiffrin are all included in the nine-strong U.S. team in Soelden.

 

RA Prosecutor General G. Kostanyan received EC Commissioner for Human Rights N. Muiznieks

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G. Kostanyan , EC Commissioner for Human Rights N. MuizniekOn 21 October, 2013 RA Prosecutor General G. Kostanyan received the delegation headed by EC Commissioner for Human Rights N. Muiznieks. The head of EC Office of Commissioner for Human Rights I. Gashe, the deputy head B. Urumova, the representative of EC Secretary General to Armenia O. Pavlyuk were involved in the delegation.

RA Deputies Prosecutor General A. Tamazyan, H. Badalyan, E. Babayan also took part in the meeting.

Greeting the guests Mr. Kostanyan mentioned that he highlighted the cooperation with EC Commissioner for Human Rights both as RA Prosecutor General and as Armenian Representative to the European Court of Human Rights.

The Prosecutor General expressed readiness to continue the cooperation with the Commissioner for Human Rights on stable and comprehensive bases. Mr. G. Kostanyan briefly represented the steps implemented in the process of providing guarantee for human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Prosecutor General highly evaluated the cooperation with the ex-Commissioner for Human Rights T. Hammerberg.

Congratulating Mr. Kostanyan on appointment as RA Prosecutor General Mr. N. Muiznieks emphasized that he was well-aware of Mr. Kostanyan’s activity and said he was sure they would have an efficient cooperation with RA Prosecution Office. EC Commissioner mentioned that his visit had a cognitive aim.

The members of EC delegation were interested in a number of issues regarding the soldiers’ rights in armed forces, issues on alternative service, the functions and authorities of prosecution office in the stage of judicial reforms.

RA Prosecutor General G. Kostanyan gave detailed answers to the questions the guests were interested in. He also offered to establish direct relations between the Office of Commissioner for Human Rights and RA Prosecutor General’s Office to have a quick exchange of information.

Staff changes in RA Prosecution Office are not due to close or not close relationship

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Կադրային փոփոխություններ դատախազությունումHighlighting the public right to be informed, the provision of democratic principle of being accountable to public for one’s own activities and taking into consideration the public interest on staff changes in RA prosecution system and comments of several types, we inform the following;

It is commendable that inner administrative changes attract the attention of mass media and a wide mass of society. We hope that this attention shown to prosecution is conditioned by public perception of importance of prosecution role in the process of struggle against crime, legality provision, protection of citizens’ rights and interests.

The commentaries in media that there is allegedly a “staff massacre” in prosecution office, that the staff changes are based on personal motives are groundless, as

during the meetings with the deputies in National Assembly and at the very first conference in Prosecutor General’s Office RA Prosecutor General G. Kostanyan declared that he would not be guided by the principle of close and not close relationship. At the same time, G. Kostanyan proposed new conditions, new approaches to the system employees demanding from them to implement the proposed conditions, to be honest, to have high professionalism. So, any honest and hard-working person will always be in office without any obstacles, and the person who does not coincide with these principles will be dismissed.

We would like to emphasize that the changes in RA Prosecution system up to now are not connected with condition implementation proposed by RA Prosecutor General. Mr. G. Kostanyan has not dismissed any official of prosecution office, yet.

All the employees have been dismissed pursuant to their own requests. In the interviews many of them have clearly represented the reasons of their dismissal, that is, a long-term retirement, rest, health state or desire to do another job.

We think it is not reasonable to doubt the announcements of persons who have a long-term experience of prosecution work and have numerous state rewards.

The fact that the newly-appointed prosecutors in head offices appointed by G. Kostanyan are also long-term employees of the same system indicates the absence of personal motives in staff changes. The public responds on professional and human properties of newly-appointed prosecutors, which are only positive, just prove that staff changes in prosecution system are not based on subjective grounds.

From now on, when any prosecutor is dismissed not pursuant to his own request, but on the base of the conclusion of Ethics Commission adjunct to RA Prosecutor General by Ra Prosecutor General’s order, or is subjected to a disciplinary penalty, the public will be properly informed about the dismissal reasons and disciplinary penalties.

