Egyptian treasures found in ancient tomb

Friday, March 13, 2009

A team of archaeologists excavating an Ancient Egyptian tomb have discovered golden jewelry in a recently-discovered lower chamber at the Valley of the Kings burial site in Luxor, Egypt.

Two golden rings and five golden earrings were found in the tomb of Djehuty, an 18th-dynasty official of Queen Hatshepsut, and were probably the property of Djehuty or his family.

The discovery was announced by Farouk Hosni, Egypt’s current Minister of Culture.

Djehuty was overseer of the treasury and overseer of works for the Queen. Hatshepsut reigned approximately 1479–1458 BCE. Djehuty was responsible for managing the huge amounts of precious goods brought in from Egypt’s military expedition to Punt in the Horn of Africa and the vast building projects of Hatshepsut which have made the female pharaoh one of the most-remembered of any from ancient Egypt.

Djehuty died after Hatshepsut did, sometime during the reign of Thutmosis III. Both Hatshepsut’s and Thutmosis’s names are recorded on the tomb. In a fashion typical of ancient Egyptian rivalries, Hatshepsut’s name was partly obscured on the monument over the tomb sometime after the queen’s death.

The team, led by José Manuel Galán of the National Research Center (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, CSIC), in Madrid, Spain, had been excavating the tomb, designated TT11 and located in the necropolis of Dra’ Abu el-Naga’, since 2002. While much of Djehuty’s funerary equipment was lost to fire in antiquity, the lower chamber of his tomb was concealed at the end of a three-meter shaft and discovered at the end of 2008.

A superficial description of the tomb itself was recorded almost two hundred years ago by 19th-century French Egyptologist Jean-François Champollion, rubble blocking the entrance hindered excavation until the 21st century. In that time, emphasis in Egyptology has changed from the cataloging of treasures to the investigation of ancient culture, life and religion.

Since excavation began, Djehuty’s tomb has yielded a number of surprises. It was discovered that the tomb was re-used repeatedly up to and during the Greco-Roman period. There is an unusual face-on depiction of pharaoh Thutmosis III hunting ducks, and the mummy of a young, bejewelled, as-yet unidentified woman.

In 2007, 44 preserved bunches of flowers thought to be from Djehuty’s funeral were found in the site. In their 8th season of excavation, which ended on February 22, 2009, the team also found considerable evidence that below Djehuty’s tomb is a network of burial sites from the 11th dynasty, four thousand years old.

The lower chamber also displays passages from the Egyptian funerary text the Book of the Dead on its walls and a colorful mural of the goddess Nut, an embodiment of the heavens, on the ceiling. The names of Djehuty and his parents were also intact in the second chamber; the names were defaced in the previously-known first chamber of the tomb, which had also been looted.

According to a press release from Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, Djehuty’s tomb is only the fifth known decorated burial chamber of the 18th dynasty. An additional unusual feature of the tomb is that its upper chamber is decorated in relief, rather than simply paint. When the excavation is completed, Dr Galán’s team plans to open the site to the public as the carved stoneworks will not be destroyed by tourists’ activities as paint would.

The identification of Djehuty is a complicated one, as a number of officials of the 18th dynasty bore the name, including a general and several governors. The name itself is an alternate transliteration of the name of the Egyptian god usually written in English as Thoth.

News briefs:August 17, 2006

The time is 18:00 (UTC) on August 17th, 2006, and this is Audio Wikinews News Briefs.

Contents

  • 1 Headlines
    • 1.1 Indonesian health officials investigating possible human to human transmission of H5N1 Bird Flu virus
    • 1.2 Overnight battle for Sri Lanka’s Jaffna peninsula
    • 1.3 House fire in Buffalo, N.Y. leaves two families homeless
    • 1.4 Federal judge rules warrantless wiretaps illegal
    • 1.5 Liverpool’s elected officials call in the Police
    • 1.6 New Zealand army Unimog crash leaves one solider dead
    • 1.7 Man confesses to 1996 murder of JonBenet Ramsey
    • 1.8 Body of missing New Zealand student found
  • 2 Closing statements

Top Five Expert Tips To Keep Your Pomeranian Happy And Healthy}

Submitted by: Bruno

When thinking about adding another member in your family, you always consider a loyal, beautiful, intelligent, loving, sturdy, and healthy dog. The Pomeranian dog breed is a royal breed which has many great characteristics to be loved and adored. When you get a Pomeranian into your home in the form of a pet, it means that you are making a lifetime commitment to provide everything which the dog needs for a healthy and happy life. Pomeranian or Pom is a small size dog, just look like a toy and have a long life expectancy of about 12 to 16 years.

