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A legendary ferry goes on a journey across the Bosphorus

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The legendary Pashabahçe ferry, built in 1952, made its first trip across the Bosphorus last weekend after a 2-year restoration.

The naval vessel, which was originally built as a warship and later converted into a ferry plying the Bosphorus, has been fully restored by a major Istanbul municipality. It will now once again operate a regular urban marine transport service to the Princes’ Islands.

At the ceremony held at the Halic Shipyard, on the Golden Horn, the leader of Turkey’s main opposition force, the Republican People’s Party (RPP), Kemal Kulçdaroğlu, said: “It is extraordinary to relive history. It is this kind of history that gives cities their character. If the rulers alienate themselves from the city they live in, they also forget history.”

The opposition expressed great thanks to the head of Cityline’s ferry services in Istanbul, Sinem Dedetaş.

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu expressed his gratitude to everyone who contributed to the reconstruction of the Pashabahçe ferry. He shared the many problems he faced: “I would like to thank my friends who have taken firm steps to increase the share of marine public transport in our city after years. I am happy that the Pashabahce ferry will embark on this beautiful journey where we will experience many good days, many good news, many special celebrations and many special moments in the upcoming 100th anniversary of our republic next year. In our institution, we have adopted the basic philosophy and principle which is part of our understanding, which is transparency, accountability, saving and using every penny of this country and this nation in the most proper way, never giving an opportunity to wasters. As a leadership, we are confidently on our way.”

The Pashabahçe ferry was built in 1952 in Taranto, southern Italy, as a warship and later converted into a ferry for the Turkish metropolis, used primarily for Bosphorus transport lines.

For 58 years, the iconic ship sailed between both sides of the Bosphorus, including the Princes’ Islands, but in 2010 Pashabahçe was retired.

In 2017, journalist Adil Bali visited the ship and decided that after more than half a century of service, retirement was not a fitting fate for the iconic vessel.

The journalist shared that when he first saw the disused ferry, he felt sorrow in his heart. It was covered everywhere with grass and moss and everything was dilapidated.

He inspired the reconstruction by posting a petition on change.org calling for the ferry to be saved. About 6,500 people signed up in support.

Hundreds of ships stopped on the Danube river because of low water

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Hundreds of self-propelled and non-self-propelled vessels are waiting in the Bulgarian-Romanian section of the Danube River due to the very low level. This was announced to BTA by Ivan Zhekov, director of the “River Supervision – Ruse” Directorate at the “Maritime Administration” agency.

In the Bulgarian-Romanian section there are 20 thresholds that make navigation difficult. The lowest level is in the areas of Belene and Batin islands. Ships can pass there with a draft of up to 1.30 meters.

The downtrend continues. The situation is similar in the other Danube countries, as the low water has covered the entire river.

“Cruise ships travel, if they have the opportunity, and in very few sections. In our area, this is impossible. They mainly travel lightly loaded vessels or empty vessels that have a draft of 1.20 – 1.30 meters”, explained Zhekov.

According to him, there are currently no stranded ships as the captains avoid traveling in this environment and wait for the conditions to improve. This leads to losses for ship owners and companies.

“There was a similar low water in 2003, as well as in 2018, but now the drought came too early and this will probably be the most unfavorable year from the point of view of shipping,” Zhekov said.

According to him, in the Bulgarian-Romanian section, the level of the Danube River is not expected to rise soon, which would ease the very difficult navigation.

According to data from the “Research and Maintenance of the Danube River” agency, the level at Rousse today is minus 52 cm compared to the conditional elevation of “zero”. The forecast for the next two days is that it will drop by another three centimeters.

Drought is putting severe challenges to navigation on Europe’s longest river; only some passenger cruise ships, which are running very shallow, are currently overcoming the difficulties. On Sunday, the level of the Danube in the area of ​​the village of Gomotartsi, Vidinsko, was below sea level – minus 121 cm; near Novo Selo, the Agency for the maintenance of the navigable waterway of the Danube River reported a water column of minus 10 cm. And at the 796th kilometer at “Danube Bridge 2”, the level was only 35 centimeters above sea level.

Blazing sun, clear water, birds and people can be seen in an unusual place. Sandy islands and dunes, lakes and lagoons are part of a landscape that attracts more and more admirers in the summer heat.

This unusual place is the middle of the Danube River at kilometer 796, under the nearly 30-meter high structure of “Danube Bridge 2”. It can be reached by car, bicycle and boat, and the most enthusiastic – on foot.

