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China takes popular TV talent show "Super Girl" off air

Chinese regulators have told a TV station to stop broadcasting a talent show called "Super Girl", which is a very popular singing competition for women.

The authorities say the programme is too long - although many suspect other reasons.

Chinese officials often ban programmes they think are too vulgar or not suitable.

A senior employee at the station told the BBC that regulators were jealous of the popularity and financial success of Super Girl.

"It is widely believed that the real reason for the ban is that Hunan TV's talent programmes have been extremely popular," she said.

"Sometimes its audience can exceed that of the national broadcaster, something that causes unhappiness in SARFT. It's all down to interests."

Some also suggest that the programme was too low-brow or in bad taste - a reason often given by regulators for banning a programme.

The authorities have just taken a whole channel off air for a month because it broadcast a show that it said had caused a "negative impact on society".

Hunan Satellite Television said it would abide by the regulators' decision to ban "Super Girl" next year and would instead show more uplifting programmes.

"The channel will air programmes that promote moral ethics and public safety, and provide practical information for housework," Li Hao, the station's deputy editor-in-chief, was quoted as saying.

R.S.

for further information: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14972480

Titanic necklace stolen from Denmark exhibition

A necklace that belonged to a passenger on the Titanic has been stolen from an exhibition in Denmark.

The gold-plated necklace was part of a temporary display of artefacts from the ill-fated ocean liner at Copenhagen's Tivoli park.

Police are investigating and Tivoli has offered a reward of 1,000 euros (£870) for its recovery.

It is believed the necklace belonged to first-class US passenger Eleanor Widener, who survived the 1912 sinking.

"The showcase has not been broken into and the alarm didn't go off," Tivoli spokesman Torben Planks said.

"It is pretty embarrassing," he added.

Exhibition owner Luis Ferreiro said the necklace was insured for 14,000 euros but was so well known he doubted it could be sold on.

"It was very important piece. The artefacts tell stories about the people aboard," he told the Associated Press.

R.S.

for further information: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14979008

US: Prisoner makes final appeal before execution

The pardons board has previously rejected Davis's appeal for clemency

The US death row inmate Troy Davis has made a final bid for clemency two days before his scheduled execution for the 1989 killing of an off-duty policeman.

The 42-year-old is due to face a lethal injection on Wednesday evening.

Over one million people worldwide have signed petitions for clemency in his case, because seven of the nine witnesses who testified against him in his trial in 1991 have since recanted or changed their testimony. Others, who did not testify, have said another man at the scene admitted to the shooting. Moreover, no murder weapon was ever found and no DNA evidence or fingerprints conclusively linked Davis to the shooting.

Pope Benedict XVI, former US President Jimmy Carter and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton are among those who have backed Davis, who has always maintained he is innocent.

R.S.

for further information: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14981064

Tyler Perry is on top at Forbes list

Actor, writer, producer and director Tyler Perry is Hollywood's highest-paid man after earning $130m (£82.3m) in a year, according to Forbes.com.

Perry had his Hollywood breakthrough with 2005 film "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," which he created as a stage play. He dressed in drag to portray tough-talking family matriarch Madea, a crowd-pleasing role.

Holding the No. 2 position on the Forbes list with $113 million is producer Jerry Bruckheimer. He is behind the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise and had a hit with the latest movie in the series, which came out this year and earned over $1 billion at global box offices.

Steven Spielberg ranks at No. 3 with $107 million, Forbes said.

"Rocket Man" singer Elton John, whose most recent tour grossed over $200 million, takes the No. 4 spot on the list with $100 million in earnings.

R.S.

for further information:

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/09/13/uk-tylerperry-idUKTRE78C7PB20110913

Pop Art artist Richard Hamilton dies at the age of 89

The British artist Richard Hamilton, regarded as a pioneer in the field of Pop art, has died at the age of 89 following a short illness.

The London-born artist's best known work was a 1956 collage featuring a body builder and a tin of ham, which earned him the title "Father of Pop".

Hamilton's 1956 collage Just What Is It that Makes Today's Homes So Different, So Appealing? is one of his best known works

The Gagosian Gallery, which announced his death, said the art world had "lost one of its leading lights".

He was working on a major retrospective just days before he died.

The exhibition is due to be seen in London, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Madrid next year.

R.S.

for further information:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2011/sep/13/richard-hamilton-artist-dies

Pirmokų stovykla "Didždvarietis".Albumas.

Rugsėjo 5-6 d. Šiaulių Didždvario gimnazijos pirmokams surengta stovykla „Didždvarietis“. Stovyklautojai įsikūrė Šiaulių „Napoleono“ futbolo klubo stovyklavietėje Alksnyniškės kaime Šiaulių rajone.

