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.
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 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.
At 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.
In 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.
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.