Here are today's top news stories. For the story "11th Century Jain Statue Found in India", I have modified the english grammar a bit, for easier reading. If you would like to read the original, please follow the link posted below the title.
Hope you enjoy the articles! See you tomorrow. :)
Today's Top 5:
1. Brazil to Protect More of Amazon (The Courrier Mail)
2. Europe's Oldest Man Celebrates His 112th Birthday - with an RAF Flypast (Daily Mail UK)
3. Rare Books, Including One from 900 A.D., on Display at Kennesaw State University (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
4. 94-year-old to Receive Diploma from McKinney Boyd High School (Dallas News)
5. Japan Officially Recognizes Ainu as Indigenous People for First Time (International Herald Tribune)
Honorable Mentions:
1. Widow's Lunch Treat for 100,000 People (The Scotsman)
2. Two Painters Rescued from Inside Water Tower (Shreveport Times)
3. Dole Food Company, Inc. Announces World Environment Day Tree-Planting and Climate Change Awareness Campaign
4. 11th Century Jain Statue Found in India (Times of India)
5. Building on Pyramids of Trash (Eurekalert.org)
Today's Top 5:
1. Brazil to Protect More of Amazon
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,20797,23819634-5003402,00.html?from=public_rss
By Ana Nicolaci da Costa in Brasilia
June 06, 2008 08:25am
BRAZILIAN President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, under pressure over his stewardship of the Amazon rainforest, has unveiled plans to create three protected reserves covering an area the size of the US state of Vermont.
In a speech marking World Environment Day, Mr Lula said the steps aimed at combating a spike in deforestation would take time to work, and foreigners did not have the moral authority to tell Brazil how to manage the world's largest forest.
"It's not easy to discuss the environment, thinking that the mere creation of a law or a decree will solve the problem," he said.
"Sometimes a thing that seems so consensual can take two or three years to materialize because we have to respect institutions."
At least 23 million hectares of the rainforest are already protected. The new reserves in Para and Amazonas state would expand the area by 2.6 million hectares.
Mr Lula's proposal has to be approved by Congress and could face challenges in the Supreme Court.
The resignation last month of renowned Amazon defender Marina Silva as environment minister raised worries among environmentalists that Mr Lula is siding with farming and industrial interests that want to develop the forest.
The measures were welcomed by Denise Hamu, the head of the World Wildlife Fund in Brazil, who said it was a positive step.
2. Europe's Oldest Man Celebrates His 112th Birthday - with an RAF (Royal Air Force) Flypast
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1024744/Europes-oldest-man-celebrates-112th-birthday--RAF-flypast.html
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 6:31 PM on 06th June 2008
Henry Allingham lunched with dignitaries including Air Vice Marshal Peter Dye, before a Lancaster bomber, Spitfire and Hurricane honoured his achievement with a flypast at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire.
Mr Allingham is the last founder member of the RAF. His life has spanned three centuries and six monarchs.
The parachute display by the RAF Falcons was cancelled due to low cloud but the team jumped out of a Chinook helicopter instead to present Mr Allingham with a birthday card signed by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy.
After the presentation, a Lancaster bomber flanked by two spitfires flew over the college lawn in front of Mr Allingham and his 44 guests, who included his great-great-grandchildren Erik Carlson, two, and four-month-old Lila Rose Gray.
Mr Allingham, dressed in a beige suit, pink striped shirt and RAF tie, posed for photographs with RAF cadets.
A two-seater single-engine Tutor aircraft then performed an acrobatic display above the college's main building for the assembled guests.
The aircraft is the first used by cadets when they arrive for training at the college.
It performed a number of stunts, including flying upside down.
Asked for the secret of long life Mr Allingham said: "I don't think there's a particular reason. The only thing I can say is all my life I have lived within my limitations, take life slowly, don't get any stress or strains. The more birthdays I enjoy the longer I live.
"The fly past was a very nice gesture and I want to show my appreciation for what you have done. My best wishes to you all."
He added: "I really enjoyed it, I wasn't too tired which was a good thing actually."
