South Park episodes available free online

Episodes of the Colorado-based cartoon comedy television series South Park have been made available for free via streaming video on the website SouthParkStudios.com. Full-length episodes from the past 12 seasons of South Park can be seen on the site, as well as behind-the-scenes clips and information on upcoming episodes.

After new episodes of the program air on Comedy Central they will be added to the site for one week, but will then be unavailable for the next 30 days before being added to the site's archives, due to contractual obligations. SouthParkStudios.com was relaunched with free streaming episodes on March 19, and as of Comedy Central's announcement Tuesday the site had three million hits, two million video plays and one million full-episode streams. 168 of the series' 169 episodes are currently available on the site.

The site is currently in a beta format and is ad supported, but visitors can watch an unlimited number of episodes. Streaming episodes are uncensored, and each episode will have between three and four advertisements. The website also has news, games, blogs and a feature where users can create South Park avatar characters in their likeness. Fans can also choose from 3,000 episode clips from the show to embed on their blogs or websites. The website was created by WPP agency Schematic, with Toyota and Virgin as launch sponsors.

SouthParkStudios.com launched this past summer with games and other media content, in a deal between South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker where their contract with Comedy Central was extended for three years and the cable television channel agreed to split online ad revenue 50-50. Matt Stone commented on the three-year contract to produce more episodes of the series: "Three more years of South Park will give us the opportunity to offend that many more people ... And since Trey and I are in charge of the digital side of South Park, we can offend people on their cellphones, game consoles, and computers too. It's all very exciting for us."

Parker and Stone released a statement about the website: "We got really sick of having to download our own show illegally all the time, so we gave ourselves a legal alternative." Parker and Stone don't think that the move will affect DVD sales of past seasons, because fans will still want to own episodes in a "hard copy" format.

The website is managed by South Park Digital Studios LLC, a joint venture of Parker and Stone and Comedy Central. Anne Garefino, general manager of South Park Digital Studios stated: "One goal in moving forward is to make every episode of South Park available worldwide ... Currently, full episodes are not available in the U.K., Australia and a few other foreign territories, but we're not far off from making that happen. We have some contractual issues to sift through but we're getting there."

On the move to make the episodes available for free, Sam Thielman of Variety wrote: "It's a good time for Parker and Stone to distance themselves from the YouTube community given Comedy Central parent Viacom's protracted lawsuit against the Web-based video distrib, which features clips from the show." Viacom is suing YouTube for US$1 billion in damages relating to video clips displayed on the video-sharing website. Richard Menta of MP3 Newswire wrote: "With all their content already out there Stone, Parker and Viacom realized offering South Park episodes online directly is a low risk proposition. They might as well draw some ad revenue from it."


Odcinki South Park za darmo w sieci

Trey Parker i Matt Stone, twórcy serialu South Park, uruchomili stronę internetową, gdzie całkowicie za darmo można oglądać perypetie czwórki dzieciaków.

Możliwość bezpłatnego dostępu do wszystkich odcinków kreskówki, fani zawdzięczają nowej inicjatywie Matta Stone’a i Treya Parkera o nazwie South Park Digital Studios. Na stronie, oprócz odcinków znajdą się gry oparte o technologie Flash, Shockvawe i Java.

Ponadto Parker i Stone przedłużyli swój kontrakt z Comedy Central do 2011 r., co zaowocuje powstaniem trzech pełnych sezonów serialu. Część umowy stanowi, że Comedy Central będzie wspomagać finansowo oficjalną stronę internetową SouthParkStudios.com.

Jeśli ktoś doszukuje się jakiegoś haczyka w pozbawionym opłat dostępie do serialu, ma rację. Minusem na pewno będą reklamy. Mimo, że krótkie, to będą aż trzykrotnie przerywać oglądanie.

Aktualnie strona jest w fazie beta testów.


South Sudan gains independence

At 0000 EAT Saturday (2100 UTC Friday), the Republic of South Sudan achieved independent recognition, becoming the newest country on the planet. The parliament speaker for the new country recited a formal independence declaration. After independence was declared, the South Sudanese flag was lifted for all to see, with Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement secretary general Pagan Amum stating: "Today we shall raise the flag of South Sudan to join the nations of the world".

Thousands of jubilant people celebrated in the new country's capital Juba. They danced in the streets, sang songs and waved flags.  Churches rang their bells at midnight as independence arrived. People crowded to the official ceremonial site, held at the mausoleum of  John Garang, leader of the rebellion who died several months after the peace deal was signed with Sudan, ending the bloody conflict. Many of the celebrants spoke emotionally of their family members who died in the long struggle with Sudan.

