Worldwide events; zarb e jamhoor newspaper; 181 issue; 22 28 jun, 2014

Antifascist Struggle Commemoration Day Croatia - Jun 22

Anti-Fascist Struggle Day is a national holiday and celebration in Croatia. It is celebrated on June 22, as it marks the beginning of the uprising of Croatian anti-fascist Partisans against German and Italian occupying forces, that started with the forming of the First Sisak Partisan Detachment on June 22, 1941 near Sisak, Croatia.

Grand Duke's Birthday Luxembourg - Jun 23

The Grand Duke's Official Birthday (French: Célébration publique de l'anniversaire du souverain) is celebrated as the annual national holiday of Luxembourg. It is celebrated on 23 June, although this has never been the actual birthday of any ruler of Luxembourg. When the monarch of Luxembourg is female, it is known as the Grand Duchess's Official Birthday.

of the holiday Development The monarch's birthday has not always been celebrated on

23 June. Under William I (1815–40), the date was 24 April (although his actual birthday was 25 August), and under William II (1840–1849), it was 6 December, his actual birthday. This change created the strange situation of celebrating two Grand Ducal birthdays in 1840. Under William III (1849–90), the date was set at 17 June until 1859, after which, his birthday was celebrated on 19 February: two days after his actual birthday.

With the separation of the orders of succession, the Dutch and Luxembourgois thrones split in 1890. The NassauWeilburg monarchs celebrated their Official Birthdays on their actual birthdays. In 1947, the day was declared the 'national holiday'. As both the reigning Charlotte and the Heir Apparent (and regent) Jean were born in January, it was feared that their actual birthdays, therefore the nation's holiday, would be marred by poor weather. Thus, on 23 December 1961, the date was fixed on 23 June by Grand Ducal decree.

Jonines (summer solstice) Night Lithuania - Jun 23

St. John's Day (Jonines) is a holiday celebrated on June 24th. On the night of June 23 to 24 in the Northern Hemisphere is the longest day and the shortest night (summer solstice). The origins of this holiday in Lithuania are Dew celebration. After the baptism of Lithuania this holiday associated with St. John the Baptist's birthday. During the festival flower wreaths are made, people are looking for the fern bloom, jumping over the fire, singing and dancing, etc.

Ligo Day Latvia - Jun 23

Jāņi (pronounced is a Latvian festival held in the night from 23 June to 24 June to celebrate the summer solstice (Midsummer), the shortest night and longest day of the year. The day of Līgo (23 June) and the day of Jāņi (pronounced (24 June) are public holidays, and people usually spend them in the countryside. The festival's eveJāņu vakars) is held in the evening of 23 June and goes on all through the night Jāņu nakts, where people Līgo (sway) into the following day.

Jāņi is an ancient festival originally celebrated in honour a Latvian pagan deity Jānis, referred to as a "Son of God" in some ancient Latvian folksongs. Jānis is also traditionally the most common of Latvian male given names, corresponding to English name John, and everybody of the name Jānis holds a special honor on this day (Jāņi is a plural form of Jānis) and wears an oak wreath. Besides John, the name of Jānis is also etymologically linked with other names of various nations, such as Aeneas, Dionysus, Jonash, Jan, Jean, Johan, João, Ian, Ivan, Huan, and Han. The festival's current date has shifted a few days from 21 June/22 June when the summer solstice actually takes place due to its somewhat incongruous association with Saint John the Baptist's feast day, which falls on 24 June. Still, traditions of Jāņi contain no reference to Christianity or any Christian symbolism.

Jāņi is thought to be the time when the forces of nature are at their most powerful, and the boundaries between the physical and spiritual worlds are thinnest. In the past, evil witches were believed to be riding around, so people decorated their houses and lands with rowan branches and thorns in order to protect themselves from evil. In modern days other traditional decorations are more popular, including birch or sometimes oak branches and flowers as well as leaves, especially ferns. Women wear wreaths Ligo Day Festival made from flowers; in rural areas livestock is also decorated.

Jāņi also is thought to be the perfect time to gather herbs, because it is believed that they then have magical powers on this day. Other practices of magic in Jāņi vary from fortune-telling to ensuring productivity of crops, as well as livestock fertility. A well-known part of this celebration is searching for the mythical fern flower, though some suggest that the fern flower is a symbol of secret knowledge; today it is almost always synonymous with having sexual relationships. Young couples traditionally search for the flower and many believe there is an increase in births nine months later. (In the past, this timing was ideal for farmers.)

Another important detail is fire: A festival fire must be kept from sunset till sunrise, and various kinds of flaming light sources are used; usually these are bonfires, which traditionally people jump over to ensure prosperity and fertility.

Traditional food during Jāņi is a special type of cheese with carawayseeds, made out of curd, and the traditional drink is beer. Many people make the cheese of Jāņi themselves; a few also make their own beer.

Representatives of Latvian Emergency services often warn that Jāņi can be harmful to health because of the amounts of food and alcoholic beverages consumed, as well as maltreated fires. Additionally, accounts of drinking and driving are higher on this day than of any other in the year.

Midsummer Party - Jun 23 Denmark, Norway

Midsummer day simply refer to the period of time centered upon the summer solstice, but more often refers to specific European celebrations that accompany the actual solstice, or that take place on a day between June 21 and June 24, and the preceding evening. The exact dates vary between different cultures. Midsummer is especially important in the cultures of Scandinavia and Latvia where it is the most celebrated holiday apart from Christmas.

Background European midsummer-related holidays, traditions, and cel-

ebrations are pre-Christian in origin. They are particularly important in Northern Europe - Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia and Lithuania – but are also found in Germany, Ireland, parts ofBritain (Cornwall especially), France, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain, Ukraine, other parts of Europe, and elsewhere - such as Canada, the United States, Puerto Rico, and also in the Southern Hemisphere (mostly in Brazil, Argentina and Australia), where this imported European celebration would be more appropriately called Midwinter.

Midsummer is also sometimes referred to by Neopagans and others as Litha, stemming from Bede's De temporum ratione which provides Anglo-Saxon names for the months roughly corresponding to June and July as "se Ærra Liþa" and "se Æfterra Liþa" (the "early Litha month" and the "later Litha month") with an intercalary month of "Liþa" appearing after se Æfterra Liþa on leap years. The fire festival or Lith- Summer solstice is a tradition for many pagans.

Solstice celebrations still center around the day of the astronomical summer solstice. Some choose to hold the rite on the 21st of June, even when this is not the longest day of the year, and some celebrate June 24, the day of the solstice in Roman times.

Although Midsummer is originally a pagan holiday, in Christianity it is associated with the nativity of John the Baptist, which is observed on the same day, June 24, in the Catholic, Orthodox and some Protestant churches. It is six months before Christmas because Luke1:26 and Luke 1.36 imply that John the Baptist was born six months earlier than Jesus, although the Bible does not say at which time of the year this happened.

In Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Quebec (Canada), the traditional Midsummer day, June 24, is a public holiday. So it was formerly also in Sweden and Finland, but in these countries it was, in the 1950s, moved to the Saturday between June 19 and June 26.

History The celebration of Midsummer's Eve (St. John's Eve among

Christians) was from ancient times a festival of the summer solstice. Some people believed that golden-flowered midsummer plants, especially Calendula, and St. John's Wort, had miraculous healing powers and they therefore picked them on this night. Bonfires were lit to protect against evil spirits which were believed to roam freely when the sun was turning southwards again. In later years, witches were also thought to be on their way to meetings with other powerful beings.

In Sweden, Mid-summer celebration originates from the time before Christianity; it was celebrated as a sacrifice time in the sign of the fertility.

The solstice itself has remained a special moment of the annual cycle of the year since Neolithic times. The concentration of the observance is not on the day as we reckon it, commencing at midnight or at dawn, as it is customary for cultures following lunar calendars to place the beginning of the day on the previous eve at dusk at the moment when the Sun has set. In Sweden, Finland and Estonia, Midsummer's Eve is the greatest festival of the year, comparable only with Walpurgis Night, Christmas Eve, and New Year's Eve. In the 7th century, Saint Eligius (died 659/60) warned the recently converted inhabitants of Flanders against the ageold pagan solstice celebrations. According to the Vita by his companion Ouen, he'd say: "No Christian on the feast of Saint John or the solemnity of any other saint performs solestitia [summer solstice rites] or dancing or leaping or diabolical chants."

As Christianity entered pagan areas, midsummer celebrations came to be often borrowed and transferred into new Christian holidays, often resulting in celebrations that mixed Christian traditions with traditions derived from pagan Midsummer festivities. The 13th-century monk of Winchcomb, Gloucestershire, who compiled a book of sermons for the feast days, recorded how St. John's Eve was celebrated in his time: Let us speak of the revels which are accustomed to be made on St. John's Eve, of which there are three kinds. On St. John's Eve in certain regions the boys collect bones and certain other rubbish, and burn them, and therefrom a smoke is produced on the air. They also make brands and go about the fields with the brands. Thirdly, the wheel which they roll.

The fires, explained the monk of Winchcombe, were to drive away dragons, which were abroad on St. John's Eve, poisoning springs and wells. The wheel that was rolled downhill he gave its explicitly solstitial explanation: The wheel is rolled to signify that the sun then rises to the highest point of its circle and at once turns back; thence it comes that the wheel is rolled.

On St John's Day 1333 Petrarch watched women at Cologne rinsing their hands and arms in the Rhine "so that the threatening calamities of the coming year might be washed away by bathing in the river."

Denmark In Denmark, the solstitial celebration is called Sankt Hans aften ("St. John's Eve"). It was an official holiday until

1770, and in accordance with the Danish tradition of celebrating a holiday on the evening before the actual day, it takes place on the evening of 23 June. It is the day where the medieval wise men and women (the doctors of that time) would gather special herbs that they needed for the rest of the year to cure people.

It has been celebrated since the times of the Vikings by visiting healing water wells and making a large bonfire to ward away evil spirits. Today the water well tradition is gone. Bonfires on the beach, speeches, picnics and songs are traditional, although bonfires are built in many other places where beaches may not be close by (i.e. on the shores of lakes and other waterways, parks, etc.) In the 1920s a tradition of putting a witch made of straw and cloth (probably made by the elder women of the family) on the bonfire emerged as a remembrance of the church's witch burnings from 1540 to 1693. This burning sends the "witch" away to Bloksbjerg, the Brocken mountain in the Harz region of Germany where the great witch gathering was thought to be held on this day. Some Danes regard the relatively new symbolic witch burning as inappropriate.

In 1885 Holger Drachmann wrote a midsommervise (Midsummer hymn) called "Vi elsker vort land..."("We Love Our Country") that is sung with a melody composed by P.E. Lange-Müller at every bonfire on this evening.

Norway

As in Denmark, Sankthansaften is celebrated on June 23 in Norway. The day is also called Jonsok, which means "John's wake", important in Roman Catholic times with pilgrimages to churches and holy springs. For instance, up until 1840 there was a pilgrimage to the stave church in Røldal (southwest Norway) whose crucifix was said to have healing powers. Today, however,Sankthansaften is largely regarded as a secular or even pre-Christian event.

In most places the main event is the burning of a large bonfire. In parts of Norway a custom of arranging mock marriages, both between adults and between children, is still kept alive. The wedding was meant to symbolize the blossoming of new life. Such weddings are known to have taken place in the 1800s, but the custom is believed to be older.

It is also said that if a girl puts flowers under her pillow that night, she will dream of her future husband.

Victory Day Estonia - Jun 23

Võidupüha or Victory Day is a public holiday in Estonia, which has been celebrated on 23 June every year since 1934. The date recalls the victory in the 1919 Battle of Võnnu (near Cēsis, Latvia) of the Estonian military forces and their allies over German forces (Baltische Landeswehr) who sought to re-assert Baltic-German control over the region. The battle was part of the 1918-1920 Estonian War of Independence, where the main adversary of the newly independent Estonia was Communist Russia.

Today, Võidupüha also marks the contributions of all Estonian nations in their fight to regain and retain their independence.

Estonian celebration of June 23 is ceremonially tied to the following Midsummer Day celebrations on June 24. According to Estonian laws, the state flags are not to be lowered during the night between the days.

Battle of Carabobo Day Venezuela - J u n 2 4

The Battle of Carabobo, 24 June 1821, was fought between independence fighters, led by Simón Bolívar, and the Royalist forces, led by Spanish Field Marshal Miguel de la Torre. Bolívar's decisive victory at Carabobo led to the independence of Venezuela.

History The Royalists occupied the road leading from Valen-

cia to Puerto Cabello. As Bolívar's force of 6,500 approached the Royalist position, Bolívar divided his force and sent half on a flanking maneuver through rough terrain and dense foliage. De la Torre likewise split his force and sent half to deal with this flank attack. Hitting the Patriots with musket fire, the Royalists held back the attack for a while. The Venezuelan infantry failed and retreated, but the men of the "British Legions", among them many members of the former King's German Legion, fought hard and took the hills. They sustained about 50% of Bolívar's casualties. The Patriots eventually broke through the Royalist lines on the flank and marched towards the rear of de La Torre's force. The Spanish infantry formed squares and fought to the end under the attack of the Patriot cavalry. The rout was so bad that only some 400 of one infantry regiment managed to reach safety at Puerto Cabello. With the main Royalist force in Venezuela crushed, independence was ensured. Subsequent battles included a key naval victory for the independence forces on 24 July 1823 at the Battle of Lake Maracaibo and in November 1823 José Antonio Páez occupied Puerto Cabello, the last Royalist stronghold in Venezuela.

