Monthly Archives: March 2014

Do you have what it takes to be an ASTEROID HUNTER? Nasa offers £20,000 reward for software that could save planet

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The world’s leading space agency is looking for asteroid hunters to help save the planet – and you could help.

 

Nasa is offering up to $35,000 (£21,000) over the next six months to anyone who is able develop computer code that can identify life-threatening asteroids.

 

By mining talent from the general public, the space agency hopes to spot dangerous space rocks such as the one that saw off the dinosaurs 66 million years ago.

 

Over the past two decades, Nasa has been looking for dangerous near-Earth asteroids larger than 1km in size, and claims to have found 98 per cent of them.

 

But existing asteroid detection systems can only track one per cent of the estimated objects that orbit the sun, according to asteroid mining firm Planetary Resources, who is partnering with Nasa on the project.

 

Currently there are only around 100 people who tracks asteroids each day to determine their shape and speed.

 

Nasa wants to increase that number, particularly over  Africa and Asia where spottings aren’t being made.

 

 

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Clever people are ‘more trusting than others’: Intelligent people are better judges of character, research finds

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Intelligent people are more trusting of others than their less smart counterparts, researchers have claimed – because they are better judges of character.

Bright individuals may also be more trusting because they are better at weighing up situations, according to researchers from Oxford University.

It also found that people who are more trusting are more likely to have better health and greater happiness.

But the links between trust and health, and between trust and happiness, are not explained by intelligence, they added.

The academics analysed data from the General Social Survey, which is conducted every one or two years.

The survey, which has been running since the early 1970s, examines peoples’ social status, their behaviours and social attitudes as well as intelligence.

 

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Painting the town red (and green, and purple): Exquisite pictures from Holi, the world’s most colourful festival

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Հոլի ամենամյա փառատոն

 

These amazing photographs give a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘painting the town red’.

Hindu men and women have welcomed the beginning of spring by hurling coloured powder at one another during the annual Holi festival in India.

Celebrations start with a bonfire where people gather, sing and dance – before participants unleash a free-for-all style powder assault on anyone and everyone in the designated colour zones.

Some use the powder dry, throwing it around and leaving a trail of colour in their wake.

Others mix the powder with water to decorate their friends and family members, as well as people they have never met.

When the colour bombing is over in Nandgoan, Hindu devotees covered head to toe in in powder pray as they arrive at the Nandagram Temple.

The festival, which started as a chance to meet others, play, laugh and repair relationships, is now one of the biggest in the world.

In recent years it has spread among non-Hindus in many parts of south-east Asia, as well as to parts of Europe, North America and Australia.
Holi is held every year before spring on the last full moon day of the lunar month.

 

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Shifting Inter-Relationships Between Armenia and Diaspora

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Հարութ Սասունյան

 

By Harut Sassounian

Publisher, The California Courier

 

The Diaspora Ministry of the Republic of Armenia invited a small group of scholars and analysts to Yerevan last December to discuss the Diaspora’s changing role in relation to the homeland. The participants in the “Changing Diaspora in an Ever-changing World” roundtable had come from Argentina, Armenia, Germany, Lebanon, Russia, Ukraine, and the United States.

 

The discussion centered on the formation of the Diaspora, current challenges, Armenia-Diaspora collaboration, improved links for closer cooperation between Armenia and Diaspora, and the quest for new working mechanisms and perspectives.

 

Here are excerpts from my presentation at the meeting:

 

The Diaspora encountered a completely new set of circumstances after Armenia’s independence. The sudden realization of the long-cherished dream of free Armenia caught many Diasporans by surprise. New words appeared in their vocabulary: Artsakh (Karabagh), earthquake, blockade, protocol, opposition, coalition government, regime change.

 

Most Diasporans had a hard time distinguishing between the actions of an individual, group or organization and the rights and obligations of a state. At the same time, Armenia’s new leaders could not fully comprehend the patriotic sentiments, wishes and desires of Diasporan Armenians, causing a disconcerting rift between the two sides.

 

Complicating matters, the Diaspora is not a monolithic group, but is composed of distinct subsets, having taken shape at different times in foreign lands under various cultural and linguistic influences.

 

When asked by journalists in Armenia about Diaspora’s views on a particular issue, I have difficulty answering such a question. How can anyone encapsulate the diverse views of seven million Diasporans? To reflect the opinion of the majority of the Diaspora, one would need to form a pan-Armenian body, either by expanding the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund’s functions beyond fundraising or creating a brand new structure that would represent Armenians worldwide, except those in Armenia and Artsakh, based on the principle of ‘one man, one vote.’ The elected representatives would have the right to speak in the name of all Diaspora Armenians and meet periodically with the leadership of Armenia and Artsakh to consult and coordinate their priorities on pan-Armenian issues.

 

Leaders of all three wings of the Armenian nation (Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora) can then discuss their respective positions, and agree on the role each would play. Such a division of labor is preferable over unending internal feuds and conflicts that sometimes take place, as was the case during the signing of the Armenia-Turkey Protocols.

