IQBAL - User contributions [en]

Thursday April 21

2018-06-21T05:40:54Z

MaiGreenhalgh2:

Today is Thursday, April 21, the 112th day of 2014. There are 255 days left in the year. Highlights in [https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/history history] on this date: 1526 - Babur, an Uzbek prince, defeats Sultan Ibrahim Lodi at the Battle of Panipat north of Delhi, leading to Mughal rule over India. 1572 - Britain and France sign defensive treaty. 1649 - The Maryland assembly passes the Maryland Toleration Act, which provides for freedom of worship for all Christians. 1789 - John Adams is sworn in as the first U.S. vice president. 1856 - Australia adopts eight-hour working day. 1898 - United States recognizes independence of Cuba. 1918 - German air ace Baron Manfred von Richthofen, known as the Red Baron, is shot down and killed over the Western Front during a dogfight with Capt. Arthur Roy Brown of Canada. 1928 - France's Aristide Briand submits his draft treaty for outlawing war. It is later signed as the Kellogg-Briand Pact by most of the world's countries. 1947 - Crown Prince Frederik is acclaimed King Frederik [http://www.vtr.org.vn/cam-nang-du-lich-bac-kinh-5-ngay-4-dem.html du lịch Bắc Kinh 5 ngày 4 đêm] IX of Denmark by thousands of Danes on parliament square. 1954 - United States flies French battalion to Indochina to defend Dien Bien Phu, which is overrun by Vietnamese forces three weeks later. 1956 - Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Yemen sign military alliance at Jedda. 1960 - Brazil moves its capital from Rio de Janeiro to Brasilia, a modern city built from scratch on the central high plains. 1967 - Army officers led by Col. Georgios Papadopoulos seize power in Greece. The junta rules the country for seven years. 1972 - Two U.S. Apollo 16 astronauts spend seven hours exploring highlands of the Moon. 1975 - South Vietnam's President Nguyen van Thieu resigns, denounces United States as untrustworthy, and names successor to seek negotiations with Communist forces sweeping [http://www.vtr.org.vn/cam-nang-du-lich-bac-kinh-5-ngay-4-dem.html du lịch Bắc Kinh 5 ngày 4 đêm từ Hà Nội] across country. 1977 - Pakistan's Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto assumes emergency powers and imposes martial law on three major cities in crackdown on [http://www.vtr.org.vn/cam-nang-du-lich-bac-kinh-5-ngay-4-dem.html vtr.org.vn] opponents trying to force his resignation; the musical "Annie" opens on Broadway. 1980 - Rosie Ruiz is the first woman to cross the finish line at the Boston Marathon, but she is disqualified when officials discover she jumped into the race about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the finish. 1986 - Soldiers attack rebel camp in Philippines, and 41 people are killed; a vault in Chicago's Lexington Hotel linked to Al Capone is opened during a live TV special hosted by Geraldo Rivera. Except for a few bottles and a sign, the vault is empty. 1987 - Suspected Tamil Tiger separatists explode powerful bomb at height of rush hour near main bus station in Colombo, Sri Lanka, killing as many as 150 people. 1989 - Thousands of students, shouting for democracy and human rights, march from campuses to converge on Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China. 1990 - Moscow expands its energy embargo of Lithuania to include shipments of food, metal and industrial parts, in effort to get the republic to revoke declaration of independence. 1991 - Soviet hard-liners launch a petition drive for a Parliament session to impose a national state of emergency and take President Mikhail Gorbachev to task over worsening ethnic and economic troubles. 