Easter

Easter is the most important annual religious feast in the Christian liturgical year . According to Christian belief, Jesus was resurrected from the dead three days after his crucifixion. Christians celebrate this resurrection on Easter Day or Easter Sunday (Resurrection Day or Resurrection Sunday), two days after Good Friday and three days after Maundy Thursday. The chronology of his death and resurrection is variously interpreted to be between A.D. 26 and 36. Easter also refers to the season of the church year called Eastertide or the Easter Season. Traditionally the Easter Season lasted for the forty days from Easter Day until Ascension Day but now officially lasts for the fifty days until Pentecost. The first week of the Easter Season is known as Easter Week or the Octave of Easter. Easter also marks the end of Lent, a season of fasting, prayer, and penance.
Easter is a moveable feast, meaning it is not fixed in relation to the civil calendar. Easter falls each year on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25 inclusive, following the cycle of the Moon.
Cultural elements, such as the Easter Bunny and Easter egg hunts, have become part of the holiday's modern celebrations, and those aspects are often celebrated by many Christians and non-Christians alike. There are also some Christian denominations who do not celebrate Easter.

President Ivan Gašparovič pays official visit to the Czech Republic

To start his one-day official visit to the Czech Republic, the Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič met the Czech President Václav Klaus. Gašparovič thanked his Czech counterpart for supporting Slovakia with his views throughout his tenure.

He appreciated the Czech Republic’s attitude during the Russia-Ukraine gas row, amidst which Slovakia received selfless help from its western neighbours. On the other hand, according to Gašparovič, the approach of Ukraine, with which Slovakia had signed a gas supply contract, was disappointing. The Slovak President also touched on the issue of Slovakia’s entry into the Eurozone, which has unquestionably been a positive move: “There are more pros than cons to euro adoption in terms of our economy and people”.

Both partners agreed that Ukraine had missed a vital chance during the recent gas dispute.
Gašparovič and his Czech counterpart also discussed relations between the EU and Russia. Gašparovič is convinced that a partnership among the EU, Russia and the USA could foster global stability. Both politicians also discussed the impacts of the global financial crisis.

During his official visit, President Ivan Gašparovič also met the President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Přemysl Sobotka and the meeting with the Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek confirmed the excellent quality of Slovak-Czech relations.
Ivan Gašparovič: “our Eurozone entry came at just the right time and stabilised Slovakia’s economy”.

Man Steals Identities

In Sacramento, California, a man, Jerry Van Le, 30, has been accused of stealing an identity. He stole Social Security numbers from about 25 people so he could buy various items with a big value.

For example from the loans he obtained, he purchased a $500,000 home and five vehicles. Le was a mortgage broker. Authorities say this is a $100 million ring.

The robbed people had not yet established credit. Also the man sold Social Security numbers to many others. Le has to appear in a preliminary hearing on the 16th of April. The investigation is ongoing, and there may be other suspects.

Germans Testing Herbal Viagra

German researchers are testing a herbal remedy for erectile dysfunction that is even more effective than Viagra in some cases. The cocktail includes grape juice extract, maca and a herb called tribulus terrestris.

The research is being undertaken by the Charite hospital in Berlin, and researchers said: "In clinical trials, 50 men had much better sex afterwards, more fun in bed and just generally felt better about themselves."

"Their libido was even higher than the control group taking Viagra." The treatment has been dubbed "Plantagrar" and could be launched by early next year.

14-Year-Old Raped on the School Bus

A 13-year-old boy was arrested today and has been charged with third-degree rape. The rape is said to have happened on the bus ride home at about 3:15 p.m. on March 11th. A 14-year-old girl is the alleged victim.

No one reported the rape while it was happening. It is said to have happened in the back of the bus, and the bus driver did not notice anything. Kingston Middle School officials said that some students reported it a day after it happened.

If convicted, the boy will face up to 30 days in juvenile hall, 150 hours of community service, 12 months of community supervision, and a fine of $500. The boy and another 13-year-old boy, who may be involved, were expelled from school.

Obama Says No More Slaughtering of Cows Who Can't Stand Up

In his weekly radio address, President Barack Obama said that the Department of Agriculture will ban the use of "downer" cows - ones which are too weak or sick to stay standing under their own power - to ensure a food supply free of diseases.