Mr Allingham serenaded reporters with a rendition of Take Me In A Taxi, a music hall hit from the early 20th century, before the press then returned the compliment and sang him Happy Birthday.
He then posed for photographs with his four-month-old great-great-granddaughter Lila Rose Gray.
Air Vice Marshal Peter Dye paid tribute to Mr Allingham's achievement of reaching 112.
"Henry is a most modest man but I also think he is the most incredible of individuals.
"He has a passion and a determination to tell people about his experiences and to bear witness to those who served like him in World War One.
"He recognises that he was incredibly lucky to survive the experience and he knows he is only one of a few surviving veterans but he is determined to talk about his experiences and about what it meant."
David Gray, 59, from northern Michigan, said his grandfather, Mr Allingham, was the joint-second oldest person in the world. The oldest person in the world is nine months older than Mr Allingham, he said.
Mr Gray said: "It's remarkable. Not only has he lived to this long but he has still got his mental faculties intact. Our whole family are very proud of him and we keep track of him on the internet and also through media coverage.
"It's pretty special that the RAF put on this kind of celebration but I think in part they are trying to outdo the Royal Navy so each year it gets better and better but we are very appreciative of what they have done for him."
Mr Allingham was presented with a birthday card and cake by children from Cranwell Primary School.
The RAF prepared a three-course lunch of smoked salmon, chicken breast and orange tart for Mr Allingham and his 44 guests, including his grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
The event was also attended by Vice Admiral Sir Adrian Johns (Second Sea Lord and commander-in-chief Naval Home Command).
Many of Mr Allingham's family had flown over from America to watch the celebrations, in what is the 90th anniversary year of the RAF.
Before setting off to Lincolnshire today from St Dunstan's care home for blind ex-service personnel in Ovingdean, near Brighton, East Sussex, he spoke about reaching such a grand age.
Mr Allingham said yesterday: "I feel on the crest of a wave. What man wouldn't with all the good souls I have looking after me here.
"I'm a lucky guy. I am looking forward to a wonderful day and to seeing the family.
People ask me how I've done it, and I just say that I look forward to another tomorrow."
He was accompanied on the visit by close friend Dennis Goodwin, who is also founder of the First World War Veterans' Association. He said Mr Allingham's favourite tipple was a cup of tea with one sugar every morning.
Mr Allingham is just one of three known UK survivors from the First World War.
The other two are ex-Royal Navy stoker Bill Stone, 107, who was born in Devon but now lives in Oxfordshire, and 109-year-old Harry Patch, who lives in Wells, Somerset, the last surviving Tommy to have served on the Western Front.
The Government announced two years ago that the death of the last known First World War veteran would be marked by a national memorial service at Westminster Abbey.
The decision was warmly welcomed by veterans and by MPs who have campaigned for a service to mark the final passing of the generation who fought in the 1914-18 conflict.
It was said the service would reflect the events of November 11, 1920, when the unknown warrior was laid to rest and the Cenotaph unveiled in Whitehall.
Mr Allingham, who has five grandchildren, 12 great- grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren, joined the Royal Naval Air Service in September 1915 before transferring to the RAF in April 1918.
As well as being the last founder member of the RAF, he is also the sole survivor of the Battle of Jutland.
He has been awarded a string of accolades including the British War Medal, Victory Medal and the Legion d'Honneur, France's highest military honour.
In April 2006 he was given the Freedom of Eastbourne, the East Sussex seaside town where he retired in the 1960s.
He lived a relatively independent life alone in the resort but with his eyesight fast deteriorating, he moved to St Dunstan's where he can receive round-the-clock care.
3. Rare Books, Including One from 900 A.D., on Display at Kennesaw State University
http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/cobb/stories/2008/06/06/kennesaw_rare_book_exhibit.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13
By KAREN ROSEN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/06/08
Come face to face — literally — with a volume of the first Mayan book made in 1,000 years at Kennesaw State University's new rare book exhibition.
The eerie face with hollow eyes appears on the cover of a book constructed in 1997 out of recycled and natural materials such as crushed marigolds.