1993 - The Supreme Court in La Paz, Bolivia, sentences former dictator Luis Garcia Meza to 30 years in jail without parole for murder, theft, fraud and violating the constitution. 1994 - Bosnian Serb artillery bombards the Muslim enclave of Gorazde in the heaviest assault of a three-week offensive. 1995 - Iran lines up with Egypt and Syria to try to link the future of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty to a dismantling of Israel's reported nuclear arsenal. 1996 - Rebels in a military complex in Monrovia, Liberia, release more foreigners while African peacekeeping troops fan out in the capital to police a truce. 1997 - The first Chinese Army soldiers march into Hong Kong in preparation for the handover of the British colony to China on July 1. 1998 - South Korea drops efforts to get compensation from Japan for women held as sex slaves during World War II, and says it will pay surviving women. 2001 - Leaders at the 34-nation Americas summit debate whether to criticize Haitian elections that restored President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to power last year and mired the hemisphere's poorest and most unstable nation in another political morass. 2002 - Bombings in the southern Philippines, where Muslim rebel groups are fighting for a separate homeland, kill 14 people and wound 55 others. 2005 - A blast kills at least 51 people as it rips through an explosives manufacturing plant at a mine in the heart of Zambia's copper belt. 2006 - Haitians vote in a legislative election billed as the final step in the often-delayed process to bring back democracy to the poorest nation in the Americas. 2007 - Thousands of Bhutanese practice for democracy in mock elections, lining up at polling stations to select dummy political parties in the latest step toward shedding nearly 100 years of absolute monarchy in the secluded Himalayan country. 2008 - Pakistan orders the release of pro-Taliban leader Sufi Muhammad from six years in custody in return for an agreement from his group to renounce violence. Muhammad had sent thousands to battle the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. 2009 - European researchers say they not only found the smallest planet ever, Gliese 5810 e, but also realize that a neighboring planet discovered earlier, Gliese 581 d, was in the prime habital zone for potential life. 2010 - An explosion rocks a BP offshore oil drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 workers and eventually leading to the biggest oil spill in U.S. history. 2011 - Japan seals off a wide area around a radiation-spewing nuclear power plant to prevent tens of thousands of residents from sneaking back to the homes they quickly evacuated, some with little more than a credit card and the clothes on their backs. 2012 - An infusion of hundreds of billions of dollars will give the International Monetary Fund a badly needed boost to tackle Europe's prolonged debt crisis. But global finance officials send a strong message that struggling governments must speed reforms. 2013 - Serbia's ruling parties pledge to support a landmark agreement to normalize relations with former province Kosovo that could end years of [http://hararonline.com/?s=tensions tensions] and put both states on a path to European Union membership. Today's Birthdays: Charlotte Bronte, English novelist (1816-1855); Anthony Quinn, Mexican-born actor (1915-2001); Queen Elizabeth II of England (1926--); Elaine May, U.S. entertainer-writer (1932--); Omotoso Kole, Nigerian writer (1943--); Iggy Pop, English punk singer (1947--); Patti LuPone, U.S. actress/singer (1949--); James McAvoy, actor (1979--); Michael Franti, U.S. singer/rapper (1966--). Thought For Today: I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it - Stephen Leacock, Canadian economist and humorist (1869-1944). Advertisement