Owing the Pom is not a big deal, but the heed to Pom is considered a high errand. After choosing the Pomeranian as pet, the foremost query comes in mind that how to take best care of the Pom in my house? Will the Pomeranian live happily with me? Will the Pomeranian be the best breed for me? Now, you require some guidelines for special care in order to have a healthy and adoring relationship between you and your pet. This article is based on considering your problem and it would deliver top five tips to properly care the Pomeranian breed.

The very top way to make your Pomeranian loyal and lovable is that, you should pay an attention for his clearness, neatness and grooming. Although, the Pomeranian dogs are easy to groom and care for, they still need your consideration. You should daily brush their hairs and teeth, and give them bath on regular basis like give bath them once or twice in a month. You should clip their over growing nails. For overall health care, you should also visit a professional veterinarian, who is nearby to your home or he or she can be your family health practitioner, on frequent basis for regular checkup of your Pom.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1aDsbJNFbg[/youtube]

After grooming, another top tip to make your Pom loyal and healthy is to train it. Proper training is necessary for every dog, but most dog owners do not take care of it properly. A proper trained Pomeranian will not only make you happy, but also will be pleasurable for strangers. A trained Pomeranian is considered as a secure, safe, obedient, and pleasurable for all. Trained Pom is well behaved pet and definitely a proud to you. So, it is really needed for the owner or master to take the time out to train his Pomeranian properly. Another great way to train the Pom is to join a training class to get instructions from professional trainers.

Subsequent to your Pomeranian training, the next step for being a good Pomeranian breeder is getting more and more knowledge and complete information about the Pomeranian. You can get information by visiting the nearest dog breeders place or searching online. You can prove your level of goodness with your Pom by taking numerous tests and judging its behavior.

Good quality dogs food is the best way in getting your dog healthier. You can prepare and feed homemade dog food and also, there are many high brands of dog food available commercially. The very important aspect in caring your pet is the awareness of its vaccinations. Owner must be aware of the vaccination that is required by his pet. If you are not sure, it is better to consult with your vet and ask for vaccination chart.

In short, above defined attributes of good diet, professional checkup, good exercises, training classes and health arrangements are the boosting shots for your Pomeranian. So, you should consider your commitment with your Pom carefully, and there are very high rewards for compensating the work which is involved in caring for the Pomeranian.

About the Author: Bruno is a web entrepreneur and social media marketing consultant working for the Norwegian dog community website

Hundefeber.no

where he is responsible for recruitment of new community members. He owns a lovely

Pomeranian

and is participating in the

Pomeranian Forum

on weekly basis.

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

isnare.com/?aid=550184&ca=Pets }

South African lawyer and anti-apartheid leader Harry Schwarz dies age 85

Friday, February 5, 2010

South African lawyer, politcian, diplomat and anti-apartheid leader Harry Schwarz has died at the age of 85. He died after suffering from a short, undisclosed illness.

Leader of the Democratic Alliance of South Africa Helen Zille paid tribute to Schwarz. She said “On behalf of the Democratic Alliance, I extend sincere condolences on the death of Harry Schwarz”. She added “Harry Schwarz will be remembered for his signal contribution to the development of our democracy. His piercing intellect, and long professional experience in banking, made him the most astute analyst in Parliament on economic and financial matters during his terms in office. He has engraved his place in South Africa’s political history. We will always remember him”.