"As part of our commitment to public health, our Agriculture Department is closing a loophole in the system to ensure that diseased cows don't find their way into the food supply," he said.

The already-existing partial ban had allowed use of cows which passed inspection but later collapsed from injuries not related to the central nervous system. Mad cow disease testing was scaled back dramatically during the Bush administration.

Tattoo Kills Man

In the UK, John Chillingworth, 35, has died but it's not clear what caused his death, being either from the tattoo that his girlfriend bought him as a birthday present or from the thrombosis he had.

But the fact is that around the tattoo on his body, a part became red and swelled two days later, having much pain. Unfortunately, ten days after the tattoo was done, his girlfriend found him lifeless.

Cans of Marijuana Labeled Pacific Green Spinach

When Florida truck driver Denny Brady stopped at a Gallup, NM, highway weight station, inspectors noticed most cans on the 4 pallets of canned spinach didn't have labels.

After checking, it was discovered that the actual weight of the cans didn't match the weight printed on the labels. Further inspection disclosed 1,200 lbs. of pot in cans labeled Pacific Green Spinach.

The East bound truck was transporting the California export possibly back to Brady's hometown of Frostproof, Florida. The DEA estimated the delivery's value at $1.5 million.

New Missile Test Fired By Iran

Iranian media reports that the country has test fired a brand new air-to-surface missile. The new missile has a 110km (70 mile) range and is made to be deployed against naval targets.

Some think this test is a display by Iran to show they can retaliate if attacked in the Gulf. One expert said "They've taken Chinese missile technology and converted and developed it to take out ships," and called it "not a new development."

Last week a commander in the Iranian military said Iranian missiles now can reach Israeli nuclear sites. That was the first such specific target had been mentioned by Iran. The U.S. State Dept. had no comment on the Iranian press releases.

Woman Finds Cell Phone Inside Her Bag of Chips

Emma Schweiger of Janesville, Wisconsin, found an unexpected 'bonus prize' inside one of the two bags of Clancy's Ripple Potato Chips that she purchased from a local Aldi store: a blue and silver Nokia cell phone covered in chip crumbs and grease.

Schweiger said her heart jumped when she first felt the object in her chip bag and upon discovering the non-working phone, experienced a wide range of emotions. When explaining the situation to a reporter, she alternated between laughter and disgust.

Schweiger contacted the FDA despite Aldi offering her a refund/replacement and assuring her they'll pull affected chips. Schweiger said the incident has broken her from eating chips from the bag and any future chip consumption will be from a bowl.

Gucci

Frida Giannini's populist approach to Gucci has the ability to divide opinion between girls all over the world who see nothing wrong with buying into her accessible channeling of trends, and critics who wish for something more directional at this level of luxe. Still, in these extreme times, maybe that's splitting hairs. When a designer sees her market, it would be insanity not to go for it, and in Giannini's case, that means aiming at nightclubbing girls who might be tempted by a glittery upgrade on the slick-leather leg and big-top look all urban teenagers are rocking this year.

Woman has 6,005 piercings

A woman from Scotland was said to be a record breaker for having 6,005 piercings according to the Guinness book of world records. Elaine Davidson made her record offical in the year 2000 when she had 462 piercings, 192 of them were on her face.

It is nine years later and now she has thousands of piercings, more than 1,005 of them are internal. Davidson saids she doesn't like getting pierced, but she told the Telegraph to break the record you have to get to a high level.

According to medical experts excessive piercing can be dangerous. It can cause a risk of infection in and around the piercings. It can also cause a risk of blood borne diseases which could be spread from reusing needles

Sri Lanka officials say averted kamikaze attack

Government says it foiled Tamil Tiger rebel assault on air force
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka's government said on Sunday a kamikaze attack by Tamil Tiger rebels a two days ago could have destroyed the country's air force, but a disaster was averted because the two explosive-packed rebel planes were shot down before they could reach their targets. Authorities said four people, including the two rebel pilots, were killed in Friday night's attack. Government spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said Sunday that if the attacks had been successful, "there wouldn't have been an air force." Air force spokesman Janaka Nanayakkara said one of the planes carried about 264 pounds of explosives but the pilot could not detonate it because he had lost a hand to anti-aircraft fire

Eat well, be well

A healthy balanced diet contains a variety of types of food, including lots of fruit, vegetables and starchy foods such as wholemeal bread and wholegrain cereals; some protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, eggs and lentils; and some milk and dairy foods.
These practical tips can help you make healthier choices.


