ALMATY, Dec 28
(THE GLOBE)
December 1
The UK Parliament officially transferred a part of its authority to the Legislative Assembly of the North Ireland. Thus, 25 years of the London�s direct ruling in Ulster have ceased. The latter from that day onwards has the right to manage its everyday life. Having signed a bill of the UK Parliament on devolution, the Queen Elizabeth made the Assembly Executive Committee responsible for everything happening in North Ireland that is headed by the Protestants� leader David Thrimble.
December 2
A group of scientists from the UK, the USA and Japan deciphered the genetic code of one of the human chromosomes, i.e. described the succession of 33 million of pairs of basic amino acids forming its DNA. It is considered that namely the chromosome 22 is responsible for more than 30 diseases, including schizophrenia and some kinds of cancer.
December 3
Edmond Safra, a banker, one of the richest people in the world, according to Forbes magazine, died in Monaco. He was killed during the attempt on stealing his flat in Monaco. The banker�s wife and daughter survived, as they barricaded in a room.
December 4
The Byelorussian state television announced the retirement of Ivan Titenkov, the manager of the President�s affairs. It was reported that Ivan Titenkov sent in his resignation himself. The resignation of one of the most influential Byelorussian officials is not commented officially.
December 5
In Uzbekistan the Parliamentary (Olyi Mazhilis) election conducted. According preliminary data by the Central Election Commission, over 92% of voters participated in the election. In fact, at all polling districts there was a serious fight for deputies� mandates due to a lot of candidates. Total number of polling circuits in the republic was 250, i.e. according to the number of seats in the Olyi Mazhilis. They had equal number of voters � 49.9 thousand of people. Initially the Central Election Commission registered 1242 candidates. They were representatives of five political parties, local authorities and independent candidates. But only 1014 candidates participated in the election.
December 6
Turkmen President Saparmurat Nyazov approved the project of industrial exploitation of the oilfield Yuzhny Kamyshlyja (Gogerendag Ekerem region) worth over US$ 86 million, the Minister of Oil and Gas Industry and Mineral Resources Rejebai Arazov.
December 7
Greece meets all required criteria to join the Shengen zone, spokesmen of the EC countries Executive Committee announced. Thus, from January 1, 2000 Greece will join the list of nine states included in the Shengen zone, including Austria, Belgium, Germany, Holland, Spain, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal and France. The Executive Committee of the states will take a final decision in the early December in Brussels.
December 8
In Sri Lanka a number of fierce battles between separatists and the governmental troops ended sensationally. The governmental troops had to surrender in all directions. Gunmen managed to capture most important military points and settlements. They moved forward southwards up to the strategic town of Vavunia, through which all communications pass.
December 9
US President Bill Clinton officially declared that American diplomacy had managed to further the Syrian-Israeli negotiations. The dialogue between Damask and Tel-Aviv that was frozen in 1996 after the Benjamin Netaniahu�s government came to power will be recommenced in the next week. According to Clinton, the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Baraque and the Syrian Foreign Minister Faruque Sharaa will come to Washington. This is the highest level of bilateral meetings since the time of the Arabic-Israeli war in 1967.
December 10
The 4th Congress of the voluntary Karabah war veterans� union Erkrap held in Yerevan. Obviously, serious contradictions between President Robert Kocharyan and his opponents after the tragedy on October 27, 1999 in the Armenian Parliament have reached their peak and are not hidden. A member of the Erkrap Board, Minister on Coordination of Industrial Structures (in Armenia this post is equal to the deputy the Prime Minister) Vagan Shirhanyan announced that �the situation observed now in the country makes the new Presidential election necessary.�
December 11
In Horvatia the first President of the republic died. The 77-years-old President Franio Tujmana died in the Zagreb hospital Dubrava due to the cancer of the digestive tract.
December 12
On Mars the special probe Mars Polar Lander (a microphone with a sandy shovel, according to American scientists) while trying to land on the planet stopped to give any signals. Thus, the next wide-scale project by NASA to further study Mars failed. To design, manufacture and launch it, US$ 165 million spent.