 

It is incumbent upon Armenia’s leadership to be more sensitive on issues that are important for Diaspora Armenians and consult with them before taking final decisions.

 

Understandably, Armenia’s leaders are not obliged to take orders from anyone outside the country’s borders. While having the final say over all matters, they nevertheless have the moral duty and obligation to consider the views of key Diasporan organizations, in the absence of a Diaspora-wide elected body. In any case, Armenia’s authorities are responsible before the nation for their actions. They are praised when taking the right decisions and criticized when they do not.

 

It must be stated that an elective Diaspora-wide structure, no matter how difficult to establish, would be far more inclusive and representative than appointed leaders — despite their devoted efforts — who merely represent their respective members. It is imperative to include large segments of our people in all activities, so that we become more effective in our endeavors, particularly at a time when Azerbaijan and Turkey are organizing their Diasporas and spending tens of millions of dollars to undermine our just demands on the eve of the Genocide Centennial.

 

As we often state: “Azerbaijan has oil, Georgia has a sea, and Armenia has a Diaspora!” However, a disorganized and dwindling Diaspora would be of little value for our national cause. It can neither preserve itself nor be of any assistance to the homeland.

 

We must do everything possible to have a powerful homeland and a strong Diaspora. The survival of each is dependent on the vitality of the other. Despite the valiant efforts of the Diaspora Ministry, we must realize that the magnitude of what needs to be done is so enormous that it exceeds the capabilities of any one ministry. There is a clear need for the concerted efforts of Armenia’s entire leadership to make Diaspora Armenians feel welcome and at home!

 

 

 

 

Elephants can guess human’s age and even ethnicity by listening to a voice

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An elephant never forgets…a voice.

 

A study found the gentle giants can distinguish a warlike tribe from a more peaceable people, simply by listening to recordings of their voices.

 

Not only could the African elephants tell the two languages apart, they could also work out if the speaker was a man or a woman and an adult or a child.

 

This is despite the recordings being just a few seconds long.

 

The researchers, including conservationist Cynthia Moss, believe the creatures use voice and language to help them work out which humans pose a threat to them.

 

They can then choose whether to defend themselves against attack or continue going about life as usual.

 

The researchers began my making recordings of members of two Kenyan tribes repeating the phrase ‘Look, look over there, a group of elephants is coming’.

 

One tribe was the Massai, who historically killed elephants as a rite of passage on entering adulthood. They also take revenge when elephants kill their cattle.

 

The second was the Kamba, who farm crops and have a more amicable relationship with the elephants.

 

The animals were clearly more scared of the Massai and bunched together defensively on hearing them speak.

 

They also used their trunks to sniff at the air on hearing a Massai voice, likely in an attempt to pick up smells that would provide more information about the intruder.

 

As the same phrase was used in all the recordings and it was spoken in the same way each time, it is believed the animals were able to tell the two languages apart.

 

Their skill didn’t end there. The elephants were also more likely to act defensively on hearing a male Massai than female.

 

 

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FORTY TWO immigrants found stuffed in a people carrier built for nine: 20 Romanian adults and 22 children are stopped by police in Austria

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Austrian police stopped a people carrier built to carry nine people yesterday… and found it carrying a family of 42.

 

The passengers, who told officers they were all members of the same family, numbered an astonishing 20 adults and 22 children, aged between one and nine.

 

About 12 adults had squashed onto the minibus’ eight available passenger seats while the rest crammed into the luggage area at the back, which measured about six feet by six feet.

 

The people carrier which had French number plates was apparently on its way to Regensburg in Germany when it was stopped in Austria travelling on the A1 western motorway between Vienna and Salzburg at Altlengbach.

 

Austrian police said they had used several vehicles to transport the family to the train station in St Poelten where they had been ordered to get tickets and carry on their journey by train.

 

The driver of the vehicle was allowed to carry on to Germany with eight other members of the family, with the others agreeing to go by train.

 

The driver faces charges of breaking several local traffic laws and police said they had ordered the driver when they stopped him to pay a security that would cover any fines, in case he doesn’t show up to court. Once that had been paid the man had been allowed to carry on.

 

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Masked Gaza Gunmen Steal $500,000 in Rare Robbery

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The Gaza Strip has endured back-to-back wars and uprisings in recent years, but criminal violence has been relatively rare.

 

That changed Monday. Police Col. Ayoub Abu Shaar says masked robbers broke into a post office in Gaza City, shot and wounded a guard and made off with $500,000.

 

The Islamic militant Hamas, which rules Gaza, distributes the salaries of 40,000 government employees through post offices. Salary payments for March are to begin Wednesday, meaning post offices currently hold large sums of cash.

 

Hamas says it made streets safe after seizing Gaza in 2007. But it is also struggling with a cash crisis because of a tightened border blockade by Egypt.