Orlando Bloom and model Miranda Kerr confirm their three year marriage is over… after being ‘amicably separated for months’

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Օռլանդո Բլում,մոդել Միրանդա Քեր

 

Pirates Of The Caribbean star Orlando Bloom and model Miranda Kerr have announced they have split after three years of marriage.

A representative for the British actor confirmed the breakup to E! News.

The couple’s spokesperson said in a statement: ‘Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr have announced that they have been amicably separated for the past few months.

‘After six years together, they have recently decided to formalise their separation.’

The British actor and the Australian model began dating in late 2007 before tying the knot three years later.

Former Victoria’s Secret Angel Miranda, 30, gave birth to the couple’s son Flynn back in January 2011.

 

French soccer clubs to strike in protest at Francois Hollande’s ‘rich tax’

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ֆուտբոլային ակումբ

 

France’s controversial 75% tax for high earners drove award-winning actor Gerard Depardieu to take Russian citizenship.

Now, French football clubs are going on strike to protest the legislation’s planned implementation next year, claiming it will make them less competitive against European rivals and cause further financial hardship.

The Professional Union of Football Clubs (UCPF) announced Thursday that they will boycott all matches in the top two divisions scheduled between November 29-December 2.

It will be the first such strike in France since 1972, when players protested about their salaries, and will be the first in a major European league since the start of the 2010-11 Italian season was disrupted.

“This unprecedented day must be the occasion for the silent majority of French football to express its opposition,” UCPF president Jean-Pierre Louvel said in a statement Thursday.

The 75% tax will apply to players who earn more than €1 million ($1.38 million) a year. Under the law’s initial wording the earners themselves would have had to pay it, but after protests Francois Hollande’s Socialist Party government moved the responsibility to their employers.

The UCPF claims the tax will make French clubs less competitive against European rivals in countries which have lower taxes.

 

Baby Prince George is christened, 7 godparents named

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By Laura Smith-Spark and Max Foster, CNN
Watch this video

Prince George’s big day out

London (CNN) — Prince George made his first public appearance in three months Wednesday, as he arrived with his parents, Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, for his christening at St. James’s Palace.

The baby prince smiled as he was shown off to family members including his great-grandparents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, before the royals entered the Chapel Royal.

George was dressed in an elaborate lace and satin christening gown that’s a replica of one made in 1841 for the christening of Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter.

Being baptized into the church is more significant for George than for most people, since he is in line to become king, which would also make him the supreme governor of the Church of England.

 

Back row, from left: the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry, Pippa Middleton, James Middleton, Carole Middleton and Michael Middleton. Front row, from left: Queen Elizabeth II, Duchess of Cambridge with Prince George and Prince William.Back row, from left: the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry, Pippa Middleton, James Middleton, Carole Middleton and Michael Middleton. Front row, from left: Queen Elizabeth II, Duchess of Cambridge with Prince George and Prince William.
Prepping for Prince George’s christening

Royal couple’s 1st appearance since baby

Royal family portrait

The occasion was kept uncharacteristically small, in a shift away from the larger ceremonies that his father and grandfather enjoyed at Buckingham Palace.

His grandfather Prince Charles and uncle, Prince Harry, were among the select few invited to the ceremony, along with Catherine’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, and her siblings, James and Pippa.

New photos of Prince George released

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Justin Welby, greeted the guests as they arrived at the chapel.

The royal baby, who was born in July, has seven godparents, among them Prince William’s cousin Zara Tindall, daughter of Princess Anne, and close friends of the couple.

They include Oliver Baker, who got to know William and Catherine at St. Andrew’s University, Emilia Jardine-Paterson, who went to school with Catherine, and William van Cutsem, a childhood friend of William.

The other godparents are Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, a former private secretary to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry; Julia Samuel, who was a good friend of William’s mother, Diana, Princess of Wales; and Earl Grosvenor, son of the Duke of Westminster.

The replica christening gown was brought into use in 2008 to help preserve the 170-year-old original, used until then for every royal christening, including those of Prince William and his father, Charles.

The venue for the christening also has a special significance for Prince William. The body of his mother, Diana, rested in the Chapel Royal for five days before her funeral in 1997.

After the service, Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, held a private tea at Clarence House. The guests were served slices of christening cake, which is a tier taken from William and Catherine’s 2011 wedding cake.

