"Discoid" shapes were spotted in photographs of Stonehenge, according to the files
The Ministry of Defence closed its UFO desk because it served "no defence purpose" and was taking staff away from "more valuable defence-related activities", newly released files show.
The desk was closed in December 2009 despite a surge in reported sightings.
The summer solstice marks the moment of the year when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted most toward the sun, but it's also an opportunity for fans of ancient religions, nature photographers and freaks from around the globe to get outside and celebrate the first day of summer.
Though a connection between the Celtic high priests and England's Stonehenge has never been reliably established, many people who identify as modern-day Druids still gather at the mighty monument every midsummer. (Credit: Andrew Dunn/Wikimedia Commons)
Ancient Greeks
According to certain iterations of the Greek calendar—they varied widely by region and era—the summer solstice was the first day of the year. Several festivals were held around this time, including Kronia, which celebrated the agriculture god Cronus. The strict social code was temporarily turned on its head during Kronia, with slaves participating in the merriment as equals or even being served by their masters. The summer solstice also marked the one-month countdown to the opening of the Olympic games.
(CNN) -- Presidents, prime ministers and assorted rulers, consider that you have been warned: A massive protest can start at any time, seemingly over any issue, and can grow to a size and intensity no one expected. Your country's image, your own prestige, could risk unraveling as you face the wrath of the people.
The newest iconic images from Turkey and from Brazil -- two countries that have promoted themselves as models to emulate -- include shocking scenes of police brutality, of government clampdown against peaceful protesters. We have entered a new age of protests. While politics remain intensely local, individuals are more interconnected.
The Bulgarian parliament has formally cancelled the controversial appointment of businessman and MP Delyan Peevski as the new head of the State Agency for National Security (ДАНС or DANS), the Bulgarian secret service. All 128 deputies present in the Assembly voted unanimously to reverse the controversial designation that had provoked protests against the current government, just three weeks after it took power. His rushed appointment – he was nominated, voted through and sworn in in a single afternoon – had sparked numerous protests all over Bulgaria since last Friday.
Ethiopia's main opposition party says it will launch what it said will be a sustained national campaign against the country's ruling party. The announcement Thursday follows a peaceful demonstration on June 2. It was the first public protest since 2005 when security forces killed hundreds of protesters in postelection violence.
The Unity for Democracy and Justice Party said the country is heading toward "absolute dictatorship" under the ruling party, which has been in control since 1991.
(Reuters) - Brazil's biggest protests in two decades intensified on Thursday despite government concessions meant to quell the demonstrations, as 300,000 people took to the streets of Rio de Janeiro and hundreds of thousands more flooded other cities.
Undeterred by the reversal of transport fare hikes that sparked the protests, and promises of better public services, marchers demonstrated around two international soccer matches and in locales as diverse as the Amazon capital of Manaus and the prosperous southern city of Florianopolis.
MIDSUMMER'S NIGHT: Tonight, June 20-21, is shortest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. The northern summer solstice is at 1:04 a.m. on the 21st EDT and 10:04 p.m. on the 20th PDT.
EMERGING ACTIVE REGION: For the past few days, a sunspot group on the farside of the sun has been crackling with flares and propelling CMEs into space. Now, this still-unnumbered active region moving onto the Earthside of the sun. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory caught it coming over the eastern limb on June 20th (circled):
By week's end, the emerging sunspot will reveal itself fully to telescopes on Earth. If it has a complex magnetic field that harbors energy for strong eruptions, Earth-directed flares could be in the offing.
Meanwhile, big sunspot AR1775 already poses a threat for Earth-directed flares. It has a 'beta-delta' class magnetic field that poses a threat for M-class eruptions. NOAA forecasters estimate a 30% chance of M-flares on June 20-21. Solar flare alerts: text, voice.
Wunderground.com - 6/20/13, Nick Wiltgen and Terrell Johnson
The longest day of the year will stretch over two days this year.
The summer solstice – the day on which the sun reaches its highest point in the sky and provides the year's longest daylight – is set to occur late Thursday night across much of the western U.S., followed by an early Friday arrival on the East Coast.
(To be exact, the summer solstice is set to occur at 10:04 PM Pacific Time and 11:04 PM Mountain Time on Thursday, and 12:04 AM Central Time and 1:04 AM Eastern Time on Friday.)