George Garang, an English teacher, said he lost his father, grandfather and eleven brothers. "My whole body feels happy," he said. Valentino Achak Deng, who was a refugee during the war, said: "Really in my heart what makes me happiest is that from today, when people ask me where I am from, I do not have to say Sudan."

Salva Kiir Mayardit has assumed the role as president of South Sudan. Kiir swore to pledge true alliance and faithfulness to South Sudan. In a speech, Kiir declared amnesty for any who have taken up arms against Sudan.

Kiir insisted that martyrs for the cause of the new country did not die in vain, although South Sudan waited 56 years to be free. The southern Sudanese had agitated for more rights, even before Sudan became free from its British colonizers in 1956. Sudan was divided into three separate demographic groups, with the southern part of the country home to Christians and animists and the northern part dominated by Arab populations and those of Muslim faith. Kiir said to people of Abyei, Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan, who remain part of Sudan, that "we have not forgotten you. When you cry, we cry. When you bleed, we bleed. I pledge to you today that we will find a just peace for all."

Amongst those attending the event were Ban Ki-moon, the current Secretary-General of the United Nations and Omar al-Bashir, the current president of Sudan. The latter was the guest of honour, despite the fact that the International Criminal Court has a warrant out for his arrest based on offences of genocide and crimes against humanity in the Darfur region.

"We congratulate our brothers in the south for the establishment of their new state," al-Bashir said at the event. "We share their joy and celebration. The will of the people of the south has to be respected."

Two million individuals died in the civil war between the two territories of Sudan and Southern Sudan and four million more exiled,  a war that was waged for decades. Control of south Sudan's oil rich reserves was the primary reason for the fighting. An agreement of peace was signed in  2005, effectively bringing the war to an end, and Sudan became one of the first countries to recognise South Sudan. Under the regulations of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, Sudan held an independence referendum. In excess of 99% of those participating in the vote agreed to the concept of independence for South Sudan.

Meanwhile, the United Nations plans to make the independent state its 193rd recognised country and its 54th African U.N. member state. United States president Barack Obama formerly recognized the new nation on behalf of the US and acknowledged the enormous struggle of its people to achieve independence.

South Sudan remains a desperately poor country, with one in five of its inhabitants chronically hungry, only one third  having access to safe drinking water and with the world's highest rate of maternal death. The country lacks infrastructure such as roads and railways. It remains  torn by ethnic and tribal rivalries and many problems with the north remain unresolved, including the exact boundary line.  Important revenue for Sudan has come from the rich oilfields of the south, keeping the country afloat and essential now for both economies. A formula remains to be developed on how to split these revenues between the two areas.

U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice said today that the peace process between Sudan and North Sudan could come apart if issues  such as the division of the oil revenues and the border location are not solved soon.


Südsudan ist unabhängig

Juba (Südsudan) / Khartum (Sudan), 13.07.2011 – Südsudan ist seit dem 9. Juli um 0:00 Uhr Ortszeit unabhängig und somit der 54. Staat Afrikas. Mit dem Läuten von Kirchenglocken und mit Trommeln begrüßten die Südsudanesen die Sezession vom Norden. Die Unabhängigkeitserklärung vom Sudan, zu der in einem Referendum im Januar 2011 von einer sehr großen Mehrheit der Grundstein gelegt worden war, wurde einige Stunden später in einer Zeremonie verlesen, an der außer UN-Generalsekretär Ban Ki-moon rund 30 Staatsoberhäupter, vor allem aus Afrika, teilnahmen. Unter ihnen war auch der sudanesische Staatspräsident Umar al-Baschir, dessen Land den nun unabhängigen Süden bereits am Freitag (8. Juli) anerkannte. Zu weiteren Staaten, die den 193. Staat der Erde bereits anerkannt haben, gehören Deutschland, Indien und die Vereinigten Staaten.

„Wir, die demokratisch gewählten Vertreter des Volkes, erklären den Südsudan auf der Grundlage des Willens der Bevölkerung und des Ausgangs des Referendums zur Unabhängigkeit hiermit zu einer unabhängigen und souveränen Nation“, hieß es in der Erklärung, die von Parlamentspräsident James Wani Igga verlesen wurde. Bei der Feierlichkeit wurde die sudanische Flagge eingeholt und die Flagge des Südsudan gehisst.