December 13
Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze announced, his country �always supported and supports the Russia�s territorial integrity.� In his radio interview the President said that he welcomes the recent statement by the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin that due to the Chechen events in relations with Georgia �Russia will act only on the basis of the international legislative standards and that Russia will not allow any attempt to break the Georgia�s sovereignty.�
December 14
The head of the UNO mission in Kosovo Bernar Kushner announced the introduction of the new criminal code based on the law that was current in force in the region before the autonomy was liquidated. According to Kushner, the UN mission�s efforts to protect Serbian population failed.
December 15
In New York at the session of the UNO General Assembly the resolution on preservation and observation of the Anti-rocket defense Treaty that was offered jointly by Russia, Byelorussia and China, was approved. The key component of the resolution is the call to the states, members of the Treaty �to restrict systems of the anti-rocket defense and to abstain from deployment of these systems in the territories of their countries, from creation of a basis of such a defense, from transferring to other states and from pacing neither systems nor components in their national territories restricted by the Treaty.�
December 16
The referendum on the new national constitution held in Venezuela. According to Associated Press, 71% of voters support this constitution that significantly strengthens the President�s authority. From now onwards the state officially named the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in the honor of the legendary hero of the liberating struggle against Spanish colonizers Simon Bolivar.
December 17
The Paris court refused to deliver up the famous terrorist Ilyich Ramires Sanches (who is also known as Carlos Shakal) to Austria. Austria wishes to judge him for the aircraft with 11 Oil Ministers from OPEC countries stolen in Vienna in 1975. France has its own claims to Carlos: he is concerned in the murder of 16 Frenchmen.
December 19
The international corporation Itera exporting Russian gas to Georgia, recommenced supplies at the former level, the Minister Vaja Lordkipanidze said. Thus, about three million of cubic meters of gas will be supplied daily to the Tbilisi Electric Power Station. The gas is being supplied since December 11. Georgia that has a debt of about US$ 60 million (including US$ 6 million of the state debt and the rest is debts of different companies) towards Russian gas faces a catastrophe due to the abrupt reduction of supplies.
December 20
Portugal lost its last colony � Makao that was returned to China in 446 years from the moment when Portuguese people landed there. Makao became a special administrative region Aomen. This tiny district right in the south of China 23 square kilometers in area and with the population of 430,000 people includes the peninsula Aomen and two islands � Danzy and Luhuan.
December 21
In Berlin the multilateral agreement on creation of the fund to pay compensation of US$ 5.2 billion to prisoners of fascistic concentration camps and foreign citizens taken to Germany during the World War II, signed. This event was the result of the negotiations conducted since February 1999 with participation of the German and USA government, jurists who represented interests of victims of nazism, as well as over 60 German companies and banks.
December 22
In Chechnya the federal army along with 1.500 Chechen volunteers headed by the former Grozny mayor Beslan Gantamirov started a storm of the Chechen capital. Terms of this special operation by the federal forces to free Grozny from bands �are not rigidly determined�, the Russian Military department said.
The new Swiss federal prosecutor appointed. The 39-yers-old Valentine Roshaher became a successor of Karla del Ponte and he is to enter the post on March 1, 2000. It is noteworthy that Roshaher even was not included in the list of potential candidates.
December 23
Last Russian frontier troops left Turkmenistan. From this day the national frontier service will defense its borders. True to hi isolation policy, Turkmenbashi Saparmurad Niyazov is getting more and more isolated from the CIS countries, as he prefers to settle problems himself.
December 24
The financial director Greg Maggei, who has a fine authority in Wall Street, left the corporation Microsoft. Experts consider that his leaving will not weaken the corporation, but Microsoft shareholders began to sell their stocks. Maffei�s step was not a surprise for analysts from Wall Street � he expressed his willingness to manage a good company long ago. Now Maffei�s dream has been realized: he became the first executive director of the Canadian Worldwide Fiber that projects, constructs and exploits fibro-optical communication networks.
CHS Electronics, one of the biggest world�s computer distributors (annual turnover is US$ 10 billion) is at the verge of bankruptcy. Today this American company is being seriously reorganized.
