Sette Giugno Malta - June 07 Sette Giugno (from Italian for "Seven June") is a Maltese national holiday celebrated annually on 7 June. It commemorates events which occurred on that day in 1919, when following a series of riots by the Maltese population, British troops fired into the crowd, killing four.
Historical setting
Constitution Day Denmark - June 05
Clean Air Day CANADA - June 06
World Ocean Day International - June 08
Constitution Day (Danish: Grundlovsdag), observed on June 5, commemorates the anniversary of the signing of the Danish constitution of 1849, which established Denmark as a constitutional monarchy, and honors the constitution of 1953, which was adopted on the same day. Almost all workplaces and shops are closed at noon on this particular day. The day, however, is not widely used to celebrate the constitution as is seen in other countries, for example Norway or Sweden.
In the winter of 1998, representatives from five environmental NGO's met with the Minister of the Environment, Christine Stewart, to request that June be officially declared "clean air month" in Canada. As a result of this meeting, and after informal consultations with other groups, municipalities and provinces, Minister Stewart agreed to work with her Cabinet colleagues to formally create a Clean Air Day (CAD) -- a day that would build on, and give focus to, a solid tradition of clean air related activities already organized across the country. Some of these key activities were: •BC Clean Air Day, which has been held on the Wednesday of Environment Week since 1992 and has involved significant numbers of partners at the municipal level; •Pollution Probe’s June Clean Air Commute Campaign in Ontario cities; •Transport 2000’s May 15 International Clean Air Day activities in Montreal; •And the New Brunswick Lung Association’s Clean Air Month. With formal Cabinet approval, Clean Air Day was finally declared as the Wednesday of Environment Week, and was officially launched on June 2, 1999. (Environment Week is the first week in June that includes June 5th, World Environment Day.) The goal of CAD is to increase public awareness and action on two key environmental priorities, clean air and climate change. And by utilizing a collaborative, decentralized approach, CAD has become the focal point for a wide variety of like-minded environmental, health and transportation activities all across the country. To help guide its growth, CAD has relied on a few key principles, including: •CAD should be seen as an individual day of action, as well as a focal point in longer term activities; •CAD should ultimately encourage concrete, long-term actions by Canadians. •CAD is an opportunity for everyone -- all levels of government (federal, provincial and municipal), industry, non-governmental organizations, and individual Canadians -- to share their commitment towards action on clean air and climate change; For example, in 2003 the Government of Canada launched the OneTonne Challenge, a program to encourage individual Canadian families to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 1000 kg per year. Greenhouse gas emissions are linked to climate change -- and action on climate change is also a goal of Clean Air Day. Therefore CAD is a natural focal point for this program's public education and outreach. And since 2000, the Canadian Urban Transportation Association (CUTA), in partnership with Environment Canada, has delivered a sustainable transportation campaign through municipal transit companies across Canada. These local events link sustainable transportation with cleaner air and reduced risks of climate change; they can be one day long or several months long -- but they always use CAD as a focal point, and thus create the momentum of a nationwide event. And naturally, the Commuter Challenge is another event closely connected to Clean Air Day. Across Canada, dozens of communities, hundreds of organizations and tens of thousands of people participate in a Web based sustainable transportation challenge. The Commuter Challenge is a chance to reevaluate your commuter habits, to try something new, to be more active or to renew your commitment to the choices you've already made. Clean Air Day, always celebrated on a Wednesday, is the natural mid-point and highlight of this weeklong event. Clean Air Day is all these things, actions both large and small, actions by groups and by individual Canadians. Clean Air Day, as part of Environment Week, is also a celebration; it's a chance to promote and celebrate all activities that nurture our environmental legacy. Together, our actions can make a difference, and we can create a cleaner, healthier world.
World Oceans Day, which had been unofficially celebrated every June 8 since its original proposal in 1992 by Canada at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was officially recognized by the United Nations in 2008 Since then it has been coordinated internationally by The Ocean Project and theWorld Ocean Network with greater success and global participation each year.
Father's Day Denmark - June 05 Father's Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. It is celebrated on the third Sunday of June in many countries and on other days elsewhere. It complements Mother's Day, the celebration honoring mothers.
Denmark
In Denmark, Father's Day is celebrated on June 5. It coincides with Constitution Day, which is a public holiday.
Liberation Day Seychelles - June 05 The 5th of June is Liberation Day in Seychelles. This year is the 30th anniversary of the day in 1977 when the country was “liberated” from the government installed by the British not quite one year before. Among the official and state-sponsored activities, there will be a wreath–laying ceremony at the foot of a metal statue featuring a human symbol with upraised arms and a broken chain dangling from each, along a major avenue of the capital, since called the 5th of June Avenue. The statue is called ‘Zonm Lib’, Creole for “Free Man” and, to the ruling party and its supporters, it epitomises the freedom of the country from the chains of colonialism and exploitation. This is a day to commemorate those who fought for freedom in Seychelles, and also to celebrate our own freedom in this country.
D-Day USA - June 06 June 6, 1944, 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. General Dwight D. Eisenhower called the operation a crusade in which “we will accept nothing less than full victory.” More than 5,000 Ships and 13,000 aircraft supported the D-Day invasion, and by day’s end on June 6, the Allies gained a foot- hold in Normandy. The D-Day cost was high -more than 9,000 Allied Soldiers were killed or wounded -- but more than 100,000 Soldiers began the march across Europe to defeat.
Memorial Day S O U T H K O R E A- J u n e 0 6 In South Korea (officially the Republic of Korea), Memorial Day (Korean: 현 충일(顯忠日), Hyeonchung-il) is held every June 6 to commemorate men and women who died while in military service, during the Korean War and other significant wars. It originated from the traditional customs of Mangzhong, which is one of the 24 solar terms. On this day, a memorial ceremony is held in the National Cemetery in Seoul. Also, the South Korean flag is flown at half-staff.
SVENSKA FLAGGANS DAG SWEDEN- June 06 National Day of Sweden (Sveriges nationaldag) is a national holiday observed in Sweden on June 6 every year. The day was renamed and finally justified as national day by Riksdagen, the Swedish parliament, in 1983. Previously it was commemorated as svenska flaggans dag,Swedish flag day.
History
The tradition of celebrating this date began 2004 at the Stockholm Olympic Stadium, in honour of the election of King Gustav Vasa in 1523, as this was considered the foundation of modern Sweden. Some question the validity of this as a national holiday, as it was not observed as a holiday until decades later. However this event does signify the end of the Danish-ruled Kalmar Union, so in a sense it is a marking of Swedish independence, though the event occurred so long ago that it does not have as strong of a presence in the social consciousness as does, for example, Norway's Syttende Mai (17 May). In 2005 it became an official Swedish public holiday, taking that honour from Whit Monday. This change led to fewer days off from work (more workingdays) as the 6th of June will periodically fall on the weekend, unlike Whit Monday, which was always celebrated on a Monday. This has in turn led to complaints from some Swedish unions.
Celebration with the Royal Family
Every year, the King and Queen take part in a ceremony at Skansen, Stockholm’s open-air museum, where the yellow and blue Swedish flag is run up the mast, and children in traditional peasant costume present the royal couple with bouquets of summer flowers. These days, special ceremonies welcoming new Swedish citizens are held around the country on National Day. The last time people in general took an active interest in Sweden as a nation-state was at the turn of the last century, when national-romantic winds were blowing through the country and folklore societies and local history museums were established. It was then that 6 June first became a day of celebration.
Union Dissolution N O R WAY - J u n e 0 7 The Union Dissolution Day, observed in Norway on June 7 (though not a public holiday), is marked in remembrance of the Norwegian parliament's 1905declaration of dissolution of the union with Sweden, a personal union which had existed since 1814. By historical coincidence, June 7 was also the date in 1940 when King Haakon VII of Norway and the royal family, along with the Norwegian cabinet and parliament, had to leave the country after escaping the German forces during the WWII invasion of Norway; and it is also the date in 1945 on which the King returned after 5 years of exile in London.
Heroes Day UGANDA - June 09 Uganda—also known as the Republic of Uganda—is a land-locked country which is located in East Africa. It is surrounded by Sudan to the north, Congo to the west, Kenya to the east, and Tanzania to the south. Like most other countries, Uganda too had to fight for its freedom and independence. In Uganda, Heroes’ Day is celebrated ever year on June 9. This is celebrated in memory of those who sacrificed their lives in order to restore peace and security to their homeland. This day marks the beginning of the struggle to liberate the country.
History
There are heroes in every country, heroes who lay down their life for what they believe. In Uganda, a number of men and women laid down their lives during the guerrilla war which was fought between 1981 and 1985. On June 9, 1981, many men and women were brutally murdered for refusing to reveal the hiding place of the soldiers of the National Resistance Army. It was on the same day that Edidian Mukiibi Luttamaguzi was killed brutally. He was murdered during the regime of Milton Obote. It was Milton Obote and the functionaries of the UPC party who were responsible for the brutal murder. This is considered one of the main causes of the war that broke out. It was until after the guerrilla war in 1985 that the NRA/M (National Resistance Army) government came to power. It was then that Yoweri Museveni came to power and told the people of Uganda that the NRM government was different from any other government that had ruled Uganda. He said that the change of guard that day was not just an ordinary change and that it was a fundamental and basic change in the political scene of Uganda. Though Heroes’ Day was commemorated to honor those who laid down their lives during the guerrilla war, the country already had other heroes like Professor Yusuf Lule and former President Ignatius Musasizi. In 2001, an act was passed in the Parliament of Uganda which recognized the 9th of June as Heroes’ Day.
TRADITIONS, CUSTOMS AND ACTIVITIES
Many countries like the Republic of Uganda celebrate Heroes’ Day to honor their national heroes. It could be to honor them for their struggle to free the nation or to restore peace and security in their country. Internally, there are some tensions about the effectiveness of Heroes’ Day and its message. The Forum for Democratic Change has been noted at times to denounce the celebrations as useless and a waste of tax payer’s dollars.
Camoes Day PORTUGAL - J u n e 1 0
Debate over the third partyPushkin's Birthday-RUSSIA - June 06 MOSCOW, Russia, June 6 (Buziness Africa) - Both Russians and people elsewhere in the world celebrate the 210th birth anniversary of the Great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. An All-Russia poetry holiday has got underway at Pushkin’s family estate Mikhailovskoye. Pushkin’s admirers, writers, actors and some 100 descendants who’ve come to the Russian capital from around the world to attend their global world congress will get together near the monument to the poet in Moscow’s Pushkin Square. In St. Petersburg the celebration will begin with a traditional ceremony by the monument to Pushkin in the courtyard of Pushkin’s museum on the Moika River. Russian MPs and prominent public figures have made an extraordinary present to the Pushkin poetry admirers. They decided they would read out poems by radio and through the Internet. The speaker of the State Duma, the Russian Parliament’s lower house, Boris Gryzlov will specifically recite The Bronze Horseman poem. Chairman of the Federation of the Independent Unions of Russia Mikhail Shmakov sets his heart on reading out The Tale of the Priest and of His Workman Balda. Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov is due to recite the poem The Caucasus Pushkin’s birthday is also celebrated abroad. Russian language day has been organized in Ukraine. London plays host to the annual festival Pushkin in Britain, involving Russian-speaking authors who make their home in different countries. It is the VII International Festival of Russian Poetry and Culture Pushkin in Britain opens in London on June, 4. This annual festival aims to bridge the gap between Russian and British culture. As well as a planned discussion of Shakespeare and Pushkin on 5th June and the main translation competition, the festival program will also feature a poetry session and the presentation of the book “Pushkin in Britain”. And also the 210th anniversary of Great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin is taking place in China. China is the only country in the world besides Russia where the complete works of the Russian poet were published. The festival includes a declamation contest. The prize to the winner is a free trip to Russia visiting the Pushkin places.
