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First openly gay Roman emperor
Speak Latin? Roman? Queer? Meet Hadrian.
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More than half a million people to Celebrate EuroPride
Tens of thousands of spectators from around the world are expected to attend this years EuroPride in Stockholm, making the city Europe's gay capital.
Having first held the festival ten years ago, the 'Swedish Sin, Breaking Borders' themed event is set to attract members of the LGBT community from across the world as it has now been extended to ten days.
"This year is 40 per cent larger than last year," parade coordinator Paul Turner told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa, regarding the number of groups that have applied to take part in the colourful parade.
There will be gay choirs, teacher's unions, political parties, emergency services and even gay allotment gardeners.
Turner said the Swedish fire brigade would be at the parade for the first time.
The 2006 EuroPride parade in London attracted 500,000 spectators.
The festival's Swedish Sin, Breaking Borders theme focuses on international LGBT issues with guest speeches by Sweden's EU Affairs Minister Cecilia Malmstrom, Indian Prince Mavendra Singh Gohil and gender science professor Tiina Rosenberg.
The theme has two aims, said Jonah Nylund, president of Stockholm Pride.
One is to show pride over the progress made in Sweden for homosexuals, bisexuals and transgenders.
The other is to highlight the problems in the rest of the world, mainly in Eastern Europe where gay Pride events are banned and attacked time and time again.
Tens of thousands of spectators from around the world are expected to attend this years EuroPride in Stockholm, making the city Europ... more -
Pilot Strike Grounds More Than 500 Flights
A 36-hour strike by the German pilots' union Cockpit continues to ground hundreds of short-haul flights of two Lufthansa subsidiary airlines. Union representatives for ground and cabin personnel plan to announce Friday whether they will also go on strike.
Walkouts by members of the airline pilots' union Cockpit affected 465 flights of Lufthansa subsidiary airlines Tuesday and are expected to ground more than 500 Wednesday, affecting tens of thousands of passengers.
The strike began at noon Tuesday and is scheduled to last until midnight Wednesday. The Cockpit union asked its more than 1,000 members to not show up for work at the subsidiary airlines Eurowings and Lufthansa CityLine.
The strike has forced Lufthansa to cancel almost 1,000 flights -- 465 on Tuesday and 525 on Wednesday, according to a company statement. The affected planes are primarily smaller aircraft making frequent connections between European countries as well as connecting flights between regional German airports and the major hubs in Frankfurt and Munich. The major airports affected are those of Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Berlin, Nuremberg, Düsseldorf and Hanover.
Read more... A 36-hour strike by the German pilots' union Cockpit continues to ground hundreds of short-haul flights of two Lufthansa subsidiary ai... more -
Vodafone: A Bad Omen for Europe?
A cut in the wireless company's sales forecast makes investors fear the slowdown in Spain could spread elsewhere on the Continent.
When Finnish handset maker Nokia (NOK) came in with better than expected quarterly results on July 17, the telecom sector was encouraged. Sales and shipments of Nokia's handsets were up. Just as important, a big part of the Finnish company's growth in the quarter came from Nokia Siemens Networks, its joint venture in telecom equipment with Siemens (SI). Sales for the network business surged 18% in the quarter, to more than $6.34 billion. The market took that as an indication demand remained strong for mobile handsets, despite economic uncertainty, and telcos would still put money into building and upgrading wireless networks.
But that optimism evaporated on July 22, when Vodafone (VOD), the world's largest mobile-phone company, reduced its sales forecast. The company said organic growth was lower than the previous quarter, primarily due to a decline in customer spending in Spain, which it characterized as a difficult "macroeconomic and competitive environment."
Vodafone's news was seen as an ominous sign that telecom operators, which have thus far been shielded from the economic slowdown, are starting to feel the pinch. The fear is the slowdown in Spain will spread elsewhere in Europe and that telco operators will respond by cutting back orders of mobile handsets and networking equipment.
Read more... A cut in the wireless company's sales forecast makes investors fear the slowdown in Spain could spread elsewhere on the Continent. ... more -
United Kingdom Talk Tuesday 22nd July2008
Tuesday's edition of my three times a week talk show.Watch
the show here on CURRENT TV on Tues, Thurs & Sats.
Today's show is dedicated to Uncle Michael Hayes.R.I.P.10th July 2008.
The excitement is building.
Sinning in advance.
Looking around in Lincolnshire.
Speaking at a funeral.
Why the dark glasses ?
Blip TV.
Congratulations Ryan.
Man From Atlantis.
