Archive for the 'Catch-all' Category
May 9th, 2010 by admin
The photo taken on June 13, 2010 shows the Muddy Volcanoes in Berca, Buzau County, about 160 Km NE from Bucharest, capital of Romania. The Berca Mud Volcanoes are a geological and botanical reservation. The mud volcanoes have the shape and act as a real volcano, but at much smaller scale; the eruptions are a cold mixture of gases and mud. This phenomenon is rarely met in Europe and is very spectacular. (Xinhua/Gabriel Petrescu)?
The photo taken on June 13, 2010 shows the mud seen at Muddy Volcanoes, Berca, Buzau County, about 160 Km NE from Bucharest, capital of Romania. The Berca Mud Volcanoes are a geological and botanical reservation. The mud volcanoes have the shape and act as a real volcano, but at much smaller scale; the eruptions are a cold mixture of gases and mud. This phenomenon is rarely met in Europe and is very spectacular. (Xinhua/Gabriel Petrescu)
? Tourists enjoy a hot sunny day at Muddy Volcanoes, Berca, Buzau County, about 160 Km NE from Bucharest, capital of Romania, June 13, 2010. The Berca Mud Volcanoes are a geological and botanical reservation. The mud volcanoes have the shape and act as a real volcano, but at much smaller scale; the eruptions are a cold mixture of gases and mud. This phenomenon is rarely met in Europe and is very spectacular. (Xinhua/Gabriel Petrescu)?
Tourists enjoy a hot sunny day at Muddy Volcanoes, Berca, Buzau County, about 160 Km NE from Bucharest, capital of Romania, June 13, 2010. The Berca Mud Volcanoes are a geological and botanical reservation. The mud volcanoes have the shape and act as a real volcano, but at much smaller scale; the eruptions are a cold mixture of gases and mud. This phenomenon is rarely met in Europe and is very spectacular. (Xinhua/Gabriel Petrescu)
May 9th, 2010 by admin
BEIJING, June 13 (Xinhuanet) — An Indonesian young man claimed that he was seduced by a cow into having sex, according to The Jakarta Globe on Sunday.
Gusti Ngurah Alit, 18, was caught having sex with a cow by his neighbor on last Sunday, which has caught a sensation?among locals.
Alit said he did not see a cow but a beautiful young woman. \”She called my name and seduced me, so I had sex with her,\” he said.
In order to cleanse his village, Alit was forced into marrying the cow on Friday – he was bathed and the cow was drowned in the ocean.
During the ritual, Alit passed out for overstrain and it was unclear whether vows were exchanged before the cow was killed.
Alit had to pay 2,000 old coins as a traditional punishment while the village chief paid the owner of the cow 5 million rupiah (545 U.S. dollars) in compensation.
(Source: Agencies)
May 9th, 2010 by admin
NEW DELHI, June 15 (Xinhua) — In yet another case of honor killing in India, a young couple were tortured and subsequently electrocuted to death in the national capital Monday, said police on Tuesday.
\”The couple, 19-year-old girl Asha Saini and her boyfriend 21- year-old Yogesh Kumar were brutally beaten up for hours and electrocuted to death yesterday at her uncle\’s residence in the capital where she was staying for the last one month. The girl\’s family was against the affair,\” a senior police official said.
Police have sent the bodies with multiple stab injuries for post-mortem after these were found in front of the girl\’s uncle\’s house by neighbors.
\”We have arrested Asha\’s father Suraj Kumar Saini and uncle Om Prakash in connection with the killings. Prima facie it appears to be a case of honor killing as the girl had an affair with Yogesh,\” he said.
An investigation has been launched into the deaths, the official added.
May 9th, 2010 by admin
BEIJING, June 10(Xinhuanet) — After constructing the world\’s tallest skyscraper Burj Khalifa, the desert kingdom United Arab Emirates will set another world record by building a \”World\’s Furthest Leaning Man-made Tower.\”
This marvelous structure is called the Capital Gate building, which has an 18-degree slope — nearly five times farther than the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy!