Prince William interview: Future king talks fatherhood, baby George

‘What a gift’

In a short video posted on his website, Welby spoke of the significance of the baby prince’s baptism, which will see him “join the family of the church,” numbering almost 2 billion people around the world.

Welby said any christening was a moment for the parents to celebrate the birth of their child, royal or not.

“All babies are unbelievably special, not only royal babies,” he said.

But Prince George’s christening does carry an extra significance, he said.

“As a nation we are celebrating the birth of someone who in due course will be the head of state. That’s extraordinary. It gives you this sense of forward looking, of the forwardness of history as well as the backwardness of history, and what a gift to have this new life and to look forward.”

As with any other infant’s baptism, Welby marked the Prince with the sign of the cross on his forehead and splash water on his head.

The silver font used for George’s baptism has been used for every royal christening since 1841 and will be filled with water from the River Jordan.

The 3-month-old boy has already made history. He’s the first royal baby to be honored with a christening coin from the Royal Mint.

The design of the coins, produced by the mint in a range of sizes and materials, has been approved by his parents and the Queen, the Royal Mint said.

The public can buy the keepsakes, which start at 13 pounds ($21) for the simplest type but rise to a whopping 50,000 pounds ($80,000) for a version containing a kilogram of gold.

A historic look at royal baby clothes

Service details

Prince George’s christening ceremony included two hymns, two lessons and two anthems, according to Kensington Palace.

Prince Harry read him a lesson form John 15:1-5, and his aunt Pippa Middleton read Luke 18:15-17.

The music started with a processional, Bach’s “Fantasia in G,” played on organ.

The Choir of Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal, made up of six men and 10 boys, sang the anthem “Blessed Jesu! Here we Stand,” which was written for the baptism of baby George’s father, Prince William, in 1982.

The second anthem was “The Lord Bless You and Keep You” by John Rutter.

The newest royal also heard the hymns “Breathe on Me, Breathe on God” and “Be Thou My Vision” before the organ played the recessional, which was C.W. Widor’s Toccata from Symphony No. 5.

 

President in Minsk participated at the session of the Eurasian Economic Supreme Council held in a restricted format

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Սերժ Սարգսյան,Բելառուս,Մաքսային միություն,Միասնական տնտեսական գոտի

President Serzh Sargsyan, who is in the Republic of Belarus on a working visit, today in Minsk participated at the session of the Eurasian Economic Supreme Council held in a restricted format with the participation of the Presidents of Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Ukraine.

At the session presented for discussion were three documents pertinent to the preparatory works on Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union and Common Economic Zone which were approved. These documents are: a draft decision on Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union and Common Economic Zone, declaration on Armenia’s participation in the Eurasian integration processes and memorandum on deepening cooperation between the Eurasian Economic Commission and the Republic of Armeni

ANCA RALLIES AGAINST WHITE HOUSE DECISION TO BLOCK SMITHSONIAN DISPLAY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ORPHAN RUG