Portugal Day (Portuguese: Dia de Portugal), officially Dia de Camões, de Portugal e das Comunidades Portuguesas ("Day of Camões, Portugal, and the Portuguese Communities"), marks the date of Luís de Camões' death on June 10, 1580, and is Portugal's National Day. Camões wrote Os Lusíadas, Portugal's national epic poem celebrating Portuguese history and achievements. Although it is only officially celebrated in Portugal, Portuguese citizens and also Portuguese immigrants throughout the world celebrate this holiday. The poem mainly focuses on the 16th century Portuguese explorations, which brought fame and fortune to Portugal. Camões' poem, considered one of the finest and most important works in Portuguese literature, became a symbol for the great feats of the Portuguese nation. Camões was an adventurer, lost one eye fighting in Ceuta, wrote the Portuguese epic poem Os Lusíadas while traveling, and survived a shipwreck in Cochinchina (present-day Vietnam). According to popular folklore, Camões saved his epic poem by swimming with one arm while keeping the other arm above water. Although Camões became a symbol for Portugal nationalism, in the year of his death the Spanish king Philip II, known also as Philip I of Portugal, sat on the Portuguese throne. Because Philip was the only heir at the time, Portugal was then ruled by three generations of Spanish kings. Sixty years later, on December 1, 1640, the country regained its independence once again by expelling the Spanish and making John of Bragança, King John IV of Portugal. Spanish kings tried many times to re-establish power over the Portuguese but failed. Since then, because Camões' date of birth is unknown, the date of his death is celebrated as Portugal's national day. During the authoritarian Estado Novo regime in the 20th century, Camões was used as a symbol for the Portuguese nation. In 1944, at the dedication ceremony of the National Stadium, António de Oliveira Salazar referred to 10 June asDia da Raça - the Day of the Portuguese Race. The notion of a Portuguese "race" served his nationalist purposes. Because of that, the June 10th celebrations were officially suspended during the Carnation Revolution in 1974. After 1974, the 10th of June celebrations resumed to include celebrating the Portuguese emigrants living all around the world (Comunidades Portuguesas, Portuguese communities).
Purpose
World Oceans Day is an opportunity every year to honor the world's ocean, celebrate the products the ocean provides, such as seafood, as well as marine life itself for aquariums, pets, and also a time to appreciate its own intrinsic value. The ocean also provides sea-lanes for international trade. Global pollution and over-consumption of fish have resulted in drastically dwindling population of the majority of species. The Ocean Project, working in partnership with the World Ocean Network, has been promoting WOD since 2003 with its network of over 1,200 organizations and others throughout the world. These groups have been working to build greater awareness of the crucial role of the ocean in our lives and the important ways people can help. World Oceans Day provides an opportunity to get directly involved in protecting our future, through a new mindset and personal and community action and involvement – beach cleanups, educational programs, art contests, film festivals, sustainable seafood events, and other planned activities help to raise consciousness of how our lives depend on the oceans.
World Oceans Day 2011
The Ocean Project recently launched a new site for WOD 2011. The World Oceans Day 2011 & 2012 theme is Youth: the Next Wave for Change. World Ocean Day - The Ocean Project The aim is to challenge participants to view ocean protection as a way of life, with a special emphasis around World Oceans Day each year. This focus on youth is based on market research by The Ocean Project and others which clearly shows that youth are the most promising members of the public to reach out to if you want to effect lasting change. Young people are the most knowledgeable and motivated segment of the population when it comes to the environment and its protection. Youth generally have the free time, familiarity with current issues, and the motivation to go out of their way to take environmental actions. Furthermore, the research shows that parents are increasingly looking to their tween and teenage (i.e. ages 12-17) children for information and advice on these issues. We hope that event organizers will make a concerted effort to reach out to and collaborate with young people, helping inspire them to care for our world’s ocean, now and throughout their lives.
King Kamehameha Day (Hawaii) U S A - J u n e 11 Kamehameha Day on June 11 is a public holiday of the state of Hawaii in the United States. It honors Kamehameha the Great, the monarch who first established the unified Kingdom of Hawaiʻi — comprising the Hawaiian Islands of Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Maui and Hawaiʻi. While he was king, Hawaii was a center of the fur and sandalwood trade. Pineapples were brought to Hawaii from Spain in 1813 and coffee was first planted in 1818, a year before he died. In 1883 a statue of King Kamehameha I was dedicated in Honolulu by King David Kalākaua (this was duplicate, because the original statue was lost at sea). There is another duplicate of this statue in Emancipation Hall at the Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, D.C.
Establishment
The holiday was first established by royal decree of the ruling great grandson Kamehameha V on 1871. The first observance of the holiday happened the following year. Late 19th century celebrations of Kamehameha Day featured carnivals and fairs, foot races, horse races and velocipede races. Kamehameha Day was one of the first holidays proclaimed by the Governor of Hawaiʻi and the Hawaiʻi State Legislature when Hawaiʻi achieved statehood in 1959. Today, Kamehameha Day is treated with elaborate events harkening back to ancient Hawaiʻi, respecting the cultural traditions that Kamehameha defended as his society was slowly shifting towards European trends. The King Kamehameha Hula Competition attracts hula groups from all over the world to the Neil S. Blaisdell Centerfor the two day event. Prizes are awarded on the second night.
Floral parade
A floral parade is held annually at various locations throughout the state of Hawaii. On the island of Oahu, the parade runs from ʻIolani Palace in downtown Honolulu past Honolulu Harbor and the Prince Kūhiō Federal Building through Kakaʻako, Ala Moana and Waikīkī, ending at Kapiʻolani Park. June 11 is also the anniversary of the dedication of Kapiʻolani Park. The floral parade features local marching bands — including the Royal Hawaiian Band (the oldest municipal band in the United States) — and artistically designed floats using native flowers and plants. Many local companies enter floats for their employees. A favorite floral parade feature is the traditional royal paʻu riders. They represent a royal court led by a queen on horseback, followed by princesses representing the eight major islands of Hawaiʻi and Molokini. Each princess is attended by paʻu ladies in waiting. Paʻu women are dressed in colorful and elegant 19th century riding gowns accented with lei and other floral arrangements. After the parade, the state celebrates a Hoʻolauleʻa, literally Celebration, or block party with food and music. Cultural exhibitions are also scattered throughout Kapiʻolani Park — arts and crafts, games, sports and other events planned by the Bishop Museum, the premier Hawaiian cultural institution. On the Island of Hawaii, there are two floral parades held. One between the towns of Hawi and Kapaʻau and the other in the town of Hilo. There is also a lei draping ceremony in Kapaau at the statue of King Kamehameha there.
In the aftermath of World War I, with the disruptions in agriculture and industry across the whole of the continent, the Maltese colonial government failed to provide an adequate supply of basic food provisions for the islands. The cost of living increased dramatically after the war. Imports were limited, and as food became scarce prices rose; this made the fortune of farmers and merchants with surpluses to trade. The dockyard and government workers found that wage increases were not keeping up with the increase in food prices. The Sette Giugno monument, in its original location in Palace Square, Valletta. Also called Sette Giugno Seventh of June Observed by Malta Type Historical/cultural/remembrance Significance In remembrance of an uprising against profiteering merchants and the British colonial government, seen as the first step towards Maltese independence. Date 7 June Sette Giugno (from Italian for "Seven June") is a Maltese national holiday celebrated annually on 7 June. It commemorates events which occurred on that day in 1919, when following a series of riots by the Maltese population, British troops fired into the crowd, killing four. Historical settingIn the aftermath of World War I, with the disruptions in agriculture and industry across the whole of the continent, the Maltese colonial government failed to provide an adequate supply of basic food provisions for the islands. The cost of living increased dramatically after the war. Imports were limited, and as food became scarce prices rose; this made the fortune of farmers and merchants with surpluses to trade. The dockyard and government workers found that wage increases were not keeping up with the increase in the cost of food. The dockyard workers formed a union in 1916, and in 1917 organised a strike after being offered a 10 per cent pay increase which was generally regarded as failing to keep up with the cost of living. Some segments of the society did well economically. There was a wide spread belief amongst the populace that grain importers and flour millers were making excessive profits over the price of bread. Merchants controlling other commodities also made large profits from the war, in spite of price regulations. Political developments were also a fundamental cause of the uprising. The first meeting of the National Assembly, held on February 25, 1919, approved a resolution which reserved for Malta all the rights given to other nations by the Versailles peace conference; this would have meant independence from the British Empire. This resolution, tabled by the extremist nationalist faction led by Dr. Enrico Mizzi, was opposed to an original resolution by Dr. Filippo Sceberraswhich asked solely for responsible government. This moderate resolution was removed in order to secure unanimity, and to prevent a break between the moderate and extremist factions. Extremism was also present in the crowds that, on February 25, attacked shopkeepers which had remained open during the meeting of the Assembly, such as the shop "A la Ville de Londres." The police forces had not stopped these attacks, and this played in the hands of the extremist currents in the Assembly. The Sette GiugnoA few days before the June 7 National Assembly meeting, the Secretary of State for the Colonies had informed Dr. Sceberras that the incoming governor for the islands, Lord Plumer, was to study the situation and report back to London with regards to the possibility of giving the Maltese a larger say in the administration of their country. The followers of Enrico Mizzi stated that the Imperial government could not be trusted, with the result that the two currents of thought were also reflected in the crowds outside. University students were mostly linked to the extremist camp, and these had staged a protest of their own on May 16, 1919. The police forces were threatening strikes, as were the postal employees. On Saturday, June 7, 1919, the National