But Capital Gate is not alone. Following are some other structures also living on the edge.
1. Capital Gate building, Dubai, UAE
Capital Gate building, Dubai, UAE?(Photo Source: gb.cri.cn)
2. Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy
Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy?(Xinhua/Reuter File Photo)
Upon completion in 1350, the tower leaned about four and half feet, but as time passed, the angle of the 16,000-ton tower became more precarious.
3. WoZoCo Apartments, Amsterdam
WoZoCo Apartments, Amsterdam?(Photo Source: huanqiu.com)
The WoZoCo Apartments were completed between 1994 and 1997 with \”the lowest building costs in Amsterdam.\”
4. Meteora Monasteries, Greece
Meteora Monasteries, Greece?(Photo Source: huanqiu.com)
This cluster of medieval monasteries is located atop towering rock pillars.
Until less than a hundred years ago, people could only reach the steep cliffs in a hanging basket or by climbing flimsy rope ladders.
5. Puerta de Europa, Madrid, Spain
Puerta de Europa, Madrid, Spain?(Photo Source: huanqiu.com)
The structure was completed in 1996 as a joint project between American and Spanish architectural firms. Each building has a vertical of 374 feet (26 floors) with a 15 degree incline toward its other half.
6. Sutyagin House, Archangel, Russia
Sutyagin House, Archangel, Russia?(Photo Source: huanqiu.com)
The building was built by a Russian businessman. In 2008, his home was condemned as a fire hazard by the city government. It was slowly demolished the following year.
May 9th, 2010 by admin
KATHMANDU, June 14 (Xinhua) — Nepal marked the 7th World Blood Donor Day with the slogan \”New Blood for the World\” amid various programs on Monday.
A special program was organized by Blood Point Nepal to mark the day at the blood bank in the capital Kathmandu on Monday.
Inaugurating the program, Chairman of Nepal Chambers of Commerce Surendra Bir Malakar highlighted the significance of the blood donation.
Talking with Xinhua on Monday\’s program Coordinator of the Blood Point Nepal Saroj Subedi said that the program was organized to felicitate some 500 blood donors.
Sujan Rai, 23 said that he donates blood every three months and he feels good to donate blood and urges each individual to donate blood and give life to people.
He said that he has already given blood for nine times.
Another regular donor Urmila Thapa Magar said that donating blood is a matter of happiness for her. \”In the cases of emergency, I provide blood to the needy people,\” she said.
May 9th, 2010 by admin
? ?Billionaire financier and Berkshire Hathaway Chief Executive Warren Buffett attends the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska May 2, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
BEIJING, June 12 (Xinhuanet)– A winning bidder, who wishes to remain anonymous, has agreed to pay record of 2.63 million U.S. dollars for a lunch with world\’s third-richest person Warren Buffett, in the 11th annual charity auction starting June 6 and ending at 10:30 p.m. New York time on Friday.
The bid broke the previous record 2.11 million dollars paid in 2008 by Zhao Danyang, a Hong Kong investor and 1.68 million dollars bid won by Wealth manager Salida Capital Corp of Toronto in 2009.
The bids rose from 2.5 million dollars to a final tally of 2,626,311 dollars in the last three?minutes.?Nine bidders made a total of 77 bids.
The winner and up to seven friends will dine with Buffett at the Smith & Wollensky steakhouse in midtown Manhattan.
Proceeds from the auction, conducted online by eBay Inc., benefit the Glide Foundation, a San Francisco non-profit organisation offering meals, healthcare, child care, housing and job training for the poor and homeless.
Buffett, the 79-year-old investor who is chairman and chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., has raised about 8.56 million dollars with the auctions to help the Glide Foundation.
Past auction winners have said topics of discussion at lunch with Buffett included investment strategy, corporate governance and philanthropy.
