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Ukrainian President and Prime minister fight over future of country
An interesting fight is breaking out between the Prime minister and President of this Eastern European Country.
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Yushchenko May Dissolve Ukraine Parliament, Call Vote
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko threatened to dissolve the parliament and call elections after his party quit the ruling coalition when Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko teamed up with a pro-Russian opposition party. Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko threatened to dissolve the parliament and call elections after his party quit the ruling coaliti... more
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US general warns Russia on nuclear bombers in Cuba
Russia would cross "a red line for the United States of America" if it were to base nuclear capable bombers in Cuba, a top US air force officer warned.
"If they did I think we should stand strong and indicate that is something that crosses a threshold, crosses a red line for the United States of America," General Norton Schwartz, nominated to be the air force's chief of staff, said Tuesday.
He was referring to a report in the newspaper Izvestia that said the Russian military is thinking of flying long-range bombers to Cuba on a regular basis in response to US plans to install missile defenses in eastern Europe.
Izvestia cited an unnamed senior Russian air force official as saying such flights were under discussion. But it was unclear whether they would involve permanent basing of nuclear bombers in Cuba, or just use of the island as a refueling stop.
In his confirmation hearing to become the air force's chief of staff, Schwartz was asked what he would recommend if Russia were to base nuclear capable bombers in Cuba.
"I would certainly offer the best military advice that we engage the Russians not to pursue that approach," he said, adding that Russia would cross a "red line" if it did.
A White House spokeswoman declined to comment on the Izvestia report because there had been no "official response from the Russian government."
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman responded to the report by saying, "That scenario is hypothetical and speculative at this point."
Conducting long-range bomber patrols to Cuba would signal a reawakening of military cooperation by former Cold War allies Moscow and Havana, and resurrects issues that first arose with the 1962 Cuban missile crisis.
The crisis, which brought Washington and Moscow to the brink of nuclear war, ended with an understanding that Moscow would remove its intermediate range missiles from Cuba and not introduce strategic systems in the island. Russia would cross "a red line for the United States of America" if it were to base nuclear capable bombers in Cuba, a top U... more -
Albania orgoglio e pregiudizio
Una breve istantanea di un viaggio nel Paese delle aquile, per raccontare un popolo fiero ed orgoglioso, che per molti sembra provenire da un pianeta lontano e che invece è là, dall'altra parte del mare. Una breve istantanea di un viaggio nel Paese delle aquile, per raccontare un popolo fiero ed orgoglioso, che per molti sembra provenir... more
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Nuclear plant incident in Slovenia: alert issued
A leak of coolant has prompted Slovenia to shut down the reactor at its only nuclear power plant, BBC News reports.
Authorities say that no nuclear material has been discharged into the environment. However, all 27 EU member states have been alerted following the Ecurie early warning system for nuclear emergencies.
Picture: Krsko nuclear power plant in southwestern Slovenia. It has been in operation for 20 years and supplies 40 percent of Slovenia's energy needs. http://www.nek.si/en/ A leak of coolant has prompted Slovenia to shut down the reactor at its only nuclear power plant, BBC News reports. ... more -
Pole dancer's underground act
Police in Bucharest are looking for a busking pole dancer who performs her routines on the city's underground railway.
Passengers described the dancer, photographed by a passenger's mobile phone, as a "well-dressed, attractive, student-like young woman".
She apparently performs her routines only when the train is travelling between further apart subway stations in the Romanian capital.
Her modus operandi is to play Tom Jones's You Can Leave Your Hat On on a portable CD player while taking off her clothes and dancing around a pole.
She then puts her clothes back on and passes around a container for passengers to show their appreciation for her efforts.
One passenger, George Stancu, who witnessed the act, said: "I can't say I didn't like the show but I found it unusual. There are lots of kids who travel by underground and I just don't think it's proper."
A police spokesman said the woman faced charges and a fine for indecent exposure and public begging if she is caught in the act.
However, officers are struggling to arrest her as she seems to perform only on trains with no guards or CCTV cameras. Police in Bucharest are looking for a busking pole dancer who performs her routines on the city's underground railway. ... more -
Vice Magazine locates warhead for purchase with ease
VBS, short for Vice Broadcasting System, is the internet video wing of youth culture print magazine Vice. In this deeply unsettling piece, Vice co-founder Shane Smith is able to find an arms dealer more than happy to sell him a real, working warhead. VBS, short for Vice Broadcasting System, is the internet video wing of youth culture print magazine Vice. In this deeply unsettling p... more
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Albanian arms dump blast kills 9, injures 243
An army base stocking obsolete munitions destined for destruction detonated a chain of massive explosions yesterday, killing at nine people and injuring more than 240. Nearby villages and passing cars were hit by shockwaves from the blast, which began as workers moved stocks of bombs, bullets and shells stored at the base, a collection point for the arsenal amassed by Albania's Stalinist-era dictatorship. The process of dismantling the 100,000 tonnes of 40-year-old weapons has been a condition of the country's hoped-for membership to NATO.
The force of the explosion was so strong that it was felt at the seaside resort of Durres, 20km away. People living in the nearby village of Gerdec took shelter in concrete bunkers while others fled to the hills. It even shattered windows in an airport several miles away forcing an evacuation.
A Reuters cameraman described people trying to escape: "Terrified people are leaving the area on foot along the highway, women and children. Cars with broken windows have been abandoned on the highway." An army base stocking obsolete munitions destined for destruction detonated a chain of massive explosions yesterday, killing at nine p... more -
Zagreb's Noonday "Chime" Video
Croatia's capital, Zagreb, has an interesting way to mark the time at noon using a howitzer cannon whose type was used in WWII. The cannon was a gift from the US in the 1980s. Croatia's capital, Zagreb, has an interesting way to mark the time at noon using a howitzer cannon whose type was used in WWII. ... more
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Croatia Capital Greets Noon with a Blast
Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, has a long history of violence and troubles. It is probably poetically apt that the city greets the noon hour with a deafening blast of artillery. Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, has a long history of violence and troubles. It is probably poetically apt that the city greets the no... more
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Celebrating in the streets in Kosovo
The weather forecast for Kosovo today is heavy snow, but chilly weather is far from the mind of most, as today the province will proclaim independence from Serbia, ending years of bitter recrimination and threats from both sides. In the bloody Albanian uprising ten years ago this week, thousands of civilians were murdered, prompting Western forces including Britain to bomb Serbia in attempts to quell the violence. Since 1991, Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Montenegro have each asserted self-rule, and slipped from Serbia's territory. Kosovo's declaration will come at 3.00 pm (2 pm British time). Short video report at the link. The weather forecast for Kosovo today is heavy snow, but chilly weather is far from the mind of most, as today the province will procl... more
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SF: Slavic Soul Party! @Café du Nord 2/29
Fiery Gypsy brass, soulful Balkan anthems, and hip-grinding American funk: Slavic Soul Party! is just what it says. Brash and strong as slivovitz, these nine musicians have forged a virtuosic new brass band music in the heart of New York City – melding Gypsy, East European, Mexican, and Asian immigrant backgrounds with American jazz and soul – and “developed a reputation for delivering a great time.” Fiery Gypsy brass, soulful Balkan anthems, and hip-grinding American funk: Slavic Soul Party! is just what it says. Brash and strong a... more
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Serbia continues to oppose Kosovan independence
Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica has stated that despite the ongoing initiative to support Kosovo they will appeal any plans of total autonomy. Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica has stated that despite the ongoing initiative to support Kosovo they will appeal any plans of total... more
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Eastern Europe