A clean hospital.
Where's my cushion ?
Hi to Kayleigh, Rocky, Granite & Pebbles.Oh - I nearly forgot - Judith LOL.
Don't throw things away.
Slipping into holiday mode.
Soap problems.
Stargate.
Fish in little bowls.
Driving & mobile phones.
A plastic globe.
Electric car news from Joe.
Shall I undo another button ?
Tiny car park.
My arms.
The shopping list is ready.
Email :
chris@unitedkingdomtalk.co.uk
WWW.UNITEDKINGDOMTALK.CO.UK Tuesday's edition of my three times a week talk show.Watch the show here on CURRENT TV on Tues, Thurs & Sats. ... more -
Former Bosnian Serb Leader Radovan Karadzic Captured, Ordered to UN Tribunal
A judge has ordered ex-Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic handed over to the U.N. war crimes court to face charges of genocide and other atrocities against Muslims and Croats in his country, a Serbian prosecutor said Tuesday. A judge has ordered ex-Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic handed over to the U.N. war crimes court to face charges of genocide and o... more
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Chavez may hug king, won't shut up
Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez said on Sunday he would like to give the king of Spain a hug when he visits Europe next week, but the outspoken leader, referring to a diplomatic spat last year, said he will not shut up.
King Juan Carlos sparked a furor in November by shouting "Why don't you shut up?" at Chavez when he tried to interrupt a speech by Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero at the Ibero-American summit in Chile.
Ties have improved since then and the Spanish government said last week that Chavez will meet the king on a visit to Spain next week.
"I'd like to give the king a hug, but you know, Juan Carlos, that I am not going to shut up," a smiling Chavez said on his weekly television show before setting of to Russia for the first leg of his tour.
"We will keep talking for ourselves, for a just and equal world," the left-wing president said.
The king's November outburst made headlines around the world, spawning songs, jokes and even a ringtone for mobile phones.
Chavez threatened to review diplomatic and business ties with Venezuela's former colonial power, a major investor in the region.
Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez said on Sunday he would like to give the king of Spain a hug when he visits Europe next week, but th... more -
The end of Europe's 'Obamania'? Obama's foreign policy speech in Berlin could risk...
US presidential candidate Barack Obama will speak in Berlin on Thursday. Germans have fallen in love with the man many in Europe have come to see as the anti-Bush -- the man who many hope will steer America back toward the path of peace, love and happiness. Almost three-quarters of Germans would vote for Obama were they given the opportunity to do so; in France, that number approaches 90 percent. Berlin authorities are expecting tens of thousands -- maybe even hundreds of thousands -- for his appearance later this week.
But German commentators doubt the love affair will survive this week's foreign policy speech. The financial daily Handelsblatt looks at what Berlin might expect from Obama's speech. "With the speech at the Siegessäule on Thursday, a new phase is beginning. And there are a number of signs pointing to the fact that those pleasantly anticipating an Obama presidency might not be quite as euphoric should he get elected. The reasons are clear: Obama's superstar status in Germany is based primarily on two factors. One is the fact that he is not George W. Bush…. The second is that Obama has remained quite vague until now: Everyone can see in him what he or she wants. But now the senator from Illinois is beginning to mold a concrete foreign policy."
"Soon, it will be clear what "change" really means. Obama wants to withdraw from Iraq but at the same time he wants to bolster troops in Afghanistan. That increase shouldn't just come from the Americans, but from the Europeans as well."
The paper writes that his speech in Berlin isn't just meant for the American voters. His choosing the German capital for the speech "sends a clear message, even if the charismatic politician has opted for a subtle delivery: 'Dear Europeans, dear Germans, should I be elected, I am going to take you at your word. More international cooperation means more European engagement in crisis regions.' Obama, should he become the superpower's next president, will not suddenly transform into a dove. He too will use the US military to reach his political goals."
(Excerpts / Charles Hawley, Spiegel International) US presidential candidate Barack Obama will speak in Berlin on Thursday. Germans have fallen in love with the man many in Europe have ... more -
People sunbathe as young girls' bodies are removed from the sea
There has been widespread outrage in Italy, after photographs emerged of sunbathers sunbathing on a beach just meters from the bodies of two drowned schoolgirls.
Four girls had earlier been seen struggling with fierce waves: Two were pulled to safety, but rescuers were too late for the other two, and their bodies were covered in beach towels (pictured) to await collection by police.