Assembly was to meet for the second time in the Giovine Malta building. The police had foreseen the possibility of unrest, and on June 5 asked for a number of soldiers to be posted in Castille. As stated later by the Commission inquiring on the June 7 uprisings, “Evidently the Police did not appreciate the gravity of the situation.” The first spark of unrest centred on the Maltese flag defaced with the Union Jack flying above the “A la Ville de Londres.” Unlike the previous meeting, the shop was now closed. This did not prevent the crowd from itself forcing inside, to remove the flag along with the staff. This incident sparked the uprising. The death of the President of the Court some days earlier had required all governmental departments to fly the union jack at half mast, including the Bibliothèque buildings in Pjazza Regina and the meteorological office. The crowd proceeded to the Officers Club, insisting that the club’s door had to be closed. Window panes were broken, while officers inside were insulted. Police officers trying to restrain the mob were also assaulted. The crowd then proceeded back in front of the Bibliothèque, shouting for the Union Jack to be taken away; this was promptly removed by the men in duty. The crowd moved on to the meteorological offices, housed in a Royal Air Force turret. After breaking the glass panes, the mob entered the offices ransacking and destroying everything inside. Some individuals climbed onto the turret, removing the Union Jack and throwing it into the street. The crowd burned the flag along with furniture taken from the offices nearby. The mob then moved back to Palace square, where it began to insult the soldiers detached in front the Main Guard buildings. The N.C.O., which was responsible for the watch, closed the doors of the buildings, as were the doors of the Magisterial Palace across the square. In Strada Teatro, the offices of the Daily Malta Chronicle were broken into, with pieces of metal placed in the workings of the presses to break them down. While this was happening, other crowds were attacking the homes of perceived supporters of the imperial government and profiteering merchants in Strada Forni. The Police forces’ acting-commissioner then called for military support. At 17.30, sixty-four soldiers from the Composite Battalions entered the Courts which housed the headquarters of the police force. Later historians criticised the use of such a small number of soldiers to counter a crowd made up of thousands, which was attacking locations in Strada Teatro, Strada Forni and had now progressed towards Strada Santa Lucia. Six soldiers, under the command of Major Ritchie, the G.S.O., and Captain Ferguson, made their way towards Strada Forni to defend the house of Anthony Cassar Torreggiani, a leading importer, which was under attack by the crowd. Furniture was being thrown outside from the windows. In the National Assembly, which was unaware of the uprising outside, the moderates were gaining the upper hand. The moderates were bent on accepting the message of the Secretary for the Colonies as a genuine step towards improving the situation, and had to be recognised as such. Ten soldiers led by Lieutenant Shields approached the offices of the Chronicle, surrounded by a crowd which began to throw objects and stones at the soldiers. The same happened in Strada Forni, were six soldiers were trying to stem a crowd of thousands. Ritchie sent Ferguson to bring reinforcements. With the revolver stolen, and with uniform rent, the captain reached a troop of twenty-four soldiers which was then directed to Strada Forni. The soldiers were posted along the street, facing in both directions. It is important to note that the troops were not to shoot without being ordered to do so. The soldiers took their positions, aiming at the crowd – which then retreated. The report of the inquiring commission then proceeded to state that a shot was heard from the direction of a window of the Cassar Torreggiani house. At face value, this gives the impression that the Maltese were the first to shoot during the uprising. At that moment, eyewitnesses reported that one of the soldiers shot a round into the crowd, with the rest of the troop following. The first victim of the uprising, Manwel Attard, fell in front of the Cassar Torregiani
house. Other individuals were injured. Ġużè Bajjada was hit near Strada Teatro; the Maltese flag he was carrying fell underneath him. The officer in charge began shouting for the firing to cease. Meanwhile, in the Chronicle offices, Lieutenant Shields ordered his men outside, since there was an evident smell of gas in the building. Shields feared making the soldiers exit the office one by one, since the crowd outside would certainly attack them. On the other hand, they could not remain inside. To clear a way out, Shields ordered a soldier to shoot low, away from the crowd. This shot hit Lorenzo Dyer, who tried to run away. Since the injury was serious, he was lifted by the crowd and carried to Palace square. During this initial uprising, three were dead and fifty injured. The proceedings in the National Assembly were interrupted as persons injured in the streets were brought inside. Some of the delegates went out of the buildings, while others ran to the balcony. The Assembly passed a quick motion in order to have a resolution to present to the Imperial government. Count Alfredo Caruana Gatto then addressed the crowds, asking them
to restrain themselves from further violence. The Assembly then sent a delegation to the Lieutenant Governor, asking for the troops to be removed for the crowds to retreat. The Governor accepted, and Caruana Gatto addressed the crowd again, which complied and began to fall back. The day after, disturbances continued with crowds attacking the palace of Colonel Francia, who also owned a flour milling machine. Royal Malta Artillery soldiers were used to protect Francia’s house, but these were loath of using force against their own countrymen. The crowd forced its way in, and threw furniture, silverware and other objects outside. In the evening, one hundred and forty navy marines arrived, clearing the house and street from the crowds. Carmelo Abela was in one of the side doorways of Francia’s house, calling for his son. Two marines proceeded to arrest him, and after resisting, a marine ran him through in the stomach with a bayonet. Abela died on June 16. AftermathThe riots reflected the unsatisfactory nature of economic and political life in Malta. Economically the island had become a fortress in which few prospered when military spending was high. Strategically, the imperial fortress was so important that political development was stifled. The day after the attack, censorship was reinstated for political articles. In the morning flowers and other tributes were placed in the streets where the victims died. The deaths and injuries of so many people did not halt the uprisings. Another group attacked the flour mills owned by Cassar Torreggiani in Marsa, while other trading
Foreign secretary visits Benghazi while British and French gunships batter Gaddafi's radar station and command posts
Britain demonstrated its solidarity with the cause of the Libyan rebel forces in a dramatic fashion yesterday, as the foreign secretary, William Hague, became the first government minister to visit their stronghold of Benghazi in the east of the country. Following his unannounced visit he said he had seen the "inspiring" hope of many Libyans for freedom. Hague's visit came in the wake of the first attacks by British Apache helicopters which targeted Muammar Gaddafi's troops, destroying a radar station and a military checkpoint during a night-time raid. They marked a sharp escalation in the Nato campaign in Libya. Hague and the international development secretary, Andrew Mitchell, discussed a political roadmap for Libya's future with the head of the National Transitional Council (NTC), Mustafa Abdul Jalil. The council is recognised by the UK as the legitimate post-Gaddafi government and has been given significant non-military assistance by the British government. Hague stressed the importance of "developing plans for a competent, inclusive and transparent administration that includes clear civilian control of military and regional representation". The ministers spoke about British humanitarian assistance, visited a medical centre and laid a wreath at Commonwealth war graves before meeting citizens in Benghazi's Freedom Square. "We are here today for one principal reason: to show our support for the Libyan people and for the National Transitional Council, the legitimate representative of the Libyan people," Hague said. "We are here together as part of a coordinated and strategic approach to Libya – ensuring that our military, diplomatic and development actions are aligned." Renewing calls on Gaddafi to go, he said the dictator was "isolated internationally and domestically" and "continues to abuse human rights without mercy or compunction". Hague added: "Of course we all want a political, not a military, solution to any conflict, including this one. But that is only possible if Colonel Gaddafi will go. "You only have to talk to the people here, see the graffiti that is written on all the walls, listen to anybody in the street, to realise that there isn't a political solution that involves Gaddafi still being at the head of Libya." Mitchell announced new British support for the clearance of mines in Misrata, Benghazi and other affected areas to help ensure the safety of 200,000 people. Of the 4,000 wounded people that have been treated in Misrata alone so far, more than 400 have reportedly required limb amputations, according to the Foreign Office. The British office in Benghazi is now the largest in north Africa after Cairo. After the talks, Hague wrote on Twitter: "In Malta, returning from Benghazi. The work and hope of many Libyans for freedom is inspiring, as I've now seen for myself." Earlier, one of the two Apaches came under light-arms fire from forces loyal to Gaddafi near Brega, a strategic oil city close to the eastern frontline. Both helicopters returned undamaged to HMS
Al Qaeda Leader Reported Killed By U.S. Missile Attack in Pakistan s(GOOGLE NEWS ALERT)Just five weeks after Navy SEALs killed Osama bin Laden, there are reports today out of Pakistan northwest that a U.S. missile strike has killed Ilyas Kashmiri, a notorious terrorist and one of the world's most wanted men. If true, it would be another giant coup for U.S. intelligence. Unlike bin Laden, who was hiding in a compound, U.S. officials say, Kashmiri was actively involved in plotting and directing attacks. According to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who is in the region, the American drone-fired missile strikes have played a crucial role in the war on terror. "First of all it has to be acknowledged that these drones have played a significant role in taking a lot of Taliban leaders and trainers off the table," Gates told ABC News. Pakistani and American officials cautioned that they had not been able to confirm Kashmiri's death, but reports of his death quickly spread through a rally in Karachi, Pakistan, called to protest American drone attacks. Kashmiri was a contender to take over the now leaderless al Qaeda. The
United States placed a $5 million bounty on his head. Pakistani authorities say a fired missile from a pilotless U.S. drone killed Kashmiri in the violent Pakistan tribal region South called Waziristan. Several of Kashmiri's followers were also reported to be killed in the same attack. Most of the bodies were beyond recognition, sources said. Last month's attack deadly against a Pakistani naval base near Karachi put him on the top of Pakistan's wanted list. India wanted him dead, too. He was a planner of the vicious 2008 coordinated terrorist attack in Mumbai that killed 163 people. Just within the last week, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Pakistani leaders to reboot relations between the two nations in the wake of the bin Laden raid. During that meeting, Kashmiri was on the list of the five terrorists in Pakistan that the United States wanted killed or captured by July.
E. Coli Outbreak in Europe Is One of the Deadliest in History (GOOGLE NEWS ALERT)The rapidly developing European E. coli outbreak that has killed 19 people and sickened thousands, including four suspected cases in the United States, has become one of the deadliest outbreaks
Government officials stressed that the outbreak has not affected the United States directly. The Food and Drug Administration is monitoring lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers from Spain and Germany
at a definite military target, rather than a civilian one, and we took out the threat," he said. "Most of our pilots have experience of Afghanistan and of course we are facing something completely new in Libya. There is always a degree of trepidation, but the Apache provides us with great protection and brings us safely back home." The deployment of the low-flying Apache helicopters, which have been used extensively in Iraq and Afghanistan, raises the
possibility of western forces suffering casualties for the first time in the war. Nonetheless Lieutenant General Charles Bouchard, commander of Nato's Libyan operation, indicated that the helicopters would be used again. "We will continue to use these assets whenever and wherever needed, using the same precision as we do in all of our missions," he said. The decision to send four British Apache helicopters to Libya was made by David Cameron on 27 May. Their deployment via HMS Ocean means there should be less chance of civilian casualties in operations that previously relied on the use of Tornado and Typhoon aircraft. Rebel forces are concentrated in three main areas spread across Libya. In the east, where the revolution started in February, they are trying to push towards the west from Ajdabiya. Brega is the next town along the highway, and Nato hopes that the helicopter attacks may weaken loyalist defences to the extent that the rebels can push through. Separately, the opposition forces also control Libya's third city, Misrata, 130 miles (210km) from Tripoli, as well as several small towns in the western Nafusa mountain range. Gaddafi has become increasingly reclusive in Tripoli as the Nato bombing campaign has intensified. While members of his regime continue to defect, his diplomatic isolation is near complete, with China holding initial talks with rebel representatives this week. Yet Gaddafi, who has ruled since 1969, remains defiant, and has refused to entertain suggestions that he leave power or go into exile. Nato's involvement in Libya stems from the UN security council resolution authorising all necessary measures to protect civilians in the country under threat of attack.