December 25
The aircraft of Indian Airlines captured by terrorists, when it flew from Katmandu (Nepal�s capital) to Delhi (the capital of India). At the board there were over 180 passengers, four of them killed. The aircraft landed in the Pakistani town of Lahor, where it was refilled. Then it flew to UAE. Then the plane directed to Afghanistan and landed in Kandagar. Terrorists announced they would discharge hostages after the Indian authorities discharge some gunmen from prisons, who struggled in Jammu and Kashmir.
FROM THE EDITORS: despite the new millenium will begin in 2001, most people anticipate 2000 as the new millenium.
ALMATY, Dec 27
(THE GLOBE)
The country of rising sun has been holding festivals devoted to the new millenium.
Though Japan treats European data in a cool way, its population planned at least two big extraordinary events: the festival Okera Mairi (Kyoto) and the exotic show Namahej (the peninsula Oga).
At the eve of the New Year most Japanese people will stay at home until the midnight to listen to Joya-no Kane � 108 bells of the temple that to ring over the ending year and meet the New Year.
In the evening the Devil�s ceremony Namahage begins. A group of people with Devil�s masks knock at each house, saying �Are there any good people in?� places visited by Namahage vary each year. As masked people visit also national Japanese hotels, it is recommended to stay there in the New Year night to see visitors.
The fair id the outgoing year is held in Tokyo suburbs. The fair is presented by open portable markets trading with New Year decorations.
In the night December 31st to January 1 up to the dawn, a lot of people come to the temple to bring fire lit there. With the help of this sacred fire they cook first food in the New Year. This tradition helps them to prevent diseases and troubles in the coming year, Japanese people believe.
Great New Year Party in Melbourne
The great New Year party is to be held in Melbourne. Its participants will move dancing in the city with fireworks and music for the whole day. Each stop in the city will end with a salute 500 meters in height.
Everybody who will participate in the procession will receive two pieces of paper: white and red. Each color has its meaning. The red paper symbolizes everything that people wish to leave in the previous millenium. The white one is everything that people wish to gain in the new millenium.
Red papers will be burnt a half of an hour before the midnight. White papers will fly into the sky along with white balloons. It is supposed that 500,000 people will come to the bank of the Jarra and in the streets of the city to participate in this great festival.
Australian people will began to celebrate the New Year at 11 p.m. in the Treasury Garden. Then it will come to all cities of Victoria state. On the two scenes on the bank of the Jarra numerous artists from all over the world will make a show.
For the time being the final event of the show is in strict confidence.
Americans do not Betray their New Year Habits
Possibly, the greatest celebration 2000 will be in the USA. For the whole century Americans use to gather in the Times Square to celebrate New Year in the crowd. Events to be held here on December 31, 1999 cannot be compared with anything. The main sponsor of the festival is Panasonic company, that is going to install 6 huge screens, which from 6 p.m. on December 31 will broadcast the celebration from different hour zones, cities and countries. That is why visitors of the Time Square will celebrate 2000 several times. Everything will be accompanied with light and firework shows, and masquerade processions.
2,800 Fires to Light the English Sky
Fire lit people�s way in the dark of the millenium. Why not to celebrate the new millenium with this tradition?
On December 31 the UK fire show will be held. The English sky will be lit by 2,800 fires. Almost all citizens of cities and small villages will be involved in the marvelous show. The ceremony will start when gloaming fall down on the Scottish hills on the last day of December. The fire of the celebration will spread south-westwards and at 10 p.m. a huge fire will be lit in London. The last fire is to be made in near the meridian in the midnight.
Pyramids in the Light of Jan-Michele Jare
One of the mostly discussed events 2000 is the celebration to be held in Egypt near pyramids. The famous French composer Jan-Michele Jare announced he had completed composing music and a project of laser show and fireworks.
On December 31 Jan-Michele Jare will lead people to the new millenium with the help of the great laser show, fireworks and dances with elements of Orient and Western music. During the dawn 2000 his electronic opera will create light rays on the top of the Heopsus� pyramid symbolizing the birth of the new millenium in Egypt. The show will be broadcast all over the world.
The global performance will consist of three acts, three key moments: the sunset, the midnight and the dawn. Jare will follow the topic �Twelve dreams of the Sun�, the central one in the antique Egyptian mythology.
The show will start at the sunset on December 31 and will last until the dawn of the first day 2000. Besides music there will be choreographic dances of Egyptian dancers who will play musical instruments of the time of great Pharaohs.