It's too fragile to open, but visitors can peek inside other rare books in the exhibition "Book Art; Art in Books; Books as Art," at the Sturgis Art Gallery.
The display examines typography, illustrations and bindings in about 300 items from the Bentley Rare Book Gallery. It opened Thursday and will run through July 19 in the lower level of the Sturgis Library.
"One of the great pleasures for all of us was rolling up our sleeves, getting into the collection and finding these wonderful things," said Rita Impey-Imes, assistant curator.
Librarian Mary Platt, an expert on typographic printing, said her favorite is a Nuremberg woodcut from 1493.
"The fact that we have this makes my heart go pitter-patter," she said.
Books are displayed behind glass, but pages have been scanned and prints mounted on the walls.
"Then, you can get your nose up to it," Impey-Imes said.
Yes, there's a Gutenberg Bible, but it's a facsimile reprint produced in 1985. It's still worth about $100,000, Impey-Imes said.
The huge volume is such a faithful reproduction of the Mazarin Library Copy from the 1450s that each page has a microdot to differentiate it from an authentic page worth $70,000.
In about 200 years, it'll be hard to tell the difference without the microdot, Impey-Imes said.
Robert B. Williams, curator of the rare book gallery, was taken aback by a print from one of gallery's treasures.
"I said, 'Who tore that out of the book?" he said. "The copies are so good."
The items on the wall behind glass are originals.
The most valuable book is in the temperature-controlled Bentley Rare Book Gallery, which is just across the hall from the exhibition.
It's titled — in Middle English — "The Woorkes of Geffrey Chaucer" and is worth $1.6 million, Impey-Imes said.
The volume from 1542 is one of just five copies of this Chaucer version in existence. The others are at Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard and Wellesley College.
It's worth more than three times the value of the $500,000 collection donated in 1988 to KSU by Marietta's Fred D. and Sara Bentley.
The Chaucer can be seen by appointment. So can the oldest item in the collection, a colorful page of parchment from a woman's prayer book dating back to the year 900.
Visitors to the art exhibit will be more familiar with illustrations, including those from books by Charles Dickens, organized by Dewi Wilson; and children's books, assembled by Rita Spisak, that include "The Wizard of Oz," "Gulliver's Travels" and "Alice in Wonderland."
Examples of "fore-edge painting" books from the 1800s are rolled, so you can see the hidden painting on the edge.
Some of Impey-Imes' favorite books are bound with leather that has gold-tooled engraving that makes them look like Oriental rugs.
KSU students visit the rare book gallery during classes and are allowed to handle some of the books.
"We use 500-year-old books for our demonstrations," Impey-Imes said, "because they're better made. They can stand all that handling."
The students do wear gloves.
"That's because," she said, "I can't line them all up and have them wash their hands — and keep it within class time."
They get more than a tactile sensation, too. When Impey-Imes opens a Shakespeare folio from 1688, students get a strong whiff of the London of the time.
"The air in London was very dirty, and the pages of the book soaked it up," she said.
The Mayan book, "Conjuros y ebriedades," is so brittle that it has to stay closed.
Impey-Imes did have to move it from its former place on a shelf in the rare book room.
"I have to come in there in the dark to undo the alarm system," she said. "and it would always give me the willies."
If you go
Where: Sturgis Library Gallery; 1000 Chastain Road, Building .17; Kennesaw State University
Hours: Monday-Thursday noon to 6 p.m.; Saturday: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.; closed Friday and Sunday
Admission: Free
Website: http://www.kennesaw.edu/library/exhibit/about.html
For group tours or more information, call 770-423-6535.
4. 94-year-old to Receive Diploma from McKinney Boyd High School
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/060708dnmetgrad.70bb888.html
04:01 PM CDT on Friday, June 6, 2008
From Staff Reports
This evening, Ridgell M. McKinney, 94, will be the first graduate of McKinney’s Boyd High School to walk across the stage and collect his diploma — a replica of the document he should have received back in 1934.
Mr. McKinney left high school just before he was to graduate because he did not want to tell on a friend who cracked his knuckles and disrupted class.