Exit polls hand victory to Peru's leftist Humala (GOOGLE NEWS ALERT) — Leftist ex-military man Ollanta Humala prepared for Peru's presidency Sunday, as exit polls gave him a lead of over five points against Keiko Fujimori, the heir to a jailed authoritarian expresident. Humala, a 48-year-old former lieutenant colonel who just lost out in the 2006 election, would win between 52.5 and 52.7 percent, according to polls from CPI, IpsosApoyo and Datum institutes as voting closed at 4:00 pm (2100 GMT). Humala's rival, populist right-wing lawmaker Keiko Fujimori, 36, would win between 47.3 and 47.5 percent, the pollsters showed. "We can say that Ollanta Humala is a very likely winner of this presidential competition," said Alfredo Torres, head of Ipsos Apoyo. Many voters said they would choose the "lesser of two evils" faced with the two most extreme candidates who won through an April first round in the Andean nation of 30 million stretching from the Pacific to the Amazon. Humala campaigned on promises of sharing out Peru's rich mineral wealth after a decade of record growth and sought to play down former ties to the radical socialism of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. His victory would be the first return of the left to power in Peru since the 1968-1975 military regime of Juan Velasco Alvaredo. Keiko Fujimori campaigned in the shadow of her father, Alberto Fujimori, who is serving a 25-year jail term for corruption and rights abuses during a 1990s crackdown on extreme leftist Shining Path and Tupac Amaru guerrillas. His fans remember him for the crackdown and for reining in hyperinflation. Nobel Prize-winning author Mario Vargas Llosa, who backed Humala to block Fujimori, already told Lima's CPN radio Sunday that "it was a defeat of fascism, we have to celebrate it as a great victory of democracy in Peru. The important thing is
that a dictatorship did not return to power." Both Fujimori and Humala drew support with populist promises to help around one third of the population still living in poverty despite Peru's breakneck growth. Humala's pledges to increase control of the mining sector sent shockwaves Lima's through stock exchange, and he moderated his platform through the campaign. He first came to prominence in 2000 when he led a shortlived military rebellion at the end of Alberto Fujimori's 1990-2000 elected presidency. He has also been accused of rights abuses which have never been proved. Fujimori wooed investors, most of the media, and conservative ex-presidential candidates with promises of keeping the free-market model which has helped make Peru one of Latin America's fastest growing economies. Surrounded by many of her father's allies, she has failed to convince detractors that she would not follow in his footsteps and possibly seek to free him. In 1994, then 19, Keiko Fujimori served as Peru's first lady following her parents' bitter separation. Both candidates constantly sought to remove doubts over their credibility after they were neck-and-neck in the race for the presidency. Luis Alberto Guzman, a 49-year-old technician, said he voted for Humala, because "we need a change. The powerful take all the money coming in and nothing's left for the poor." The successor to President Alan Garcia will take over on July 28. Five soldiers deployed to provide election security were killed and six hurt in an attack Saturday blamed on leftist Shining Path guerrillas linked to drug traffickers in southeast Peru. Humala vowed Saturday to fight the remnants of the Shining Path who work with illegal drug traffickers in remote areas of the Andes.
of E. coli in modern history. Where exactly people are being infected with the disease is still unknown, although 17 people fell ill after eating in the northern German city of Luebeck in May, according to the local media. Researchers from Germany's national disease control center are inspecting the restaurant in question. Other health experts suspect the disease first spread last month at a festival in the northern German city of Hamburg that was visited by 1.5 million people. But as of yet, there is no
concrete proof that either site is the cause of the outbreak. In a briefing Friday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the four suspected cases in the United States are all people who likely contracted the infection while in northern Germany in May and brought it back to the United States. Three of the victims are hospitalized with hemolytic-uremic syndrome and the fourth reported bloody diarrhea consistent with the outbreak strain of E. coli. Two American military service members stationed in Germany are also suspected cases. The CDC said both of them have a similar diarrheal illness.
based on information it has received from European investigators. Produce from those countries accounts for less than 0.2 percent of produce imported into the United States every year. The FDA says it is also stepping up its food safety regulations. Hygiene Key to Avoiding Spread While the outbreak hasn't hit U.S. soil yet and the infection isn't easily spread, there are ways to be sure that any illness that may be caused by the outbreak isn't spread.
In addition to avoiding contaminated food, good hygiene is the most important way to minimize transmission, according to Dr. Maria Alcaide, an assistant professor of infectious diseases at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine. "It's also spread through contaminated feces," Alcaide said. "Anyone who is sick should wash their hands, and their caregivers should as well." Anyone who starts noticing any symptoms should get to a doctor. "If anybody gets very bad, bloody diarrhea, they should get medical care immediately, and providers should also be aware of what's going on with the situation," Alcaide said.
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Relocation of Monument
Recently, following the renovation of St. George Square (Palace Square), the monument was removed from the square and kept stored for quite some time. Due to great public appeal against the storage of such a nationally important monument, it was recently placed in Hastings Gardens, Valletta.
Dia de La Rioja S PA I N - J u n e 11 First, the religious. Technically speaking, 11 June is Saint Barnabas (San Bernabé) Day, most commonly celebrated in Cyprus. San Bernabé, however, is also celebrated in La Rioja, not because the Riojanos have a particular connection to this saint, or to Cyprus for that matter, but because of historical events that happened on this day. So, to the popular and historical roots. Spain was a rather turbulent place to live in the 15th and 16th Centuries (well, actually it probably always has been). However, in the late 16th Century the French were rather keen on expanding their territory across the mountains and sent an army to take Navarra and on into Logroño. They began a siege on the 25th of May 1521 which lasted 18 days.
Establishment
The holiday was first established by royal decree of the ruling great grandson Kamehameha V on 1871. The first observance of the holiday happened the following year. Late 19th century celebrations of Kamehameha Day featured carnivals and fairs, foot races, horse races and velocipede races. Kamehameha Day was one of the first holidays proclaimed by the Governor of Hawaiʻi and the Hawaiʻi State Legislature when Hawaiʻi achieved statehood in 1959. Today, Kamehameha Day is treated with elaborate events harkening back to ancient Hawaiʻi, respecting the cultural traditions that Kamehameha defended as his society was slowly shifting towards European trends. The King Kamehameha Hula Competition attracts hula groups from all over the world to the Neil S. Blaisdell Centerfor the two day event. Prizes are awarded on the second night.
Floral parade
A floral parade is held annually at various locations throughout the state of Hawaii. On the island of Oahu, the parade runs from ʻIolani Palace in downtown Honolulu past Honolulu Harbor and the Prince Kūhiō Federal Building through Kakaʻako, Ala Moana and Waikīkī, ending at Kapiʻolani Park. June 11 is also the anniversary of the dedication of Kapiʻolani Park. The floral parade features local marching bands — including the Royal Hawaiian Band (the oldest municipal band in the United States) — and artistically designed floats using native flowers and plants. Many local companies enter floats for their employees. A favorite floral parade feature is the traditional royal paʻu riders. They represent a royal court led by a queen on horseback, followed by princesses representing the eight major islands of Hawaiʻi and Molokini. Each princess is attended by paʻu ladies in waiting. Paʻu women are dressed in colorful and elegant 19th century riding gowns accented with lei and other floral arrangements. After the parade, the state celebrates a Hoʻolauleʻa, literally Celebration, or block party with food and music. Cultural exhibitions are also scattered throughout Kapiʻolani Park — arts and crafts, games, sports and other events planned by the Bishop Museum, the premier Hawaiian cultural institution. On the Island of Hawaii, there are two floral parades held. One between the towns of Hawi and Kapaʻau and the other in the town of Hilo. There is also a lei draping ceremony in Kapaau at the statue of King Kamehameha there.
Draping ceremony
The most important ritual dates back to 1901 after the Territory of Hawaiʻi was established. It is the evening draping ceremony in which the Kamehameha Statuein front of Aliʻiolani Hale and ʻIolani Palace on King Street in downtown Honolulu is draped in long strands of lei. The same is done at the Kamehameha Statue on the former monarch's home island, the Big Island of Hawaiʻi. Outside of the state, a similar draping ceremony is held at the United States Capitol where theKamehameha Statue there is also draped in lei in the company of federal officials.
Celebration
The celebration includes a traditional Pa‘u Parade and a Ho‘olaule‘a. The celebration is organized by the Kohala Hawaiian Civic Club.
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- Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Sunday the United States was not about to pull up stakes in Afghanistan and a gradual withdrawal of combat troops would be done slowly and responsibly (GOOGLE NEWS ALERT)
The U.S. administration faced a delicate balance in deciding how many troops to withdraw -- a decision expected next month -- and the number settled on should not "cause our allies to race to the exits because they think we are," Gates said during a visit to Afghanistan. "We don't want the Afghans or any others in the region to think we're pulling up stakes and taking (off) out of here," Gates said when asked about the drawdown by a soldier at a forward operating base in southern Helmand province. General David Petraeus, commander of the 150,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan, will soon make recommendations to President Barack Obama, following Obama's pledge last year to start bringing U.S. combat troops home. That commitment followed Obama's December 2009 decision to send 30,000 extra U.S. troops in a bid to arrest a growing Taliban-led insurgency. "General Petraeus has not yet made his recommendations to the president. I know he'll present him
(GOOGLE NEWS ALERT) - Portugal's governing Socialist Party has admitted defeat in the general election
Socialist leader Jose Socrates said he accepted responsibility for the
defeat and resigned as head of his party. The victorious centre-right Social Democrats (PSD) led by Pedro Passos Coelho are expected to form a majority with the conservative CDS. The new government must implement a demanding austerity programme as a condition for an EU bail-out.
with options and the risks associated with each of those options," Gates said. Fighting increased dramatically, particularly in the Taliban heartland in the south, since the last of the extra troops arrived last summer. Gates said it also had to be decided how much longer those "surge" troops would remain. U.S. commanders say significant gains have been made in halting the Taliban's momentum in the south since then, but violence has flared elsewhere in Afghanistan, particularly in the east and with complex attacks in major cities. Pentagon and White House officials are tight-lipped about the size of the initial withdrawal. Obama is expected to announce his decision sometime in mid-July. Gates said great strides had been made in training enough Afghan police and soldiers adequately to allow for the gradual withdrawal through to the end of 2014, according to an agreement reached at a NATO summit last December. "LEAVE THE SHOOTERS TO LAST" Gates described the July drawdown decision and the withdrawal of the 30,000 surge troops as "bookends." "At what point do you bring out the surge? I think that is the second bookend, if you will, in the decision that I think the president is going to need to make over the course of the next few weeks," Gates said. At the start of this year, with violence raging across Afghanistan after nearly a decade of war, an initial pullout of around 5,000 troops had been anticipated.
With U.S. commanders now trumpeting the success of their offensives in the south, some current and former officials say Obama could announce a pullout of at least 10,000. Some U.S. lawmakers and analysts, however, have questioned the wisdom of bringing out any troops at all so soon after security gains were made and with doubts lingering about poorly equipped and minimally trained Afghan security forces. Asked about the drawdown by a soldier at another base in neighboring Kandahar, the birthplace of the Taliban, Gates said discussions would likely begin when he returned from his current trip, his 12th and last as head of the Pentagon. He said progress in "degrading the Taliban" had to be maintained and would help determine the decision on the size of the initial drawdown. He also hinted that he would prefer frontline troops to remain. "If it were up to me, I'd leave the shooters to last," he told troops at the base outside Kandahar city. Gates, who steps down at the end of June, landed on Saturday on a trip mainly to bid farewell to U.S. troops. The troop drawdown coincides with a growing recognition of the need for a political settlement, which would include negotiations with the Taliban and other insurgents prepared to renounce violence and ties with al Qaeda. Slow-moving attempts at establishing communications with the Taliban, leading eventually to more substantive talks, have been under way for well over a year.