Sixty countries will broadcast the performance by 20 minutes in 300 channels.
Celebration in the South Pole
Only bravest people will dare to celebrate the New Year under the severe climate conditions. Nevertheless, there are some people who followed �strictly southwards� at the eve of the new century.
On December 20 the ice-breaker Captain Dranitsyn left Argentina for the South Pole. Apart from tourists there is a group of researchers. As the Sun never sets there, people can celebrate the New Year round-the-clock. Tourists may go down to the ocean bottom in a submarine or to fly in a helicopter.
Celebration on the Top of a Volcano
People wishing to celebrate the New Year at the height of 2,200 m may do it in the island Java in the Indian Ocean. The celebration will be held on the top of the volcano situated in the national park of the island Bromo-Tengger-Semeru. The New Year party is called Bromo 2000. At the top of the volcano there is a mountainous temple Pura Agung, a mysterious erection built in the 14 century. In the temple and around it religious performances and ceremonies glorifying gods will be held. Meditation will be also proposed to visitors.
ALMATY, Dec 27
(THE GLOBE based on materials from media)
Fifty-four people died in the jam in the Byelorussian capital, when about 2,000 people rushed to escape from a heavy shower in a short underground passage 100 m in length after the rock-concert.
Almost all people were teenagers who on May 30 were present at the concert of the Russian group Mango Mango. Forty-four of the died were girls. The state radio and television abandoned all entertainment programs on May 31 that was announced the mourning day.
Within two days at least 23 people died due to landslides in the north and east of Tajikistan, and 50 people missing.
Heavy showers in the mountainous Asht and Dzhergatai regions of Tajikistan caused landslides on July 8.
Walls of water, stones and dirt stroke villages in the northern Asht region, having killed at least 18 people, ruined 150 houses and destroyed 200 ones.
In the north-east Dzhergatai region five people died, when the landslide washed off four yurtas.
About eight people died and over 160 wounded on October 5, when two overcrowded suburb trains collided and burnt at the Paddington railway station in the center of London.
The event happened at the same way, as the crush in 1997 during which 7 people killed and 150 wounded.
A moderate earthquake annihilated houses of over 20,000 people in northern China, but nobody killed.
Four people wounded, when the earthquake 5.6 in force according to Richter scale shook 16 villages in the Daton region (Shasi province) on November 4.
More than 12,400 houses suffered and 20,000 people became homeless.
Over 700 houses collapsed and more than 600,000 damaged, including 20 schools.
The total economic loss estimated in the amount of 367 yuan (US$ 44 million).
Due to the earthquake more than 500 people in the region Yangun (Hebei province) lost their houses.
During the most terrible in this century flood in central Vietnam at least 5276 people killed. Caravans of rescuers protruded further into the destroyed region on November 8 and even used the war road of Ho Shi Min to supply products.
At least 104 people killed and 188 missing after a passenger ship sank near the eastern shoreline of China.
Dashun with 312 passengers and the team sent SOS signals on November 24, after they found the fire, when the ship was struggling against a heavy wind near the seaport Yantai (the peninsula Shandong).
Rescuers found only 20 live passengers.
About 10,000 people killed from a sudden flood and landslides that stroke Venezuela on December 15 and 16.
By the number of victims this tragedy is one of the most severe ones happened in Venezuela in this century. It was more serious than Mitch storm happened in the previous year, when about 9,000 people died in the Central Africa.
Most victims were buried under dirt and thrown to the sea, when heavy showers came down on the seashore of Venezuela, including on Karakas, where at least 100 people killed.
Vargas where about 350,000 people live northwards from Karakas suffered most of all. Here dirt and stone waves buried whole settlements under meters of dirt, boulders and wreckage.
Sixty people missing and 9 bodies found after an overcrowded ferry-boat with 660 passengers sank on December 23 at the central Philippine island Cebu two days before Christmas.
The official report of the Manila army stated that 591 people rescued and 9 bodies found, including of a 37-yers-old woman and a boy. The rest 60 are not found yet.
According to the report, 660 passengers were on the board of the ferry-boat and the team. That was 20 people more that it was permitted (620 people).