 

 

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Italians ‘outraged’ by US weapons ad featuring Michelangelo’s David with a sniper rifle

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A US weapons firm that turned Michelangelo’s most famous masterpiece – the David statue – into a gun-toting musketeer have come shot down by officials in Italy, with the country’s culture minister calling the move ‘offensive and illegal’.

Illinois-based weapon manufacturer ArmaLite used the iconic image of David in a new advertising campaign, manipulating the statue to make it appear to be holding a $3,300 AR-50A1 rifle.

The accompanying tagline reads: ‘A work of art.’

But the move has outraged Dario Franceschini, Italy’s minister of culture, who said he is pursuing legal action to have ArmaLite withdraw the campaign.

Taking to Twitter on Saturday, Franceschini said, in Italian, that the ad was illegal.

The superintendent of the State Museums of Florence, Cristina Acidini, elaborated on Franceschini’s comment, explaining that the image of David is copyrighted to Italy and can’t be used without permission.

 

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Rare Jules Verne book describing moon landings 100 years before Neil Armstrong’s ‘giant leap’ and signed by Nasa ‘stars’ sells for £1,600

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A rare copy of a Jules Verne science-fiction novel, which imagined man landing on the moon more than 100 years before Neil Armstrong set foot its surface, has been sold for £1,600.

De La Terre a la Lune (From Earth to the Moon) was written in 1865 and tells the story of an attempt to fire man to the moon using an enormous gun.

In the book, part of Verne’s Voyages Extraordinaires (Extraordinary Journeys) series, three men are blasted into space from a launch site in Florida.

On their return from the mission they land back in the Pacific Ocean where they are rescued by the US Navy.

In recognition of the similarities between the story and the actual events of 1969, when Neil Armstrong became the first man on the moon, the book was signed by a host of NASA experts.

Among the 25 signatures is that of German engineer Wernher von Braun, the man behind the Saturn V rocket which launched Apollo XI into space.

The book was snapped up by a private European collector for £1,600 at the Bloomsbury sale.

It was sold with a NASA-issued copy of Bill Anders’ famous photograph of Earth taken while orbiting the moon on Apollo VIII in 1968.

 

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Afghanistan mourns death of first vice president Mohammad Qasim Fahim

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Մուհամադ Քասիմ Ֆահիմ

 

Afghanistan will begin three days of mourning starting Monday for the death of Mohammad Qasim Fahim, an important figure in the country and most recently its first vice president.

President Hamid Karzai’s office announced Fahim’s death in a statement Sunday on its website. The statement did not say where or exactly when he died.

Karzai ordered Afghanistan’s flags to be flown at half-staff through Wednesday in honor of Fahim.

Fahim served as a security adviser and defense minister under Karzai before taking on his most recent role as Afghanistan’s highest-ranking vice president.

 

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President received the Minster of Foreign Affairs of Serbia Ivan Mrkić

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 Today, President Serzh Sargsyan received the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivan Mrkić.

The President welcomed the high-ranking guest and stressed the importance of his visit in terms of continuing the Armenian-Serbian high-level political dialogue and promoting the cooperation agenda. Serzh Sargsyan underscored that the age-old relations between Armenia and Serbia have had numerous illustrations. According to the President, the Armenian people gratefully remember the seven Serbian pilots who fell victim to the air crash on the approaches of Yerevan while they were coming to the aid of Armenia during the days after the 1988 devastating earthquake. Moreover, every year, at the anniversary of the earthquake, in the same place, a tribute is paid at the memorial dedicated to their memory.

Serzh Sargsyan and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia Ivan Mrkić stressed the importance of the high-level reciprocal visits, as a result of which, in recent years, the bilateral relations and the collaboration in a number of fields have intensified.

The interlocutors expressed their willingness to continue to make efforts at maintaining and developing the existing positive dynamics agreeing that there is a great unrealized potential in the advancement of political, economic, cultural, as well as of the other spheres of reciprocal interest in the framework of international organizations.

At the meeting, the importance of mutually beneficial and close cooperation between Armenia and Serbia during the period of Serbia’s chairmanship of the OSCE was also stressed.
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Foreign Military Mission Barred From Crimea

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ukraine-trucksAn Associated Press reporter says pro-Russian forces refused to let a foreign military mission enter Crimea on Saturday.

After the officers had stopped, the armed men fired warning bursts of automatic weapons fire into the air to make other unidentified vehicles halt. No injuries were reported.

The multinational group of military officers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe was attempting to enter the embattled peninsula from the north. The armed men told them they had no authorization to enter Crimea.

The OSCE mission will likely return to the Ukrainian city of Kherson where it had spent the night, the AP reporter said.

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Malaysian Airlines plane missing, 239 people on board

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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‘Noah’ Banned in Middle Eastern Countries

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

Mr. President of the Human Rights Council,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

Ladies and gentlemen,

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

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

 

Thank you!

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

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Mohammed Khurshid Hussain

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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mummified bodies - soldiers

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

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

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

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

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

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

սիրելիին:  

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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china-river-fire

River of fire: 

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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