Several sunbathers carried on as if nothing were happening as their bodies were laid out, covered, and later taken away. There has been widespread outrage in Italy, after photographs emerged of sunbathers sunbathing on a beach just meters from the bodies ... more -
Man beats girl into coma in Rome
A four-year-old French girl is in a coma after a brutal attack by her father.
The man was restrained by passers-by after he was found smashing her head against the Vittoriano monument in Rome, but the girl was already so badly hurt that she slipped into a coma.
The girl's mother, who is now with her in hospital, was apparently on holiday in Turkey at the time, and did not even know that the father had taken the child away from their home in Paris. A four-year-old French girl is in a coma after a brutal attack by her father. ... more -
ETA bombings rock Spain
Four bombs have gone off in northern Spain today, believed to be the work of the Basque separatist group ETA: No injuries have been reported.
Prior to the explosions, someone claiming to be from ETA phoned in a warning, allowing police to cordon off the target areas.
Four bombs have gone off in northern Spain today, believed to be the work of the Basque separatist group ETA: No injuries have been re... more -
Spain-Africa tunnel decision 'near'
Spain says a feasibility study for an undersea tunnel to connect Spain and Morocco is in the final stages.
If the project goes ahead and construction begins, trains carrying both passengers and goods are expected to start using the tunnel in 2025.
The tunnel would be 40km long and pass 300m under the Mediterranean Sea.
The undersea link would unite North Africa and Europe for the first time since the continents separated more than 200 million years ago.
Swiss engineers are finalising a feasibility study that will However, Angel Aparicio, president of the Spanish government agency co-ordinating the project says building the tunnel presents difficulties that may not be possible to overcome.
"The material here is not compact enough to allow an initial excavation.
"It is clay with rock and so it is not as compact as it is in the rest. As we have a lot of water we have a very high pressure and we are not sure whether we could go through with the tunnelling," he said.
"Those are the difficult questions."
Years of talk
If construction goes ahead the tunnel will take 15 years to build and cost at least $8bn (£4bn).
The Spanish and Moroccan governments see the tunnel as part of a new Mediterranean transport hub for passengers and goods.
Others are not so sure. The prospect of a physical connection between their country and the poorest continent in the world is alarming to some Spaniards.determine whether this underwater connection is technically possible. Spain says a feasibility study for an undersea tunnel to connect Spain and Morocco is in the final stages. ... more -
Barack Obama’s Foreign Mission: Hopes and Cautions
Senator Obama's foreign mission began covered by a shroud of secrecy. Early Thursday morning, Obama flew from Chicago to Reagan National Airport in a small chartered jet. He transferred to an unmarked plane at Andrews Air Base, arriving in Afghanistan early Saturday morning.
In Afghanistan on Saturday, he met with American soldiers and military commanders, and on Sunday will meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
Other stops in his world trip will include Iraq, Israel, Palestine and Europe (England, Paris, and Germany). This detailed article will be updated with new photographs and videos daily.
The article presently includes photographs and six videos about his trip. Senator Obama's foreign mission began covered by a shroud of secrecy. Early Thursday morning, Obama flew from Chicago to Reagan Nation... more -
Marine killed during training exercise
A Royal Marine was killed and another seriously injured during a training accident in which their Land Rover tipped over. There were five people in the vehicle at the time, reported an MoD spokesman, but "one was sadly killed." A Royal Marine was killed and another seriously injured during a training accident in which their Land Rover tipped over. There were f... more
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Turkey's first gay 'honour' killing?
One of the most prominent gay figures in Turkey, Anhmet Yildiz, has been fatally shot in a pre-meditated attack by a group of men.
Yildiz, 26, was a physics student, and had attracted notoriety after he represented Turkey at an international gay gathering in San Francisco last year.
This murder is viewed by many as representative of the onflicting social attitudes in Turkey today: between more conservative "old mentalities", and "growing civil liberties". Here it seems that one of these liberties, the right to a life without prejudice, has met vicious opposition.
Turkey's sudden exposure to 'western' mentalities, since it first began to make steps to join the european union in the late 1980s, has lead to an awkward juxtaposition of more progressive thinking with the traditionalist cirlces; who have here expressed themselves in the only way they know how: certainly rational argument has not prved too successful.
One of the most prominent gay figures in Turkey, Anhmet Yildiz, has been fatally shot in a pre-meditated attack by a group of men. ... more -
French police search for stolen explosives
Anti-terrorist police in France are on the lookout (to put it mildly) for 28kg of semtex, a powerful plastic explosive which is notoriously a favorite of terrorists, after it was stolen.