Richard Blystone correspondent at AP later CNN dies at 81

2018-06-19T12:32:30Z

MaiGreenhalgh2:

Richard M. Blystone, a longtime Associated Press correspondent who covered the Vietnam War and went on to become one of the first journalists at the CNN network even before it went on air, died Tuesday in London. He was 81. His sister, Louise Reilly, said her [http://www.lifebeyondtourism.org/?header_search=brother%20died brother died] in a hospital of cardiac failure, following a stroke. Blystone began his career with AP in Atlanta in 1965, covering the civil rights struggle, and later worked at the news cooperative's New York headquarters before moving to the AP's Saigon bureau in 1970 at the height of [http://www.vtr.org.vn/cam-nang-du-lich-bac-kinh-5-ngay-4-dem.html vtr.org.vn] the Vietnam War. He covered major combat action and, in 1973, became AP's Chief of Bureau in Bangkok, Thailand. In this Feb. [http://www.vtr.org.vn/cam-nang-du-lich-bac-kinh-5-ngay-4-dem.html du lịch Bắc Kinh 5 ngày 4 đêm từ Hà Nội], 1979, photo, Associated Press foreign correspondent Richard Blystone poses for a photo in the AP's London bureau. Blystone, a veteran AP correspondent who reported from Vietnam and was one of the first journalists at CNN, has died in London at 81. His sister, Louise Reilly, said her brother died Tuesday, April 17, 2018, of cardiac failure after a stroke. (AP Photo/Peter Kemp) Michael Putzel, a former Saigon colleague of Blystone, recalls that "his dry humor and running cartoon strip about AP life kept the Saigon bureau entertained." While in Bangkok, Blystone uncovered and reported the story of 54 barefoot, ragged children held as slave laborers in a garment factory. A police raid followed, freeing the children. Blystone remained involved in coverage of strife in Indochina, and in a story from Phnom Penh before the takeover by Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge, he described how the wives and children of Cambodian soldiers missing in action "live in squalor and desperation . high in Phnom Penh's sports stadium." After the fall of Cambodia to the Khmer Rouge, he flew in a small chartered plane to the bomb-cratered Phnom Penh airport to pluck a Cambodian AP newsman - Chaay-Born Lay - and his wife and two children to safety. They were pulled into the aircraft as it rolled along the runway for takeoff. AP's Chief U.N. Correspondent Edith M. Lederer called him "one of the smartest, sharpest war correspondents I met and worked with at AP in Vietnam - a veteran who knew the U.S. military." "He had a wonderful irreverent streak and didn't suffer fools, but he cared deeply about the victims of war and telling their stories to the world. He was a stickler for accuracy, a master wordsmith, a wonderful friend and an original member of the Chinese Eating Club I started when we both lived in London," Lederer added. In 1977 and 1978, he was an Edward R. Murrow Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York and then moved to the AP's London bureau until he joined CNN in June 1980, three weeks before the then-fledgling news network went on the air. He went on to cover many wars and conflicts for CNN from its earliest day and became a senior correspondent for Europe, Africa and the Middle East. At CNN, Blystone covered some of the world's biggest hotspots. He reported on the Iran-Iraq war, civil war in Lebanon, the collapse of communism in the former Soviet Union and its satellite nations, famine in Africa, U.S. interventions in Somalia and Haiti, the Gulf conflict, Northern Ireland and NATO's bombing of Kosovo. But as a change of pace from politics, war, violence and famine, Blystone also produced wry and droll reports on quirky events such as the traditional gathering of the Royal Swans near London. His 1999 CNN series "An Iron Curtain Odyssey", chronicling a 3,000-mile (4,800-kilometer) trip down the political fault line that once divided the world, followed a decade after his first report of the same title was filmed as the Iron Curtain was coming down. Journalist Steve Hurst, who worked with Blystone at both AP and CNN, said "Blystone was the best writer I ever worked with. He was an even better man, and I and all who knew him have suffered a great loss." Blystone retired from CNN in 2001, returning briefly for assignments in Kuwait and Iraq in 2003. In retirement he freelanced, produced documentaries and taught journalism for a semester in Botswana. He lived part of the year in London and part in Maine. A native of Elmira, New York, Blystone was a graduate of Amherst College who served a stint in the U.S. Navy as an officer assigned to an anti-submarine patrol squadron flying out of Brunswick, Maine. He began his journalism career with brief stints at the Elmira Star-Gazette and the Scandinavian Times, in Copenhagen. He was the son of the late Eugene Blystone and the former Bernice Mary Robinson. Besides his sister, he is survived by his wife of 54 years, the former Helle Pechter, three children and one grandchild. ___ Claude Erbsen, a former AP vice president and director of world services, reported from New York. In this undated photo, Richard Blystone, Associated Press foreign correspondent in Vietnam and later Bangkok, talks on the phone in AP's Saigon bureau in Saigon, later renamed to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Blystone, a veteran AP correspondent who reported from Vietnam and was one of the first journalists at CNN, has died in London at 81. His sister, Louise Reilly, said her brother died Tuesday, April 17, 2018, of cardiac failure after a stroke. (AP Photo/Neal Ulevich) Advertisement