The thick shadow cast by the bridge is where one can hide in the cold. The feeling is strange – on one side is the Bulgarian coast, and only meters away – the Romanian coast.

The level of the Danube in the Bulgarian section remains critically low, it has been below zero in many places for almost a month now. Somewhere the river can even be crossed on foot.

Photo: BTA

Signs in Bulgarian scare thieves in the London subway

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The police in London are apparently squealed by the Bulgarian pickpockets

Signs in Bulgarian warning pickpockets that the police are monitoring their actions have appeared in London.

“We are actively monitoring you, you are targeted”, reads the inscription on the sign in the subway.

The photo was shared on social networks by travel blogger Bobby Ilinov.

London’s Metropolitan Police have apparently been hissed by the Bulgarian pickpockets and have resorted to an unusual approach to warn them off. With a yellow sign, in Bulgarian, the following text is written: “The police are warning. Pickpockets, be careful! We are actively watching you, you are being targeted!”.

On Facebook, other Bulgarians who live in the capital of the United Kingdom share that there were other signs with the text: “Beware of thieves – Bulgarians!”. Many people ask why a cosmopolitan city with a mayor of Pakistani origin puts all Bulgarians under one denominator in this ugly way.

The police certainly have a serious problem with our pickpockets, which, however, can be solved in another way, especially since the entire subway and a large part of the streets are surrounded by cameras.

Photo credit: TrafficNews

What is the connection between salt and muscle cramps?

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Gaston de Persigny
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See what to do if you get a muscle spasm

It is a misconception that salt should accumulate in the body after training. Salt is also found in whole grains, nuts, and legumes. Their consumption supplies our body with a sufficient amount of sodium chloride. People who do intense sports need more salt in their diet. However, they are not the only ones affected by muscle cramps. Why do they occur?

Muscles respond to stimuli from our motor nerves. When their interaction is disturbed, the muscle reacts and a painful spasm occurs. There can be two reasons – a damaged nerve that sends more than necessary signals to the muscle, or a muscle that reacts hypersensitively to normal stimuli.

 “If someone often suffers from muscle cramps, it should be investigated,” explained neurologist Dr. Dirk Cesnik. According to him, sometimes the reasons can be related to a disease, which is important to detect in time.

The standard recommendation to relieve painful spasms is to take magnesium. Unfortunately, it doesn’t help everyone. Dr. Gernot Kühnel recommends stretching the muscles before bed.

We don’t have to cut out salt completely to be healthy, says Matthias Riedl, a nutritionist and head of the Medicum Center in Hamburg. “But we have to consume salt in moderation,” he is emphatic, DW quotes.

How to eliminate chips, soy sauce, ready-made soups or frozen pizzas from our menu? Most people cannot imagine life without salt at all. But this is exactly what the current health minister of Germany, Karl Lauterbach, has been practicing for over 30 years, because he is convinced that it is healthier.

The human body needs salt, but in limited quantities

Salt is vital. Its chemical formula is sodium chloride – especially sodium is important for the human body because it is necessary for the maintenance of important functions: it regulates the water balance, the activity of the nervous system and muscles and aids digestion. For the body to perform all these functions, we need about 1 gram of salt. This means that salt in moderation is beneficial.

Archbishop Jerome of Athens: If bishops and priests do not care for people, they have no purpose in life

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The Archbishop of Athens, Hieronymus, appealed to all the clergy in the country to be close to each and every person, because without this their ministry becomes meaningless. In his speech today after the solemn service in the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Chrysospilyotissa, he said:

“If the Church, the archbishop, bishops and priests are not concerned about every single person, then they have no purpose in their lives.” And he added: “The Church and priests exist because there are people with difficulties and problems in life, and because of that God has called us to become co-workers.”

“When God bends down to every person’s wound, to every problem, to every difficulty, even when he meets denial, we have no right to follow another path and go in another direction. This is why all clerics, be they archbishops, bishops or priests, are called to be servants of man.”

The head of the Greek Church believes that today’s medicine to deal with the growing difficulties of society is cooperation: “In our country, we need to forget about differences and put them on the back burner, and cooperation should come first. The Church must set an example here as well. The priests must cooperate with the people, the bishops – with each other and with the people, so that the people can hand it over to the politicians and everyone around us who are fighting for this country. For everyone to understand that this is the best medicine, and to strive for cooperation, coexistence and understanding.”