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Coolidge_Armenian_Orphan_RugWASHINGTON, DC — Armenian Americans across the U.S. are calling upon the White House and Congress to secure a prominent and permanent public display of a historic rug woven by Armenian Genocide orphans and presented to President Calvin Coolidge in 1925, in appreciation for U.S. humanitarian assistance in the aftermath of Turkey’s murder of over 1.5 million Armenians from 1915-1923, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
The ANCA campaign was initiated after The Washington Post reported, earlier this week, that a planned December 16th Smithsonian Institution exhibit featuring the rug, organized in conjunction with the Armenian Cultural Foundation and the Armenian Rug Society, was abruptly cancelled when the White House, reversing an earlier affirmative decision, refused to lend the iconic symbol of American and Armenian shared heritage to the museum.
Armenian Americans can take action by visiting:
Armenian_Orphan_RugWashington Post staff writer and Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Philip Kennicott, reported, “There was hope that the carpet, which has been in storage for almost 20 years, might be displayed December 16th as part of a Smithsonian event that would include a book launch for Hagop Martin Deranian’s ‘President Calvin Coolidge and the Armenian Orphan Rug.’ But on September 12th, the Smithsonian scholar who helped organize the event canceled it, citing the White House’s decision not to loan the carpet. In a letter to two Armenian American organizations, Paul Michael Taylor, director of the institution’s Asian cultural history program, had no explanation for the White House’s refusal to allow the rug to be seen and said that efforts by the U.S. ambassador to Armenia, John A. Heffern, to intervene had also been unavailing.”
Kennicott described the controversy as “a sign of the Obama administration’s dismal reputation in the Armenian American community that everyone assumes… must be yet another slap in the face for Armenians seeking to promote understanding of one of the darkest chapters in 20th-century history.”
The complete Washington Post article is available online at:
The White House response thus far has been vague – with National Security Staff Assistant Press Secretary Laura Magnuson offering the following comment to the Asbarez Armenian Newspaper: “The Ghazir rug is a reminder of the close relationship between the peoples of Armenia and the United States.  We regret that it is not possible to loan it out at this time.”  A statement with the same exact wording was released by the White House last week and included in Kennicott’s article.
“The White House should simply come clean,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.  “It’s time for the White House to open up about Turkey’s role, and lay out all the facts about its decision to block the Smithsonian’s exhibit of the Armenian Orphan Rug – a historic, Armenian Genocide-era work of art that speaks powerfully to the common values and shared experiences of the American and Armenian peoples.”
In a letter sent earlier today to President Obama’s Chief of Staff, Denis McDonough, ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian reminded the White House that “upon receiving the rug, President Coolidge wrote, ‘The rug has a place of honor in the White House where it will be a daily symbol of goodwill on earth.’ I ask you, in this spirit, to remove any obstacles to the Smithsonian’s display of this historic artwork and to secure a prominent and permanent public home for this powerful symbol of America’s humanitarian values and friendship with the Armenian people,” continued Hachikian.
Placing this latest controversy in context, Hachikian noted that: “since taking office, President Obama has not only failed to recognize the Armenian Genocide, but has actively blocked Congressional legislation (H.Res.252, 111th Congress) to commemorate this atrocity and, through his Solicitor General, officially opposed efforts in the U.S. courts (Arzoumanian v. Munchener Ruckversicherungs-Gesellschaft Aktiengesellschaft AG) to allow American citizens to pursue Genocide-era property claims.  In addition, the Administration has regularly sent senior officials to speak at events organized by Armenian Genocide deniers, while refusing repeated invitations to simply attend Congressional observances of this atrocity.  In these areas, and, sadly, many more, the President has not simply failed to honor his pledge, but rather – in both letter and spirit – worked to fundamentally undermine and reverse the very policies he pledged to pursue.”
According to Dr. Hagop Deranian, the Armenian orphan rug measures 11’7″ x 18’5″ and is comprised of 4,404,206 individual knots.  It took the Armenian girls in the Ghazir Orphanage of the Near East Relief Society 10 months to weave.  A label on the back of the rug, in large hand-written letters, reads “IN GOLDEN RULE GRATITUDE TO PRESIDENT COOLIDGE.”
Additional information about the history of the Armenian Orphan Rug is available in Dr. Hagop Martin Deranian’s book, “President Coolidge and the Armenian Orphan Rug,” published on October 20, 2013, by the Armenian Cultural Foundation and soon to be available on Amazon.com

Meeting with personal representative of the OSCE chairman-in-office Andrzej Kasprzyk

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ԵԱՀԿ,Բակո Սահակյան,Անջեյ ԿասպշիկOn 24 October Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan met personal representative of the OSCE chairman-in-office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk.

Issues related to the current stage of the Azerbaijani-Karabagh conflict settlement negotiations and its prospects as well as situation along the contact line between the NKR and Azerbaijan armed forces were discussed during the meeting.

 

 

2013-10-24

Boxer Klitschko to Run for Ukraine Presidency

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vitali klitschko,կլիչկո

Vitali Klitschko, a heavyweight boxing champion and top Ukrainian opposition leader, says he will run for the ex-Soviet nation’s presidency in 2015.

The 42-year-old was elected to parliament last fall as the head of his pro-Western party Udar (“Punch” in English). Since then, Klitschko, the reigning WBC heavyweight champion, has campaigned against what he calls authoritarian moves by President Viktor Yanukovych.