Ha Long Bay...Junk boat

2018-06-14T11:25:33Z

MaiGreenhalgh2:

We signed up for the Halong Bay boat trip with our guest house, A Dong Hotel in the old quarter of Hanoi, the guys here are very helpful and with a little bit of persuassion they did us a good deal, we got a 2 day and 1 night trip on [http://www.vtr.org.vn/cam-nang-du-lich-bac-kinh-5-ngay-4-dem.html vtr.org.vn] the boat for $28. The guys picked us up no problem and took us off, we got tp the port and there were hundreds of junk boats taking people out on trips, eventually we got onto ours. Remember to take your passport with you or they wont let you stay on the boat over night. Apparently the harbour police caught some terrorists 6 months ago smuggling weapons and drugs aboard one of the boats, so the police made it mandatory to know who is on which boat at what time. The crew were nice enough, we stopped shortly after de-berthing and had some lunch, then set off into the bay itself. We were told by the guide that there are over three thousand islands in the area, however only one thousand nine hundred odd are in the actual conservation area. The whole area is a vastness of natural beauty, we have barely seen anything as nice, apart from the water it is slightly murky, not very good for snorkling! Our cabin was on the small size but you dont get a lot when you go for the extra budget option do you! the water in the shower worked when it felt like it and when it did it was only a dribble, Katie though didnt care she was just made up to be sleeping on a junk boat in the middle of Halong Bay, thats why i love her you see. That day [http://www.vtr.org.vn/cam-nang-du-lich-bac-kinh-5-ngay-4-dem.html du lịch Bắc Kinh] we stopped off at Sung Sot caves and spent over an hour walking through the caves and taking in the sights, there are a lot of stalagmites and stalagtites. The guides try to show you all these pictures in the rocks and [http://Www.tumblr.com/tagged/shadows shadows] but they are hardly true and you could probably make better ones up yourselves, the "romeo and juliet" one is a real corker! After the caves we once again boarded the boat and set off for the fishing village, on the way we stopped at another cave you could visit by hiring a small boat, we decided it wasnt worth it and just stayed on the boat chatting to some couples. The weather was gorgeous 40 plus easy and we were making the most of it all of us on the sun deck! We arrived at the fishing village and got to stop at one of the shops there that house the live fish in specially constructed rafts, the boats crew brought our dinner from here for dinner later! After this we dropped some people off at Cat Ba island that were [http://www.vtr.org.vn/cam-nang-du-lich-bac-kinh-5-ngay-4-dem.html du lịch Bắc Kinh] staying the night at the hotel on the island instead of the boat (apparently its cheaper). We carried on cruising around the bay all afternoon and in the evening we settled in a small bay where we had dinner and everyone just chatted and socialised. The next day we were awoken at 06:30 to be informed it was time for us to go KAYAKING! what the hell!!! so we dragged our sorry asses out of bed and paddled around the cove and checking out caves and stuff. We ended up really enjoying it even tho we could barely open our eyes! After that we did nothing, we dropped off more people on the island and picked up some more then took a leisurely cruise back to the main dock at Halong city. So Katie and I just took advantage of the once again gorgeous weather and bronzed up to the max! Katie & Scott Source: Travelblog

User:MaiGreenhalgh2

2018-06-14T11:25:25Z

MaiGreenhalgh2: Created page with "My name is Mai Greenhalgh but everybody calls me Mai. I'm from Italy. I'm studying at the university (final year) and I play the Trombone for 8 years. Usually I choose music f..."

My name is Mai Greenhalgh but everybody calls me Mai. I'm from Italy. I'm studying at the university (final year) and I play the Trombone for 8 years. Usually I choose music from my famous films ;). I have two sister. I like Badminton, watching TV (Bones) and Yo-yoing. Here is my webpage :: [http://www.vtr.org.vn/cam-nang-du-lich-bac-kinh-5-ngay-4-dem.html du lịch Bắc Kinh]