Tokios stovyklos rengiamos kasmet, siekiant, kad kiekvienas Didždvario gimnazistas sėkmingai įsijungtų į gimnazijos gyvenimą, jaustųsi svarbus, saugus, reikalingas bendruomenės narys, todėl pagrindinė pirmokų stovyklos užduotis – kurti šiltą, draugišką atmosferą.

Pirmuosius ledus pirmokai pralaužė kurdami savo komandų vėliavas ir rengdami pristatymus, komandų formavimo žaidimuose. Iškilminga krikštynų ceremonija pirmokams suteiktas garbingas didždvariečių vardas.

Savo lūkesčius bei svajones pirmokai gimnazistai surašė bendrame laiške ir uždarė į laiko kapsulę, kurią atidarys po ketverių metų „Paskutinio skambučio“ šventės metu.

US Open 2011: Novak Djokovic beats Rafael Nadal

Novak Djokovic confirmed his status as the world's best player with a stunning victory over defending champion Rafael Nadal to lift his first US Open title.

The top seed from Serbia gave a display of breathtaking quality to triumph 6-2 6-4 6-7 (3-7) 6-1 in four hours and 10 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

R.S.

to see the highlight of the final: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHF9z0v9Y0Y&feature=player_detailpage
official website of the US open 2011:
http://www.usopen.org/en_US/index.html

Again Explosions in Kabul

A suicide bomb and gun attack is ongoing in the centre of the Afghan capital Kabul, with a string of blasts targeting the US embassy and Nato's Isaf headquarters


"Today at 13.00 (08.30 GMT) at Kabul's Abdul Haq roundabout a massive suicide attack on local and foreign intelligence facilities is ongoing," said a spokesman for the Islamist group of Tuesday's attack.

It appears to be a complex operation with a number of suicide bombers involved, says the BBC's Quentin Sommerville in the Afghan capital.

R.S.

for further information: bbc news

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-14897358

Pirmoku stovykla _2011 09 06

Šventinė eisena _ 2011 09 02

Rugsėjo 1-oji

Lybia crisis: New Amnesty report about situation in Lybia

Amnesty International has called on Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC) to take steps to prevent human rights abuses by anti-Gaddafi forces.
In its latest report, the group says that while the bulk of violations were carried out by loyalist forces, anti-Gaddafi fighters have also been involved in torture and killings.

Nevertheless, in its report, Amnesty International moreover states that the majority of abuses during the conflict have been committed by forces loyal to Col Gaddafi.

The whereabouts of the 69-year-old fugitive leader remain unknown.


R.S.


for further information: bbc news
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14891913

EuroBasket 2011 in Lithuania!

Lithuania, which is considered as Europe's basketball heartland, once again hosts a EuroBasket competition. It has been 72 years since Lithuania hosted the 1939 European Championship in Kaunas for the first and only time so far.  

The group matches were played in four arenas, namely Alytus Arena, Šiauliai Arena, Cido Arena in Panevėžys and an arena in Klaipėda. The qualifying matches are to be played at the Siemens Arena in the capital Vilnius and the playoffs at the new Žalgiris Arena in Kaunas.  

As you might know basketball enjoys extraordinary popularity in Lithuania. As such, many events were organized to mark the championship. On August 29, 2011, Lithuania set a new record for simultaneous dribbling, previously held by Poland. 60,000 Lithuanians from Vilnius, Kaunas, Panevėžys, Klaipėda, Šiauliai and Alytus dribbled Molten balls simultaneously, beating Poland's record of 30,000 people.

Additionally, starting with the Spring of 2011, many of the TV and newspaper advertisements became basketball-oriented. Each of the cities where Eurobasket 2011 would take place received many minor details marking the championship: for example, the trash bins in Panevėžys were repainted to look like basketballs, an abandoned building in Vilnius had its windows covered by flags of the participant nations while balls were drawn on street pavement in some places.

Šiauliai is also involved in EuroBasket commotion. Many ordinary Lithuanians decorated their cars with small Lithuanian flags flying above side windows. Flags covering the opposite side of the car mirrors are also popular.

You can find more information about EuroBasket 2011 Lithuania here: http://www.lithuaniabasketball.com/news-697-lithuania-book-ticket-to-kaunas-with-win-over-germany.html

Film actor Cliff Robertson died

The well-known American actor and Acedemy Award winner Cliff Robertson was found dead in his apartment in New York two days ago. His secretary announced that the 88-year-old man died due to natural causes only one day after his 88th birthday.