Exit polls gave the PSD between 37% and 42.5% of the vote, ahead of the Socialists who scored between 24.4% and 30%. "These are clear results which the Socialist Party wants to recognise. All the results point to a win for the PSD and a defeat for the Socialists," Economy Minister Jose Vieira da Silva said. his Announcing resignation to party supporters in Lisbon, Mr Socrates said: "This defeat is entirely mine and I want to assume full responsibility for it. "I feel it is necessary to open a new political cycle that is able to prepare a consistent alternative. I want to give the Socialist Party the space to discuss its future and select a new leadership." All the main parties are backing the 78bn euro ($116bn; £70bn) bail-out, which requires tough austerity measures amid a faltering economy and a debt crisis.
'Difficult period'
As his victory became clear, Mr Passos Coelho said he would do "everything possible" to make sure Portugal honoured the terms of the bail-out. "I want to guarantee to those who are watching us from abroad that Portugal does not intend to be a burden for the future to other coun-
tries that lent us the means that we needed today to face up to our responsibilities," he said.
Earlier, as he cast his own vote, he acknowledged that the country faced "a very difficult period for the next two or three years"
He added: "I am sure that we will make the necessary change and Portugal will achieve new prosperity with economic growth." Mr Socrates resigned as prime minister in March, triggering the early elections after the opposition in parliament rejected his minority government's fourth austerity package in less than a year. He then acted as caretaker prime minister. Portugal is faced with unemployment of more than 12% and an economy that is expected to contract by 2% this year and next. Mr Passos Coelho suggested this week that he was the preferred candidate of donors to the bail-out fund. "We are going to cut state waste and excesses while finding a way for the needy to get what they need," he told supporters. Before the vote, Mr Socrates accused the Social Democrats of pursuing a "radical right-wing agenda" and criticised Mr Passos Coelho for lacking experience in government. The terms of the bail-out call for tax increases, a freeze on state pensions and salaries, and cuts in unemployment benefits. "The road with this package is long and filled with reforms which may be politically difficult to pass," Diego Iscaro, an economist at IHS Global Insight, told Reuters news agency.
Saleh Is in Saudi Arabia for Medical Treatment, Spokesman Says June 4 (GOOGLE NEWS ALERT) -- Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, wounded in a deadly attack on his compound yesterday, flew today to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment as Yemen’s vice president took over his duties, a Yemeni government spokesman said. Yemen’s vice president Abduraboo Mansur Hadi has taken over Saleh’s duties “until the president returns,” government spokesman Abdu Janadi said. Saleh arrived in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, with about two dozen members of his family, al-Jazeera said, without citing its sources. There were conflicting reports about the extent of Saleh’s injuries as a one-week ceasefire between his loyalists and anti-government tribal forces took effect after a week of escalating violence. Saudi King Abdullah mediated a truce between the warring forces late yesterday, according to tribal fighters. Saleh walked from the plane and had signs of burns on his face and chest, according to a correspondent for Al Arabiya. He was accompanied by about 35 people, he reported. Saleh was admitted to a military hospital, Al Arabiya reported. Earlier, ministers had said Saleh sustained only facial scratches during the rocket attack, after which state television aired a phone call from him late yesterday in which he said he was “OK” and blamed the family of tribal leader Sadiq al-Ahmar for the violence. Saudi-Brokered Truce. Al-Ahmar, who leads the Hashid tribal confederation, said his side is committed to the Saudibrokered truce, though there had been breaches by Saleh’s forces, according to the opposition al-Sahwa website. Scores of people have died since the conflict between Saleh loyalists and Sadiq al-Ahmar’s men broke out last month. The violence followed Saleh’s refusal to sign a Gulf Cooperation Council-sponsored accord requiring him to step down within 30 days in an effort to quell anti-government protests by Yemenis that began early this year amid uprisings elsewhere in the region. Saleh has held power since 1978.
SPECIAL FOCUS
HUNGARIAN BULLETIN
Portugal election: Socialists admit defeat
rity forces were absent from the town and both the police station and the local headquarters of the governing Baath Party were empty, he said. Residents declared a general strike and barricaded the streets out of town with garbage bins, bracing for whatever the government had in store. “We will continue to protest,” he said. “No more fears.” By sunset though, dozens of tanks had massed at the city’s southern entrance, said activists from the Coordinating Committees. The gathering forces have a special, chilling resonance in Hama. In 1982, President Hafez alAssad, the current president’s father, responded to another popular uprising there with a bombardment that leveled much of the town and killed at least 10,000 people. The name Hama became a warning, seared into
The riots reflected the unsatisfactory nature of economic and political life in Malta. Economically the island had become a fortress in which few prospered when military spending was high. Strategically, the imperial fortress was so important that political development was stifled. The day after the attack, censorship was reinstated for political articles. In the morning flowers and other tributes were placed in the streets where the victims died. The deaths and injuries of so many people did not halt the uprisings. Another group attacked the flour mills owned by Cassar Torreggiani in Marsa, while other trading houses were raided in the outlying villages. A Military Court was opened to investigate the uprising on June 16, with a court martial instituted to investigate thirty-two people that took part in the uprisings. For legislative matters, the Sette Giugno underlined the urgency of reform. The new Governor, Lord Plumer, recommended liberal concessions to the Maltese. The House of Commons of the United Kingdom stressed that Malta was to have "control of purely local affairs", with the Colonial Secretary sending a detailed description of the proposed constitution to the National Assembly. On April 30, 1921, the Amery-Milner Constitution was proclaimed; political censorship enforced after the uprising was repealed on June 15, 1921. The first election held under the new constitution was held in October 1921, with the Prince of Walesinaugurating the new representative chambers on November 1, 1921. The bodies of the four victims of the Sette Giugno put in their tomb in the Addolorata Cemetery on November 9, 1924. On June 7, 1986 the Sette Giugno monument was inaugurated at St. George Square (Palace Square), Valletta. The Maltese Parliament declared the day to be one of the five national days of the island, on March 21, 1989, with the first official remembrance of the day occurring on June 7, 1989.
The celebration includes a traditional Pa‘u Parade and a Ho‘olaule‘a. The celebration is organized by the Kohala Hawaiian Civic Club.
U.S. Afghan withdrawal will be gradual: Gates
Activists warned that the number of fatalities was likely to rise as bodies were identified. Rami Abdelrahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said doctors at three hospitals had reported a total of 80 deaths. On Saturday, funeral processions drew as many as 100,000 mourners into the streets, said Razan Zeitouneh, an activist. That pattern — protest, crackdown, mourning and protest — has been repeated hundreds of times across the Middle East since a season of revolution dawned six months ago in Tunisia, reshaping the region’s political order. The funerals were “like a protest,” said Abu Abdo, a resident reached by telephone. Secu-
A few days before the June 7 National Assembly meeting, the Secretary of State for the Colonies had informed Dr. Sceberras that the incoming governor for the islands, Lord Plumer, was to study the situation and report back to London with regards to the possibility of giving the Maltese a larger say in the administration of their country. The followers of Enrico Mizzi stated that the Imperial government could not be trusted, with the result that the two currents of thought were also reflected in the crowds outside. University students were mostly linked to the extremist camp, and these had staged a protest of their own on May 16, 1919. The police forces were threatening strikes, as were the postal employees. On Saturday, June 7, 1919, the National Assembly was to meet for the second time in the Giovine Malta building. The police had foreseen the possibility of unrest, and on June 5 asked for a number of soldiers to be posted in Castille. As stated later by
Aftermath
Celebration
The Yemeni leader said soldiers and officers were among those killed. Al Arabiya cited an unidentified presidential official as saying the toll had risen to 11 dead and 124 injured. The attack was followed by the bombardment of the house of opposition lawmaker Sheikh Hamid al-Ahmar, Sadiq’s brother, in which 19 people were killed and 40 wounded, Hamid’s office said in an e-mailed statement. Hamid al-Ahmar was unharmed and is in a safe location, his office said. Industry and Trade Minister Hisham Sharaf said by phone that he saw Saleh in Sana’a earler today, and denied media reports that Saleh’s facial injuries were burns. ‘In Good Health’ “The president is in good health -- his mind is working, he is moving and he can give orders,” said Sharaf in a telephone interview. The president is “more determined than ever that he will not leave power until he knows that Yemen is safe and sound and that the only armed forces on the ground are the legitimate military forces. He will not leave without a clear mechanism for such a transition and without ensuring that there are no sources of danger that could take over power.” Prime Minister Ali Mujawar, two of his deputies and Parliament Speaker Yahya al-Raiee were injured in the palace attack and were taken to Saudi Arabia for treatment, the state’s Saba news agency said.
Syrian Tanks Move in on City as Thousands Mourn Protesters’ Deaths CAIRO (GOOGLE NEWS ALERT) Syrian tanks took up positions outside the city of Hama on Saturday, where tens of thousands of people took to the streets to mourn the deaths of at least 65 protesters gunned down by security forces there the day before. The government’s violent crackdown against a three-month-old popular uprising continued, with helicopter gunships killing 10 people in a neighboring province and residents of Hama bracing for a military assault that would be the first on the city since the government bombed it in 1982, killing at least 10,000 people. With memories of that massacre still vivid, Hama had been slow to join the uprising against the government of President Bashar al-Assad. But on Friday, protesters poured out of mosques and marched in record numbers toward the city’s main square, said a 27year-old resident who gave his name as Hassan, many carrying roses to give to security forces. Before they reached the square, Al Aasy, security forces opened fire. “They didn’t warn us with speakers or fire tear gas at us,” Hassan said. “They began shooting directly at us. They wanted to kill all of us, not frighten us back to our homes.” As the gunshots rang out, clouds of tear gas filled the streets and throngs of protesters scrambled for cover. A few stood their ground and hurled stones at attacking security forces, according to YouTube videos provided by the Local Coordinating Committees in Syria, an activist group documenting the protest movement and the crackdown. “God is great!” protesters shouted as they pulled one man, shot in the head, into a bloodsoaked alley, the constant rattle of gunfire sounding behind them. So many were treated for gunshot wounds at local hospitals that blood supplies ran low, residents said. Throughout the night, loudspeakers on mosques normally used for calls to prayer urged people to donate blood.
The Sette Giugno
in the Chronicle offices, Lieutenant Shields ordered his men outside, since there was an evident smell of gas in the building. Shields feared making the soldiers exit the office one by one, since the crowd outside would certainly attack them. On the other hand, they could not remain inside. To clear a way out, Shields ordered a soldier to shoot low, away from the crowd. This shot hit Lorenzo Dyer, who tried to run away. Since the injury was serious, he was lifted by the crowd and carried to Palace square. During this initial uprising, three were dead and fifty injured. The proceedings in the National Assembly were interrupted as persons injured in the streets were brought inside. Some of the delegates went out of the buildings, while others ran to the balcony. The Assembly passed a quick motion in order to have a resolution to present to the Imperial government. Count Alfredo Caruana Gatto then addressed the crowds, asking them to restrain themselves from further violence. The Assembly then sent a delegation to the Lieutenant Governor, asking for the troops to be removed for the crowds to retreat. The Governor accepted, and Caruana Gatto addressed the crowd again, which complied and began to fall back. The day after, disturbances continued with crowds attacking the palace of Colonel Francia, who also owned a flour milling machine. Royal Malta Artillery soldiers were used to protect Francia’s house, but these were loath of using force against their own countrymen. The crowd forced its way in, and threw furniture, silverware and other objects outside. In the evening, one hundred and forty navy marines arrived, clearing the house and street from the crowds. Carmelo Abela was in one of the side doorways of Francia’s house, calling for his son. Two marines proceeded to arrest him, and after resisting, a marine ran him through in the stomach with a bayonet. Abela died on June 16.