Commemoration 24 June is celebrated as Battle of Carabobo Day .This day is also called "Army Day" in Venezuela.

Countryman's Day Peru - J u n 2 4

Celebrated every year on June 24, Countryman’s Day is one of the most fascinating festivals of South America.

Better known as Inti Raymi or The Festival of the Sun, it’s celebrated all over Peru. The festival occurs during the winter solstice in Cuzco wherein people gather together to pray to the sun god to provide them with good crops.

History After the Spanish invaded Peru, Viceroy Francisco de

Toledo abolished the Peruvian’s ancient ritual in the year 1572, citing that the ritual sacrifice of a llama to a god was against the tenants of the Catholic Church. As a result, the celebrations moved into the underground.

The practice managed to survive, reaching its modern form we see today. In fact, Initi Raymi is the second largest festival in South America. Thousands gather in the ancient city of Cuzo from all over the world for this very colorful festival, making it a major tourist attraction.

In the modern day festival a huge stage act of the Incan ritual is enacted. Hundred of stage actors from all over the country are brought in and are auditioned to represent various historical figures. The roles of the Sapa Inca and his wife the Mama Occla are considered to be of great honor.

The rituals start with a prayer to the Qorikancha square in front of the Santo Domingo church, which was built over the ancient Temple of the Sun. The Sapa Inca invokes the blessings of the Sun and then he carried on golden throne to ancient fortress of Sacsayhuaman along with the several high priests.

The Sapa Inca climbs on the sacred altar, followed by speeches from the priests and representatives of the Suyos.

Once this is complete, a white llama is “sacrificed”, enacted in a very realistic fashion with its “heart” held out in honor of Pachamama. The priests read the blood stains to see what the future holds for the Inca’s. As the sun begins to set, the Sapa Inca and the priests are carried on to Cuzco where several straw fires are set up and people dance around and celebrate in joy.

Celebrations Countryman’s Day is also celebrated as Indians Day or Peasants Day.

Discovery Day (Newfoundland & Labrador) Canada - J u n 2 4

Discovery Day is the name of several holidays commemorating the discovery of land, gold, and other significant national discoveries.

History In Yukon, Canada Discovery Day is a public holiday on the third Monday

in August commemorating the anniversary of the discovery of gold in 1896, which started the Klondike Gold Rush.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, it is observed on the Monday nearest June 24 and commemorates John Cabot's discovery in 1497.

Féte Nationale (Quebec) Canada - J u n 2 4

In Quebec, June 24 or Quebec's National Holiday, St. John the Baptist Day is officially a paid statutory public holiday covered under the Act Respecting Labour Standards. In 1977, an Order in Council by Lieutenant Governor Hugues Lapointe, on the advice of René Lévesque, declared June 24 the national holiday in Quebec.

The following year, the National Holiday Organizing Committee was created. The committee initially entrusted the organization of the events to the Société des festivals populaires du Québec. In 1984, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the SSJB, the organization of the celebrations was entrusted to the Mouvement national des Québécoises et des Québécois (MNQ).

After it became a statutory holiday, June 24 was officially a holiday for all Quebecers rather than only those of French-Canadian or Catholic origins. Celebrations were gradually secularized, primarily due to actions taken by the MNQ, and June 23 and 24 became as we now know them. While the religious significance of the civic celebration is gone, the day remains popularly called la St-JeanBaptiste or simply la St-Jean and is still observed in churches.

In 2010, Franco-Ontarian New Democratic MP Claude Gravelle introduced a private member's bill in the House of Commons to recognize St John the Baptist Day as a federal holiday in Canada.

Inti Raymi Peru - J u n 2 4

During the Inca Empire, the Inti Raymi was the most important of four ceremonies celebrated in Cusco, as related by Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. The celebration took place in the Haukaypata or the main plaza in the city.

The Inti Raymi ("Festival of the Sun") was a religious ceremony of the Inca Empire in honor of the god Inti, one of the most venerated deities in Inca religion. It was the celebration of the Winter Solstice - the shortest day of the year in terms of the time between sunrise and sunset and the Inca New Year. In territories south of the equator the gregorian months of June and July are winter months.

According to chronicler Garcilaso de la Vega, Sapa Inca Pachacuti created the Inti Raymi to celebrate the new year in the Andes of the Southern Hemisphere. The ceremony was also said to indicate the mythical origin of the Incas. It lasted for nine days and was filled with colorful dances and processions, as well as animal sacrifices to thank Pachamama and to ensure a good cropping season. The last Inti Raymi with the Inca Emperor's presence was carried out in 1535, after which the Spanish and the Catholic priests banned it.

In 1944, a historical reconstruction of the Inti Raymi was directed by Faustino Espinoza Navarro and indigenous actors. The first reconstruction was largely based on the chronicles of Garcilaso de la Vega and only referred to the religious ceremony. Since 1944, a theatrical representation of the Inti Raymi has been taking place at Sacsayhuamán, two kilometers from its original celebration in central Cusco) on June 24 of each year, attracting thousands of tourists and local visitors.

Inti Raymi is still celebrated in indigenous cultures throughout the Andes. Celebrations involve music, colorful costumes (most notable the woven aya huma mask) and the sharing of food. In many parts of the Andes though, this celebration has been connected to the western festivals of Saint John the Baptist, which falls on the day after the northern solstice (June 21).

Midsummer Festival (St John's Day ) Latvia, Estonia - J u n 2 4

Latvia

In Latvia, Midsummer is called Jāņi (Jānis being Latvian for John) or Līgo svētki (svētki = festival). It is a national holiday celebrated on a large scale by almost everyone in Latvia and by people of Latvian origin abroad. Celebrations consist of a lot of traditional and mostly Pagan elements - eating Jāņu cheese, drinking beer, singing hundreds of Latvian folk songs dedicated to Jāņi, burning bonfire to keep light all through the night and jumping over it, wearing wreaths of flowers (for the women) and leaves (for the men) together with modern commercial products and ideas. Oak wreaths are worn by men named Jānis in honor of their name day. Small oak branches with leaves are attached to cars in Latvia during the festivity. Jāņi has been a strong aspect of Latvian culture throughout history, originating in pre-Christian Latvia.

In the western town of Kuldīga, revellers mark the holiday by running naked through the town at three in the morning.

The event has taken place for the past seven years. Runners are rewarded with beer, and police are on hand in case any "puritans" attempt to interfere with the naked run.

Estonia "Jaanipäev" ("John's Day" in English) was celebrated long before the

arrival of Christianity in Estonia, although the day was given its name by the crusaders. The arrival of Christianity, however, did not end pagan beliefs and fertility rituals surrounding this holiday. In 1578, Balthasar Russow wrote in his Livonian Chronicle about Estonians who placed more importance on the festival than going to church. He complained about those who went to church, but did not enter, and instead spent their time lighting bonfires, drinking, dancing, singing and following pagan rituals. Midsummer marks a change in the farming year, specifically the break between the completion of spring sowing and the hard work of summer hay-making.

Understandably, some of the rituals of Jaanipäev have very strong folkloric roots. The best-known Jaanik, or midsummer, ritual is the lighting of the bonfire and jumping over it. This is seen as a way of guaranteeing prosperity and avoiding bad luck. Likewise, to not light the fire is to invite the destruction of your house by fire. The fire also frightened away mischievous spirits who avoided it at all costs, thus ensuring a good harvest. So, the bigger the fire, the further the mischievous spirits stayed away.

Estonians celebrate "Jaaniõhtu" on the eve of the Summer Solstice (June 23) with bonfires. On the islands of Saaremaa and Hiiumaa, old fishing boats may be burnt in the large pyres set ablaze. On Jaaniõhtu, Estonians all around the country will gather with their families, or at larger events to celebrate this important day with singing and dancing, as Estonians have done for centuries. The celebrations that accompany Jaaniõhtu carry on usually through the night, they are the largest and most important of the year, and the traditions are almost identical to Finland (read under Finland) and similar to neighbours Latvia and Sweden (read under Sweden).

Since 1934, June 23 is also national Victory Day of Estonia and both 23rd and 24th are holidays and flag days. The Estonian flag is not lowered in the night between these two days.

Day Against Drug Abuse & Trafficking Worldwide - Jun 26

The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is a United Nations International Day against drug abuse and theillegal drug trade. It has been held annually since 1988 on 26 June, a date chosen to commemorate Lin Zexu's dismantling of the opium trade in Humen, Guangdong, just before the First Opium War in China. The observance was instituted by General Assembly Resolution42/112 of 7 December 1987.

The UN's 2007 World Drug Report puts the value of the illegal drug trade at US$322 billion a year.

St. John's Day Int’l - J u n 2 4

Midsummer, also known as St John's Day, is the period of time centered upon the summer solstice, and more specifically the Northern European celebrations that accompany the actual solstice or take place on a day between June 21 and June 25 and the preceding evening. The exact dates vary between different cultures. Because he was alleged to have been born on that day, the Christian Church designated June 24 as the feast day of the early Christian martyr St John the Baptist, and the observance of St John's Day begins the evening before, known as St John's Eve. These are commemorated by many Christian denominations. Midsummer is especially important in the cultures of Scandinavia, and the Baltics.

In Sweden the Midsummer is such an important festivity that there have been serious discussions to make the Midsummer's Eve into the National Day of Sweden, instead of 6 June. It may also be referred to as St. Hans Day.

Background European midsummer-related holidays, traditions, and celebrations are pre-Christian in origin. They are particularly

important in geographic Northern Europe - Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – but is also very strongly observed in Poland, Russia, Belarus, Germany, Netherlands, Ireland, parts of the United Kingdom (Cornwallespecially), France, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain, Ukraine, other parts of Europe, and elsewhere such as Canada, the United States, Puerto Rico, and also in the Southern Hemisphere (mostly in Brazil, Argentina and Australia), where this imported European celebration would be more appropriately called "Midwinter".

Midsummer is also sometimes referred to by Neopagans and others as Litha, stemming from Bede's De temporum ratione which provides Anglo-Saxon names for the months roughly corresponding to June and July as se Ærra Liþa and se Æfterra Liþa (the "early Litha month" and the "later Litha month") with an intercalary month of Liþa appearing after se Æfterra Liþaon leap years. The fire festival or Lith- Summer solstice is a tradition for many pagans.

Solstice celebrations still center around the day of the astronomical summer solstice. Some choose to hold the rite on June 21, even when this is not the longest day of the year, and some celebrate June 24, the day of the solstice in Roman times.

Although Midsummer is originally a pagan holiday, in Christianity it is associated with the nativity of John the Baptist, which is observed on the same day, June 24, in the Catholic, Orthodox and some Protestant churches. It is six months beforeChristmas because Luke 1:26 and Luke 1.36 imply that John the Baptist was born six months earlier than Jesus, although the Bible does not say at which time of the year this happened.

In Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Quebec (Canada), the traditional Midsummer day, June 24, is a public holiday. So it was formerly also in Sweden and Finland, but in these countries it was, in the 1950s, moved to the Friday and Saturday between June 19 and June 26, respectively.

In Wicca, practitioners celebrate on the longest day and shortest night of the year which has not had a set date since the retirement of the 13-month Celtic calendar.

History

The celebration of Midsummer's Eve (St. John's Eve among Christians) was from ancient times a festival of the summer solstice. Some people believed that golden-flowered mid-summer plants, especially Calendula, and St. John's Wort, had miraculous healing powers and they therefore picked them on this night. Bonfires were lit to protect against evil spirits which were believed to roam freely when the sun was turning southward again. In later years, witches were also thought to be on their way to meetings with other powerful beings.

The solstice itself has remained a special moment of the annual cycle of the year since Neolithic times. The concentration of the observance is not on the day as we reckon it, commencing at midnight or at dawn, as it is customary for cultures following lunar calendars to place the beginning of the day on the previous eve at dusk at the moment when the Sun has set. In Sweden, Finland, Latvia and Estonia, Midsummer's Eve is the greatest festival of the year, comparable only with Walpurgis Night, Christmas Eve, and New Year's Eve. In the 7th century, Saint Eligius (died 659/60) warned the recently converted inhabitants of Flanders against the ageold pagan solstice celebrations. According to the Vita by his companion Ouen, he'd say: "No Christian on the feast of Saint John or the solemnity of any other saint performs solestitia [summer solstice rites] or dancing or leaping or diabolical chants."

As Christianity entered pagan areas, midsummer celebrations came to be often borrowed and transferred into new Christian holidays, often resulting in celebrations that mixed Christian traditions with traditions derived from pagan Midsummer festivities. The 13th-century monk of Winchcomb, Gloucestershire, who compiled a book of sermons for the feast days, recorded how St. John's Eve was celebrated in his time: Let us speak of the revels which are accustomed to be made on St. John's Eve, of which there are three kinds. On St. John's Eve in certain regions the boys collect bones and certain other rubbish, and burn them, and therefrom a smoke is produced on the air. They also make brands and go about the fields with the brands. Thirdly, the wheel which they roll.