For his part, Australian Archbishop Macarius called on the clergy of his diocese to remember that their priestly mission is to direct people not to themselves, but to Christ and the Church. He delivered his pastoral speech during a priestly ordination in the church “St. Charalampius” in Melbourne, and the reason is the way some clerics preach from the pulpit – in the center of their sermons they put themselves, their experiences, thinking that this way they make their word more interesting and alive, while in fact they self-centeredly obscure the message of Christ . This is how they gain followers, subtly creating a cult of their own personality instead of directing people’s attention to Christ.

According to Archbishop Macarius the priest must bear in mind the danger of losing orientation to his mission, despite the enthusiasm with which he begins his priestly ministry:

“And this happens because we priests forget that we are here not to preach ourselves, not to say things from ourselves, not to lead people to ourselves and win people’s love, but to we point people to Christ and the Church.”

There are three basic principles that the priest must observe if he wants to avoid this danger: never to identify himself with Christ, never to identify himself with the Church, and never to identify himself with the Holy Spirit.

“There are many cases of clergymen who come out and speak in the name of the Holy Spirit and preach heresy. There are many cases of clergymen who go out and, instead of Christ, talk about their lives and accomplishments, about the good things they believe in, or even worse – raise the tongue in the pulpit in the street, because they think that this way they become current, but they forget that the sermon is a sacred matter and not everyone can say what he wants, what interests him, what he believes in and especially what he personally lives”.

This is also advised by the model in the preaching work – St. John Chrysostom: “We do not preach and reveal our lives, but our goal is to preach and reveal Christ.”

Photo by Ron Lach / pexels

Russian mercenaries in Mali killed by jihadists

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The jihadist “Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims”, linked to “Al-Qaeda”, announced that it killed four paramilitaries from the Russian private armed militia “Wagner” in an ambush in Central Mali, reported France Press.

Two local representatives and a hospital source confirmed the news.

The ambush took place on Saturday in Bandiagara area. A group of mercenaries from “Wagner” have gone out on motorcycles and headed for the nearby mountains. There they ran into the ambush in which four Russians were killed.

Mali’s junta has turned to what it says are instructors from Russia to support it in the context of the deteriorating security situation. Paris and Washington refer to these instructors as mercenaries of the “Wagner” group.

On Monday, France, whose military has been fighting the jihadists for nine years, said it had withdrawn its last soldier from Mali because of deteriorating relations with Bamako’s rulers. Among the reasons for the worsening of relations was the invitation to “Wagner” to deploy in Mali. After almost a decade of being based in Mali to fight Islamist rebels around West Africa, France and military allies have moved to Niger to continue their mission. “France remains committed in the (wider region) Sahel, in the Gulf of Guinea and the Lake Chad region with all partners committed to stability and the fight against terrorism,” the French presidency said in a statement.

Coups in Mali, Chad and Burkina Faso have weakened France’s alliances in its former colonies, emboldened jihadists who control large swathes of the three countries. About French soldiers are based in the Niger capital, Niamey, along with warplanes, drones and helicopters, French officials told reporters last month. Another 300-400 people will be sent for special operations with the troops of Niger in the border areas with Burkina and Mali.

Between 700 and 1,000 more commandos will be based in Chad, as well as an undisclosed number of special forces operating elsewhere in the region.

Last week, Germany ended its military mission in support of the United Nations in the African country because of a dispute with the authorities, who once again refused to allow a plane to bring a replacement for the German contingent.

MINUSMA – The UN’s Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, was established in 2013 to support foreign and local troops fighting Islamist militants, but in recent months there have been repeated incidents of tension between Malian authorities and the world’s peacekeeping forces. organization.

German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said Germany was ready in principle to participate in an international peacekeeping mission, but only if it was supported by the Malian government. For now, Berlin is suspending the reconnaissance part of its mission until further notice.

Photo credit: © European commission (audiovisual service)

The story of the world’s largest abandoned train station

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Gaston de Persigny
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In 1928, Canfranc International Station was the largest in Europe. It was the most important transport center that connected Spain and France for 50 years.

Canfranc was also popular among film directors. Films were often filmed on its territory, such as scenes from the cult “Doctor Zhivago”.

Due to its colossal dimensions – platforms more than 200 meters long, a magnificent facade and an unusual location – in the mountains at an altitude of 1200 meters, the station has earned the nickname “the Titanic of the mountains”.

From the point of view of architecture, it is an excellent example of a combination of classicism and art nouveau. Marble, concrete and glass, typical of classicism, were used as the main materials for the construction.

Unfortunately, the station ceased to function in 1970 when, as a result of a train accident, the bridge connecting France and Spain was destroyed. Financial pressure from the French national railway company forced the French government to abandon the reconstruction of the bridge, leading to the closure of the Spanish-French border in this section.