The most important ritual dates back to 1901 after the Territory of Hawaiʻi was established. It is the evening draping ceremony in which the Kamehameha Statuein front of Aliʻiolani Hale and ʻIolani Palace on King Street in downtown Honolulu is draped in long strands of lei. The same is done at the Kamehameha Statue on the former monarch's home island, the Big Island of Hawaiʻi. Outside of the state, a similar draping ceremony is held at the United States Capitol where theKamehameha Statue there is also draped in lei in the company of federal officials.
INTERNATIONAL Ocean, stationed off the Libyan coast. French Tigre and Gazelle helicopters struck separately, hitting 15 military vehicles and five command buildings at an undisclosed site. The new air operation is expected to boost the morale of the rebels and may help break the military stalemate. Four months into the conflict, rebel forces are holding their ground in various parts of the country but have been unable to make strong advances towards Tripoli because better-equipped government forces still hold towns along key routes to the capital. As part of its mission to protect civilians, Nato has relied on jets flying nearly three miles above the ground to target Gaddafi's command centres and military arsenal, especially weapons and vehicles deployed in open areas. But the introduction of combat helicopters, which can fly more slowly at low altitudes, will give the alliance a key advantage in close-quarters fighting, allowing it to pinpoint targets in builtup locations where Gaddafi's troops are dug in and to reduce the chance of what the military terms "collateral damage". "This is an escalation in support of the civilians Gaddafi is persecuting," said Lieutenant Colonel Jason Etherington, commanding officer of 4 Regiment, Army Air Corps. He added: "This is all part of a campaign to step things up. We are stepping things up, bringing another capability for protection of civilians." In a statement, Nato said that the craft would allow it to "track and engage proGaddafi forces who deliberately target civilians and attempt to hide in populated areas". But the move also signals the strong intent, especially from Britain and France, to prevent the conflict from dragging on for many more months. The defence secretary, Liam Fox, said that the use of the attack helicopters was "a logical extension" of Nato's campaign. "This gives us a chance to target new targets in a way we weren't able to do," he said from Singapore, where he was attending a security conference. "What it does show is our willingness to use the range of assets we have to keep the pressure up. We will continue with the methods we have to degrade his [Gaddafi's] command and control, to degrade his supplies." Nato said yesterday's mission was aimed at destroying military vehicles, equipment and forces. Major General Nick Pope, the chief of the defence staff's strategic communications officer, said the helicopters, equipped with thermal imaging capabilities, used Hellfire missiles and 30mm cannon during the attack. At the same time, Tornado and Typhoon jets struck another military installation in Brega, and two ammunition bunkers in Waddan, in central Libya. "Our understanding of the detailed disposition of Colonel Gaddafi's forces has been improving in a very satisfactory manner, despite their efforts to conceal themselves," Pope said. One of the Apache pilots, an Army Air Corps officer based at Wattisham, in Suffolk, who has also served in Afghanistan, said that as they hit the military checkpoint, they came under "a direct threat". "We had made sure that we were looking
tese Parliament declared the day to be one of the five national days of the island, on March 21, 1989, with the first official remembrance of the day occurring on June 7, 1989. Relocation of MonumentRecently, following the renovation of St. George Square (Palace Square), the monument was removed from the square and kept stored for quite some time. Due to great public appeal against the storage of such a nationally important monument, it was recently placed in Hastings Gardens, Valletta.
the Commission inquiring on the June 7 uprisings, “Evidently the Police did not appreciate the gravity of the situation.” The first spark of unrest centred on the Maltese flag defaced with the Union Jack flying above the “A la Ville de Londres.” Unlike the previous meeting, the shop was now closed. This did not prevent the crowd from itself forcing inside, to remove the flag along with the staff. This incident sparked the uprising. The death of the President of the Court some days earlier had required all governmental departments to fly the union jack at half mast, including the Bibliothèque buildings in Pjazza Regina and the meteorological office. The crowd proceeded to the Officers Club, insisting that the club’s door had to be closed. Window panes were broken, while officers inside were insulted. Police officers trying to restrain the mob were also assaulted. The crowd then proceeded back in front of the Bibliothèque, shouting for the Union Jack to be taken away; this was promptly removed by the men in duty. The crowd moved on to the meteorological offices, housed in a Royal Air Force turret. After breaking the glass panes, the mob entered the offices ransacking and destroying everything inside. Some individuals climbed onto the turret, removing the Union Jack and throwing it into the street. The crowd burned the flag along with furniture taken from the offices nearby. The mob then moved back to Palace square, where it began to insult the soldiers detached in front the Main Guard buildings. The N.C.O., which was responsible for the watch, closed the doors of the buildings, as were the doors of the Magisterial Palace across the square. In Strada Teatro, the offices of the Daily Malta Chronicle were broken into, with pieces of metal placed in the workings of the presses to break them down. While this was happening, other crowds were attacking the homes of perceived supporters of the imperial government and profiteering merchants in Strada Forni. The Police forces’ acting-commissioner then called for military support. At 17.30, sixty-four soldiers from the Composite Battalions entered the Courts which housed the headquarters of the police force. Later historians criticised the use of such a small number of soldiers to counter a crowd made up of thousands, which was attacking locations in Strada Teatro, Strada Forni and had now progressed towards Strada Santa Lucia. Six soldiers, under the command of Major Ritchie, the G.S.O., and Captain Ferguson, made their way towards Strada Forni to defend the house of Anthony Cassar Torreggiani, a leading importer, which was under attack by the crowd. Furniture was being thrown outside from the windows. In the National Assembly, which was unaware of the uprising outside, the moderates were gaining the upper hand. The moderates were bent on accepting the message of the Secretary for the Colonies as a genuine step towards improving the situation, and had to be recognised as such. Ten soldiers led by Lieutenant Shields approached the offices of the Chronicle, surrounded by a crowd which began to throw objects and stones at the soldiers. The same happened in Strada Forni, were six soldiers were trying to stem a crowd of thousands. Ritchie sent Ferguson to bring reinforcements. With the revolver stolen, and with uniform rent, the captain reached a troop of twenty-four soldiers which was then directed to Strada Forni. The soldiers were posted along the street, facing in both directions. It is important to note that the troops were not to shoot without being ordered to do so. The soldiers took their positions, aiming at the crowd – which then retreated. The report of the inquiring commission then proceeded to state that a shot was heard from the direction of a window of the Cassar Torreggiani house. At face value, this gives the impression that the Maltese were the first to shoot during the uprising. At that moment, eyewitnesses reported that one of the soldiers shot a round into the crowd, with the rest of the troop following. The first victim of the uprising, Manwel Attard, fell in front of the Cassar Torregiani house. Other individuals were injured. Ġużè Bajjada was hit near Strada Teatro; the Maltese flag he was carrying fell underneath him. The officer in charge began shouting for the firing to cease. Meanwhile,
Draping ceremony
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Hague meets Libyan rebels as Apache attacks intensify assault on Gaddafi
houses were raided in the outlying villages. A Military Court was opened to investigate the uprising on June 16, with a court martial instituted to investigate thirty-two people that took part in the uprisings. For legislative matters, the Sette Giugno underlined the urgency of reform. The new Governor, Lord Plumer, recommended liberal concessions to the Maltese. The House of Commons of the United Kingdom stressed that Malta was to have "control of purely local affairs", with the Colonial Secretary sending a detailed description of the proposed constitution to the National Assembly. On April 30, 1921, the Amery-Milner Constitution was proclaimed; political censorship enforced after the uprising was repealed on June 15, 1921. The first election held under the new constitution was held in October 1921, with the Prince of Wales inaugurating the new representative chambers on November 1, 1921. The bodies of the four victims of the Sette Giugno put in their tomb in the Addolorata Cemetery on November 9, 1924. On June 7, 1986 the Sette Giugno monument was inaugurated at St. George Square (Palace Square), Valletta. The Mal-
the national consciousness as proof of how far the government was willing to go to crush dissent. Residents were wary of risking a reprise, and protests in Hama have been scattered and slow to gather momentum. But the number of those protesting appears to have swelled recently, with far more taking to the streets on Friday than ever before. Compared with 1982, the current crackdown has produced far fewer casualties. Still, since the uprising began in mid-March, activists say that more than 1,000 people have been killed, and that the brutality appears to increase week by week as government security forces move from city to city. “Every week they choose a city to take revenge on,” Ms. Zeitouneh said. “It is Hama’s turn.” In neighboring Idlib Province on Saturday, Syrian forces used helicopter gunships for the first time. They bombarded the village of Jisr al-Shughour for more than half an hour, killing 10 people and sending dozens of families fleeing to Turkey, activists said. They also said 50 people were arrested in the coastal city of Baniyas. In the protests on Friday, the deaths were not confined to Hama. Activists said seven people were killed in Al Rastan; one in Damascus; two in the village of Has in Idlib; two children, ages 13 and 16, in the eastern city of Deir al-Zour; and two children in Dara’a, the southern town that gave birth to the uprising. Internet service slowly returned to much of Syria on Saturday but remained shut off in Hama, Idlib and Dara’a. The blackout on Friday, which had disabled two-thirds of the country’s Web connections, seemed aimed at strangling the flow of YouTube videos and Twitter and Facebook posts that have fed the revolt. Phone service, water and electricity have also been severely disrupted in many parts of the country, activists said. The Internet’s partial return allowed activists to compare notes and tally the death toll from protests the previous day, which organizers on Facebook dedicated to the memory of the children killed in the crackdown.
Saleh’s party called the attack an “assassination attempt.” Al-Ahmar’s office denied any role, saying in an e- mailed statement that Saleh had orchestrated the attack himself to justify the regime’s crimes. Hamid al-Ahmar, a member of the Islamic Islah party, called for an uprising against Saleh in 2006. The houses of two other alAhmar brothers were also attacked yesterday as well as the residence of General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, who broke with the military in March and supports the GCC initiative. Civil War Fears The assaults that followed the targeting of the palace were “mad efforts by which some are trying to drag the country into fighting and civil war, driving away the peaceful revolution from its peaceful track,” a group of military defectors who back the anti-Saleh protests said today in an e-mailed statement. Amid the surge of violence, the commander of a military base in the southern city of Taiz, Jubran al-Hashidi, defected and announced support for the protest movement, the News Yemen website said today. His action came after he was besieged in his office and urged to defect by soldiers who had refused to fire on demonstrators in Taiz, according to the website. Troops loyal to Saleh later withdrew from Taiz, and looting ensued. The prosecutor’s office in northern Taiz was among the places hit by looters, Fuad Ali, a witness, said by phone. The Republican Guards, led by one of Saleh’s sons, along with police and armed men in plain clothes, fired yesterday on demonstrators in Taiz, Bushra al-Maktari, a protest organizer, said by telephone. More than 15,000 people marched in the city to condemn a government attack on anti-Saleh demonstrators that began May 29 and lasted until the early hours of May 30, she said. At least 21 people were killed in that crackdown. --With assistance from Zahra Hankir in Dubai and Terry Atlas, Lisa Lerer and Nadeem Hamid in Washington. Editor: Terry Atlas, Ann Hughey.