School officials realized the great, great grandson of Collin McKinney — an area settler who signed and helped draft the Texas Declaration of Independence — had never received the diploma and held a graduation ceremony for him at McKinney High School last fall.
School officials decided to again honor Mr. McKinney in a larger event this evening as the first graduate of the new Boyd high school, which bears the same name as the school he attended back in the '30s. This time, he will be bestowed with replicas of his class ring and the 1934 diploma. He has also been submitted to the Guinesss World Records for collecting his diploma more than 70 years after the fact.
5. Japan Officially Recognizes Ainu as Indigenous People for First Time
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/06/06/asia/AS-GEN-Japan-Indigenous-People.php
The Associated Press
Published: June 6, 2008
TOKYO: Japan's parliament voted Friday to recognize the Ainu ethnic group as the country's indigenous people for the first time and urged steps to reverse a century of discrimination and poverty.
The votes in both houses of the Diet, Japan's parliament, overcame a long-standing refusal to acknowledge that any other race predated the appearance of the Japanese in the archipelago.
The resolution is not binding, but is expected to lead to more concrete measures. It follows a law passed in 1997 that promoted Ainu culture and language but stopped short of bestowing indigenous status.
"This is a first step toward improvement in areas such as education ... and financial restitution," said Teruki Tsunemoto, director of the Center for Ainu and Indigenous Studies at Hokkaido University.
The Ainu, the original inhabitants of Japan's northern island of Hokkaido and nearby areas, have long been victims of the country's steady march to modernization, particularly when Hokkaido was settled by Japanese in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Today in Asia - Pacific
2 bus bombings in Sri Lanka kill at least 23Pakistanis say they foiled a new bomb plotWith a king deposed, question of appointing a deity in Nepal
The Diet also linked the resolution to next month's summit of the Group of Eight industrialized nations in Hokkaido. Japan is eager to avoid protests that have surrounded previous G-8 summits.
Japan has long portrayed itself as a racially homogenous country. Unlike in the U.S., where Native Americans were moved to reservations largely separate from mainstream society, Ainu were forced to give up their land and language to assimilate into Japanese culture.
Current government estimates indicate about 25,000 Ainu remain in Hokkaido, though the number could be several times larger due to those who have not been counted or who hide their status to avoid prejudice.
Japan is also home to other minorities, including Okinawans who inhabit the southern islands and ethnic Chinese and Koreans, some whom were forced to move to Japan during its colonial rule of Korea.
Itsuki Nakamura, director of The Ainu Museum in Hokkaido, said the resolution could help with disputes over land and precious metals in areas previously populated by Ainu, but would also provide a sense of heritage.
"It will allow our children to have a real identity as Ainu people," he said.
Honorable Mentions:
1. Widow's Lunch Treat for 100,000
http://news.scotsman.com/world/Widow39s-lunch-treat-for-100000.4161030.jp
Last Updated: 06 June 2008 1:14 PM
Source: Edinburgh Evening News
Location: Edinburgh
A RICH Indian widow has spent a huge chunk of her wealth on a feast for 100,000 people, in the hope it would please the gods and open the doors of heaven for her.
People from surrounding villages and towns were fed lunch over two consecutive days by 80-year-old Phuljharia Kunwar, at a reported cost to her of more than £19,000 ($37,500 US).
2. Two Painters Rescued from Inside Water Tower
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080606/NEWS01/806060333/1002/NEWS
By Kristi Richie
krichie@gannett.com
June 6, 2008
VIVIAN — Two men are lucky to be alive after they passed out while painting the inside of a water tower Thursday.
AMS Painting contractor workers Fredrick Griffin, 39, of Bolivar, Tenn., and Paul Childress, 47, of Florence, Miss., were overcome by paint fumes at about 3:20 p.m. and had to be rescued by firefighters.
Griffin and Childress were inside the drained water tower, and a third man was working outside, all about 160 feet in the air, Shreveport Fire Department spokesman Brian Crawford said.
The only access into the water tower is a hole in the top.
"While they were painting, they became disoriented and passed out. There is some type of air cleaning system in there, but apparently it was not working or malfunctioned," Crawford said.