He particularly criticized the jailing of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, which was seen as politically motivated by the West.

Klitschko announced his widely expected presidential bid Thursday in response to efforts by pro-government forces to pass a bill that could prevent him from running because he has permanent residency status in Germany.

Klitschko vowed that he “will not be frightened or stopped by this.”

 

Sharon Stone Receives Peace Summit Award in Poland

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Շերոն Սթոուն, Լեհաստան,Խաղաղության գագաթնաժողովի մրցանակով

 

Sharon Stone was honored with 2013 Peace Summit Award on Wednesday, October 23. Wearing a camel-colored coat, Stone attended the official ceremony for the 13th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Warsaw, Poland.
The event, which was held at the Grand Theater and National Opera House, was also attended by Mikhail Gorbachev and Betty Williams. Stone bowed to Dalai Lama and made peace sign before receiving the award from the spiritual leader.
Stone is honored with the prize for her “activities that brought solidarity and new hope to the millions of people who have fought and are fighting against the tragedy of HIV/AIDS,” Daily Mail reports. The “Basic Instinct” actress has been working with U.S. charity amFAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research, and has vowed to be their campaign chairman until a safe and effective vaccine is found.
A committee of Nobel Peace laureates names one person from the world of culture and entertainment who is actively involved in bringing awareness about peace and global issues to receive the award every year. Previous honorees include Cat Stevens, Bono, former soccer player Roberto Baggio and Sean Penn.

 

United Nations in Armenia and Partners mark 68th anniversary of UN

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մակ

The UN in Armenia, together with its strategic partners – government officials, representatives of the diplomatic corps, international organizations, private sector, civil society, educational institutions and media, celebrates the 68th anniversary of the UN today.

During the month, the UN organized various outreach events around the country: from the opening of a new UN Corner in the Gyumri Central Library, UN materials distribution through Bibliobus, numerous debates with youth, education outreach in different universities and organization of the Model UN Conference.

The celebration culminated with the UN Journalism Awards Ceremony, where two best journalists received awards for their professional coverage of issues related to the UN work in Armenia. The winner of category “coverage of UN Armenia work in general” was Martha Hahknazaryan from Golos Armenii, who received a tablet and a special certificate. Within category“coverage of UN work in the regions of Armenia” the winner was Lia Khojoyan from Panorama.am and WomenNet.am who also received a tablet and certificate. All other top candidates received certificates and other gifts, which will be useful for their professional work.  The UN expert jury selected the winners based on their in-depth coverage, professionalism, knowledge of the UN mandate, importance of the issue in Armenian context and vision.

The UN Resident Coordinator Bradley Busetto said: “Since the establishment of the UN Office in Armenia to present day, due to the combined efforts of many agencies of the UN family, we can humbly point out that the UN had its tangible input in the advancement of the country and, certainly, is going to have in the coming future. The areas of application of our efforts through diverse programs are pretty much broad, encompassing mostly those in need. Nevertheless, we can express in one word the resolute objective for the entire UN system activities in Armenia – people, with particular focus on the vulnerable segments of the population”.

Other partners, also spoke about the important role the UN has in supporting the country’s efforts to advance sustainable human development and achieve the nationalized Millennium Development Goals.

Bradley Busetto thanked all UN partners, including the government, civil society and media for their cooperation and assistance in the work of different UN institutions operating in Armenia.

On 24 October 1945, sixty-eight years ago, the founding Charter of the UN entered into force. The UN Office in Armenia was opened in December 1992, after Armenia became a member of the United Nations in March 1992.

She just fell into television: Moment worker faceplants in background of live broadcast

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Ջեսիկա Գարեյթ,ԱՄՆ,KRQE

 

 

KRQE news anchor Jessica Garate says ‘I love how my days are unpredictable – that’s why I work in TV’.

 

In a recent show, while she was reporting on same-sex marriages, an unnamed person flew into shot and landed with a thud on the floor.

 

Ever the professional, Mrs Garate, who has been working for Albuquerque-based KRQE since 2004, maintained her composure throughout the incident and didn’t even flinch when the uninvited guest arrived at an alarming velocity.

 
This could be, of course, because she didn’t notice.