(Agencies)
?Related:
Buffett lunch bidding hits $400,000
BEIJING, June 9 (Xinhuanet) — Warren Buffett’s lunch auction has bid for 400,100 U.S. dollars by Tuesday evening, surpassing last year\’s pace, according to Bloomburg report on Wednesday.
The auction on EBay Inc., which started Sunday evening and ends June 11 at 10:30 p.m. New York time, generated 35 bids as of yesterday, according to the website. Full story
May 9th, 2010 by admin
Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. (Xinhua/Reuters File Photo)
BEIJING,?June 9 (Xinhuanet)?– Warren Buffett’s lunch auction has bid for 400,100 U.S. dollars by Tuesday evening,?surpassing last year\’s pace, according to Bloomburg report on Wednesday.
The auction on EBay Inc., which started Sunday evening and ends June 11 at 10:30 p.m. New York time, generated 35 bids as of yesterday, according to the website.
Last year, bidding was still at 356,789 dollars?with less than 12 hours remaining, then surged to close at 1.68 million dollars.
The winning bidder and up to seven others will eat lunch with Buffett on a date to be agreed at the Smith & Wollensky steakhouse in New York.
The 79-year-old investor, who is chairman and chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.? has raised almost 6 million dollars over the past decade for San Francisco-based Glide Foundation, which provides social services to the poor and homeless in San Francisco.
(Agencies)
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May 9th, 2010 by admin
CANBERRA, June 14 (Xinhua) — Making a bomb threat on a plane or threatening flight crew could soon carry more severe penalties, Australian Home Affairs Minister Brendan O\’Connor said on Monday.
The penalty increases would provide greater consistency with other criminal legislation, O\’Connor said.
\”These crimes cause great distress and inconvenience and impose unnecessary costs on the industry,\” O\’Connor said in a statement.
\”Threats and hoaxes can also compromise public safety, for example, where a flight has to be diverted at short notice or where an airport needs to be evacuated suddenly.\”
O\’Connor on Monday will propose tougher penalties for aviation crimes.
The proposed changes to the Crimes (Aviation) Act 1991 would see the maximum penalty for hoaxes where a person makes a false threat to destroy, damage or endanger an aircraft or airport, increase from two years to 10 years imprisonment.
Damaging a major runway or air traffic control facility would carry a maximum 14 year jail term, while assaulting a pilot or endangering an aircraft in flight would carry 20 years jail.
The offenses now carry 10 and 15 years jail respectively.
Life in jail would continue to apply to offenses such as hijacking or destroying an aircraft or being so reckless on a flight as to cause death.
Three new offenses are also proposed.
They are assaulting an aircraft crew member, reckless endangerment of an aircraft, and having dangerous goods on an aircraft.
Aviation groups have been consulted in the development of the proposed new laws.
May 9th, 2010 by admin
WELLINGTON, June 12 (Xinhua) — The number of foreign students studying in New Zealand has risen for the first time in six years.
New Zealand Ministry of Education figures show that 10,167 international students were enrolled for new semester starting from March 1, posting 4 percent up from last year.
Half the enrolled students are at schools in Auckland, mostly in secondary schools.
The Secondary Principals Association said the increase means schools would have more money available for teaching.
Education providers have also carried more intense marketing and promotion in countries such as China, India, Vietnam, Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, North America, Brazil and Germany over the previous 12 months which is also a major factor in the increased numbers.
May 9th, 2010 by admin
MOSCOW, June 12 (Xinhua) — Russia is celebrating its national day (Russia Day) on Saturday with each region preparing their own program.
Mass culture events, sports competitions and concerts are being held throughout the country, with the expected participation of over two million representatives from trade unions and political parties.
Over 67,000 law enforcement officers will be deployed to insure public order, said the interior ministry.
Earlier in the day, U.S. President Barack Obama extended his congratulations to all those celebrating the Russia Day.
\”On behalf of the American people, I extend my best wishes to all those who observe Russia Day,\” Obama said in a statement.
The Russia Day has been celebrated every year since 1992.