ALMATY, Dec 27
(THE GLOBE)
The Netherlands
Every New Year people in Holland cook Oliebolin, or if we translate literally � butter balls (fruit doughnuts). At 12 p.m. people eat namely Oliebolin drinking champagne.
Norway
In Norway people cook a peculiar dish Lyutefisk: mashed green peas, bacon, mustard and boiled potato. What is Lyutefisk? It is dried cod.
Denmark
At the New Year eve everybody puts on funny hats, tables are decorated with balls and horns, serpentine falls from the ceiling. Main dishes of the New Year table are fish and potato. On December 31 at 6 p.m. the queen speaks at the TV.
Poland
The main Polish New-Year tree is in Warsaw, in the Palace Square before the Royal Palace. A lot of Polish people come here in the night.
Malaysia
People here celebrate the Chinese New Year. This day people praying worship their forefathers. Only after these prayers they began to celebrate. Children must say a definite phrase to their parents, grandfathers and grandmothers. Then they receive a red package (Honk Bao) with money.
Vietnam
On February 10 Vietnamese people celebrate Tet (the Vietnamese New Year), that has something in common with the Chinese New Year. People must get up early in the morning that day. Women wear red and yellow dresses (colors of the Vietnamese flag), men wear only black cloths. The day starts with the church, where people eat patties (square patties with rice, bean and pork). They also eat fried rice. After that only children may receive red envelopes with US$ 10 to 20. Some Vietnamese children may present this envelope to their teachers. If the teacher rejects the envelope it is considered as an insulation. In the evening there are dragon dances. On the next day usually the Vietnamese Tet festival is held.
ALMATY, Dec 27
(THE GLOBE based on materials from media)
The celebration 2000, as many other celebrations will start first of all from a tall glass of champagne. We give below some samples of this drink, that are considered to be the best ones:
MOET&CHANDON is produced in Epernay, Champagne province, France. The period of seasoning is not less than three years. It has a golden color, pleasant sparkling and steady fruit aroma. The alcohol content is 12%.
DOM RUINART is produced in Reims, Champagne province, France. The period of seasoning is 6 years. It is characterized by light-golden color, sophisticated aroma of forest acacia and pleasant sparkling. The alcohol content is 12.5%.
RUINART ROSE is produced in Reims, Champagne province, France. The period of seasoning is not less than three years. Peculiarities: light apricot color, fruit aroma, and pleasant sparkling. The alcohol content is 12.5%.
HENRI ABELE is produced in Reims, Champagne province, France. The period of seasoning is 3.5 years. It is characterized by a golden-green color, fruit aroma, and pleasant sparkling. The alcohol content is 11.5%.
ABRAU DURSO is produced in Novorossyisk, Krasnodar region, Russia. The period of seasoning is 3 years. Peculiarities: a golden-green color, aroma of grape flowers, pleasant sparkling. The alcohol content is 12.5%.
Note: sparkling wines were known long ago. They were mentioned even in the Bible. However, the producing technology called �champanuaz� was invented 3.5 centuries ago in the French province Champaign. Officially, it was invented by the blind monk Dom Perinion. The process of producing champagne is very long and expensive. Grape is gathered by hands, transported in special plastic boxes and pressed immediately to prevent grapes from fermenting. The obtained juice is left to ferment until spring. Then it is mixed in the so-called cupage. If this mixture is made from 1-year wines, champagne is called �millesime�. Naturally, the year of the harvest is stated on the bottle. But �millesime� is rarely produced, and wines of different harvest mixed in the cupage. The cupage with sugar and yeast are poured into bottles. Thus the cherished process that our people know perfectly well starts: yeast + sugar = spirits + carbonic acid. If you want to have champagne produced properly, bottles are to be horizontally laid for at least a year. Then slowly, within one to two months they are turned upwards for the sediment to fall down to the cork. The sediment is taken away and wine is added.
The author used materials from Woman magazine, as well as from the site of the Alcohol-club: http://gss.ru/press/ok/ok002/66-1.htm.