Robertson and Claire Bloom in a scene from Charly (1968), for which he won an Oscar for Best Actor

Robertson played the young John F Kennedy in the biographical 1963 film "PT-109" and won an Academy Award in 1968 for his performance in "Charly" as a mentally disabled man.
Robertson remained a popular TV and film actor from the mid-1950s onwards. He later found a new generation of fans as Uncle Ben in the Spider-Man movies.

He was married and divorced twice and has two daughters.

R.S.

for further information: The Telegraph (UK)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/film-obituaries/8756059/Cliff-Robertson.html

Guatemala votes for new president

Guatemala, one of the poorest nations in Latin America voted for a new President yesterday. The country is beset by gang violence and increased drug-trafficking operations on its territory.
It suffers the highest rate of child malnutrition in the region - half of all children under five are malnourished.


A record 7.3 million voters were registered to cast their ballots before polls closed at 18:00 (00:00 GMT) on Sunday and the first official results are expected in the coming hours.


Whoever wins will face the challenge of rising violence, much of which is attributed to local and Mexican gangs.
Mexican cartels have expanded operations into the Central American nation, which is an important transit point for drugs smuggled from South America to the US.

R.S.

for further information: bbc news
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-14872133

9/11 anniversary

Due to the anniversery of the terrorist attacs against the United States of America 10 years ago several ceremonies were held in order to remember 9/11 victims.

US President Barack Obama attended memorial ceremonies at the three sites where four airliners hijacked by al-Qaeda militants crashed: the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington and a Pennsylvania field.

In a speech hold by Mr Obama during a memorial concert at the Kennedy center in Washington, he told Americans they should honour those who died in the 9/11 attacks, but look to the future with "hearts full of hope". "We've known war and recession; passionate debates and political divides. We can never get back the lives that were lost on that day, or the Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice in the wars that followed.

"Yet today, it is worth remembering what has not changed," he said.
"Our character as a nation has not changed... Our belief in America, born of a timeless ideal that men and women should govern themselves; that all people are created equal, and deserve the same freedom to determine their own destiny - that belief, through test and trials, has only been strengthened."

Earlier in the day, a memorial to the 9/11 victims was unveiled at the site of the World Trade Center and the names of all victims were read in a 5 hour lasting ceremony, followed by a moment of silence.


R.S.

for further information: bbc-world news

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14876950

Pirmokų stovykla "Didždvarietis"

Georgia

Labas Lietova, Siauliai. I am Manana Melkadze from Georgia a new EVS-volunteer at the Radijo Klubas.  I am a first year student at Tbilisi State University. Before, I studied Political Science at the same University. This year I've had to stop my studies for one year and I've decided to dedicate some time of my life  to volunteering. So here I am :)

Before I tell you about my first impressions of Lithuania and Siauliai I would like to write something about my country. 

As I've already written, I am from Georgia. This is a small country in the South Caucasus region with the population 4.2 million (UN, 2010).

Georgia is situated at the strategically important crossroads where Europe meets Asia. Georgia has a unique and ancient cultural heritage, and is famed for its traditions of hospitality and cuisine. The climate of Georgia is extremely diverse, considering the nation's small size. There are two main climatic zones, roughly separating Eastern and Western parts of the country. The climate as well as landscapes are quite opposite to Lithuanian ones. Well, in fact,  for these reasons I chose Lithuania for my EVS. I wanted to see something totally different from my country. :) 


Georgia's recorded history dates back more than 2500 years. Georgian, a South Caucasian language, unrelated to any outside the immediate region, is one of the oldest living languages in the world and has its own distinct alphabet. 

Over the centuries, Georgia was the object of rivalry between Persia, Turkey and Russia, before being eventually annexed by Russia in the 19th century.

Since emerging from the collapsing Soviet Union as an independent state in 1991 Georgia is a constitutional republic with a developing democracy and economy. The political situation in Georgia over the past 20 years has been very unstable. Unfortunately, we have had several civil and ethnic conflicts. Secessionists have  taken control of parts of Georgia's territories and they still retain control over them. But let us leave these sad things for politicians :) 

What I especially love in Georgia is its nature. Within 67 000 square kilometers the landscapes are extremely diverse and simply amazing from mountains to desert, from snow to palm trees. 
I guess it would be easier to show how wonderful the nature in Georgia is with photos :) At first I thought to find them on Google for this post, but then I decided to share something unique :) So to show mountains I'll use photos which are taken by my friend Levan Khutsishvili during our trip to mountains in Kazbegi. I think Levan takes really nice ones :)

Located in the Mtkvari River valley, Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, is more than 1550 years old. In the early 4th century, Georgia became the second nation in the world to officially adopt Christianity. At this moment Tbilisi is a quite modern city with a lot of excitement and entertainment. 