The fires, explained the monk of Winchcombe, were to drive away dragons, which were abroad on St. John's Eve, poisoning springs and wells. The wheel that was rolled downhill he gave its explicitly solstitial explanation: The wheel is rolled to signify that the sun then rises to the highest point of its circle and at once turns back; thence it comes that the wheel is rolled.

On St John's Day 1333 Petrarch watched women at Cologne rinsing their hands and arms in the Rhine "so that the threatening calamities of the coming year might be washed away by bathing in the river."

Cabot 500 Day (Discovery Day) Canada (Newfoundland and Labrador) - Jun 24

Discovery Day is celebrated in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador on the nearest Monday to June 24 and this year falls on Monday June 23, 2014. It is also known as Cabot 500 Day and remembers Giovanni Caboto’s (also known as John Cabot) discovery of the province’s island portion on June 24, 1497.

Many communities choose to hold their own celebrations but it is in Bonavista where many events take place. Some schools may be closed.

Discovery Day is a paid holiday for government employees in Newfoundland and Labrador but it is not a public (statutory) holiday under employment standards legislation for all other employees. However, it may be a discretionary day off with or without pay granted to employees by their employer in the private sector.

Independence Day Mozambique - Jun 25

Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique (Portuguese: Moçambique or República de Moçambique), is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest.

The capital city is Maputo, formerly known as Lourenço Marques.

Between the 1st and 5th centuries AD, Bantu-speaking peoples migrated from farther north and west. Swahili, and later also Arab, commercial ports existed along the coasts until the arrival of Europeans. The area was explored by Vasco da Gama in 1498 and colonized by Portugal in 1505. Mozambique became independent in 1975, and became the People's Republic of Mozambique shortly thereafter. It was the scene of an intensecivil war lasting from 1977 to 1992.

Mozambique is endowed with rich and extensive natural resources. The country's economy is based largely on agriculture, but with industry, mainly food and beverages, chemical manufacturing, aluminium and petroleum production, is growing fast. The country's tourism sector is also growing. South Africa is Mozambique's main trading partner and source of foreign direct investment. Portugal, Spain, and Belgium are also among the country's most important partners. Since 2001 Mozambique is one of the world's top ten for annual average GDP growth. However, Mozambique still has one of the lowest GDP per capita, one of the worst human development index and one of the highest inequality in the world, as well as having the world's lowest life expectancy.

The only official language of Mozambique is Portuguese, with roughly half of the population speaking it as a second language and few as a first language. Languages widely spoken natively include Swahili, Makhuwa, and Sena. The largest religion in Mozambique is Christianity, with significant Muslim and African traditional religious minorities. Mozambique is a member of the African Union, Commonwealth of Nations, theCommunity of Portuguese Language Countries, The Island of Mozambique is a small coral island at the the Latin Union, Organisation of Is- mouth of Mossuril Bay on the Nacala coast of northern lamic Cooperation and Southern Mozambique, first explored by Europeans, in the late African Development Community.

1400s

History

Bantu migrations:

Between the 1st and 5th centuries AD, waves of Bantu-speaking people migrated from the west and north through the Zambezi River valley and then gradually into the plateau and coastal areas. They established agricultural communities or societies based on herding cattle. They brought with them the technology for iron making, a metal which they used to make weapons for the conquest of their neighbors. Cities in Mozambique during the Middle Ages (5th to the 16th century) were not sturdily built, so there is little left of many medieval cities such as the trading port Sofala.

Swahili and Arabs:

Swahili and Arab commercial settlements existed along the coast and outlying islands for several centuries.

Several Swahili trade ports dotted the coast of the country before the arrival of Arabs which had been trading with Madagascar and the Far East.

Portuguese rule:

From about 1500, Portuguese trading posts and forts displaced the Arabic commercial and military hegemony, becoming regular ports of call on the new European sea route to the east.

The voyage of Vasco da Gama around the Cape of Good Hope into the Indian Ocean in 1498 marked the Portuguese entry into trade, politics, and society in the Indian Ocean world. The Portuguese gained control of the Island of Mozambique and the port city of Sofala in the early 16th century, and by the 1530s, small groups of Portuguese traders and prospectors seeking gold penetrated the interior regions, where they set up garrisons and trading posts at Sena and Tete on the Zambezi River and tried to gain exclusive control over the gold trade. The Portuguese attempted to legitimize and consolidate their trade and settlement positions through the creation ofprazos (land grants) tied to Portuguese settlement and administration. While prazos were originally developed to be held by Portuguese, through intermarriage they became African Portuguese or African Indian centres defended by large African slave armies known as Chikunda. Historically within Mozambique there was slavery. Human beings were bought and sold

by African tribal chiefs, Arab traders, and Portuguese and French traders as well. Many Mozambican slaves were supplied by tribal chiefs who raided warring tribes and sold their captives to the prazeiros.

Although Portuguese influence gradually expanded, its power was limited and exercised through individual settlers and officials who were granted extensive autonomy. The Portuguese were able to wrest much of the coastal trade from Arabs between 1500 and 1700, but, with the Arab seizure of Portugal's key foothold at Fort Jesus on Mombasa Island (now in Kenya) in 1698, the pendulum began to swing in the other direction. As a result, investment lagged while Lisbon devoted itself to the more lucrative trade with India and the Far East and to the colonisation of Brazil.

During these wars, the Mazrui and Omani Arabsreclaimed much of the Indian Ocean trade, forcing the Portuguese to retreat south. Many prazos had declined by the mid-19th century, but several of them survived. During the 19th century other European powers, particularly the British (British South Africa Company) and theFrench (Madagascar), became increasingly involved in the trade and politics of the region around the Portuguese East African territories.

By the early 20th century the Portuguese had shifted the administration of much of Mozambique to large private companies, like the Mozambique Company, the Zambezia Company and theNiassa Company, controlled and financed mostly by the British, which established railroad lines to neighbouring countries. Although slavery had been legally abolished in Mozambique, at the end of the 19th century the Chartered companies enacted a forced labor policy and supplied cheap—often forced—African labor to the mines and plantations of the nearby British colonies and South Africa. The Zambezia Company, the most profitable chartered company, took over a number of smaller prazeiro holdings, and established military outposts to protect its property. The chartered companies built roads and ports to bring their goods to market including a railroad linking present day Zimbabwe with the Mozambican port of Beira.

Due to their unsatisfactory performance and the shift, under the corporatist Estado Novo regime of Oliveira Salazar, towards a stronger Portuguese control of Portuguese empire's economy, the companies' concessions were not renewed when they ran out. This was what happened in 1942 with the Mozambique Company, which however continued to operate in the agricultural and commercial sectors as a corporation, and had already happened in 1929 with the termination of the Niassa Company's concession. In 1951, the Portuguese overseas colonies in Africa were rebranded as Overseas Provinces of Portugal.

Independence movement:

As communist and anti-colonial ideologies spread out across Africa, many clandestine political movements were established in support of Mozambican independence. These movements claimed that since policies and development plans were primarily designed by the ruling authorities for the benefit of Mozambique's Portuguese population, little attention was paid to Mozambique's tribal integration and the development of its native communities. According to the official guerrilla statements, this affected a majority of the indigenous population who suffered both state-sponsored discrimination and enormous social pressure. Many felt they had received too little opportunity or resources to upgrade their skills and improve their economic and social Arab slave traders and their captives along the situation to a degree comparable to that of the Eu- Ruvuma river ropeans. Statistically, Mozambique's Portuguese whites were indeed wealthier and more skilled than the black indigenous majority. As a response to the guerrilla movement, the Portuguese government from the 1960s and principally the early 1970s, initiated gradual changes with new socioeconomic developments and egalitarian policies for all. The Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO) initiated a guerrilla campaign against Portuguese rule in September 1964. This conflict — along with the two others already initiated in the other Portuguese colonies of Angola and Portuguese Guinea — became part of the so-called Portuguese Colonial War (1961–1974). From a military standpoint, the Portuguese regular army maintained control of the population centres while the guerrilla forces sought to undermine their influence in rural and tribal areas in the north and west. As part of their response to FRELIMO, the Portuguese government began to pay more attention to creating favourable conditions for social development and economic growth.

After 10 years of sporadic warfare and Portugal's return to democracy through a leftist military coup in Lisbon which replaced Portugal'sEstado Novo regime for a military junta (the Carnation Revolution of April 1974), FRELIMO took control of the territory. Within a year, most of the 250,000 Portuguese in Mozambique had left – some expelled by the government of the nearly independent territory, some fleeing in fear – and Mozambique became independent from Portugal on June 25, 1975. In an act of vengeance, a law had been passed by the then relatively unknown Armando Guebuza in the FRELIMO party ordering the Portuguese to leave the country in 24 hours with only 20 kilograms of luggage. Unable to salvage any of their assets, most of them returned to Portugal.

Conflict and civil war:

The new government, under president Samora Machel, gave shelter and support to South African (African National Congress) and Zimbabwean (Zimbabwe African National Union) liberation movements while the governments of first Rhodesia and later South Africa (at that time still operating the Apartheid laws) fostered and financed an armed rebel movement in central Mozambique called theMozambican National Resistance (RENAMO). Starting shortly after the independence, the country was plagued from 1977 to 1992 by a long and violent civil war between the opposition forces of anti-Communist RENAMO rebel militias and the Marxist FRELIMO regime - the Mozambican Civil War. Hence, civil war, combined with sabotage from the neighbouring white-ruled state of Rhodesia and the Apartheid regime of South Africa, ineffective policies, failed central planning and the resulting economic collapse, characterized the first decades of Mozambican independence. Marking this period were the mass exodus of Portuguese nationals and Mozambicans of Portuguese heritage, a collapsed infrastructure, lack of investment in productive assets, and government nationalisation of privately owned industries. During most of the civil war, the FRELIMO-formed central government was unable to exercise effective control outside of urban areas, many of which were cut off from the capital. In one time RENAMO proposed the peace agreement based on secession of their controlled northern and western territories to found an independent Republic of Rombesia, but FRELIMO refused considering to stand own power in whole country. An estimated one million Mozambicans perished during the civil war, 1.7 million took refuge in neighbouring states, and several million more were internally displaced.

On October 19, 1986, Samora Machel was on his way back from an international meeting in Zambia in the presidential Tupolev Tu-134aircraft when the plane crashed in the Lebombo Mountains, near Mbuzini. There were ten survivors, but President Machel and thirty-three others died, including ministers and officials of the Mozambique government. The United Nations' Soviet Union delegation issued a minority report contending that their expertise and experience had been undermined by the South Africans. Representatives of the Soviet Union advanced the theory that the plane had been intentionally diverted by a false navigational beacon signal, using a technology provided by military intelligence operatives of the South African government.

Machel's successor, Joaquim Chissano, produced big changes in the country, starting the reforms, changing from Marxism to Capitalism and began peace talks with RENAMO. The new constitution enacted in 1990 provided for a multi-party political system, market-based economy, and free elections. The civil war ended in October 1992 with the Rome General Peace Accords, first brokered by the CCM, the Christian Council of Mozambique (Council of Protestant Churches) and then taken over by Community of Sant'Egidio. Under supervision of the ONUMOZ peacekeeping force of the United Nations, peace returned to Mozambique.

By 1993 more than 1.5 million Mozambican refugees who had sought asylum in neighbouring Malawi, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Zambia,Tanzania, and South Africa as a result of war and drought had returned, as part of the largest repatriation witnessed in sub-Saharan Africa.

Statehood Day Slovenia - Jun 25

Statehood Day (Slovene: Dan državnosti) is a holiday that occurs on every 25 June in Slovenia to commemorate the country's declaration of independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. Although the formal declaration of independence did not come until 26 June 1991, Statehood Day is considered to be June 25 since that was the date on which the initial acts regarding independence were passed and Slovenia became independent.

Slovenia's declaration jumpstarted the Ten-Day War, which it eventually won, with its former overseer Yugoslavia.

Statehood Day is not to be confused with Slovenia's Independence and Unity Day, which is celebrated each year on December 26 in honour of the 26 December 1990 official proclamation of the results of the plebiscite in which 88.5% of all Slovenian voters were in favor of Slovenia becoming a sovereign nation.

Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia at the same time, and also celebrates its Statehood Day on June 25. However, Croatia celebrates Independence Day on a different day, October 8.

Statehood Day Croatia - Jun 25

Statehood Day is a holiday that occurs every year on June 25 in Croatia to celebrate the country's 1991 declaration of independence from Yugoslavia. The Statehood Day is an official holiday, a day off work in Croatia.

After the independence referendum held on May 19th, 1991, the Croatian Parliament formally proclaimed independence with Ustavna odluka o suverenosti i samostalnosti Republike Hrvatske, lit. the Constitutional decision on sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Croatia.

The Statehood Day used to be May 30, marking the day when in 1990 the first post-Communist multi-party Parliament was constituted. There was some controversy in the public regarding which date is more suitable for the day of the statehood. Since 2002, June 25 has prevailed as the Statehood Day, and May 30 is marked a minor holiday, one that is not an off-day.

This holiday is not to be confused with Croatia's Independence Day, which is marked each year on October 8. The independence was proclaimed on June 25, but due to the negotiation of the Brioni Agreement, a three-month moratorium was placed on the implementation of the decision, and the Parliament cut all remaining ties with Yugoslavia in October.