Debate over the third party (MRHC) General secretary of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ) Péter Kovács believes that it is bad that three parties contest for the votes of Hungarians. Aspirants of the RMDSZ would try themselves in direct and secret pre-elections. Those who had beaten a retreat in that kind of contest are now thinking about a new party – referred Kovács to his partners at the debate and added that he did not believe in that solution. Head of the Hungarian Civic Party (MPP) Jenő Szász joined by stating that in democratizing the Transylvanian Hungarian society there is still a lot to do in comparison with the home-state. MPP leader argued that “ we are lagging behind by twenty-two years in com-
parison to Hungarian society and at least by twenty-one years in correlation with the Romanian one.” According to his opinion, a bipolar political system should prevail, where RMDSZ is on the one end, while the co-operation of the MPP, the Szekler National Council and the National Council of Hungarians in Transylvania is on the other end of the scale-pan as a national alternative. Kovács responded that although RMDSZ did not shout autonomy every day, it was still the most committed Hungarian organization in Romania in national terms. Vice-president of the National Council of Hungarians in Transylvania (EMNT), Előd Papp, deems the forming of the Hungarian People’s Party in Transylvania crucial. The failure of the
“Final” Act on Use of Minority Languages (MRHC) Last Wednesday. the Slovak coalition managed to pass the amendment to the Act on Use of Minority Languages drafted by vice-prime minister Rudolf Chmel (Most-Híd). 78 out of 79 coalition MPs voted in favour of the proposal that is slightly more than the half of the mandates in the national assembly. The final version of the adopted law is rather different than the original proposal submitted by Béla Bugár's Most-Híd party, due to a number of objections raised by the independent MP and leader of the Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) faction Igor Matovič. The current twenty-percent threshold for the official use of minority languages in ethnically mixed towns and villages will be reduced to 15 percent. The twist of the act is that new municipalities will be put in the 15 percent threshold list if the two consecutive censuses asserts the needed number of the minority, so the implementation of the law is pushed out to 2021. Matovič also pushed the concession through that the consent of the local councillor body will not be enough in order to
have town council deliberations in minority languages, the consent of the mayor is also compulsory. Furthermore, members of minority communities will not be able to use their language everywhere in Slovakia as the original proposal stipulated, and healthcare as well as social facilities will not be required to hire translators for minority languages. MostHíd chairman Béla Bugár declared that "It is a sensible compromise. We wanted a lot more, our colleagues wanted a lot less, but this is a step forward". Bugár added that this was a great accomplishment on the part of the Slovak government. However, Most-Híd expects president Ivan Gašparovič to return the law back to the House". The Hungarian Coalition Party (MKP) is unhappy about the amendment to the Act on the Use of Minority Languages. The piece of legislation fails to consider recommendations made by the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the Venice Commission and other international organisations.
Hungarian Hope Movement to run independently in elections (MRHC) Head of the Hungarian Hope Movement Bálint László announced that his party will contest the next election independently. László said the Movement that is the youngest party in Vajdaság/Vojvodina will not run a joint list with Serbian parties. “Our purpose is to have
our own representatives in local governments where we have local organizations and to have at least one representative at state level” – stated the president whose party overtly supports the nationalist Jobbik party of Hungary.
Proposed Act on Ethnic Groups The new draft legislation is done on ethnic groups of Austria. The new constitutional law lists 164 townships in Carinthia where bilingual place name boards are com-
pulsory. The regulation of official language use applies to Hungarian, Croatian and Slovenian as well, where the population is bilingual.
House Speaker in Slovenia House Speaker László Kövér had an official two-day visit to Slovenia. Kövér met the Hungarian MP László Göncz, the president of the Prekmurje National Community of Hungarian Local Governments Ferenc Horváth and the mayor of Lendva/Lendava Anton Balazek. The House Speaker emphasized that strategic partnerships ties the two
states. The Slovenian and the Hungarian national communities would conclude a agreement about how to assert their rights and interest in the governments. According to Kövér, there is a high interest in Slovenia about how Hungary will realize the parliamentary representation of national minorities in the frame of the electoral act reform.
Homepage for dispersed Hungarians A newly launched homepage called ”Szorvany.hu” is designed to present Hungarian communities living dispersed or in diasporas. The page has an overt goal to arouse interest in discovering Hungarian communities living all over the world. Visitors may
download statistics, contacts of Hungarian diaspora institutions and permanently updated academic literature pertaining to scattered Hungarians. Maps and planned trips make the website more interactive and valuable.
Medvedev, Napolitano discuss Mideast situation
minority act or the Szekler memorandum prompted the foundation of the new party. Papp said that the National Council must not rely on strictly on words any more. “We have already said at the beginning that a pre-election should be held in order to have a Hungarian cadastre that was in fact sworn upon by the then RMDSZ leader Béla Markó in 2003. We are now ready for it“ – said Papp. Kovács noted that a cooperation agreement failed between the RMDSZ and the EMNT in 2007 as a result of Szász’s obstruction. However, it was successful two years later; it is important now to lay down the conditions of working together – added the RMDSZ member.
Slovakia builds on friendly cooperation Last Friday, the Slovak parliament passed a resolution quashing any extra-territorial effects of the new Hungarian Constitution. "Parliament assures all citizens of Slovakia that it is exclusively the Slovak Constitution, Slovakia's laws and international commitments that are in effect on Slovakia's territory," reads the resolution, which gained support of all coalition MPs present at the vote. The opposition was against, doing so in protest of having their resolution proposal rejected from even being debated in the house. The passed doc-
ument declares interest in maintaining good neighbourly relations with Hungary - in the spirit of modern Europeanness and of values that the European Union is built upon, as well as in line with the Agreement on Good Neighbourhood and Friendly Cooperation between Slovakia and Hungary. The parliament also confirms in the resolution Slovakia's undertaking concerning applying the individual (and not collective) rights principle, is doing so as a sovereign state exercising its own jurisdiction.
The logic of assimilation According to sociologist Zsuzsanna Lampl, many conceive assimilation as a process that first or last has to be logically completed. The strengthening dominance of the Slovak language proves as a prime cause of assimilation. However, not only Slovaks speak their own language, but also Hungarians in a growing number. Lampl states that Hungarians use Slovak in conversations not only with Slovak people. Based on research of the Forum Minority Research Institute in Somorja, the last ten years show an adverse tendency. In all fields of public commu-
nication, the number of people speaking Hungarian is diminishing. Figures underpin the statement: with 15 percent less people use Hungarian in shops (from 45% to 30%); official communication in Hungarian which fell short of 20 percent, now stands at 14 percent. It was also estimated that only 56 percent of Hungarians speak Hungarian with their neighbours. This ratio was 64 percent. Every fifth Hungarian respondent used Slovak when speaking with his/her Hungarian partner. Using Hungarian within the family depicts a negative trend as well.
Education matters (MRHC) The Hungarian educational institutions called upon the Ukrainian education minister Dmitro Tabacsnik for examining the problems encountered when dealing with the education of Transcarpathian Hungarians. Problems arise from the fact that students applying for the Hungarian language and literature course are not allowed to take an entrance
exam in the chosen language, since these subjects are not listed as public educational subjects in which advanced final exams may be taken. On the contrary, Russian is eligible as of this school year. Seemingly, it is easy to say that the current power has just given lip service to national minorities in its promises prior to the 2010 president-election.
Gold Merit Cross to Pasza On 20 May, the Hungarian ambassador of Croatia Gábor Iván presented the honorary president of the Democratic Community of Hungarians in Croatia Árpád Pasza with the Gold Merit
Cross of the Hungarian Republic in recognition of his several decade long ardent educational and public work as contributing to maintaining the Hungarian minority of Croatia.
Sándor Pákh dead at 104 On 23 May, near his home in New York valiant Sándor Pákh died at age 104. He left his birthplace Munkács in 1977 and emigrated to the USA to join his son, who is an art collector and the owner of the greatest Munkácsy-collection. The older Pákh was honoured several times in Hungary for his selfless con-
tribution to the Hungarian nation. It was his merit that the Turul-bird – a symbol of the conquering Hungarians – gained its worthy place in the Transcarpathian Munkács. His last wish was to acquire Hungarian citizenship due to the simplified naturalization. This wish fulfilled on 13 April at his home.
PICTURE NEWS
Anti-Graft Guru Begins Fast to the Death (GOOGLE NEWS)One of India's most popular yoga gurus is leading followers in what is being called a fast to the death, part of a populist campaign to fight corruption.
cerity, arguing he lives lavishly with money from his multi-million dollar business ventures. But his call to end widespread corruption appears to be resonating in a country still reeling from
(Online) Completed in 1986, the nuclear plant in Kalkar, Germany, was never opened. Today, it houses Wunderland Kalkar, an amusement park. One of the plant’s cooling towers contains this high-flying swing attraction
Swami Baba Ramdev began his fast in front of thousands of supporters in New Delhi Saturday, promising India would be saved. He told them "nothing is impossible" and vowed they would not be defeated. Ramdev's demands include a return of so-called black money, cash stashed in foreign bank accounts and used to pay bribes. He also is calling for the execution of corrupt government officials. Critics charge Ramdev has ties to rightwing Hindu groups and question his sin-
(Online) Demonstrators belonging to the Spanish youth movement Los Indignados gather in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol square to protest unemployment—which has risen above 20% nationally—and the country’s political syste
a $39 billion telecom scandal and a scandal-plagued Commonwealth Games that have seen some ministers end up in jail. Earlier Saturday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sent four government ministers to meet with Ramdev in an attempt to stop his protest. Ramdev refused to comment on what was said during the meeting but told supporters he would not be deterred. Ramdev's supporters joined in mass fasting Saturday in Mumbai and other states across India.
New Bombings Target NATO Troops, Afghan Students (GOOGLE NEWS)A series of bombings rattled Afghanistan Saturday, increasing the death toll in the troubled country. In eastern Afghanistan, four NATO troops were killed in what the coalition said was a roadside bombing. Earlier, NATO said two of its members were killed in separate attacks on Friday in southern Afghanistan. At least 220 foreign troops have been killed in Afghanistan this year. The continuous bombings are also taking a toll on the civilian population. Officials at Kandahar University said two students died and at least two people were injured following bombings there Saturday.
Witnesses said the first bomb was hidden on a motorcycle and that the second blast went off after a crowd started to gather around the victims. Afghan police say one of the victims was a student who also served as the secretary to Kandahar's chief of police. The U.S. commander of foreign troops in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus, warned last month of a tough summer ahead as insurgents bid to show they are still a potent force amid what he said was crucial progress made by the international coalition. The Taliban announced the start of its spring and summer fighting season at the end of April.