1. Base your meals on starchy foods
Starchy foods such as bread, cereals, rice, pasta and potatoes are a really important part of a healthy diet.
They are a good source of energy and contain fibre, calcium, iron and B vitamins.


2. Eat lots of fruit and veg
Try to eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and veg every day.


3. Eat more fish
Most of us should be eating more fish - including a portion of oily fish each week. It's an excellent source of protein and contains many vitamins and minerals.


4. Cut down on saturated fat and sugar
Try to cut down on food that is high in saturated fat and have foods that are rich in unsaturated fat instead, such as vegetable oils (including sunflower, rapeseed and olive oil), oily fish, avocados, nuts and seeds.
We should all be trying to eat fewer foods containing added sugar, such as sweets, cakes and biscuits, and drinking fewer sugary soft and fizzy drinks.


5. Try to eat less salt - no more than 6g a day
Three-quarters (75%) of the salt we eat is already in the food we buy, such as breakfast cereals, soups, sauces and ready meals.


6. Get active and try to be a healthy weight
Physical activity is a good way of using up extra calories, and helps control our weight. Try to get active every day and build up the amount you do.


7. Drink plenty of water
We should be drinking about 6 to 8 glasses (1.2 litres) of water, or other fluids, every day to stop us getting dehydrated.


8. Don't skip breakfast
Breakfast can help give us the energy we need to face the day, as well as some of the vitamins and minerals we need for good health.

Greece to open new Acropolis museum in June

In this July 20, 2007 file photo, the new Acropolis museum, seen, background centre, and the Parthenon Temple, foreground, on the top of the Acropolis ancient hill in Athens. Greek officials say in Athens, on Friday, Feb. 13, 2009 the new museum showcasing masterpieces from the Acropolis will be inaugurated this summer after long delays. Culture Minister Antonis Samaras said the opening ceremony will be on June 20, 2009. Initially, Greece had planned to open the museum ahead of the 2004 Athens Olympics.
The British Museum has repeatedly refused to relinquish the 2,500-year-old sculptures, which formed part of the Parthenon Temple's decoration until Scottish diplomat Lord Elgin removed them to Britain 200 years ago. At the time, Greece was still an unwilling part of the Ottoman Empire.
The British Museum argues that it legally acquired the Marbles, which form an integral part of its collection and are easily accessible to visitors from all over the world.

Facebook backs down, reverses on user information policy

Under fire from tens of thousands of users, the social networking site Facebook said early Wednesday it is reverting to its old policy on user information -- for now.
The site posted a brief message on users' home pages that said it was returning to its previous "Terms of Use" policy "while we resolve the issues that people have raised." The "Terms of Use" is the legalese tacked on to the bottom of most Web sites that details what the site's owners can do with the information that users provide. The popular site allows users to create personal profiles where they can then connect with one another, upload photos and share links. The site boasts more than 150 million active users. The company deleted a sentence from the old Terms of Use. That sentence said Facebook could not claim any rights to original content that a user uploaded once the user closed his or her account.

Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg tried to quell the controversy by saying the company's philosophy is that "people own their information and control who they share it with."
Schnitt said the company is in the process of rewording its Terms of Use in "simple language that defines Facebook's rights much more specifically."

Mexicans set kissing record on Valentine's Day

MEXICO CITY - Mexico City puckered up to set a new record Saturday as nearly 40,000 people locked lips in the city center for the world's largest group kiss.

Carlos Martinez of Guinness World Records verified the record of 39,897 people who entered the kissing area of the city's Zocalo main square on Valentine's Day, an English town that set the previous kissing record in 2007.
The Valentine's Day kiss was meant to show love at a time when a crackdown against drug traffickers has led to widespread violence across the country. At least 6,000 people died in drug-related conflicts in 2008. The people will show that warmth and love are at the core of this capital, the heart of the Mexican Republic.
"It's a good idea because a lot of people feel the need to share their affection," One of asked said. "They already do it in the Metro, in the street, so I think it's best if they all do it together."
The event also included workshops on violence-free relationships and AIDS prevention.