 

The person who made the unexpected appearance, a volunteer tasked with answering the phones at the station’s call center, didn’t appear to be hurt. She quickly got up and walked off.

 

Footage of the ‘faceplant’ has gone viral after being posted by Drew J. Lynch on YouTube, amassing over 13,000 views to date.

 

 

 

Are fish having sex keeping part of a city awake? Amorous animals could be behind mystery humming that starts at 10pm and goes on all night

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Amorous fish could be responsible for a mysterious humming noise keeping people awake at night.

Residents in a part of Southampton, Hamsphire, have been struggling to get to sleep because of the puzzling noise, which starts at 10pm and drones on all night.

Some people have even moved away from the affected area around Hythe and are sleeping on friends’ sofas to escape the nightmare.

Now scientists are studying whether the noise could be being caused by fish having sex in an estuary nearby.

Midshipman male fish let out a distinctive drone to let females know they are searching for a mate.

The noise can go on for hours and often increases in volume as competing males attempt to out-hum each other.

Incredibly, scientists say the sound can be amplified by bouncing off buildings and ships.

The National Oceanography Centre in Southampton was unable to shed any light on the mystery.

However, the Scottish Association for Marine Science claimed fish could be responsible for the bizarre buzzing sound.

The din has so far sparked dozens of complaints from residents suffering sleepless nights, who have come up with a number of other theories themselves.

New Forest District Council has now received more than 30 complaints about the irritating hum.

A spokesman said noise monitoring equipment had been installed in several properties in a bid to track down the origin of the sound.

 

 

North Korea to Return 6 Detained South Koreans

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North Korea plans to allow six detained South Koreans to return home, officials in Seoul said Thursday.

Pyongyang’s Red Cross sent a letter to the South saying the South Koreans will cross over the heavily armed border at the so-called truce village of Panmunjom on Friday, according to a short statement from the South’s Unification Ministry, which is responsible for cross-border ties.

The statement says Seoul plans to accept the South Koreans and investigate how they entered North Korea. Seoul provided only scant details, saying they were men ranging in age from 27 to 67.

North Korea said in 2010 that it was investigating four South Koreans for allegedly illegally entering the country; it wasn’t immediately clear whether any of them are among the six people being released Friday. Seoul says it has repeatedly asked Pyongyang to confirm the four citizens’ identities but has received no reply.

South Koreans visiting North Korea without government approval can be punished by up to 10 years in prison under South Korea’s National Security Law.

 

Air Communications To Be Liberalized In Armenia

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10789_am_3

A Cabinet sitting was held today, chaired by Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan.

The government first approved a program to ensure competitive and continued provision of air transport services, established a project implementation task force and endorsed its composition.

After assessing several draft projects, it turned out that the policy of open skies will have the greatest positive impact on the economy, leading to jobs and growth in the number of passengers, as well as to reduced flight tariffs. The meeting set up a task force was set up, headed by the Minister of Economy and approved its composition.

Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan reminded that there have been heated discussions over this issue and there were many contradictory approaches, from strict regulation up to the option of maximum liberalization.

“In order to take the best decision over this issue of strategic importance, the President ordered the National Competitiveness Council to sign a contract with one of the world’s most famous companies McKinsey. The latter hired the best professionals in this sector in order to develop a strategy for the Republic of Armenia.

The strategy was twice discussed with the President of the Republic of Armenia. McKinsey presented detailed reports and analyses, their experts visited Armenia several times and the result was a concept which is now submitted to your judgment.

According to the world’s best experts in this field, Armenia should go along the path of liberalization to promote GDP growth, create new jobs and make passenger traffic more comfortable and less expensive.

These are those basic principles reflected in our strategy, which specifies steps, measures and the timing of how these reforms should be carried out in the Republic of Armenia. We still have 5 days to work with the professionals of McKinsey in order to localize this paper to the maximum possible extent and make it feasible for our country. I am therefore asking all the stakeholders to continue working with the Minister of Economy. McKinsey experts will be available to provide all-out assistance, additional explanations and advice.”

The government passed a dozen decisions to amend relevant decrees adopted in 2002-2012 concerning the licensing process, the procedure for free granting of repatriation certificates, the approval of Dilijan International School program and a list of project implementation entities.