Slovenia declared independence from Yugoslavia at the same time, and its Statehood Day coincides with the Croatian Statehood Day, on June 25.

Typical state activities on the occasion involve speeches by the President of Croatia and other dignitaries, as well as commemoration of the Croatian War of Independence.

Independence Day North, exBritish Somaliland Somalia - Jun 26

British Somaliland (Somali: Dhulka Biritishka ee Soomaaliya, was a British protectorate in present-day northwestern Somalia. For much of its existence, the territory was bordered by Italian Somaliland, French Somaliland and Ethiopia. From 1940 to 1941, it was occupied by the Italians and was part of Italian East Africa. The protectorate briefly obtained independence on 26 June 1960 as the State of Somaliland before uniting as scheduled with the Trust Territory of Somalia(the former Italian Somaliland) to form the Somali Republic on 1 July 1960. The government of Somaliland, a self-declared sovereign state that is internationally recognised as an autonomous region of Somalia, regards the territory as the successor state to the State of Somaliland.

Somali-British treaties and establishment of the protectorate In 1888, after signing successive treaties with the then ruling Somali Sultans such as Mohamoud Ali Shire of the

Warsangali Sultanate, the British established a protectorate in the region referred to as British Somaliland. The British garrisoned the protectorate from Aden and administered it from their British India colony until 1898. British Somaliland was then administered by the Foreign Office until 1905 and afterwards by the Colonial Office.

Generally, the British did not have much interest in the resource-barren region. The stated purposes of the establishment of the protectorate were to "secure a supply market, check the traffic in slaves, and to exclude the interference of foreign powers." The British principally viewed the protectorate as a source for supplies of meat for their British Indian outpost in Aden through the maintenance of order in the coastal areas and protection of the caravan routes from the interior. Hence, the region's nickname of "Aden's butcher's shop". Colonial administration during this period did not extend administrative infrastructure beyond the coast, and contrasted with the more interventionist colonial experience of Italian Somaliland.

Independence

In May 1960, the British Government stated that it would be prepared to grant independence to the then protectorate of British Somaliland, with the intention that the territory would unite with the Italian-administered Trust Territory of Somalia (the former Italian Somaliland). The Legislative Council of British Somaliland passed a resolution in April 1960 requesting independence and union with the Trust Territory of Somalia, which was scheduled to gain independence on 1 July that year. The legislative councils of both territories agreed to this proposal following a joint conference in Mogadishu.

On 26 June 1960, the former British Somaliland protectorate briefly obtained independence as the State of Somaliland, with the Trust Territory of Somalia following suit five days later. Later the same week, on 1 July 1960, the two territories united as planned to form the Somali Republic.

National Flag Day Romania - Jun 26

The national flag of Romania (Romanian: Drapelul României) is a tricolour with vertical stripes: beginning from the flagpole, blue, yellow and red. It has a widthlength ratio of 2:3.

The Constitution of Romania provides that “The flag of Romania is tricolour; the colors are arranged vertically in the following order from the flagpole: blue, yellow, red”. The proportions, shades of color as well as the flag protocol were established by law in 1994 and extended in 2001.

The flag is coincidentally very similar to the civil flag of Andorra and the state flag of Chad. The similarity with Chad’s flag, which differs only in having a darker shade of blue (indigo rather than cobalt), has caused international discussion. In 2004, Chad asked the United Nations to examine the issue, but then-president of Romania Ion Iliescu announced no change would occur to the flag. The flag of Moldova is related to the Romanian tricolour, except it has a 1:2 ratio, a lighter shade of blue, a slightly different tint of yellow, and the Moldavian coat of arms in the middle. The flag of Belgium uses black rather than blue.

Flag Day

Law no. 96 of 20 May 1998 proclaimed 26 June as the Day of the National Flag of Romania. It was on this day in 1848 that Decree no. 1 of the Wallachian Provisional Government was issued, making the red-yellow-blue tricolour the national flag.

On Flag Day, public authorities and other state institutions are obliged by law to organize cultural/educational programs and events, with a patriotic or scientific character, devoted to Romanian history, as well as specific military ceremonies, organized within units of the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of the Internal Affairs.

International Day in Support of Victims of Torture Worldwide - Jun 26

The United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture – 26 June is held annually on 26 June to speak out against the crime of torture and to honour and support victims and survivors throughout the world.

History The day was selected

by the United Nations General Assembly for two reasons. First, on 26 June 1945, the United Nations Charter was signed – the first international instrument obliging UN members to respect and promote human rights. Second, 26 June 1987 was when the United Nations Convention Against Torture came into effect.

The decision to annually observe the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture was taken by the UN General Assembly at the proposal of Denmark, which is home to the world-renowned International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT).

The first 26 June events were launched in 1998. Since then, dozens of organisations in dozens of countries mark the day each year with events, celebrations and campaigns.

On 16 July 2009, the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture was chosen as a public holiday in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Global Campaign Every year the IRCT monitors the campaign plans of organisations around the world and towards the end of the

year publishes the 26 June Global Report where it describes the events held in commemoration of the day. According to the latest 26 June Global Report (2010), at least 38 countries around the world commemorated the day with conferences, workshops, peaceful rallies, cultural and musical events, events for children, etc.

Fatherland Liberation War Day North Korea - Jun 25

The Korean War (Hangul: 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was a war between the Republic of Korea (supported primarily by the United States of America, with contributions from allied nations under the aegis of the United Nations) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea(supported by the People's Republic of China, with military and material aid from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics). The Korean War was primarily the result of the political division of Korea by an agreement of the victorious Allies at the conclusion of the Pacific War at the end of World War II. The Korean Peninsula was ruled by the Empire of Japan from 1910 until the end of World War II. Following the surrender of the Empire of Japan in September 1945, American administrators divided the peninsula along the 38th parallel, with U.S. military forces occupying the southern half and Soviet military forces occupying the northern half.

The failure to hold free elections throughout the Korean Peninsula in 1948 deepened the division between the two sides; the North established a communist government, while the South established a capitalist one. The 38th parallel increasingly became a political border between the two Korean states. Although reunification negotiations continued in the months preceding the war, tension intensified. Cross-border skirmishes and raids at the 38th Parallel persisted. The situation escalated into open warfare when North Korean forces invaded South Korea on 25 June 1950. It was the first significant armed conflict of the Cold War. In 1950 the Soviet Union boycotted the United Nations security council, in protest at representation of China by theKuomintang / Republic of China government, which had taken refuge in Taiwan following defeat in the Chinese Civil War. In the absence of a dissenting voice from the Soviet Union, who could have vetoed it, USA and other countries passed a security council resolution authorizing military intervention in Korea.

The United States of America provided 88% of the 341,000 international soldiers which aided South Korean forces in repelling the invasion, with twenty other countries of the United Nations offering assistance. Suffering severe casualties, within two months the defenders were pushed back to a small area in the south of the Korean Peninsula, known as the Pusan perimeter. A rapid U.N. counter-offensive then drove the North Koreans past the 38th Parallel and almost to the Yalu River, when the People's Republic of China(PRC) entered the war on the side of North Korea. Chinese intervention forced the Southern-allied forces to retreat behind the 38th Parallel. While not directly committing forces to the conflict, the Soviet Union provided material aid to both the North Korean and Chinese armies. The active stage of the war ended on 27 July 1953, when the armistice agreement was signed.

The agreement restored the border between the Koreas near the 38th Parallel and created the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a 2.5-mile (4.0 km)-wide fortified buffer zone between the two Korean nations. Minor outbreaks of fighting continue to the present day.

With both North Korea and South Korea sponsored by external powers, the Korean War was a proxy war. From a military science perspective, it combined strategies and tactics of World War I and World War II: it began with a mobile campaign of swift infantry attacks followed by air bombing raids, but became a static trench war by July 1951.

Background Terminology:

In the United States, the war was initially described by President Harry S. Truman as a "police action" as it was conducted under the auspices of the United Nations. Colloquially, it has been referred to in the United States as The Forgotten War or The Unknown War because the issues concerned were much less clear than in previous and subsequent conflicts, such as World War II and the Vietnam War. In South Korea the war is usually referred to as "625" or the 6–2–5 Upheaval(yug-i-o dongnan), reflecting the date of its commencement on 25 June. In North Korea the war is officially referred to as the Fatherland Liberation War (Choguk haebang chǒnjaeng). Alternatively, it is called the "ChosǒnWar" (Chosǒn chǒnjaeng). In the People's Republic of China the war is officially called the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea(simplified Chinese: 抗美援朝战争; traditional Chinese: 抗美援朝戰爭; pinyin:Kàngměiyuáncháo zhànzhēng), although the term "Joseon War" (simplified Chinese: 朝鲜战争; traditional Chinese: 朝鮮戰爭; pinyin: Cháoxiǎn zhànzhēng) is also used in unofficial capacity.

Japanese rule (1910–1945):

Upon defeating the Qing Dynasty in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–96), the Empire of Japan occupied the Korean Empire – a peninsula strategic to its sphere of influence. A decade later, defeating Imperial Russia in the Russo-Japanese War (1904–05), Japan made Korea its protectorate with the Eulsa Treaty in 1905, then annexed it with the Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty in 1910.

Korean nationalists and the intelligentsia fled the country, and some founded the Provisional Korean Government in 1919, which was headed by Syngman Rhee in Shanghai. This government-in-exile was recognized by few countries. From 1919 to 1925 and beyond, Korean communists led and were the primary agents of internal and external Hundreds of thousands of South Kowarfare against the Japanese.

Korea under Japanese rule was considered to be part of the Empire of reans fled south in mid-1950 after the Japan as an industrialized colony along with Taiwan, and both were part North Korean army invaded. of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. In 1937, the colonial Governor-General, General Jirō Minami, commanded the attempted cultural assimilationof Korea's 23.5 million people by banning the use and study of Korean language, literature, and culture, to be replaced with that of mandatory use and study of their Japanese counterparts. Starting in 1939, the populace was required to use Japanese names under the Sōshi-kaimei policy. In 1938, the Colonial Government established labor conscription.

In China, the National Revolutionary Army and the Communist People's Liberation Army helped organize refugee Korean patriots and independence fighters against the Japanese military, which had also occupied parts of China. The Nationalist-backed Koreans, led by Yi Pom-Sok, fought in theBurma Campaign (December 1941 – August 1945). The Communists, led by Kim Il-sung, fought the Japanese in Korea and Manchuria.

During World War II, the Japanese used Korea's food, livestock, and metals for their war effort. Japanese forces in Korea increased from 46,000 soldiers in 1941 to 300,000 in 1945. Japanese Korea conscripted 2.6 million forced laborers controlled with a collaborationist Korean police force; some 723,000 people were sent to work in the overseas empire and in metropolitan Japan. By 1942, Korean men were being conscripted into the Imperial Japanese Army. By January 1945, Koreans comprised 32% of Japan's labor force. In August 1945, when the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, around 25% of those killed were Koreans. At the end of the war, other world powers did not recognize Japanese rule in Korea and Taiwan.

Meanwhile, at the Cairo Conference (November 1943), Nationalist China, the United Kingdom, and the United States decided "in due course Korea shall become free and independent". Later, the Yalta Conference (February 1945) granted to the Soviet Union European "buffer zones"—satellite statesaccountable to Moscow—as well as an expected Soviet pre-eminence in China and Manchuria, in return for joining the Allied Pacific War effort against Japan.

Soviet invasion of Manchuria (1945):

Toward the end of World War II, as per a US-Soviet agreement, the Soviet Union declared war against Japan on 9 August 1945. By 10 August, the Red Army occupied the northern part of the Korean peninsula as agreed, and on 26 August halted at the 38th parallel for three weeks to await the arrival of US forces in the south.

On 10 August 1945, with the 15 August Japanese surrender near, the Americans doubted whether the Soviets would honor their part of the Joint Commission, the US-sponsored Korean occupation agreement.

A month earlier, Colonel Dean Rusk and Colonel Charles H. Bonesteel III divided the Korean peninsula at the 38th parallel after hurriedly deciding that the US Korean Zone of Occupation had to have a minimum of two ports.

Explaining why the occupation zone demarcation was positioned at the The U.S. Air Force attacking railroads 38th parallel, Rusk observed, "even though it was further north than south of Wonsan on the eastern coast could be realistically reached by US forces, in the event of Soviet dis- of North Korea. agreement ... we felt it important to include the capital of Korea in the area of responsibility of American troops", especially when "faced with the scarcity of US forces immediately available, and time and space factors, which would make it difficult to reach very far north, before Soviet troops could enter the area."The Soviets agreed to the US occupation zone demarcation to improve their negotiating position regarding the occupation zones in Eastern Europe, and because each would accept Japanese surrender where they stood.

Chinese Civil War (1945–1949):

After the end of Second Sino-Japanese War, the Chinese Civil War resumed between the Chinese Communists and the Chinese Nationalists. While the Communists were struggling for supremacy in Manchuria, they were supported by the North Korean government with materiel and manpower. According to Chinese sources, the North Koreans donated 2,000 railway cars worth of material while thousands of Korean "volunteers" served in the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) during the war. North Korea also provided the Chinese Communists in Manchuria with a safe refuge for non-combatants and communications with the rest of China.