Harry Heinz Schwarz was born in Cologne, Germany in 1924. At the age of 10 he arrived in South Africa as a Jewish refugee, he later served in the South African Air Force. After World War II he qualified as a lawyer from the University of the Witwatersrand.

As both a trained advocate and attorney, Schwarz served on the defence team on Nelson Mandela and several other anti-apartheid activists during the 1963-64 Rivonia Trail.

Schwarz entered politics in 1951 with his election to the Johannesburg City Council. He entered parliament in 1974 on the UP ticket. He was the opposition’s spokesman on finance until 1987. Despite being on the opposition he was chosen as South Africa’s ambassdor to the United States and served from 1990 to 1994. He was also South Africa’s first ambassador to Barbados, serving from 1993 to 1995.

His funeral is planned for Febuary 7th. He is survived by his wife Annette, and his three children Jonathan, Allan and Michael.

Author Amy Scobee recounts abuse as Scientology executive

Monday, October 11, 2010

Wikinews interviewed author Amy Scobee about her book Scientology – Abuse at the Top, and asked her about her experiences working as an executive within the organization. Scobee joined the organization at age 14, and worked at Scientology’s international management headquarters for several years before leaving in 2005. She served as a Scientology executive in multiple high-ranking positions, working out of the international headquarters of Scientology known as “Gold Base”, located in Gilman Hot Springs near Hemet, California.

First casualty of French riots reported

Monday, November 7, 2005

Jean-Jacques Le Chenadec has been reported as the first casualty of recent rioting in France. The 61-year old man was beaten by a hooded rioter last week and had been in a coma since the attack.

The uprising was set off by the death of two teenagers who were allegedly chased by police and hid in an electric power station where they were electrocuted.

The French riots have further intensified over the past few days and are now said to have spread to nearly every city in the country.

The French prime minister, Dominique de Villepin, announced on Monday plans to allow the nation’s regions to impose curfews. Mr. de Villepin appeared the day before on television with an appeal to end the violence.

The president, Jacques Chirac, ended his silence on the rioting on Saturday, when he spoke to the press. “Those who want to sow violence or fear will be caught, tried and punished,” he said. “But we also understand very well that we must move towards respect for each individual, justice and equality of opportunity. We are all completely determined to go down this road and pursue the efforts that are already under way in this domain.”

The Minister of the Interior, Nicolas Sarkozy, called for a radical overhaul of the French social model that he said, “in every aspect, needs to be fundamentally rebuilt.” On the same day, various people [1] [2] discovered that UMP, the political party of Nicolas Sarkozy had bought the Google AdWords ‘banlieue’ (suburbs) to advertise their own website on google.fr.

Arrests in the rioting total nearly 1200 following the deaths of two youths on October 27. The unrest, which started in a Paris suburb, has spread to over 270 towns across France. More than 4300 cars have been torched across the country, and 2 schools were burned.

Climate change impacts Wyoming

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Cheek numbing, eye watering winds whip across the plains of the Laramie Basin, Wyoming. The ground is yellow brown with patches of recalcitrant snow. Sheep Mountain is losing its winter coat. All normal affairs for March. The March edition of the Wyoming Basin Outlook Report also reports, based on February accumulations, that Snow Water Equivalent is at 99% of average.

The SWE is a measure of the snow pack that feeds the streams, rivers and reservoirs that Wyoming, Nebraska and other states depend upon for water. Current averages are compared to the average SWE for 1971-2000. In recent years, snow pack in this region has been anything but normal.

The Outlook Reports are issued January to June. Since March 2000, only five of 46 months have been above normal. While many of the winter months have been near normal, June’s snow pack is far below average. Even in 2006, the wettest year of the last eight years, June snow pack was only 37% of the average.

In an e-mail interview with Wikinews, Lee Hackleman, Water Supply Specialist, said

The snowpack is melting out several weeks earlier than average. The higher temperatures in the spring are responsible for this. There seems to be a significant drop in the amount of runoff that we are able to retain in our reservoirs, a lot of runoff seems to be soaking into the ground. We do not have the June flood events any more. We use to [sic] be cool then hot, not cool warm then hot.