The Government approved a set of draft amendments to the Judicial Code of the Republic of Armenia and 8 other laws to create a new independent and self-governing judicial body – the Council of Judges, introduce a more efficient system of distribution of cases among judges, enact the principle of mandatory reporting by courts and judges, as well as to appoint court presidents for a limited period of time.

The meeting agenda comprised some 60 items altogether.

Large Oil Reserves Discovered in Brazil

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Oil Platforms Off The Coast of Brazil

 

Brazil’s National Petroleum Agency says large reserves of oil are located off the coast of the northeastern state of Sergipe, representing a new frontier in petroleum development in Latin America’s biggest country.

Agency director Magda Chambriard said Wednesday that numbers on how much oil is in the reserves would not be announced before 2016.

Most of the country’s oil production is concentrated in southeastern Brazil, where over the past several years billions of barrels of oil have been discovered in offshore reserves, mostly in deep, pre-salt fields.

On Monday, a consortium including Shell, Total, two Chinese firms and Brazil’s state-run petroleum company Petrobras won the right to develop a field off the cost of Rio de Janeiro that could hold up to 12 billion barrels of oil.

 

Farmer set to become a millionaire after two ‘very significant’ DINOSAUR skeletons discovered on his land go up for auction

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A farmer is set to become an overnight millionaire after stumbling across the 70-million-year-old bones of two dinosaurs on his land.

The enormous 38ft long Tyrannosaurus rex was discovered just a few miles from the 26ft Triceratops – and together they are set to fetch more than two million pounds.

Experts have described the incredible finds as ‘very significant, very impressive and very valuable’.

The T-rex skeleton is so significant that it is said to be among the top 20 ever found in the world, as it boasts around 40 per cent of its original bones.

The rest of the skeleton is made up of cast bones from other T-rex finds.

The Triceratops, a herbivore known for having two large horns on its head and a smaller one on its nose, is 70 per cent original.

The bones of the gigantic beasts were found on a 20 square mile ranch in Hell Creek in the U.S. state of Montana before being excavated by dinosaur fossil hunters.

They have since been prepared and mounted ready for sale.

T-rex is tipped to fetch £1.4 million, while the Triceratops could fetch £560,000.

The world record for the most expensive dinosaur fossil was set in 1997 when ‘Sue’, a Tyrannosaurus rex, sold for £5.4 million.

The auction will take place at Bonhams in New York on November 19.

 

The answer of Deputy Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan to the question of News.am agency

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Question: The European Parliament today adopted a resolution of “the Eastern Partnership”, which because of the doubtful efforts of some of the parliamentarians of the European Parliament, contains wording on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. How would you comment that?
Answer: In the EP resolution on “Eastern Partnership” the wording on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is in contradiction to the European Union’s official position, as well as to the positions of internationally mandated format of mediation – the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, USA and France.
Despite the fact that the above mentioned resolution is non-binding, nonetheless independent of the motivations of the authors of that wording, they should understand that they bear responsibility for its possibly negative impact on the negotiation process and undermining of the efforts of the Co-Chairs aimed at the peaceful settlement of the conflict.

Chinese man climbs high voltage pylon and spends five hours up there after being overwhelmed by pressure of debt

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A Chinese man spent five hours on top of a high voltage pylon after the pressure of being in debt became too much.

Peng Hsieh, 21, had reportedly cracked after borrowing money from several local people including his family to fund his education and then finding he was unable to get a job and couldn’t pay it back.

The young man had climbed up 24-metre high voltage tower in Foshan, in Guangdong province, in southeast China.

He was spotted by a local who raised the alarm with the electricity officials who cut off the power supply.

In total he remained at the top of the pylon for five hours doing his gymnastic performances and singing popular Chinese songs, ignoring requests from family and friends to come down.

Only towards the end after having stripped off his shirt and his shoes did he finally agreed to come down when some of his creditors confirmed they would no longer pursue him so rigorously to get the money back.

His father Yang said: ‘If he kills himself nobody will get anything back, they just need to be patient.’

Peng Hsieh is likely to be fined though for the stunt so they may have to wait a while longer than was planned.

chinese man-high voltage pylon

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