After that, the “Mountain Titanic” service became unprofitable for the Spanish government and work on the station was stopped.

It is interesting to note that in one of the tunnels adjacent to Canfranc, a unique research laboratory was built at a depth of 850 meters. Its location made it possible to completely protect the laboratory from cosmic radiation, which allowed scientific experiments with dark matter to be carried out freely.

Thus, although the station has not functioned for 50 years as a transport hub, it continues to be useful to the world.

Currently, the main area of ​​the station is derelict, but the management company continues to maintain the facade in decent condition. The Spanish authorities have big plans to turn the station into a luxury hotel.

It would breathe new life into the “Titanic of the Mountains”, which still retains remnants of its former glory.

In his book ‘El Canfranc, Historia de un tren de leyenda’ (translated: ‘The Canfranc, story of a train of legend’), Alfonso Marco, a historian and technician for the Subdirectorate of Technological innovation at Spanish railway infrastructure manager Adif – who was himself born from a family of rail workers in Canfranc – writes that the cost for the project was estimated at 3.2 million pesetas (the rough equivalent of €20,000), plus over 1.2 million (€7,200) to build access points, docks and other facilities. 

The new Russian space station

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The Rocket and Space Corporation “Energy” (part of Roscosmos) for the first time shows a model of a prospective Russian orbital station at the “Army-2022” forum, reports TASS on 15th of August.

The layout shows the station immediately on the second stage. It assumes in orbit not only the base, science and power, hub and gateway modules, but also the target, production modules, as well as the service platform.

The model also shows the jumped Eagle spacecraft, as well as the Soyuz and Progress spacecraft.

In July, the head of Roscosmos, Yuri Borisov, in a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, said that a decision had been made to withdraw Russia from the International Space Station after 2024, and all obligations to partners would be fulfilled.

He noted that by the time the Russian Federation withdraws from the ISS project, the formation of the Russian Orbital Station (ROS) will begin. Its assembly in space will begin in 2028

The “Army-2022” forum officially opens on August 15 and will continue until August 21. Within its framework, it is planned to hold 289 events in the “Patriot” park near Moscow, at the “Alabino” training ground, at the airport in Kubinka, as well as in all military districts and the Northern Fleet, in more than 30 regions of Russia. Military delegations from 72 countries will participate in the forum.

Which flowers like acidic soil?

By
Gaston de Persigny
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0

pH – these letters are found in the recommendations for growing almost any plant. What is this designation and why do you need to know it? They show the acidity of the soil – a very important indicator for any vegetation. The fact is that a huge number of chemical and biochemical processes in our environment, including the soil, depend on acidity values.

This characteristic of the soil is of great, often primary importance for the normal development of cultivated plants. In order to grow full-fledged healthy plants, it is imperative to monitor acidity indicators, because the ability of green plants to absorb nutrient ions from the soil solution depends on it.

Such soils have an inhibiting (suppressing) effect on the growth of the root system, thereby slowing down its absorption capacity. As a result, the supply of phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and calcium to plant organisms, the main vital elements, is greatly reduced and as a result the plants do not receive the necessary nutrition. On alkaline soils, it is difficult to supply plants with trace elements: magnesium, zinc and boron. Soil microorganisms, which are so necessary for structuring, work only in an environment with slightly acidic characteristics.

The most favorable conditions for the necessary plant nutrition are soils with neutral indicators or not far from them. In other conditions, there is excessive absorption of some nutrients and a lack of others. As a result, there is a deficiency of certain elements that adversely affect the development of plants, the formation of the crop and its quality.

What affects acidity?

What conditions does pH depend on? Or, more precisely, what influences this indicator to a greater extent? First of all, the climate in a given area, the proximity of peat bogs or forest areas, the lack or excess of water resources, as well as the care of this area and the right agricultural technology.

What numbers indicate the level of acidity

The most significant in this matter is the number 7 (more precisely, 6.5–7.4), which indicates a neutral character. All indicators below this number up to a value of 4.5 indicate an acidic character (from weakly to strongly acidic reaction of the soil solution). Values ​​in the range of 7.5–8.5 indicate alkaline types.

When starting gardening, it is important to know that each type of plant has its own special requirements for the reaction of the soil environment. All garden plants according to their pH requirements can be divided into three groups: acidophiles (pH 5.0–6.4), neutrophils (pH 6.5–7.4), basiphils (pH 7.5–8.5) .