In a phone interview with Wikinews, Myra Wilensky of the National Wildlife Federation in nearby Colorado, also commented on changing snow patterns.

In the west, nothing is ever clockwork, the patterns shift, a good amount of snowfall in the season and then a quick warm up. We don’t get the prolonged snowpack that we used to have. May have a really wet snow year, then really dry with rain.

Can’t count on getting estimated amount of snow anymore. March and November have historically been our snowiest months, but this year it’s been a fairly dry in March and November. Winter is shorter now.

This is part of a general increase in temperature in the region. An Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change cited by the National Wildlife Federation estimates that the temperature will rise almost 7 degrees (F) by 2100.

This will likely cause most, if not all, of the state’s glaciers to disappear. Wildfires may increase, droughts could get worse and rains–when they do come–will likely come in more severe downpours that may cause more flash flooding. Warmer temperatures also mean less snowpack in the mountains, leading to more winter runoff and reduced summer flows in many Wyoming streams.

The NWF’s main concern is the fate of the wildlife in the region, particularly how the impact of pine bark beetles. Warmer winters have led to mass infestations in Western lodge pole pine forests and The New York Times reports that they are now moving on to white bark pines in Yellowstone particularly impacting grizzly bears there. In turn, the grizzlies are shifting to feeding on Canadian thistle, an invasive species that might be choking out native plants.

Changing weather patterns have also affected large migratory animals.

This year winter came late. When the heavy snows hit, the mule deer and the elk were spread out, had to be fed. Feeding isn’t newsworthy, happened before like in 1982 but it wasn’t as successful this year because they were so spread out.

Water for people has also become a major issue in the region.

There is a much greater concern for water rights than there used to be. There is not enough late season water to satisfy everyone all the time.

Kansas has long fought Wyoming over water rights issues. And Montana is currently suing Wyoming, claiming that the Yellowstone River Compact signed in 1950 gives rights to both surface and ground water, while Wyoming disagrees. On February 18, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the lawsuit.

Wyoming officials say they are adhering to the compact and that the drought has meant less water for both states.

But Montana says Wyoming is storing more water in reservoirs than the compact permits and allowing excessive pumping of groundwater reserves that feed into the two rivers.

Those “groundwater” reserves are tapped by some Wyoming farmers to irrigate their fields. Energy companies discharge large volumes of groundwater during production of coal-bed methane, a type of natural gas prevalent in northern Wyoming.

Authorities do not see this fight over increasingly limited water resources going away anytime soon.

Everyone is going to have to learn to get by with less.

Obama’s Inaugural Celebration “We are One” attracts 400,000

Sunday, January 18, 2009

At 2 P.M. on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., approximately 400,000 people attended H.B.O.’s presentation of Barack Obama’s inaugural kick off concert called “We are One“. The concert featured many musicians including Beyonce, Stevie Wonder and U2. The show featured other high profile celebrities in between performances reading and reflecting on the significance of Barack’s Inauguration on the 20th. Near the end, President-Elect Barack Obama went on the steps and gave a speech.Throughout most of the songs, several different large choirs provided back up vocals and harmony, as well as a full orchestra below the stage. The bald Eagle, the national bird of the United States was displayed several times and allowed to fly within its trainers arm range as a symbol of patriotism and pride. The entire event is expected to be funded with donations gathered by Obama’s inaugural committee.On January 19, Michelle Obama and Jill Biden hosted the “Kids’ Inaugural: We Are the Future” concert at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. Musical performers include Disney television and pop stars Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers. The show was broadcast live on Disney Channel and on Radio Disney.