By Alessandro RAIMONDI
MILAN, Dec 22 (THE GLOBE)
Of all the festivities dotting the Holiday Season, and there are quite a number observed in Italy � beginning with Xmas Eve, then Christmas Day and Boxing Day, jumping to the last day of the year, then New Year�s Day, to finish with the 6th of January commemorating the Epiphany �, the latter is the most cherished by children and most �feared� by their parents.
The reason is a very simple one, that day is the day of Befana. C�mon, I�ve heard you mumbling �I beg your pardon?�, be patient and I�ll explain. Order, now: Befana is a rather old and ugly lady flying on a broom, but her relation with real witches is rather casual and doesn�t exceed the similarity of their� transportation means.
Admittedly she�s never been a pageant queen even in her best days: she�s hunch-backed, has a long arched nose balanced by a chin arched the opposite direction, her face holds a display of wrinkles that Count Dracula would look like a teenager in comparison. Moreover, because of her unknown but surely old age, she�s left with only few teeth, the worst ones: some dog like fangs popping out of her jaw. In all, not a beauty to be seen. Kids indeed are freightened by her, or better by stories on her looking they are told, and would rather prefer not to come across with her. In spite of her ugliness, Befana has a golden heart: she knows that children would be scared by her appearance, so she prefers to travel during the little hours of the night, when it�s pitch dark, and kids are all fallen asleep in their waiting.
Now then, why scared children would be waiting for old Befana? I think you�ve guessed rightly: because in the night and early morning of the 6th of January she�s on duty and flying on her broom from her far away domain � by the way, there�s who says she comes from the Moon, the hidden side, of course � she stops at every house hosting kids to deliver gifts on a merit basis!
Mind you, she�s not Santa Clause, naaah, she�s a lady that just happens to do in this southern area of Europe what her male colleague does rather to the north. But she does it with class: first of all she�s slim while Santa is rather puffy, then she doesn�t depend from reindeer to carry her precious load but, duly licensed, she travels on her environment respecting flying broom. Not even organic littering is left behind�
OK then, step by step we�re making her acquaintance. We�ve determined she�s ugly, but that doesn�t prevent her from loving children, so much so that she brings them all sorts of gifts for their delight. In fact mother nature has provided her with other virtues, if not with beauty: wisdom and an infallible sense of justice so that she knows whose children have been good during the year. Obedient to their dads and moms, being no naughty, pulling no old Pluto�s tail, doing their homework, brushing their teeth before going to sleep, washing hands before every meal, protecting their younger sisters and brothers, and always muttering a little prayer before the end of the day. These kids would have their stockings, left the previous night on the chimney of the fireplace or near the entrance door of the house, filled with their desired gifts.
What about girls and boys that like Dennis the Menace have created some problems along the previous year? Well, Mrs. Befana thinks of them too, leaving on their stockings nasty pieces of black coal, so to remember to behave best from this Befana day to the next 6th of January.
Yeah, I know, next morning together with acute joyful screams there would be some stopless crying because of the coal left inside some stockings, but only until mom and dad start eating that black piece of coal, immediately making their kids blink their eyes in amazement before joining �em in the puzzling eating!
I�ve never seen her, but there�s who speculates that to her broom no tender is attached, so that she travels very light of coal. I�d bet that Befana after all is not that bad!
This is a scoop: Befana as pictured by an inopportune Italian paparazzi!
December 28, 1973 Alexander Solzhenitsyn published �Gulag Archipelago,� an expose of the Soviet prison system.
December 29, 1989 Playwright Vaclav Havel was elected president of Czechoslovakia by the country�s Federal Assembly, becoming the first non-Communist to attain the post in more than four decades.
December 30, 1911 Sun Yat-sen was elected the first president of the Republic of China.
December 30, 1922 Vladimir I. Lenin proclaimed the establishment of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
December 30, 1944 King George the Second of Greece proclaimed a regency to rule his country, virtually renouncing the throne.
December 30, 1947 King Michael of Romania agreed to abdicate, but charged he was being forced off the throne by Communists.
December 30, 1993 Israel and the Vatican agreed to recognize each other.
The Kasteyev State National Museum. Exhibition of S. Kalmykov, I. Itkind, and V. Eifert�s works, and Rudolf Nuriev�s painting.
From 10.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. Closed on Mondays
All Over the Globe is published by IPA House.
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