The North Korean contributions to the Chinese Communist victory were not forgotten after the creation of the People's Republic of China in 1949. As a token of gratitude, between 50,000 to 70,000 Korean veterans that served in the PLA were sent back along with their weapons, and they would later play a significant role in the initial invasion of South Korea. China promised to support the North Koreans in the event of a war against South Korea. The Chinese support created a deep division between the Korean Communists, and Kim Il-Sung's authority within the Communist party was challenged by the Chinese faction led by Pak Il- General Douglas MacArthur, yu, who was later purged by Kim. UN Command CiC (seated), After the formation of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the Chinese gov- observes the naval shelling of ernment named the Western nations, led by the United States, as the biggest Incheon from the USS Mt. threat to its national security. Basing this judgment on China's century of humiliation beginning in the early 19th century, American support for the Nationalists McKinley, 15 September during the Chinese Civil War, and the ideological struggles between revolution- 1950. aries and reactionaries, the Chinese leadership believed that China would become a critical battleground in the United States' crusade against Communism. As a countermeasure and to elevate China's standing among the worldwide Communist movements, the Chinese leadership adopted a foreign policy that actively promoted Communist revolutions throughout territories on China's periphery.

Korea divided (1945–1949):

At the Potsdam Conference (July–August 1945), the Allies unilaterally decided to divide Korea—without consulting the Koreans—in contradiction of the Cairo Conference.

On 8 September 1945, Lt. Gen. John R. Hodge of the United States arrived in Incheon to accept the Japanese surrender south of the 38th parallel. Appointed as military governor, General Hodge directly controlled South Korea via the United States Army Military Government in Korea (USAMGIK 1945–48). He established control by restoring to power the key Japanese colonial administrators and their Korean police collaborators. The USAMGIK refused to recognise the provisional government of the short-lived People's Republic of Korea (PRK) because he suspected it was communist. These policies, voiding popular Korean sovereignty, provoked civil insurrections and guerrilla warfare. On 3 September 1945, Lieutenant General Yoshio Kozuki, Commander, Japanese Seventeenth Area Army, contacted Hodge, telling him that the Soviets were south of the 38th parallel at Kaesong. Hodge trusted the accuracy of the Japanese Army report In December 1945, Korea was administered by a United States–Soviet Union Joint Commission, as agreed at the Moscow Conference (1945). The Koreans were excluded from the talks. The commission decided the country would become independent after a five-year trusteeship action facilitated by each régime sharing its sponsor's ideology.

The Korean populace revolted; in the south, some protested, and some rose in arms; to contain them, the USAMGIK banned strikes on 8 December 1945 and outlawed the PRK Revolutionary Government and the PRK People's Committees on 12 December 1945.

On 23 September 1946 an 8,000-strong railroad worker strike began in Pusan. Civil disorder spread throughout the country in what became known as the Autumn uprising. On 1 October 1946, Korean police killed three stu- Combat in the streets of Seoul dents in the Daegu Uprising; protesters counter-attacked, killing 38 policemen. On 3 October, some 10,000 people attacked the Yeongcheon police station, killing three policemen and injuring some 40 more; elsewhere, some 20 landlords and pro-Japanese South Korean officials were killed. The USAMGIK declared martial law.

The right-wing Representative Democratic Council, led by nationalist Syngman Rhee, opposed the Soviet–American trusteeship of Korea, arguing that after 35 years (1910–45) of Japanese colonial rule most Koreans opposed another foreign occupation. The USAMGIK decided to forego the five year trusteeship agreed upon in Moscow, given the 31 March 1948 United Nations election deadline to achieve an anti-communist civil government in the US Korean Zone of Occupation.

On 3 April what began as a demonstration commemorating Korean resistance to Japanese rule ended with the Jeju massacre of as many as 60,000 citizens by South Korean soldiers.

On 10 May, South Korea convoked their first national general elections that the Soviets first opposed, then boycotted, insisting that the US honor the trusteeship agreed to at the Moscow Conference.

North Korea held parliamentary elections three months later on 25 August 1948.

The resultant anti-communist South Korean government promulgated a national political constitution on 17 July 1948, elected a president, the American-educated strongman Syngman Rhee on 20 July 1948. The elections were marred by terrorism and sabotage resulting in 600 deaths. The Republic of Korea (South Korea) was established on 15 August 1948. In the Russian Korean Zone of Occupation, the Soviet Union established a Communist North Korean government led by Kim Il-sung. President Rhee's régime expelled communists and leftists from southern national politics. Disenfranchised, they headed for the hills, to prepare for guerrilla war against the US-sponsored ROK Government.

As nationalists, both Syngman Rhee and Kim Il-Sung were intent upon reunifying Korea under their own political system. With Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong fighting over the control of the Korean Peninsula, the North Koreans gained support from both the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China. They escalated the continual border skirmishes and raids and then prepared to invade. South Korea, with limited matériel, could not match them. During this era, at the beginning of the Cold War, the US government assumed that all communists, regardless of nationality, were controlled or directly influenced by Moscow; thus the US portrayed the civil war in Korea as a Soviet hegemonic maneuver.

In October 1948, South Korean left-wing soldiers rebelled against the government's harsh clampdown in April on Jeju island in theYeosu-Suncheon Rebellion.

The Soviet Union withdrew as agreed from Korea in 1948. U.S. troops withdrew from Korea in 1949, leaving the South Korean army relatively ill-equipped. On 24 December 1949, South Korean forces killed 86 to 88 people in the Mungyeong massacre and blamed the crime on communist marauding bands.

New Zealand artillery crew in action Aftermath Mao Zedong's decision to involve China in the Korean War was

a conscientious effort to confront the most powerful country in the world, undertaken at a time when the regime was still consolidating its own power after winning the Chinese Civil War. Mao primarily supported intervention not to save North Korea or to appease the Soviet Union, but because he believed that a military conflict with the United States was inevitable after UN forces crossed the 38th parallel. Mao's secondary motive was to improve his own prestige inside the communist international community by demonstrating that his Marxist concerns were international. In his later years Mao believed that Stalin only gained a positive opinion of him after China's entrance into the Korean War. Inside China, the war improved the long-term prestige of Mao, Zhou, and Peng.

China emerged from the Korean War united by a sense of national pride, despite the war's enormous costs. The Chinese people were educated to believe that the war was initiated by the United States and Korea, and not by a fraternal communist state in the north. In Chinese propaganda, the Chinese war effort was portrayed and accepted as an example of China's engaging the strongest power in the world with an under-equipped army, forcing it to retreat, and fighting it to a military stalemate. These successes were contrasted with China's historical humiliations by Japan and

by Western powers over the previous hundred years in order to promote the image of the PLA and the CCP. The most significant negative long-term consequence of the war (for China) was that it led the United States to guarantee the safety of Chiang Kai-shek's regime in Taiwan, effectively ensuring that Taiwan would remain outside of PRC control until the present day.

The Korean War affected other participant combatants.

Turkey, for example, entered NATO in 1952 and the foundation for bilateral diplomatic and trade relations was laid.

The beginning of racial integration efforts in the U.S. military began during the Korean War, where African Americans fought in integrated units for the first time. Among the 1.8 million American soldiers who fought in the Korean War there were more than 100,000 African Americans.

Post-war recovery was different in the two Koreas. South Korea stagnated in the first post-war decade, but later industrialized and modernized. Contemporary North Korea remains underdeveloped. South Korea had one of the world's fastest growing economies from the early 1960s to the late 1990s. In 1957 South Korea had a lower per capita GDP than Ghana, and by 2010 it was ranked thirteenth in the world (Ghana was 86th).

Korean anti-Americanism after the war was fueled by the presence and behavior of American military personnel (USFK) and U.S. support for authoritarian regime, a fact still evident during the country's democratic transition in the 1980s. In a February 2002 Gallup-Korea poll, one-third of South Koreans viewed the United States favorably.

In addition a large number of mixed race 'G.I. babies' (off- The KPAF shot down some 16 B-29 Superspring of U.S. and other western soldiers and Korean fortress bombers in the war. women) were filling up the country's orphanages. Korean traditional society places significant weight on paternal family ties, bloodlines, and purity of race. Children of mixed race or those without fathers are not easily accepted in Korean society. Thousands were adopted by American families in the years following the war, when their plight was covered on television. The U.S. Immigration Act of 1952 removed race as a limiting factor in immigration, and made possible the entry of military spouses and children from South Korea after the Korean War. With the passage of the Immigration Act of 1965, which substantially changed U.S. immigration policy toward non-Europeans, Koreansbecame one of the fastest growing Asian groups in the United States.

In 2011, some former members of Chinese People's Volunteer Army, who had battled there, revisited North Korea. Afterwards they said that they were "very sad", unsatisfied with the post-war development of North Korea. "(We) liberated them, but they're still struggling for freedom", said Qu Yingkui.

Independence Day Madagascar - Jun 26

Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar (older name Malagasy Republic, Malagasy: Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, French: République de Madagascar) is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa. The nation comprises the island of Madagascar (the fourth-largest island in the world), as well as numerous smaller peripheral islands. Following the prehistoric breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana, Madagascar split from India around 88 million years ago, allowing plants and animals on the island to evolve in complete isolation. Consequently, Madagascar is a biodiversity hotspot in which over 90% of its wildlife is found nowhere else on Earth. The island's diverse ecosystems and unique wildlife are threatened by human settlement.

Initial human settlement of Madagascar occurred from 350 BCE and 550 CE byAustronesian peoples arriving on outrigger canoes from Borneo who were later joined around 1000 CE by Bantu migrants crossing the Mozambique Channel. Other groups continued to settle on Madagascar over time, each one making lasting contributions to Malagasy cultural life. The Malagasy ethnic group is often divided into eighteen or moresub-groups of which the largest are the Merina of the central highlands.

Until the late 18th century, the island of Madagascar was ruled by a fragmented assortment of shifting socio-political alliances. Beginning in the early 19th century, the majority of the island was united and ruled as the Kingdom of Madagascar by a series of Merina nobles. The monarchy collapsed when the island was conquered and absorbed into the French colonial empire in 1896, from which the island gained independence in 1960. The autonomous state of Madagascar has since undergone four major constitutional periods, termed Republics. Since 1992 the nation has officially been governed as a constitutional democracy from its capital at Antananarivo. However, in a popular uprising in 2009 the last elected president Marc Ravalomanana was made to resign and presidential power was transferred in March 2009 to Andry Rajoelina in a move widely viewed by the international community as a coup d'état.

In 2011, the population of Madagascar was estimated at around 21.9 million, 90% of whom live on less than two dollars per day. Malagasy and French are both official languages of the state. The majority of the population adheres to traditional beliefs orChristianity. Ecotourism and agriculture, paired with greater investments in education, health and private enterprise, are key elements of Madagascar's development strategy. Under Ravalomanana these investments produced substantial economic growth but the benefits were not evenly spread throughout the population, producing tensions over the increasing cost of living and declining living standards among the poor and some segments of the middle class. Current and future generations in Madagascar are faced with the challenge of striking a balance between economic growth, equitable development and natural conservation.

History

Early period:

Most archaeologists estimate that the earliest settlers arrived in outrigger canoes from southern Borneo in successive waves throughout the period between 350 BCE and 550 CE, making Madagascar one of the last major landmasses on Earth to be settled by humans.Upon arrival, early settlers practiced slash-and-burn agriculture to clear the coastalrainforests for cultivation. The first settlers encountered Madagascar's abundance of megafauna, including giant lemurs, elephant birds, giant fossa and the Malagasy hippopotamus, which have since become extinct due to hunting and habitat destruction.By 600 CE groups of these early settlers had begun clearing the forests of the central highlands.

Arabs first reached the island between the seventh and ninth centuries, and a wave of Bantu-speaking East African migrants arrived around 1000 CE and introduced zebuwhich were kept in large herds.

Irrigated rice paddies emerged in the central highland Betsileo Kingdom by 1600 and were extended with terraced paddies throughout the neighboring Kingdom of Imerina a century later. The rising intensity of land cultivation and the ever-increasing demand for zebu pasturage in the central highlands had largely transformed the central highlands from a forest ecosystem to grassland by the 17th century. The oral histories of the Merina people, who may have arrived in the central highlands between 400 and 1000 years ago, describe encountering an established population they called the Vazimba. Probably the descendants of an earlier and less technologically advanced Austronesian settlement wave, the Vazimba were expelled from the highlands by Merina kings Andriamanelo,Ralambo and Andrianjaka in the 16th and early 17th centuries. Today the spirits of the Vazimba are revered as tompontany(ancestral masters of the land) by many traditional Malagasy communities.

Madagascar was an important transoceanic trading hub connecting ports of the Indian Ocean in the early centuries following human settlement. The written history of Madagascar began with the Arabs, who established trading posts along the northwest coast by at least the 10th century and introduced Islam, the Arabic script (used to transcribe the Malagasy language in a form of writing known as sorabe), Arab astrology and other cultural elements. European contact began in 1500, when the Portuguese sea captain Diogo Dias sighted the island.The French established trading posts along the east coast in the late 17th century.