Directly in front of us is a pool that still reflects the dream of a King, and the glory of a people who marched and bled so that their children might be judged by their character’s content.
Inauguration Lineup
Performer(s) Act
Master Sergeant Caleb B. Green III The Star-Spangled Banner
Denzel Washington Homage to the leaders given Monuments or Memorials
Bruce Springsteen The Rising” by Bruce Springsteen
Laura Linney and Martin Luther King III F.D.R and John F. Kennedy
Mary J. Blige Lean on Me” by Bill Withers
Jamie Foxx and Steve Carell Referencing Thomas Jefferson, Thurgood Marshall and Robert Kennedy
Bettye LaVette and Jon Bon Jovi A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke
Tom Hanks Tribute to Abraham Lincoln
Marisa Tomei Quoting Ronald Reagan
James Taylor, John Legend and Jennifer Nettles Shower the People” by James Taylor
Joe Biden Speech
John Mellencamp Pink Houses” by John Mellencamp
Queen Latifah Referencing Marian Anderson
Josh Groban and Heather Headley My Country, ‘Tis of Thee
Kal Pen and George Lopez Quotes Dwight Eisenhower and Barbara Jordan
Herbie Hancock, will.i.am and Sheryl Crow One Love” by Bob Marley
Tiger Woods Dedicating the Armed Forces
Renee Fleming You’ll Never Walk Alone
Jack Black and Rosario Dawson Tribute to Theodore Roosevelt
Garth Brooks American Pie” by Don McLean
Ashley Judd and Forest Whitaker Referencing John F. Kennedy and William Faulkner
Usher, Stevie Wonder and Shakira Higher Ground” by Stevie Wonder
Samuel L. Jackson Referencing Abraham Lincoln, Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr.
U2 Pride (in the Name of Love)” and “City of Blinding Lights” by U2
Barack Obama Speech: Voices Calling for Change
Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen This Land is your Land” by Woody Guthrie
Beyonce America the Beautiful

No prosecution for UK minor who called Scientology a ‘cult’

Saturday, May 24, 2008

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) of the government of the United Kingdom told the City of London Police on Friday that there will be no prosecution for a 15-year-old boy who called Scientology a “cult” at a May 10 peaceful protest. The City of London Police had previously confiscated the boy’s protest placard and gave him a court summons at the demonstration, which took place near St Paul’s Cathedral at the Church of Scientology‘s London headquarters on Queen Victoria Street. The boy’s poster read: “Scientology is not a religion, it is a dangerous cult”. The human rights organization Liberty has come out strongly against the City of London Police for their actions at the protest, and said they are pursuing an inquiry into the police force for what they say is a troubling freedom of speech issue.

Individuals from the group Anonymous have held monthly international protests against the Church of Scientology since February, as part of the anti-Scientology movement Project Chanology. The Project Chanology movement began when the Church of Scientology attempted to get a leaked Scientology promotional video featuring Tom Cruise removed from websites YouTube and Gawker.com.

Members of Anonymous were motivated by the actions of the Church of Scientology, and bombarded Scientology websites and were successful in taking some of them down. Anonymous later changed tactics towards legal measures, and held international protests against Scientology on February 10, March 15, April 12, and most recently May 10.

I am going to fight this and not take it down because I believe in freedom of speech.

City of London Police approached the 15-year-old boy at the May 10 protest and cited section five of the Public Order Act 1986, which deals with “harassment, alarm or distress“. In response, the boy cited a 1984 judgment given by Mr. Justice Latey in the Family Division of the High Court of Justice of Her Majesty’s Courts of Justice of England and Wales, in which Latey called Scientology a “cult” and said it was “corrupt, sinister and dangerous”. In the actual 1984 judgment made by Judge Latey, he stated: “Scientology is both immoral and socially obnoxious. […] In my judgement it is corrupt, sinister and dangerous. […] It is dangerous because it is out to capture people, especially children and impressionable young people, and indoctrinate and brainwash them so that they become the unquestioning captives and tools of the cult, withdrawn from ordinary thought, living and relationships with others.” The boy told fellow protesters he was not going to take the sign down, saying: “If I don’t take the word ‘cult’ down, here [holding up his sign], I will be either, I think, most likely arrested or [given] a summons. I am going to fight this and not take it down because I believe in freedom of speech, besides which I’m only fifteen.”

… it is not abusive or insulting and there is no offensiveness, as opposed to criticism, neither in the idea expressed nor in the mode of expression. No action will be taken against the individual.