What flowers like acidic soil in the garden

Such acidophilic plants, also called acidophytes, include:

– Azaleas;

– Wild rosemary;

– Ferns;

– Rhododendrons;

– Peonies;

– Lupins;

– Forget-me-nots;

– Lily of the valley;

– Asiatic lily hybrids;

– Roses;

– Poppy;

– Carnations:

– Cobblestones;

– Hydrangea;

– Kaluna;

– Zinnia.

What houseplants like acidic soil

Indoor plants: azaleas, camellias, fuchsia, cyclamen, monstera, begonia, pelargonium, asparagus are also plants for acidic soils. For their planting, a substrate with a predominance of peat in its composition and compost obtained from rotted coniferous or oak foliage should be prepared. For even greater acidity, sphagnum moss is successfully used.

However, most of us prefer to buy soil in the store. There should be a marking on the packaging for the acidity value. You can also acidify the soil with sawdust, coniferous litter, as well as fresh manure. Other home methods are also applicable for this: with lemon or sorrel, as well as with ordinary citric acid – dissolve 15 g in a liter of water.

How to increase soil acidity

Sometimes, but extremely rarely, an increase in pH is required. Although it’s usually the other way around. But for example you really want to have a beautiful flower (like your favorite rose) loving acid soils in your garden.

Bring in acidic peat and use it as an organic fertilizer, mixing it into the existing soil in the area designated for your acidophyte. There are other ways to make the area more acidic:

– apply acid complex fertilizers, the choice of which in stores is huge and every seller will help you;

– add compost or manure, which will help at least slowly acidify the soil;

– at the same time as digging, bring in coniferous waste: sawdust, sawdust, litter;

– use urea – one of the fastest acidifiers.

Photo: Jing/ pixabay.com

Check if you have big ears!

By
Gaston de Persigny
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0

Large ears, also called macrotia, are a well-known trait that bothers many people. But anyway, there is no perfect ear size. They usually range from 6 cm in women to 7 cm in men – vertically. When the distance from the tip of the upper edge to the lower edge of the soft part is more than 7 cm, an option for possible correction through the possibilities of aesthetic surgery can already be allowed – but this also depends on the proportion of the ears to the face.

It has long been proven that human ears are as unique as fingerprints. Many people assume that a person’s character can be determined by his ears. Naturally, whether we will believe this or not is a separate matter – but in any case it is curious. Some followers of physiognomy believe the following regarding the ears.

Big ears. Such ears show that the person has an active character – but only if they have clear contours. A smooth, well-shaped auricle indicates logic and intelligence. Feel free to trust such people. Large fleshy ears with drooping soft pads indicate wisdom and nobility. In the East, it is believed that spiritual guides and teachers often have such large ears.

Medium sized ears. Owners of middle ears are lucky in love, but careers often do not go well for them, and the financial situation leaves much to be desired. In this case, it is good to pay attention to the shape and size of the earlobe. A fleshy pillow indicates a strong-willed character, while a thin and small one indicates a lack of vitality and career failure.

Small ears. If your interlocutor’s ears are thick and small, most likely the person in front of you is a liar and often cheats. It is better not to start a conversation with him about art – he is not interested in such “high” matters. However, small thin ears are a sign of refined taste. However, if they are too thin, almost to the point of transparency, then you have a passionate, but nervous and short-tempered person in front of you.

Pointed ears. If the ears are pointed like the elves (at least that’s how they are shown in Lord of the Rings), this indicates a suspicious inconsistency of character. It is difficult for such people to get to know each other, to trust someone. By the way, the owners of such “elfin” ears themselves do not see anything dishonorable in deceiving others for their own benefit – they are cunning and calculating.

Ears with a wide opening. If one or even two fingers easily fit in the ear, then we are talking about a smart, generous, open person who is destined for a long life.

Ears with a narrow opening. If even a finger cannot enter the ear, such people are considered stingy, narrow-minded and secretive. They are in a state of continuous stress and live little. Why the physiognomy is so harsh on narrow-canal ears is unclear – but that’s the situation, what to do…

Ear cushion. The ear cushion – the soft lower part of the ear – and a person’s character are also interconnected. If it is almost absent, it is considered to prove a hard character. An elongated, slightly curved pillow is a sign of sincerity. You can have a frank conversation with such a person. And the very long pillow speaks of high sexuality. Accordingly, it is an indicator of a tendency to cheating.

Of course, only we decide whether to believe all these generalizations. The main thing is not to get too carried away by them and not to spoil your relationship with someone just because of their ears – these, after all, are only uncertain hypotheses close to superstition!

Photo by Monstera / pexels

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