RUSSIAN BULLETIN
(Online) A parachutist jumps from a Croatian Army helicopter dur- Supporters of Justice and Development Party's (AKP) shout ing a military parade and public show at Zagreb's Jarun Lake, slogans and wave flags during an election rally in Istanbul, marking the 20th anniversary of the country's armed forces Turkey. The country will hold parliamentary elections on June 12
(RIA Novosti) Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Italian counterpart Giorgio Napolitano discussed bilateral cooperation and international problems, including the situation in the Middle East and the North Africa, the Kremlin reported. Many regional countries have been facing popular protests, which already caused the ruling regimes in Egypt and Tunisia to fall. Antigovernment rallies also occurred in AlgeIraq, Jordan, ria, Oman, Yemen, Bahrain and Syria. A revolution which began in mid-February in Libya against Muammar Gaddafi's fortyyear rule has already claimed thousands of lives, with
Gaddafi's troops maintaining their combat capabilities despite NATO airstrikes against them. Medvedev, who arrived in Rome an a two-day working visit on Wednesday, will on Thursday attend a military pa-
rade in central Rome to celebrate 150 years since Italy's unification in 1861 into a united kingdom encompassing the entire Apennine Peninsula. After the parade, the Russian leader will take part in a trilateral meeting with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden. He will then meet with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping. The Russian leader's negotiations in Italy will focus on bilateral and international issues, particularly trade as Italy is Russia's fifth leading partner after China, the Netherlands, Germany and Ukraine in terms of foreign trade. Medvedev last visited Italy in February.
Results of UN Sec. Council on Libya 'can't take anyone's word' – Lavrov (RIA Novosti) The implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions on Libya shows that "anyone's word cannot be taken," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday. "This is a situation when no one will believe a word [of what we're saying] when we are talking about the creation of a no-fly zone only and nothing else," Lavrov said. The revolt in Libya against Gaddafi's fortyyear rule, which began in mid-February, has already claimed thousands of lives, with Gaddafi's troops maintaining their combat capabilities despite NATO airstrikes against them. Fourteen of the 28 NATO
countries are taking part in the operation Unified Protector in Libya, which includes airstrikes, a no-fly zone and naval enforcement of an arms embargo in response to attacks on civil-
ians. "Everyone who is somehow involved in the implementation of these resolutions should show the utmost responsibility to international law and the UN and should think about the UN Security authority," Council's Lavrov said after talks with Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolai Mladenov. "Otherwise, if something like this is needed again, God forbid, the conversation will be different," Lavrov added. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin sharply criticized on April 26 the Western coalition attacking Libya, saying it had gone beyond the limits of United Nations Security Council resolution.
Greece says South Stream pipeline project with Russia priority (RIA Novosti) The South Stream project, which Greece carries out jointly with Russia, remains a priority for the country, the Greek energy minister said. Greek Environment, Energy and Climate Change Minister Konstantina Birbili said at a meeting with South Stream CEO Marcel Kramer that "the Greek government considers South Stream one of its priority energy projects, which enhance energy security by diversifying delivery routes." Birbili added that her country, which is to receive natural gas for domestic
needs via the pipeline and transit it further to Italy, would continue efforts to
promote the project within the European Union. The Greek minister also said all research needed for construction is going smoothly. The $21.5 billion pipeline, which will transport up to 63 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe, is being developed by Italy's Eni and Russian gas giant Gazprom. French EdF and Germany's Wintershall will also participate in the project, with 10 and 15 percent of shares, respectively. Russia plans to launch the pipeline in 2015.
Joint Report by the Coordinators of the U.S.-Russia Presidential Commission The primary focus of the Presidential Commission’s work in its second year has been dedicated to expanding our common agenda and to developing new opportunities for partnership between United States and Russia. Since last June, over 150 meetings and exchanges have taken place under the auspices of the Commission’s 18 working groups, producing new joint projects and initiatives in priority areas that serve the national interest of both countries. Innovation is an important theme that runs across the Commission and has stimulated productive activities between our countries. We have exchanged business and economic delegations in aerospace, biotechnology, and information technology to start relationships that can help to increase trade and investment opportunities in both countries. Small business exchanges, educational partnerships, and competitive grants programs are working to promote entrepreneurship and the commercialization of innovations. Collaboration on issues such as patent protection and government procurement is focused on making government work better with our entrepreneurs and companies. A new initiative to provide advanced on-the job training to young American and Russian business executives will help to bring our economies closer together. Taken together these efforts are contributing to the growing economic prosperity of both our countries. Symbolic of such constructive cooperation, American companies, such as Microsoft, CISCO Systems, and Siguler Guff, are participating in Russia’s Skolkovo Innovation Center Project, with over a billion dollars already committed. The opening of a Russian Innovation Center (representing Rusnano, Russian Venture Company, and Skolkovo) in the Silicon Valley will act as another bridge connecting American and Russian high tech companies, investors, and scientific research institutions. Aeroflot’s recent agreement to purchase new Boeing airliners will sustain tens of thousands of jobs in the United States and in Russia. New partnerships are also being created between American and Russian companies in electronics, advanced medical technology, nanotechnology, paper and food processing, and mechanical engineering. In the field of energy efficiency, American and Russian cities and utilities, such as in San Diego and Belgorod, are working together to maximize development of new Smart Grid technology and innovative energy savings performance plans. Our energy experts have also exchanged views on regulatory and policy approaches to stimulate energy efficiency and improve reliability across power distribution networks. American and Russian science institutions are collaborating to create new applications for nanotechnology in energy, environment, and health fields. We are also developing joint research projects and other initiatives to further drive innovation in clean energy solu-
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tions. New university partnerships and educational exchange opportunities, including within the framework of the Fulbright Program, have been announced to expand collaboration on joint scientific research and increase entrepreneurial capacity. The Association of American Universities and the Association of Leading Russian Universities have launched a long-term, multi-disciplinary initiative to foster greater cooperation between American and Russian research universities. The establishment of the U.S.Russia Health Science Forum and cooperative agreements on biomedical sciences and HIV/AIDs will contribute to new medical advances that will benefit people around the world. American and Russian companies and nongovernmental organizations are also spearheading efforts to provide health information to new mothers via text message. Having celebrated 50 years of human spaceflight just last month, U.S. and Russian space agencies are accelerating advances in innovation through our shared use of the International Space Station, data-sharing in earth and space science, and collaboration to study space exploration beyond low-Earth orbit. As we strive to work together to accelerate innovation across our economies, we are also continuing to make significant progress in strengthening our security cooperation. Both sides have begun the full-scale implementation of the New Start Treaty. Dialogue has continued on other questions connected to arms control and international security. We have concluded preparation of a joint report assessing 21st century missile challenges. Together with our partners, we have also been discussing efforts to strengthen and modernize the conventional arms control regime in Europe. Significant strides have also been made on our nuclear energy and nuclear security agenda. We have held consultations to discuss potential implications as a result of the accident at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant in Japan. We share the opinion that nuclear power remains a safe and reliable energy source. However, we are committed to strengthening international nuclear power safety. We will take active part in a high level IAEA Conference in June 2011 on strengthening international cooperation and examining the legal framework on nuclear safety. We believe that further development of our cooperation to strengthen nuclear security should remain a priority. Since 2009, in accordance with our joint plans, almost 900 kg of Russian and U.S.- origin highlyenriched uranium has been repatriated from third countries. Research is underway regarding the feasibility of converting certain research reactors in Russia and the United States to low-enriched uranium fuel. We have also conducted a number of joint activities in the sphere of nuclear materials protection, control and accounting, exchange of best practices, and
emergency response. We note that the entry into force of the US-Russia Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy opens new prospects and creates a firm legal basis for practical cooperation in nuclear energy. In particular, we have agreed to joint efforts in such directions as development of innovative technologies, trade in nuclear materials and technologies, advanced reactor development, conducting joint experiments, tests and research, scientific and technical exchanges, and solutions to environmental protection including nuclear waste disposal. American and Russian foreign policy experts have consulted on recent crises in Libya and the Middle East and have continued close coordination on the Iran and North Korea nuclear programs. Cooperation has also deepened to support international forces in Afghanistan, resulting in the transit through Russian airspace of more than 170,000 U.S. personnel (in over 1000 flights). Furthermore, we have also facilitated provision of crucial equipment to support the Afghan National Security Forces. In response to a request from the American side, four Russian helicopters were transferred from Chad to Sudan to strengthen United Nations peacekeeping forces during the period in which a referendum was being held in Southern Sudan. Cooperation between American and Russian counternarcotics agencies has also intensified; as a result, in the last year over one ton of heroin was seized in Afghanistan and drug smuggling rings between the U.S. and Russia have been dismantled. We are also sharing expertise on drug demand reduction initiatives to include public health, schools, and criminal justice systems. Cooperative measures are being taken to counter terrorist threats to our transportation systems as well as to bring suspected terrorists and their supporters to justice. The United States this year took steps to disrupt the financial support network for global terrorist leader Doku Umarov and the Caucasus Emirate organization, demonstrating our resolve to root out global terrorist organizations. Relations between our military forces continue to improve. Following last-summer’s inaugural joint counter-hijacking exercise, “Vigilant Eagle,” we also agreed to strengthen operational coordination to combat terrorist threats, which led to the signing of a Memorandum on Counterterrorism Cooperation last May, as well as joint nuclear security and crisis mitigationtype planning. We also agreed to begin joint efforts to counter improvised explosive devices. In total, 67 events, exchanges, exercises, and consultations between our armed forces are planned for 2011. Similar channels have been opened between our defense policy experts on issues such as missile defense; defense reform; defense technology; logistics; and training, education, and human resources.
Under the Commission, our bilateral cooperation has also expanded in new directions, bolstering joint efforts to safeguard our planet and respond to new global challenges. Announcement last November of a new initiative to preserve the population of Russia’s Amur tiger builds on strong environmental cooperation including between our NGOs to protect Pacific salmon and other wildlife common to both our countries. Successful experts’ exchanges have also taken place on water conservation, hazardous waste disposal, agriculture and forestry management. New relationships between our national park services are paving the way toward development of a shared heritage area in the Bering Strait region and other cooperative arrangements between American and Russian national and regional parks. Russian and American health officials are also working together to eradicate the global spread of polio, including by carrying out joint immunization monitoring missions in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Cooperation between Russian and American emergency response agencies also continues to grow, to include wildfire prevention, disaster medicine, disaster forecasting/planning, and urban search and rescue in international disaster response. Finally, the Commission has succeeded in strengthening ties between our citizens. Russian and American civil societies are joining efforts to protect children from exploitation; they are also exchanging ideas on promoting the effective integration of migrants and combating the ills of xenophobia and human trafficking. They are also collaborating to monitor corruption and establish new best practices in corporate governance as well as to advise on issues such as prisoner rehabilitation and reintegration. New exchanges – from ballet to hip hop music to youth hockey – are also exposing Russians and Americans to the richness and talents of our respective cultures. Theater students in Los Angeles and Moscow have developed joint productions and university student leaders have engaged in discussions and debate on foreign and domestic policy. We are actively engaged to resolve the interruption in art exchanges between our nations and hope to resume this valuable dimension of our cooperation as quickly as possible. Looking ahead over the next twelve months, we recommend an expansion of the Commission's mandate to include a new working group on innovation to provide greater focus on strategic policy measures to foster innovation and to improve collaboration on the pillars of innovation as identified by our Presidents last June. We also agree that rule of law is vital to create a flourishing economy and advise establishing a working group co-chaired by the U.S. Attorney General and Russia’s Minister of Justice to expand our collaboration in this area.