When the boy refused to take his sign down, City of London Police removed it, cited him with a court summons and informed him that the matter would be referred to the Crown Prosecution Service. The boy was the only protester who did not comply with the police requests to remove signs which referred to Scientology as a “cult”. According to The Guardian, a CPS spokesman stated Friday that: “In consultation with the City of London police, we were asked whether the sign, which read ‘Scientology is not a religion it is a dangerous cult’, was abusive or insulting. Our advice is that it is not abusive or insulting and there is no offensiveness, as opposed to criticism, neither in the idea expressed nor in the mode of expression. No action will be taken against the individual.”

“The CPS review of the case includes advice on what action or behaviour at a demonstration might be considered to be threatening, abusive or insulting. The force’s policing of future demonstrations will reflect this advice,” said a spokeswoman for the City of London Police in a statement in The Guardian.

The 15-year-old boy’s mother called the CPS decision a “victory for free speech”, saying: “We’re all incredibly proud of him. We advised him to take the placard down when we realised what was happening but he said ‘No, it’s my opinion and I have a right to express it’.”

The incident has generated significant interest on the Internet, from civil rights groups and anti-cult groups, and in the press. Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, and Ian Haworth of the United Kingdom-based Cult Information Centre were highly critical of the actions of the City of London Police. George Pitcher of The Daily Telegraph called the actions of the City of London Police “a mockery of the law”. Other publications also criticized the actions of the police, compared the boy to past civil rights protesters, and analyzed how the characterization of “cult” applied to Scientology. The Guardian reported that human rights activists “were outraged” when reports of the actions of the City of London Police at the protest surfaced this week. Marina Hyde wrote in a comment piece in The Guardian that the City of London Police should spend a little less time “reaching for the collar of free-speaking children”. An article in The Guardian about the boy’s court summons hit the front page of the website Slashdot on Wednesday, and an article about the statement by CPS hit the site’s front page on Friday. The anti-Scientology website Enturbulation.org devoted its front page to the incident on Saturday.

The police may have ended their inquiries into this tawdry incident but rest assured that Liberty’s inquiry will continue.

BBC News reported that attorneys for Liberty represented the 15-year-old boy to the CPS. In media statements Friday, Liberty said it would continue its inquiry into the actions of the City of London Police. “The police may have ended their inquiries into this tawdry incident but rest assured that Liberty’s inquiry will continue. Democracy is all about clashing ideas and the police should protect peaceful protest, not stifle it,” said James Welch, legal director at Liberty. “Reason has prevailed in the case of the anti-Scientology protester”, wrote Welch in a comment piece in The Observer. According to The Press Association, Liberty’s inquiry may result in actions taken against the City of London Police.

The City of London Police has faced controversy in the past for its close association with the Church of Scientology. When the City of London Scientology building opened in 2006, City of London Chief Superintendent Kevin Hurley praised Scientology in an appearance as guest speaker at the building’s opening ceremony. Ken Stewart, another of the City of London’s chief superintendents, has also appeared in a video praising Scientology. According to The Guardian over 20 officers for the City of London Police have accepted gifts from the Church of Scientology including tickets to film premieres, lunches and concerts at police premises.

Unlike the City of London Police, the Metropolitan Police Service (the territorial police force responsible for Greater London excluding the City of London) has not raised an issue with protesters using placards with similar wording at protests against Scientology, according to The Guardian and Londonist.

Each of the Project Chanology international protests against Scientology has had a theme: the February protest called attention to the birthday of Lisa McPherson, who died under controversial circumstances while under the care of Scientology, the March protest was arranged to take place two days after Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard‘s birthday, the April protest highlighted the Church of Scientology’s disconnection policy, and the May protest highlighted the Scientology practice of “Fair Game” and took place one day after the anniversary of the publication of Hubbard’s book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. Another international protest is planned for June 14, and will highlight the Church of Scientology’s elite “Sea Organization” or “Sea Org”.

 This story has updates See UK group Liberty, Edinburgh city council on Scientology ‘cult’ signs 

Shopping Basket