From about 1774 to 1824, Madagascar gained prominence among pirates and European traders, particularly those involved in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. The small island of Nosy Boroha off the northeastern coast of Madagascar has been proposed by some historians as the site of the legendary pirate utopia of Libertalia. Many European sailors were shipwrecked on the coasts of the island, among them Robert Drury, whose journal is one of the few written depictions of life in southern Madagascar during the 18th century. The wealth generated by maritime trade spurred the rise of organized kingdoms on the island, some of which had grown quite powerful by the 17th century. Among these were the Betsimisaraka alliance of the eastern coast and the Sakalava chiefdoms of Menabe and Boina on the west coast. The Kingdom of Imerina, located in the central highlands with its capital at the royal palace of Antananarivo, emerged at around the same time under the leadership of King Andriamanelo.

Kingdom of Madagascar:

Upon its emergence in the early 17th century, the highland kingdom of Imerina was initially a minor power relative to the larger coastal kingdoms and grew even weaker in the early 18th century when King Andriamasinavalona divided it among his four sons. Following a century of warring and famine, Imerina was reunited in 1793 by King Andrianampoinimerina(1787–1810). From his initial capital Ambohimanga, and later from the Rova of Antananarivo, this Merina king rapidly expanded his rule over neighboring principalities, with the intention of bringing the entire island under his control, an ambition largely achieved by his son and successor, King Radama I (1810–1828). Radama concluded a treaty in 1817 with the British governor of Mauritius to abolish the lucrative slave trade in return for British military and financial assistance. Artisan missionary envoys from the London Missionary Society began arriving in 1818 and included such key figures as James Cameron, David Jones and David Griffiths, who established schools, transcribed the Malagasy languageusing the Roman alphabet, translated the Bible, and introduced a variety of new technologies to the island.

Radama's successor, Queen Ranavalona I (1828–1861), responded to increasing political and cultural encroachment on the part of Britain and France by issuing a royal edict prohibiting the practice of Christianity in Madagascar and pressuring most foreigners to leave the territory. Among those who continued to reside in Imerina were Jean Laborde, an entrepreneur who developed munitions and other industries on behalf of the monarchy, and Joseph-François Lambert, with whom then-Prince Radama II signed a controversial trade agreement termed the Lambert Charter. Succeeding his mother, Radama II (1861–1863) attempted to relax the queen's stringent policies, but was overthrown two years later by Prime Minister Rainivoninahitriniony (1852–1865) and an alliance of noble courtiers, who sought to end the absolute power of the monarch. Following the coup, the courtiers offered Radama's queen Rasoherina (1863– 1868) the opportunity to rule, if she would accept a power sharing arrangement with the Prime Minister—a new social contract that would be sealed by a political marriage between them. Queen Rasoherina accepted, first wedding Rainivoninahitriniony, then later deposing him and wedding his brother, Prime Minister Rainilaiarivony (1864–1895), who would go on to marry Queen Ranavalona II (1868–1883) and Queen Ranavalona III (1883–1897) in succession.

Over the course of Rainilaiarivony's 31-year tenure as Prime Minister, numerous policies were adopted to modernize and consolidate the power of the central government. Schools were constructed throughout the island and attendance was made mandatory. Army organization was improved, and British consultants were employed to train and professionalize soldiers. Polygamy was outlawed and Christianity, declared the official religion of the court in 1869, was adopted alongside traditional beliefs among a growing portion of the populace. Legal codes were reformed on the basis of British Common Law and three European-style courts were established in the capital city. In his joint role as Commander-in-Chief, Rainilaiarivony also successfully ensured the defense of Madagascar against several French colonial incursions.

French colonization:

Primarily on the basis that the Lambert Charter had not been respected, France invaded Madagascar in 1883 in what became known as the first Franco-Hova War. At the war's end, Madagascar ceded the northern port town of Antsiranana (Diego Suarez) to France and paid 560,000 francs to Lambert's heirs. In 1890, the British accepted the full formal imposition of a French protectorate on the island, but French authority was not acknowledged by the government of Madagascar. To force capitulation, the French bombarded and occupied the harbor of Toamasina on the east coast, and Mahajanga on the west coast, in December 1894 and January 1895 respectively. A French military flying column then marched toward Antananarivo, losing many men to malaria and other diseases. Reinforcements came from Algeria and Sub-Saharan Africa. Upon reaching the city in September 1895, the column bombarded the royal palace with heavy artillery, causing heavy casualties and leading Queen Ranavalona III to surrender. France annexed Madagascar in 1896 and dissolved the 103-year-old Merina monarchy, sending the royal family into exile on Reunion Island and in Algeria.

Under colonial rule, plantations were established for the production of a variety of export crops. Slavery was abolished in 1896, but many of the 500,000 liberated slaves remained in their former masters' homes as servants. Wide paved boulevards and gathering places were constructed in the capital city of Antananarivo and the Rova palace compound was turned into a museum. Additional schools were built, particularly in rural and coastal areas where the schools of the Merina had not reached. Education became mandatory between the ages of 6 to 13 and focused primarily on French language and practical skills. The Merina royal tradition of taxes paid in the form of labor was continued under the French and used to construct a railway and roads linking key coastal cities to Antananarivo. Malagasy troops fought for France in World War I. In the 1930s the island was identified by Nazi leadership as a potential site for the deportation of Europe's Jews, and during the Second World War was the site of a battle between the Vichygovernment and the British. The occupation of France during the Second World War tarnished the prestige of the colonial administration in Madagascar and galvanized the growing independence movement, leading to the Malagasy Uprising of 1947. This movement led the French to establish reformed institutions in 1956 under the Loi Cadre (Overseas Reform Act), and Madagascar moved peacefully towards independence. In 1958, there were 68,430 European settlers living in Madagascar. The Malagasy Republic was proclaimed on 14 October 1958, as an autonomous state within the French Community. A period of provisional government ended with the adoption of a constitution in 1959 and full independence on 26 June 1960.

Independent state:

Since regaining independence, Madagascar has transitioned through four republics with corresponding revisions to its constitution. The First Republic (1960–1972), under the leadership of French-appointed President Philibert Tsiranana, was characterized by a continuation of strong economic and political ties to France. Many high-level technical positions were filled by French expatriates, and French teachers, textbooks and curricula continued to be used in schools around the country. Popular resentment over Tsiranana's tolerance for this "neo-colonial" arrangement inspired a series of student protests that overturned his administration in 1972.

Gabriel Ramanantsoa, a Major General in the army, was appointed interim President and Prime Minister that same year, but low public approval forced him to step down in 1975. Colonel Richard Ratsimandrava was appointed to succeed him but was assassinated six days into his tenure. General Gilles Andriamahazo ruled after him for four months before being replaced by another military appointee: Vice Admiral Didier Ratsiraka, who ushered in the socialist-Marxist Second Republic that ran under his tenure from 1975 to 1993. This period saw a political alignment with the Eastern Bloc countries and a shift toward economic insularity. These policies, coupled with economic pressures stemming from the 1973 oil crisis, resulted in the rapid collapse of Madagascar's economy and a sharp decline in living standards.

Ratsiraka's dwindling popularity in the late 1980s reached a critical point when presidential guards opened fire on unarmed protesters during a rally in 1991. Within two months, a transitional government had been established under the leadership of Albert Zafy (1993–1996), who went on to win the 1992 presidential elections and inaugurate the Third Republic (1992–2010). The new constitution established a multi-party democracy and a separation of powers that placed significant control in the hands of the National Assembly. The new constitution also emphasized human rights, social and political freedoms, and free trade for economic development. Zafy's term, however, was marred by economic decline, allegations of corruption, and his introduction of legislation to give himself greater powers. He was consequently impeached in 1996, and an interim president, Norbert Ratsirahonana, was appointed for the three months prior to the next presidential election. Ratsiraka was then voted back into power on a platform of decentralization and economic reforms, but only gradual progress was made during his second tenure, which lasted from 1996 to 2001.

The contested 2001 presidential elections in which then-mayor of Antananarivo, Marc Ravalomanana, eventually emerged victorious, caused a seven-month standoff in 2002 between supporters of Ravalomanana and Ratsiraka.

The negative economic impact of the political crisis was gradually overcome by Ravalomanana's progressive economic and political policies, which encouraged investments in education and ecotourism, facilitated foreign direct investment, and cultivated trading partnerships both regionally and internationally. National GDP grew at an average rate of 7% per year under his administration. In the later half of his second term, Ravalomanana was criticised by domestic and international observers who accused him of increasing authoritarianism and corruption.

Opposition leader and then-mayor of Antananarivo, Andry Rajoelina, led a movement in early 2009 in which Ravalomanana was pushed from power in an unconstitutional process widely condemned as a coup d'état. In March 2009, Rajoelina was declared by the Supreme Court as the President of the High Transitional Authority, an interim governing body responsible for moving the country toward presidential elections. In 2010, a new constitution was adopted by referendum, establishing a Fourth Republic, which sustained the democratic, multi-party structure established in the previous constitution. By early 2012, a fixed date for presidential elections had not been set by the Rajoelina administration.

HUNGARY Independence Day Djibouti - Jun 27

F o o d a n d w i n e p r o d u c t s a r e k e y H unga r y we lc om e s t r oops r e t ur ning to increase export revenues hom e fr om gr e a t m is s ions

Djibouti officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east. Djibouti, which had a population of 818,159 at the 2009 census, is one of the least populous countries in Africa.

Islam is the largest religion in the country, practiced by 94% of the population. The land was known as Obock and French Somaliland (Côte française des Somalis) in the 19th century; in 1967, it changed its name to Afars and Issas after new treaties with France. The territory was declared an independent nation in 1977 and changed its name to the "Republic of Djibouti" after its principal city. Djibouti joined the United Nations on September 20, 1977.While Djibouti is an independent sovereign state, it maintains deep French relations, and through various military and economic agreements with France, it receives continued security and economic assistance.

History

Through close contacts with the adjacent Arabian Peninsula for more than 1,000 years, the Somali and Afar ethnic groups in the region became among the first populations on the continent to embrace Islam.

From 1862 until 1894, the land to the north of the Gulf of Tadjoura was called Obock and was ruled by Somali and Afar Sultans, local authorities with whom France signed various treaties between 1883 and 1887 to first gain a foothold in the region. In 1894,Léonce Lagarde established a permanent French administration in the city of Djibouti and named the region French Somaliland. It lasted from 1896 until 1967, when it was renamed theTerritoire Français des Afars et des Issas(TFAI) ("French Territory of the Afars and the Issas").

In 1958, on the eve of neighboring Somalia's independence in 1960, a referendum was held in Djibouti to decide whether or not to join the Somali Republic or to remain with France. The referendum turned out in favour of a continued association with France, partly due to a combined yes vote by the sizable Afar ethnic group and resident Europeans.There was also widespread vote rigging, with the French expelling thousands of Somalis before the referendum reached the polls. The majority of those who voted no were Somalis who were strongly in favour of joining a united Somalia as had been proposed by Mahmoud Harbi, Vice President of the Government Council. Harbi was killed in a plane crash two years later.

In 1967, a second plebiscite was held to determine the fate of the territory. Initial results supported a continued but looser relationship with France. Voting was also divided along ethnic lines, with the resident Somalis generally voting for independence, with the goal of eventual reunion with Somalia, and the Afars largely opting to remain associated with France. However, the referendum was again marred by reports of vote rigging on the part of the French authorities. Shortly after the referendum was held, the former Côte française des Somalis (French Somaliland) was renamed toTerritoire français des Afars et des Issas.

In 1977, a third referendum took place. A landslide 98.8% of the electorate supported disengagement from France, officially marking Djibouti's independence. Hassan Gouled Aptidon, a Somali politician who had campaigned for a yes vote in the referendum of 1958, eventually wound up as the nation's first president (1977–1999).

Djibouti is a Somali, Afar and Muslim country, which regularly takes part in Islamic affairs. It is also a member of the Arab League, as well as the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

Birthday of Kuan Kung Taiwan - Jun 28

Photo: Gergely Botár

(Online 18 Jun) Further increase of food and wine export volumes is essential to ensure improvefurther ment of export sales of the Hun-

export have remained leveled for the last three years, with 60 million liters and EUR 75 million in revenues, Mr Szijjártó added.

Photo: Zoltán Kovács

at the event on Tuesday, with the purpose to increase sales of Hungarian wine in Lidl stores across those three countries – Grósz Jenő, Chairman of

(Online 19 Jun) "Hungary has been contributing troops to NATO-led operations in Afghanistan for ten years now. The 90 Hungarian soldiers who

In addition to the eighth rotations of the HDF National Support Element (NSE), the HDF Logistic Mentor Team (LMT) and the HDF Mi– 17 Air Advisory Team

nances, personnel management and operations. In recognition of their efforts, Brig.-Gen. Dr. Gábor Böröndi, Commander, HDF Joint Force Command pre-

Kuan Kung, also known as Kuan Ti, is the Chinese god of war.

He protects and defends the oppressed and fights against all those who wish to take advantage from others. Besides this, he is one of the Chinese gods of wealth as well, helping people attract wealth and prosperity to their lives and homes whenever he is present in them. This god of war is the Saint Police Chief, the god who commands all those who fight evil. Kuan Kung is the keeper of all good people and the fighter of those who intend to hurt them or cause them a problem of any kind. He protects people from being robbed, assaulted and from all kinds of crimes in general. This way, if you wish to feel more secure while being away from home, you can carry a Kuan Kung as a lucky charm and receive its protection wherever you go.