Im Norden, in Khartoum war die Reaktion gemischt. Manche unterstützen den Staatspräsidenten al-Baschir, manche empfinden die Sezession des Südens als „Schande“, wie der Händler Bahar Abakar. Viele Mütter dürften die Sezession genauso pragmatisch sehen wie Amina Mohammed, die froh darüber ist, dass ihre Söhne nicht in den Krieg ziehen müssen.

Viele Bewohner des neuen Staates hoffen, dass mit der Unabhängigkeit ein endgültiger Schlussstrich unter den 30-jährigen Bürgerkrieg gezogen wird, bei dem rund zwei Millionen Menschen getötet wurden. Der Bürgerkrieg war 2005 mit einem Waffenstillstand beendet worden. Der Grenzverlauf zwischen Sudan und Südsudan beruht weitgehend auf der Grenzlinie von 1956. Strittig ist der Grenzverlauf allerdings im Westen bezüglich der Enklave um Kafia Kingi, einem Gebiet, das 1960 dem sudanischen Bundesstaat Dschanab Darfur angegliedert wurde, und in der Mitte des Grenzverlaufes mit dem ölreichen Abyei-Gebiet, wo ein gesondertes Referendum über die Zugehörigkeit entscheiden soll. Dieses Referendum im Abyei-Gebiet hat bislang jedoch wegen Meinungsunterschieden über den Kreis der Stimmberechtigten noch nicht stattgefunden.

In dem Gebiet kommt es vor allem zu Auseinandersetzungen zwischen Ackerbauern der überwiegend christlichen Ngok-Dinka und nomadischen Misseryia, die hier ihr Vieh weiden lassen. Und Khartum will dieses Gebiet eigentlich nicht abgeben, weil in dieser Region Erdölvorkommen vermutet werden. Ende Mai und Anfang Juni kam es hier zu Kämpfen zwischen Truppen aus dem Norden und Angehörigen der Sudan People′s Liberation Army (SPLA) aus dem Süden. Vermittlung durch Südafrika hat zu einer Entspannung der Situation geführt, vorerst. Der UN-Sicherheitsrat verabschiedete dazu die UN-Resolution 1990 (2011), mit der die Bildung einer vorübergehenden Sicherheitstruppe beschlossen wurde. Die United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) wird aus bis zu 4200 äthiopischen Soldaten gebildet, die sich zunächst als einzige Sicherheitstruppe in dem Gebiet aufhalten darf.

Unbekannt ist auch der Standpunkt der südsudanesischen Regierung zum Ilemi-Dreieck im äußersten Südosten des neuen Staates. Das Gebiet wurde bislang von Sudan, Kenia und Äthiopien beansprucht. Und auch innerhalb des neuen Staates herrschen Spannungen. Viele der kleineren Volksgruppen fühlen sich von den Dingka, die den größten Teil der rund acht Millionen Einwohner Südsudans stellen, zu stark dominiert und verlangen mehr Mitsprache. Daneben wirft die meist christliche oder animistische Bevölkerung dem Norden vor, islamistische Aufstände im Süden zu inszenieren. Dabei ist der neue Staat auch so mit einer Reihe von Problemen belastet. Die Müttersterblichkeit ist die höchste in Afrika. Nur einem Drittel der Bevölkerung steht sauberes Trinkwasser zur Verfügung und nirgendwo sonst ist es um die Schulbildung so schlecht bestellt wie in Südsudan: Drei Viertel der Bevölkerung sind Analphabeten, neunzig Prozent haben weniger als einen US-Dollar am Tag zum Leben.

Cathy Groenendijk, die ein Heim für gefährdete Mädchen betreibt, hofft, dass sich die Regierung bewusst ist, dass der Verlust einer ganzen Generation drohe. „Eines der größten Probleme für alle Kinder ist, dass sie jede Menge Zeit haben. Sie haben nichts zu tun, so dass sie wütend werden“, erklärte die Uganderin der Tageszeitung Los Angeles Times. Groenendijk befürchtet eine Zunahme der Kriminalität. Viele Eltern hätten nicht genügend Geld, um ihre Kinder zu ernähren und großzuziehen. Ihnen drohe sexueller Mißbrauch und Prostitution. In den Bordellen schaffen auch Frauen aus Uganda, Kenia, Äthiopien und aus den Kongostaaten an, offenbar strikt getrennt nach der Nationalität der Prostituierten. Die Regierung hat unlängst ein Rotlichtviertel niederreißen lassen. Beseitigt hat sie das Problem nicht, sondern nur um einige Straßen verlagert.