The official language in Georgia is Georgian. Other local official language is Abkhazian. The majority of population consider themselves as Orthodox Christians. Muslims make up 9.9% of the population and are mainly found in the Adjara and Kvemo Kartli regions.

Well, here are the pics of Adjara. Adjara is the Autonomous Republic in Georgia. On the first photo you can see Batumi, largest city there. The second one is the photo of black sea (as you see it's not that black:)) in Kobuleti. 

Among the most popular sports in Georgia are football, rugby, wrestling and weightlifting. I'm not an expert in sports but in my opinion we are really good in rugby what I can't say about football :)) 

It's really hard to write in one post about everything, still I hope I could give you some interesting information about my country. If you are interested you can check these web-sites and find more information there :) 

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5253.htm#political 

http://georgia.travel/

http://www.aboutgeorgia.org/republic-of-georgia/

You can also find me on facebook or in Siauliai Didzdvaris Gymnasium at Radijo Klubas :) 

Manana Melkadze

Austria

As I‘ve already mentioned, I am from Austria. Maybe some people have heard about this quite small country because it was the home country of the composer Wolfgan Amadeus Mozart and the psychologist Freud, or probably some know it because of it‘s quite nice landscape.

Austria is a landlocked country of approximately 8.3 inhabitants in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west.

Under the native Habsburg dynasty, Austria became one of the great powers of Europe. In 1867, the Austrian Empire was reformed into Austria-Hungary. Nowadays it's a quite small country that is devided in 9 federal provinces.

The capital and largest city, with a population exceeding 1.6 million, is Vienna.

Vienna has long been especially an important centre of musical innovation. 18th and 19th century composers were drawn to the city due to the patronage of the Habsburgs, and made Vienna the European capital of classical music. Nowadays it is friendly city with a rich cultural program, great architecture and some really great art, theater and music events.

The climate in Austria is quite similar to the Lithuanian one, because we usualy have cold and snowy winters and short, but warm summers. However, Austria has access to the Alps and some other mountanous region and many tourists visit the country during winter to do winter sports. In my opinion what makes Austria such an interesting country is the fact, that you have some really rural and natural regiones, nevertheless, there is always a modern and lively city not far away.

 The majority of the population speaks German (like I do) , which is also the country's official language. Other local official languages are Croatian, Hungarian and Slovene.

At the end of the 20th century, about 74% of Austria's population were registered as Roman Catholic, while about 5% considered themselves Protestants. Catholicism has gradually declined in Austria over the past decades. As of January 2010, the percentage of catholics in Austria was 65.1%.

The most popular sports in Austria are Football (but we are defenitely not very good at it) and winter sports like alpine skiing, ski jumping and snowboarding.

Hopefully I could give you some information about Austria :) If you want to know more, knock on the door at Radijo Klubas and ask me personaly or write to me on facebook. :)

Rabea Schwarzmann

All about Me :)

As I am one of the 2 EVS-volunteers at Radijo Klubas I‘ve been asked to introduce me and my homecountry Austria and so I‘ll try to briefly introduce myself. :)





Well, my name is Rabea and I'm a 18-year old girl from Austria.
I tried to come to Lithuania without any expactations and now as I‘ve finally arrived in Siauliai everything is new for me. Although I know, that I‘ll live here for 9 month now, it still feels like I‘m just on vacation and will go home pretty soon. Without doubt these feelings will change quite fast if I get used to my current life in Siauliai and my tasks as a volunteer and maybe I‘ll start to realise after all that I chose to really live in a foreign country and going on a vacation is something totally different.

The main reasons for me why I wanted to take part in the Youth in Action programe and become a volunteer was becoming independant, meet new people, get to know a different culture and moreover find out what I really want to do with my life. Due to the fact that I‘ve just graduated and taken my A-levels, however, don‘t know yet what I want to study at the University next year, I needed a break to have the time to decide how I want to go on.

I'm really curious about how my EVS in Lithuania will turn out, but hopefully it will continue like it has started, because then I'll meet many friendly people who are eager to show me their home country (by the way, thank's a lot to all the students who've already helped us volunteers to feel like we really are at home in Lithuania now) and I'll have the opportunity to explore Lithuania and the neighboring countries and maybe even learn to understand and speak Lithuanian. :)

If you want to ask me something about me or my life in Austria or about anything else, you can find me either find me on facebook or just visit me in the Radijo Klubas. :)

Rabea Schwarzmann

ŠIAULIŲ DIENOS 775

Our first task as new EVS-volunteers at the Radijo Klubas was to visit the Šiauliu Dienos which took place at the first weekend of September, take some pictures and get to know the city. From our point of view the feast was a really colorful, interesting and simply amazing event which allowed us to see how many gracious, friendly and nice people live in this city. :)