Constitution Day Ukraine - Jun 28

President Victor Yushchenko took part in a ceremony of presentation of national decorations on the occasion of Constitution Day. “After the things we have done in terms of formation of the constitutional field, we must proceed to next important step. We must have a constitution that would forever guarantee us democracy, freedom, and protect us from the risks of a totalitarian model”, – said Victor Yushchenko speaking at the ceremony.

History Constitution Day is a holiday to honor the con-

stitution of the Ukraine. Constitution Day celebrates the anniversary of the signing or adoption of the Constitution of the Ukraine in 1996.

The president and the parliament decide on this day to enforce, reinforce, form, accept, and reject constitutional changes, along with a consented plebiscite. The people are given the sole authority to decide on the major amendments that are carried out in the parliament, confirming Ukraine as an ideal democratic nation.

Ukraine is a sovereign, secular nation with a comprehensive democratic system of constitution. The constitution of Ukraine was established on 28th June, 1996. So every year, this day – June 28th is celebrated as the ‘Constitution Day’ in Ukraine, to honor the country’s constitution, on the anniversary of signing and promulgation of the national law system and various significant amendments.

Celebrations

Cities and towns honour Constitution Day on June 28 with performances and special events. The Constitution Day is a national holiday across the country. As it is rather new, there is nothing particular or traditional being carried out in order to celebrate it. The Hymn of Ukraine will be broadcasted on all the radios and TV channels or even sung in public gatherings by the people. Fireworks, various public concerts and musical events by popular Ukrainian artists are held across the country to commemorate this day.

Vidovdan (Orthodox) Serbia - Jun 28

Vidovdan (Serbian Cyrillic: Видовдан) is a Serbian religious holiday, St. Vitus Day, whose feast is on June 28 (Gregorian Calendar, June 15 according to the Julian Calendar, in use by the Serbian Orthodox Church. Also, Serbian Orthodox Church is designated as a memorial day to Saint Prince Lazar and the Serbian holy martyrs who gave their lives to defend their faith during the epic Battle of Kosovo against Ottoman Empire on June 28, 1389. It is a Slava (Patron saint feast day) of St. Vitus, connected in Serbian culture to the Battle of Kosovo, among other events. The feast day is sacred to ethnic Serbs (Serbian Orthodox Christians), who transformed the pagan Slavic god (deity) of war, fertility and abundance "Svetovid"(Vid) into the Sicilian martyr (St. Vitus) -who exorcized the evil out of Diocletian's son, at the time of the final Christianization of the Serbs during the rule of Basil I (867 - 886) by Byzantine missionairies of Constantinople Cyril and Methodius. Through the centuries, Serbian historical events such as the Battle of Kosovo became sources for spiritual strength and patriotism. It was not a coincidence that Gavrilo Princip assassinated the Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand at Vidovdan, triggering theFirst World War. Vidovdan has long been considered a date of special importance to ethnic Serbs and the Balkans, the following events each took place on Vidovdan, but are expressed here in the Gregorian Calendar Vidovdan has long been considered a date of special importance to ethnic Serbs and in the Balkans, with the following events each taking place on Vidovdan, but are expressed here in the Gregorian Calendar: on June 28, 1389, the Ottoman Empire fought against Serbia in the Battle of Kosovo, and Serbian Prince Lazar was slain in battle. Ottoman Sultan Murad I was killed by Serbian knight Miloš Obilić. on June 28, 1914 the assassination of the Austro-Hungarian crown prince, Franz Ferdinand, triggers the First World War. on June 28, 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was signed, ending World War I. on June 28, 1921, the Serbian King Alexander I proclaimed the new Constitution of theKingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, known thereafter as the Vidovdan Constitution(Vidovdanski ustav). on June 28, 1948, the Cominform published, on the initiative of its Soviet delegates Zhdanov, Malenkov and Suslov, in a "Resolution on the State of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia" their condemnation of the Yugoslavian communist leaders - this happening is seen as the date that marks the final split between the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. on June 28, 1989, on the 600th anniversary of the battle of Kosovo, Serbian leader Slobodan Milošević delivered the Gazimestan speech at the site of the historic battle. on June 28, 2001, Slobodan Milošević was deported to ICTY to stand trial. on June 28, 2006, Montenegro was announced as the 192nd member state of the United Nations. on June 28, 2008 was the inaugural meeting of the Community Assembly of Kosovo and Metohija.

In Bulgaria it is called Vidovden (Видовден) or Vidov Den (Видов ден) and is particularly well known in (Shopluk), the western part of the country.

Vidovdan was referred to in the song "Oro"; Serbia's entry in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest, performed by Jelena Tomasevic.

World War I Day U.S. - Jun 28

World War I (WWI), which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939 (World War II), and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918. It involved all the world'sgreat powers, which were assembled in two opposing alliances: the Allies(based on the Triple Entente of the United Kingdom, France and Russia) and the Central Powers (originally centred around the Triple Alliance of Germany,Austria-Hungary and Italy; but, as Austria–Hungary had taken the offensive against the agreement, Italy did not enter into the war). These alliances both reorganised (Italy fought for the Allies), and expanded as more nations entered the war. Ultimately more than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, were mobilised in one of the largest wars in history.More than 9 million combatants were killed, largely because of great technological advances in firepower without corresponding advances in mobility. It was the sixth-deadliest conflict in world history, subsequently paving the way for various political changes such as revolutions in the nations involved.

Long-term causes of the war included the imperialistic foreign policies of the great powers of Europe, including the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the Russian Empire, the British Empire, theFrench Republic, and Italy. The assassination on 28 June 1914 of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, by aYugoslav nationalist in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina was the proximate trigger of the war. It resulted in a Habsburg ultimatum against the Kingdom of Serbia. Several alliances formed over the previous decades were invoked, so within weeks the major powers were at war; via their colonies, the conflict soon spread around the world.

On 28 July, the conflict opened with the Austro-Hungarian invasion of Serbia, followed by the German invasion of Belgium, Luxembourg and France; and a Russian attack against Germany. After the German march onParis was brought to a halt, the Western Front settled into a static battle of attrition with a trench line that changed little until 1917.

In the East, the Russian army successfully fought against the Austro-Hungarian forces but was forced back from East Prussia and Poland by the German army. Additional fronts opened after the Ottoman Empire joined the war in 1914, Italy and Bulgaria in 1915 and Romania in 1916. The Russian Empire collapsed in March 1917, and Russia left the war after the October Revolution later that year. After a 1918 German offensive along the western front, United Statesforces entered the trenches and the Allies drove back the German armies in a series of successful offensives. Germany, which had its own trouble with revolutionaries at this point, agreed to a cease-fire on 11 November 1918, later known as Armistice Day. The war had ended in victory for the Allies.

Events on the home fronts were as tumultuous as on the battle fronts, as the participants tried to mobilize their manpower and economic resources to fight a total war. By the end of the war, four major imperial powers — the German,Russian, Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires — ceased to exist. The successor states of the former two lost a great amount of territory, while the latter two were dismantled entirely. The map of central Europe was redrawn into several smaller states. The League of Nations was formed in the hope of preventing another such conflict. The European nationalism spawned by the war and the breakup of empires, the repercussions of Germany's defeat and problems with the Treaty of Versailles are agreed to be factors contributing to World War II.

Gov e r nm e nt pla ns t o a m e nd highe r e duc a t ion a c t , s a y s M inis t e r B a log

Photo: Zoltán Kovács

Photo: Gergely Botár garian economy, appointed said Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Szijjártó Péter on Tuesday, at a Hungarian wine presenheld in tation Budapest. the Maintaining positive trend in export is indispensable to ensure a dynamic and longterm growth of the Hungarian economy in 2014 and later on, Mr Szijjártó said, adding that food and wine export play a key role in this aspect.

Mr Szijjártó reminded that Hungarian export grew by 6 percent last year; export to the European Union, European non-EU countries and nonEuropean countries increased by 5, 9 and 7 percent respectively.

Talking about the Hungarian wine export he said that export to EU countries shall focus on improving the quality of products, while export to Eastern markets shall focus on increasing the quantity.

Over 26 billion liters of wine were produced in Hungary in 2013. Despite a decrease in produced volume and area of wine production,

He emphasized the importance of increasing the proportion of quality wine, which would allow for higher average sales prices.

Talking about government measures he underlined that wine Hungarian later be may patented pursuant to the Hungarikum Act. He pointed out that one of the key goals of the trade house system is the support of Hungarian wine export. The number of trade houses, 11 at the shall moment, reach 25 by the end of the year, with new trade houses established mostly in Far Eastern, African Northern and CIS countries, as part of the government’s ‘Opening towards the East’ strategy. Now it is the task of the Hungarian Investment and Trade Agency (HITA) to help boost sales of Hungarian wine in international store grocery chains operating in Hungary, Mr Szijjártó added.

594 products from 130 wineries in 7 Hungarian regions were presented to Czech, Polish and repreSlovakian sentatives of Lidl grocery store chain

the Board of Directors of Lidl Hungary, said.

Mr Grósz reminded that the program Lidl for Hungarian was Suppliers launched in March last year to increase the share of Hungarian products on the shelves of Lidl stores, and thus support Hungarian producers, and contribute to the growth and competitiveness of the Hungarian economy. year Lidl Last added 327 Hungarian products to its portfolio, contracted 26 new Hungarian suppliers, and sales of Hungarian products increased by 20 percent.

At the start of the program Lidl offered 106 products of 36 Hungarian suppliers in 9 European countries. And now there are 178 products of 55 Hunsuppliers garian available in 10 countries.

Lidl Hungary curdistributes rently Hungarian wine in 7 counEuropean tries. The company sold over 6 million bottles of Hungarian wine in 159 stores in Hungary, and the value of exported wine exceeded HUF 1 billion – Mr Grósz added.

M inis t e r of N a t iona l D e v e lopm e nt r e s pons ible f or e c onom ic gr owt h

Photo: Ágnes Bartolf

(Online 16 Jun) The most important tasks of the Ministry of National Development (MND) are to facilitate the reindustrialisation of the Hungarian econ-

tion Gábor Czepek to ensure, as the professional and administrative head of the Ministry, the necessary conditions for the undisturbed operation of

serving the work culture of mining as well as to utilising the Hungarian mineral heritage in a cost-efficient and environmentally friendly way, the

Photo: Ministry of Human Resources

(Online 17 Jun) The Hungarian government will initiate an amendment of the act on higher education in order to allow for the appointment of chancellors in higher education institutions from September, Minister for Human Resources Zoltán Balog said at a June 16 press conference in Budapest.

The system of chancellors will affect the economic and financial management of these institutions, Mr. Balog said, adding that a balance must be found between the autonomy of universities and a cost-effective and responsible management. He said the system must ensure that these institutions, managing budgets of tens of billions of forints and employing thousands of people, work in an effective manner while maintaining high professional standards.

Mr. Balog said that ultimate responsibility will still lie with the rectors, but operational decisions and supervision will be the chancellor’s purview, who will

also be given employer rights. The employer rights, however, will remain with the rector with regard to teaching personnel.

He said job applications will be open for a 15-day period and the appointed chancellors will have to work out the institutions’ new organisational and operational rules within 60 days.

Chancellors will be appointed by the Prime Minister and their employers will be the institutions’ rectors, the Minister said, adding that application requirements have been “loosely” defined.

He said universities will still have economic managers, who will report to the chancellor from now on.

The amendment will also restore the previous system whereby candidates for the post of rector are elected by the senate, confirmed by the Minister and appointed by the President of the Republic.

A further amendment will bring the Pető Institute fully under state maintenance. He said the Institute is an inter-

nationally renowned Hungarian speciality, but is struggling with financial difficulties for various reasons. The government’s aim is to ensure the proper functioning of the institution, Mr. Balog said.

Further amendments will allow the separation of the University of Physical Education from the parent Semmelweis University and that teachers working for pedagogical services are also granted additional vacation time. Mr. Balog said the amendments have been coordinated with the Hungarian Rectors’ Conference and the National Conference of Student Self-governments and that he would like Parliament to approve the amendments before the summer recess.

The Minister said they are planning further amendments for the autumn concerning student selfgovernments, the classification of universities, colleges and community colleges, the future of colleges outside Budapest and better defined profiles in higher education.

Minister Navracsics inaugurates Wallenberg memorial in central Budapest

Photo: Zsolt Burger

(Online 18 Jun) Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg and other heroes that saved people embarked on bringing hope to Hungarians in a hopeless situation, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade stated on Tuesday at the inauguration of a Wallenberg memorial in Budapest.

These people saved Jews and others,

risking their own life and often sacrificing it; the memorial is a sign that the Holocaust must never happen again in history, he added.

Karin Olofsdotter, the Swedish ambassador in Budapest, said that Wallenberg arrived in Hungary as a Swedish diplomat with the sole task to save as many Jewish people as possi-

ble.

The memorial, set up in Erzsébet square, was made

by Hungarian-born Swedish sculptor Gustav Kraitz and bears the title Do not forget!. She added that the location had been picked because many young people pass through the square.

Drug prevention groups receive bicycles (Online 16 Jun) The Ministry of Human Resources and the Hungarian Maltese Charity Service (HMCS) has donated 99 bicycles to NGOs working in the field of drug prevention and rehabilitation in order to help the afflicted.