Inhaling the fumes is similar to carbon monoxide poisoning, Crawford said. "It's a gradual process that doesn't happen all at once. It's so deceptive by the time they realized what was happening, they were already in trouble and couldn't get out."
The third worker looked into the hole atop the tower to check on the men and saw them lying in the bottom. He called 911, and Caddo Fire District 8 responded.
"The firefighters went inside and realized the severity of the situation and called for mutual aid," Crawford said. "The firefighters had a couple of extra tanks and put vent masks on the men because they couldn't lift them out. That probably saved these guys' lives."
About 20 minutes later, the men felt able to scale a ladder out of the water tower. Once outside, firefighters contemplated repelling the men down the tower, but they were able to climb down themselves.
"They felt comfortable to scale the tower, so we attached safety lines to them and they were able to climb down safely," Crawford said.
The men were safe on the ground by about 5:20 p.m.
Caddo Fire District 7 and Shreveport Fire Department also responded.
"We have great mutual aid in Caddo Parish. All the different parish fire departments and Shreveport Fire Department have great reliance on one another," Crawford said. "No matter where you are in the parish in the event of an emergency of this magnitude, we will always have resources available."
3. Dole Food Company, Inc. Announces World Environment Day Tree-Planting and Climate Change Awareness Campaign
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/dole-food-company-inc-announces,423037.shtml
Posted : Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:00:59 GMT
Author : DOLE/ENVIRONMENT-DAY
Category : Press Release
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. - (Business Wire) Dole Food Company, Inc. and its operating divisions in Latin America celebrated World Environment Day yesterday by organizing tree-planting events and environmental awareness campaigns with communities, employees and local officials to motivate participants to work toward environmental protection and mitigation of climate change.
Jonathan Bass, President of Dole Latin America, stated, “I am pleased to see and share in the excitement that these World Environment Day events have produced with our employees and workers and particularly within the communities in which our production units operate. We all have an important role to play in protecting the environment.”
In Costa Rica, the event is also linked to the official opening of Dole’s organic pineapple plantation reaffirming the company’s leading position in organic agriculture and alternative production methods. The activity includes the planting of 5,000 trees provided by the National Electricity Institute as part of the Costa Rican Government’s pledge to plant 7 million trees in the year 2008. School children, local government regulators, field workers, office employees, neighbors and the region’s congresswoman will plant trees at the organic plantation to commemorate World Environment Day and demonstrate the effectiveness of private, public and community partnership.
The reforestation events are also part of Dole’s commitment to work toward carbon neutrality. It is estimated that for every ten trees approximately 5 tons of C02 per year can be captured from the atmosphere. The activities held in Honduras, Ecuador, Colombia and Costa Rica serve as an opportunity for participating employees and neighbors to compensate for the emissions produced by their own vehicles, creating awareness to take action to alleviate climate change.
“This grass roots reforestation event brings many benefits including helping to reduce erosion, protecting water sources, and contributing to biodiversity. In addition, the carbon dioxide emissions from the agricultural machinery used in pineapple production will be compensated by the carbon fixed by the trees,” commented Richard Toman, Vice-President of Pineapple Operations for Dole Fresh Fruit International Ltd.
Dole Food Company, Inc., with 2007 revenues of $6.9 billion, is the world’s largest producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and fresh-cut flowers. Dole markets a growing line of packaged and frozen foods and is a produce industry leader in nutrition education and research.
Dole Food Company, Inc.
U.S. Contact:
Marty Ordman, (818) 874-4834
or
Europe Contact:
Sylvain Cuperlier, +33-1-44-17-30-60
4. 11th century Jain Statue Found in India
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Jaipur/Pushkar_11th_century_Jain_statue_found/articleshow/3104476.cms
6 Jun 2008, 0455 hrs IST,Kshitiz Gaur,TNN
AJMER: A medium-sized black stone statue of 17th Jain Tirth-ankar Kuntunath, dating back to 11th century, has emerged during excavations in holy town of Pushkar.
