Jun 20
LHASA, China (AP) — The Olympic torch made its way Saturday through Tibet’s sealed-off capital, site of a March crackdown on rioting that helped fuel demonstrations at some of the flame’s international stops.
Torch bearers started their run through Lhasa’s streets at 9 a.m., a day after officials announced additional sentences handed down over the anti-government riots.
The 6.8-mile run began at Norbulingka, the Dalai Lama’s former summer palace from where Tibet’s traditional Buddhist leader fled into exile in 1959. The relay will end at the hilltop Potala Palace, the traditional seat of Tibetan rulers.
Police and soldiers lined the route, keeping a close eye on flag-waving onlookers arrayed on either side.
On Friday, Palma Trily, the vice-governor of Tibet’s Chinese-appointed administration, said he was confident that Saturday’s relay would pass through the city without incident.
Read more on CNN.com
written by Andrew
Jun 20
LONDON - Naomi Campbell pleaded guilty Friday to assaulting two police officers during an "air rage" incident at Heathrow Airport. She has not been sentenced yet.
The model, known for her tempestuous behavior and frequent confrontations with her staff, faces substantial fines and up to six months in jail if the harshest sentence is imposed at Uxbridge Magistrates Court.
Prosecutor Melanie Parrish told the court that Campbell had taken a first class seat on a British Airways flight from London to Los Angeles when she was told one of her bags, along with other passengers’ luggage, had not been loaded onto the plane.
She said the captain came out to explain the situation to Campbell, but that she became abusive and refused to listen, instead using her mobile phone to ask an aide for help.
Parrish said Campbell used obscenities on the phone, then demanded another flight.
Read more on yahoo.com
written by Andrew
Jun 20
BEIJING - Half of Beijing’s 3.3 million vehicles will be pulled off the roads during the Olympics to help clean the city’s noxious air for the games.
The auto ban is part of an anti-pollution plan that also will halt construction and heavy industry during the Olympics, which begin in seven weeks.
Under the plan announced Friday, vehicles will be allowed on the roads on alternate days — according to even or odd car registration numbers — from July 20 until Sept. 20.
In addition, 300,000 heavy polluting vehicles — aging industrial trucks, many of which operate only at night — will be banned from July 1.
New sports venues and $40 billion spent to improve China’s infrastructure have not disguised the fact that Beijing’s air quality remains a contentious issue for the games.
International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge had said outdoor endurance events lasting more than an hour will be postponed if air quality is poor.
Read more on yahoo.com
written by Andrew
Jun 20
CHICAGO - Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama’s campaign announced Friday that he will campaign with former rival Hillary Rodham Clinton next week, a step toward unifying a fractured Democratic Party after a bruising primary fight.
Obama’s campaign said in a brief e-mail that said the two senators and former opponents will campaign together for the first time on Friday, June 27, and more details would be forthcoming.
A day earlier, Obama and Clinton also plan to meet in Washington with some of her top contributors in an effort to calm donors who remain frustrated with Obama’s presidential campaign. The former first lady will introduce Obama to her financial backers.
Clinton, a New York senator and former first lady, suspended her campaign for the Democratic nomination earlier this month after Obama, an Illinois senator, secured enough delegates to clinch the nomination.
Read more on yahoo.com
written by Andrew
Jun 20
With 8 inches of hail falling in parts of Nebraska this week and Arizona reaching triple digit temperatures last week, it may seem rather arbitrary to call June 20 the first day of the summer this year, aka the summer solstice. But scientists really do have a reason.
It’s all about Earth’s cockeyed leanings and some celestial configurations that even the ancients understood.
Our planet is tilted 23.5 degrees on its spin axis. On June 20 this year (some years it’s June 21), the North Pole is pointing toward the sun as much as is possible.
Imagine Earth as an apple sitting on one side of a table, with the stem being the North Pole. Tilt the apple 23.5 degrees so the stem points toward a candle (the sun) at the center of the table. That’s summer for the top half of the apple. Now keep the stem pointing in the same direction but move the apple to the other side of the table: Now the stem points away from the candle, and it’s winter on the top half of the fruit.
Read more on yahoo.com
written by Andrew
Jun 20
PreÅŸedintele Comisiei de Supraveghere a Asigurărilor (CSA), Angela Toncescu, ocupă locul cinci în topul celor mai bine remuneraÅ£i oameni din România
În timp ce supraveghează piaÅ£a asigurărilor, dar este ÅŸi acÅ£ionar în firme asociate cu ASIROM, Angela Toncescu are venituri bugetare de peste 12 miliarde de lei vechi pe an.
Salariu ÅŸi prime mari
Åžefa CSA, Angela Toncescu, a câÅŸtigat în 2007 de 18 ori mai mult decât preÅŸedintele României, Traian Băsescu (67.097 lei/an), ÅŸi de 20 de ori mai mult decât preÅŸedintele Senatului, Nicolae Văcăroiu (62.075 lei/an). Asta în condiÅ£iile în care Comisia condusă de Angela Toncescu funcÅ£ionează în subordinea Parlamentului României. Legea este favorabilă unor astfel de "artificii" salariale.
Citeste toata stirea in Adevarul
written by Andrew
Jun 20
Astăzi este ultima zi la serviciu a lui Bill Gates. Omul care a revoluÅ£ionat domeniul IT îÅŸi ia la revedere de la funcÅ£ia de preÅŸedinte executiv al companiei Microsoft. El a anunÅ£at această retragere în urmă cu doi ani, când a început procesul de predare a atribuÅ£iilor succesorilor săi.
Fondatorul Microsoft a reuşit să găsească colaboratorii de care avea nevoie şi acum poate renunţa liniştit la conducerea companiei, după 33 de ani. Bill Gates va păstra doar titulatura de preşedinte de onoare al Microsoft.
Citeste toata stirea pe tmctv.ro
written by Andrew
Jun 20
Piata de computere din Bulgaria este la jumatate, ca numar de unitati livrate, fata de cea din Romania, insa rata de crestere anuala este cu numai 1% mai mica decat cea inregistrata la noi, in conditiile in care bulgarii sunt de aproape trei ori mai putini decat romanii, potrivit statisticilor IDC si Gartner, principalele companii de cercetare de piata in domeniul IT.
Astfel, anul trecut, in Bulgaria au fost livrate 323.000 de computere (desktop si portabile), in timp ce in Romania piata a fost de 693.000 de unitati in total, cu 114% mai mult. Valoric, diferenta este de 167% - in Romania au fost vandute computere in valoare de 826 mil. dolari, in timp ce in Bulgaria, valoarea livrarilor a fost de numai 316 mil. dolari.
Statistic, pretul mediu al unui computer vandut in Bulgaria a fost, anul trecut, cu 21,6% mai mic decat in Romania, pe baza valorii pietei, respectiv a numarului total de unitati livrate - 1.190 de dolari per computer in Romania, fata de 978 de dolari per computer in Bulgaria.
Citeste tot articolul pe standard.ro
written by Andrew
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