The explosives, along with a detonator, were stolen from an army depot, as a result of "security failings", though some sources are reporting that it was in fact completely unguarded.
Sacre Bleu! Anti-terrorist police in France are on the lookout (to put it mildly) for 28kg of semtex, a powerful plastic explosive which is notori... more -
United Kingdom Talk Saturday 19th July 2008
Saturday's edition of my three times a week talk show.Watch the show here on CURRENT TV on Tues, Thurs & Sats.
In today's show :
A rather different start to show show !
Photographs.
Singing.
Matthew's gardening tip.
How much is there to do in Florida ?
Programmes from many countries.
Thank you to the Wiz.
Clubs that you can be anyone in.
A clean programme.
Someone else considers a wind turbine.
C.R.
A new loaf.
Though the doors.
Jerry has a Flip Cam.
A mini television screen.
Technical difficulties sorted.
Where does the "X" (kiss) come from ?
Country music.
The youngest, and the oldest.
Fragments on metal.
My new hat.
"Zee" or "Z" ?
The red sparkly Bingay jacket.
chris@unitedkingdomtalk.co.uk
WWW.UNITEDKINGDOMTALK.CO.UK Saturday's edition of my three times a week talk show.Watch the show here on CURRENT TV on Tues, Thurs & Sats. ... more -
Music from Nazi concentration camps brought to life
You don't think of music when you think of the Nazis or their death camps. Music is supposed to be joyous. but music was also used as a way to control the masses. A way of controlling them. Monitoring them.
Francesco Lotoro has been pulling music together from death camps around the globe since 1991. Not just from Poland and Germany, but from Italy and from as far away as the Phillipines. Death and music. It makes you wonder what these symphonies sound like. Does Some are written on toilet paper. Some have mistakes that Lotoro must correct.
What did they intend? What were they thinking of when they wrote it? Where were they?
What did they sound like? Lotoro has spent the better part of two decades trying to find out, digging through his findings. Bringing their music to life. But it's expensive, and compiling musicians and orchestras is not a small undertaking.
Somebody find this man a Rockefeller. You don't think of music when you think of the Nazis or their death camps. Music is supposed to be joyous. but music was also used as ... more -
EU vs. Intel in anti-trust charges
They went after Microsoft and won, and now they're after Intel, the US microchip giant.
The EU is filing charges claiming Intel pays distributors to use/sell their product, stash/hide a competitor's product, and offers discounts to PC makers.
The EU cost Microsoft almost $1.5 billion the last time it filed a charge. Intel says no-fair. Competitor AMD is just being a bad sport. Intel makes and controls 80% of the worldwide computer chip market.
We'll see. They went after Microsoft and won, and now they're after Intel, the US microchip giant. ... more -
Chertoff: European terrorists trying to enter US
WASHINGTON - European terrorists are trying to enter the United States with European Union passports, and there is no guarantee officials will catch them every time, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Thursday.
Chertoff's comments on Capitol Hill comes as the country is entering a potentially vulnerable period with the presidential nominating conventions coming up next month; the presidential election in November; and the transition to a new administration in January — all of which may be attractive targets for terrorists.
In his last scheduled appearance before the House Homeland Security Committee, Chertoff said that the more time and space al-Qaida and its allies have to recruit, train, experiment and plan, the more problems the U.S. and Europe will face down the road.
"The terrorists are deliberately focusing on people who have legitimate Western European passports, who don't appear to have records as terrorists," Chertoff told lawmakers. "I have a good degree of confidence we can catch people coming in. But I have to tell you ... there's no guarantee. And they are working very hard to slip by us."
Chertoff and other intelligence officials have delivered similar warnings before, and he offered no new information about specific threats or an imminent attack.
Chertoff reiterated his concern that terrorists could sneak radiological material into the country on small boats or private aircraft. This material could be used to create an explosive device known as a "dirty bomb."
The Homeland Security Department has a strategy to protect against this small boat vulnerability and is testing radiation detection equipment in Seattle and San Diego ports.
Chertoff said that getting out a regulation to prescreen and enhance security of general aviation aircraft coming to the U.S. from overseas is one of his top priorities.
He also said he expects to approve new radiation detection technology this fall.
Responding to a question from Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, Chertoff dismissed any rumor that he is on a list of potential running mates for Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Chertoff quipped that the only list he has for next year is a list of vacations.
Chertoff's term as the country's second Homeland Security Secretary ends when a new administration takes over the White House in January.
WASHINGTON - European terrorists are trying to enter the United States with European Union passports, and there is no guarantee offici... more
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