The statue is one of the more than 36 statues found in last one year at old Pushkar and Ghat areas of the region. The discoveries confirm that a religious congregation was held at the place some time in the medieval period.
Eighteen more such statues have been discovered in old Pushkar alone, including a Shivling of nearly one thousand year old, rare statue of god Kartikeya, a statue of Vishnu and more Jain Tirthankar statues.
The statue of Jain Tirthankar Kuntunath in a meditating posture appeared when renovation work was going on at the famous Varaha temple in Pushkar. It bears characteristics of Jain architecture - curly hair, sharp features on the face, etc. The style of meditation is also peculiar to Jain philosophy.
The statues are being housed in the government museum at Akbar Fort in Ajmer. Archaeologists and historians are studying different perspectives of new scripts of Chouhan dynasty of 11th century.
Two months ago, more than 20 statues were found during construction work on private land near Jat Vishramsthali behind the famous Bramha temple. The works contain scriptures in Ingal and Pingal, local dialects spoken during 10th century, and representing the meditation postures, and date between 6th and 11th centuries.
"These new discovery show that Jainism flourished well at the time of Hindu ruler Prithvi Raj Chouhan,"said Akbar Fort museum superintendent Syeed Ajam Hussein. "Pushkar has the importance of multi-religious studies. The statues are in very good condition,"he said, adding that the statues bear pure art of Jain sculptures and therefore are of significant value to scholars and archaeologists.
About 8 years ago, a metallic statue pertaining to Jain religion was also found in the area which dated back more than two thousand years. "The period is important to note because that was the time when the region was ruled by Hindu kings, and Ghajnis invaded the land,"added Ajam.
"Pushkar is an ancient city. There are clues that Vikramaditya of 6th century had studied in Pushkar. The land has more treasure buried under it,"said a Pushkar-based archaeologist Rajendra Yagnik.
"More than 4 times, the university at Pushkar was ruined by the invaders. This university was unique with Samkhya, Yoga and Jain philosophies being taught there,"he said, adding, "A group of Italian archaeologists also visited the place and gathered information of scriptures found here."
5. Building on Pyramids of Trash
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/ip-bop060508.php
Public release date: 5-Jun-2008
Contact: Roelof Schuiling
schuiling@geo.uu.nl
Inderscience Publishers
A novel solution to the growing problem of waste
A Dutch engineer has devised a simple solution to the growing amounts of waste society generates. Writing in the current issue of the International Journal of Global Environmental Issues, Roelof Schuiling of Geochem Research BV, suggests solidifying waste in a concrete-type material and using the resulting slabs to build pyramids that not only deal with waste disposal but could become tourist traps and major landmarks for our cities.
Great and award-winning works of art have been made from the most outlandish of materials from Chris Ofili's depiction of the Holy Virgin Mary encrusted with elephant dung and Damien Hirst's pickled tiger shark representing life and death to the unmade bed of Tracey Emin and the unspeakable bodily fluids of avant garde duo Gilbert & George. But all of these works will pale into insignificance if a plan to dispose of solid domestic and even toxic industrial waste by building solid monuments to waste is undertaken.
Schuiling suggests that it is "dangerous and unsustainable" to simply bury solid toxic waste in lined deposits underground, which is current best practice. He says that such waste should first be immobilized by mixing with a cement and immobilizing additives to reduce the possibility of toxic materials leaching into the earth and ground water.
Moreover, if this solidifying material were shaped into slabs, these might be stacked to form a pyramid surrounded by a lined ditch. "Such a system is sustainable, easy to control, and does away with the need for an extensive and 'eternal' monitoring system," Schuiling explains. He points out that a water-repellent coating would keep any leaching of materials from the pyramids to an absolute minimum, while periodic monitoring of the runoff could be used to control any potential hazardous leakage.
"These pyramids, erected in prominent places, could serve as a tourist attraction and become a source of income rather than a continuing financial burden," Schuiling adds. He even suggests that these large-scale structures might be used as the foundation for building dwellings, office buildings, and leisure facilities, particularly in flood-prone regions. Either way, they would be monument to the vast amounts of waste generated by the throwaway society in which we live.
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