According to the Ministry, sports are an excellent means of getting rid of an addiction and can be highly instrumental in speeding up rehabilitation. That is why the Ministry has supported the HMCS‘s “Drug

Prevention on Two Wheels” program with 7.5 million forints (EUR 25,000).

The money was used by the HMCS to purchase bicycles from a fully Hungarian-owned enterprise, Neuzer Bike Ltd, which in turn helped the drug prevention and rehabilitation cause by offering a significant discount.

Norbert Kiss, Deputy State Secretary for Youth and Sports told national news agency MTI that people should be

helped to find another type of addiction, such as sports, music or reading. He said that in September another program, “Change your addiction” will begin, targeting the most vulnerable 12 to 16 age group. He said this group is the main consumer of drugs, and even if a fraction of them can be persuaded to take bicycle trips instead of resorting to the false pleasure of drugs, “we will have scored a victory”.

the organ and the implementation of its goals.

In the previous governmental term, the Ministry imple-

(AAT) as well as the second rotation of the HDF Military Advisory Team (MAT), the Hungarian soldiers serving in individual ISAF positions have also returned home recently, having completed their tours of duty in Afghanistan. Besides them, during the homecoming ceremony Tamás Vargha also welcomed the troops returning from the EUTM Mali mission.

The soldiers finishing their mission have done an outstanding job in the fields of in-theatre logistic support, fi-

sented them with tokens of appreciation.

Answering our question, WO József Sarvajcz, who have been serving with the Afghanistan mission told us that “We have learned a lot abroad, and soldiers of other nations learned a lot from us too. The last few months provided us with excellent opportunity to learn lessons.

Naturally, I missed my life here at home, my family, my wife, my children and my motorcycle too. It is good to be home again with them."

C e nt r a l a nd South Ea s t Eur ope a n For um on Ene r gy Se c ur it y (Online 19 Jun) The Central and South East European Forum on Energy Security was held in Budapest in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on June 17-18, 2014.

Representatives from Central and South Eastern Europe as well as from the United States, Ukraine, the European Commission and the European External Action Service discussed

the current issues on the European energy security and reflected on future challenges.

The participants analysed the current state of trilateral gas talks as well as considered future steps to enhance energy security for Central and South Eastern Europe. They discussed the need for further development of regional infrastructure, the proposal of the Eu-

ropean Commission on European Energy Security Strategy and the importance of cooperation with EU neighbours. The explosion along the Ukrainian gas transit system on June 17 underlined the energy security challenges for Ukraine and the Central and South East European region and the actuality of the Forum.

M inis tr y f or N a t iona l Ec onom y r e la unc he s s t ude nt wor k pr ogr a m m e (Online 19 Jun) As of 1 July 2014, the Ministry for National Economy relaunches the summer student work programme this year, within which students aged 16-25 years may obtain work at local governments or their institutions.

At a press conference in Budapest, Minister of State for Labour Market and Vocational Training Affairs Sándor Czomba said that last year 16 thousand young people obtained work experience through the twomonth scheme, while the number of applicants did not decrease at student job centres.

Similarly to last year’s budget, HUF 1.5bn is earmarked for the financing of the project.

Those full-time students

are entitled to participate in the programme who turn 16 years old prior to the starting date of the scheme (1 July) and are not older than 25 years on the final day of it (31 August).

Students, he added, can get registered as of today at relevant HR departments.

Under the programme, the Ministry subsidizes wages: a fully subsidized salary can be offered for up to two months (between 1 July and 31 August), for maximum 6-hour work per day. The subsidy is capped at HUF 88 500 for skilled employees and at HUF 76 125 for unskilled ones. As the Minister of State stressed, as the allowance provided by the Job Protection Ac-

tion Plan for those below the age of 25 years also applies to these students, no contributions are to be paid for programme participants.

Czomba Sándor pointed out that although theoretically the available funding could cover the employment costs of 8500 students with two-month contracts each, as young people rather tend to do one-month jobs, the number of those in the programme may even be double this figure.

The summer student work programme is available everywhere in the country, but larger amounts are allocated and a higher number of participants are projected for disadvantaged regions.

Wa ge s in r e a l t e r m s inc r e a s e by m or e tha n 4 pe r c e nt in A pr il (Online 19 Jun) According to the flash report by the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH), wages in real terms continue to increase dynamically. In April 2014, wages in real terms were up significantly, by 4.2 percent year-onyear. This result is also contributable to certain Government measures, such as the cutting of utility prices, public sector wage hike, the Job Protection Action Plan as well as measures aimed at stimulating labour market activity.

In April 2014, gross and net average wages were HUF 239 700 and HUF 157 000, respec-

tively, within the national economy. The 4.1 percent increase of gross wages is signalling the acceleration of growth since the beginning of the year.

Wages gained 4.6 percent in the private sector and 12.8 percent in the public sector, which figures exclude the effect of public work schemes.

In January-April 2014, the gross average wage of full-time employees was HUF 232 300 or HUF 245 800 excluding public work employees.

In this period, private and public sector employees earned on average HUF 251 100

and HUF 234 400, respectively, excluding public work employees.

The number of employees grew significantly, posting the highest increase since the end of 2010, within the private sector at enterprises with more than 5 employees. Thus, the number of private sector employees increased by more than 55 thousand year-onyear.

Steady real wage growth is improving living conditions. Thanks to the Government’s economy policy, economic growth has been bolstering the finances of families.

Ministry of Justice examining Curia’s foreign exchange loans decision

Photo: Ágnes Bartolf omy and increase the involvement of the state, Minister of National Development Miklós Seszták empha-

have just returned home have fulfilled this commitment on the highest professional level in Afghanistan, meeting international standards", Tamás Vargha said in Budapest on Wednesday, June 18.

The Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence attended a homecoming ceremony of troops returning from Afghanistan and Mali, which was held in the Soroksár St. building of the HDF Military Movement Center.

Minister revealed.

Minister of State for Development and Climate Policy and Priority Public Utility Services Zsolt

(Online 18 Jun) The Justice Ministry is analysing legislative possibilities in light of the Supreme Court’s legal uniformity ruling on foreign exchange (FX) loans, Minister of Justice László Trócsányi said on 18 June

2014.

Minister László Trócsányi told a press conference that both the Justice and Economy Ministries were examining the ruling and would decide by September on how to move forward.

Asked about whether it was conceivable that a legal solution could encompass not only FX mortgages but other kinds of foreign currency loans, he said the Ministry's working group was also engaged with that issue.

Conference on Helping the Vict i m s o f H u m a n Tr a f f i c k i n g

Photo: Ágnes Bartolf sised at the press conference presenting the Ministers of State of the Ministry in Budapest on Monday.

The Ministry is to be the primary government organ responsible for energy affairs, climate policy, priority public utility services, infocommunication, transport and asset policy, he pointed out.

The Ministers of State at the Ministry of National Development are Gábor Czepek (public administration), Sára Nemes Hegmann (asset policy), János Fónagy (parliamentary affairs), András Aradszki (energy affairs), Zsolt Szabó (development and climate policy), László Tasó (infrastructure), while the new Minister of State for Info-communication is expected to be appointed within a few days, the Minister said.

The Ministry supervising strategic industries wishes to serve Hungary’s continuous and fast-pace development, making efforts in order that citizens should have access to public utility services of an improving standard safely and at affordable prices, Miklós Seszták emphasised.

The Minister said he had asked Minister of State for Public Administra-

mented radical changes in the asset policy; instead of bartering away public assets for momentary budgetary interests, they embarked upon the path of boosting assets and Minister of State responsible for the field of asset policy Sára Nemes Hegmann is to have the task of continuing this work, Miklós Seszták pointed out.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs János Fónagy is also to represent continuity at the Ministry, Miklós Seszták emphasised, adding he had asked Mr Fónagy to continue actively participating in preparing bills most directly affecting society.

The experience that Minister of State for Energy Affairs András Aradszki has will be much needed since the Ministry is committed to creating further conditions for overhead cost reduction, including conditions to improve industrial competitiveness, to continuing preparations for the enlargement of Paks Nuclear Power Plant, pursuing the development of the international network necessary for safe energy supply, helping Hungarian energy corporations further increase their presence, pre-

Szabó will be responsible for establishing non-profit public utility services, re-launching the series of facility energy programmes supporting the development of energy efficiency, creating the legislative and financing environment of renewable energy resources and utilising non-EU development resources for enhancing economic growth and improving the situation of small and medium enterprises, Miklós Seszták said.

Minister of State for Infrastructure László Tasó will be responsible for continuing the development of international transport networks, especially railway tracks, for completing the missing motorway sections up to the country borders, connecting county seats to the highway network, improving the conditions of minor roads, continuing the reorganisation of transport companies and fine-tuning the e-toll system.

Answering a question András Aradszki revealed that an effects analysis was to be made of the overhead cost reduction and the continuation of the policy would depend on the experience found.

Gov e r nm e nt t o s ubm it bill on lif e im pr is onm e nt wit hout pa r ole (Online 18 Jun) The Government is expected to submit a bill to Parliament in September on final regulations regarding life imprisonment without parole, Parliamentary State Secretary Róbert Répássy said on 18 June 2014.

The bill will include issues such as pardoning, he said, adding that a new law on procedures for pardons was also

required because the criminal code dealt with this “very narrowly.”

The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg ruled against Hungary last month in the case of a life sentence, arguing that excluding the possibility of parole was degrading and therefore violated the European Convention on Human Rights.

State Secretary

Répássy told a press conference that Hungary disagrees.

The issue remains, however, of how to ensure an opportunity to review a case with regard to whether or not life imprisonment is justified, he said.

“This is not insolvable,” he said, adding that a relevant proposal would be submitted by the Government in the autumn.

(Online 17 Jun) The morals of society need to be changed in order to cut back on human trafficking – said Minister of State László Felkai.

He emphasised that the knowledge and earnest work of professionals is not enough to maintain a well-organised system that helps the victims of human trafficking, as the victims themselves also need to cooperate with the helpers.

The aim of the Ministry of Interior’s EU project entitled “Referral of and assistance for victims of human trafficking in Europe” is to provide help for those who have suffered sexual or work-related exploitation.

As part of the project, a conference is being held at the Ministry of Interior, where international organisations and

EU member states can share and learn best practices relating to assisting and managing the victims of human trafficking.

Human trafficking is a serious type of organised crime and one of the most oppressive ways of violating human rights. Hundreds of thousands of people are being held captive within the European Union – that is why it is important to fight against it and help the victims, European Anti-Trafficking Coordinator of the European Commission Myria Vassiliandou said in her video message.

She emphasised that the underlying reasons must also be unearthed, adding that human trafficking is a very “profitable” kind of crime, generating 2.5 million Euros in annual profits for

criminals.

Coordinator The also added that clients, without human trafficking would not exist at all. The sexual exploitation of an adult or child can only take place if there is demand. The duty of the European Union is also to cut back the demand, Ms. Vassiliandou added.

The aim of the project is to create an international mechanism between Belgium and the Netherlands and Hungary to help victims, since these two countries are the main destinations for Hungarian victims. The project also aims to increase trust and understanding between law-enforcement authorities and NGOs in the interest of helping the victims of human trafficking.

Awa r d f or Suc c e s s f ul E nt e r pr is e s pr e s e nte d f or t he m ont h of Ma y

Photo: Ministry for National Economy

(Online 16 Jun) Minister for National Economy Mihály Varga presented the “Investor of the Month” award to LEGO Manufacturing Ltd; while Kürt Plc was awarded the “SME of the Month” title, and in the category of “Startup of the Month” the Minister handed the award to QuantisLabs Ltd at a ceremony held in the building of the Ministry for National Economy in Budapest.

In his speech the Minister emphasised that since the award was launched last year it has become clear that – month after month -there is a success story which deserves to be honoured.

He stated that the year 2014 may be a period of rapid recovery for Europe and Hungary as well. Economic consolidation and rebound on a European and global level is increasingly fostering Hungarian growth.

As he stressed, Hun-

garian growth has not been driven only by exports and the vehicle manufacturing industry, as more and more other sectors are also joining the recovery process, such as logistics, electronics or the medical appliance manufacturing sector.

He added that the revival of domestic demand has also been boosting SMEs, which mainly produce for the domestic market.

The Minister pointed out that confidence in the Hungarian economy has increased.

The latest survey of the German-Hungarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce also signals that the majority of enterprises are planning to spend more on investment, development and employment.

Mihály Varga said that the awardee of the “Investor of the Month” title, LEGO Manufacturing Ltd, decided last year to double production capacity in Hun-

gary and to build a new production facility in Nyíregyháza.

The greenfield project, valued at EUR 200 million, has hitherto been LEGO Group’s largest investment project in Hungary.

“SME of the Month” winner Kürt Plc is a Hungarian-owned enterprise which has been active on the informatics market for 25 years.

Speaking about the “Startup of the Month”, QuantisLabs Ltd, Mihály Varga remarked that through the SmartWineyard app of the company Hungarian wines may gain fame as products of the most up-to-date technology.

Organized by the Ministry for National Economy, the “Award for Successful Enterprises” has been established as the initiative of Mihály Varga and presented each month in three categories since August 2013.