Eine der großen Herausforderungen des jungen Staates dürfte die Bekämpfung der Korruption sein. Der Herausgeber und Eigentümer der Tagezeitung „Citizen“, Nhial Bol, wurde nach eigenen Angaben in den letzten Jahren dreimal verhaftet, weil er Behördenvertreter wegen Bestechlichkeit und Misswirtschaft kritisierte. Er meint, dass die Personen, die das Land nun führen, auf diese Situation nicht vorbereitet seien. Diese Männer seien durch den Kampf gegen den Norden geeint gewesen, ihnen fehle jedoch die Vision für das Land. Die Situation sei gefährlich, man könne zu den früheren Rebellenchefs schlecht hingehen und fragen, wo das Geld geblieben sei.

„Diese Unabhängigkeit ist ein Neuanfang für den Südsudan. Die internationale Gemeinschaft hat eine Verantwortung für den neuen Staat“, sagte UN-Generalsekretär Ban Ki-moon in einer Pressekonferenz. Und tatsächlich ist das Land von internationaler Hilfe abhängig. In dem neuen Staat, der ungefähr die Größe Frankreichs hat, gibt es nur wenige Kilometer asphaltierte Straßen, zumeist in der Hauptstadt Juba. Die Vereinigten Staaten finanzieren mit 225 Millionen US-Dollar eine Fernstraße von Juba zur Grenze nach Uganda. Hinzu kommen 300 Millionen US-Dollar US-amerikanische Entwicklungshilfe und weitere 150 Millionen US-Dollar in Form von Nahrungsmittellieferungen. Ban Ki-moon ist sich dieser Probleme bewusst. Er will eine Geberkonferenz der internationalen Staatengemeinschaft einberufen. Dabei könnte auch helfen, dass über Investitionen im Süden nun nicht mehr das wegen der Krise in Darfur latent drohende Damoklesschwert Wirtschaftssanktionen gegen Sudan schwebt.


Nace Sudán del Sur en medio de celebraciones y conflictos

8 de julio de 2011 Los habitantes del nuevo estado independiente de Sudán del Sur, celebran a esta hora su declaración de independencia y el voto favorable del referéndum celebrado en enero de este año, después de un proceso de seis años de emancipación del gobierno fundamentalista de la República de Sudán (cuyo presidente Omar Hasan Ahmad al-Bashir está implicado en varios delitos de lesa humanidad), al cual sus orígenes se remontan en los conflictos internos que pasó ese país africano, pese a que el gobierno de ese país (dirigido por Salva Kiir Mayardit) hará la proclama oficial y la instalación de los símbolos patrios en la capital Juba.

A nivel mundial, algunos países ya reconocen la independencia como Alemania (en conjunto con la Unión Europea), Estados Unidos, Egipto e Israel.

El nacimiento del nuevo país, no esta exento de problemas pues debe afrontar la decisión de varios procesos de referéndum en los territorios de Abiya, Montes Nuba y Montes Nuba, que aun están bajo control de Jartum y plantean si deciden estar unidos con Sudan o vincularse al nuevo estado, así como de disputas con éste último en materia de recursos naturales como el petróleo, vitales para su desarrollo económico y que están en riesgo de un nuevo conflicto (de carácter limítrofe con su vecino al norte), ya que estos fueron disputados en las guerras civiles recientes en las regiones sudanesas de Darfur y Kordofan del Sur.


南部スーダンが独立し「南スーダン」に - アフリカ54番目の国家

朝日新聞・読売新聞によると、スーダン南部が、現地時間7月9日午前0時（UTC+3。日本時間（UTC+9）は同日午前6時）に、「南スーダン共和国」として、スーダンから分離・独立した。

読売新聞によると、ほぼ半世紀にわたって繰り広げられた内戦を終結させた2005年1月の南北包括和平合意によって定められた移行期間が、この時刻をもって終了したもの。アフリカ系キリスト教徒が中心勢力であるスーダン南部の住民らは、アフリカ54番目の国家として、悲願であった独立を手にした。

朝日新聞によると、日付が変わった瞬間、同国の新首都・ジュバの街頭に繰り出した大勢の市民が、歴史的瞬間を喜び合った。読売新聞によれば、市民らは、クラクションを鳴らしたり、車の上によじ登って国旗を振るなどして、アフリカにあっては1993年に独立したエリトリア以来となる新国家の誕生を祝福した。

朝日新聞によると、この日ジュバで式典が行われ、独立宣言が行われた。式典には、国連の潘基文事務総長や、スーダン西部におけるダルフール紛争を巡り国際刑事裁判所から逮捕状が出ている、スーダンのバシル大統領が出席。読売新聞によれば、南部スーダンで自治政府を率いてきたサルバ・キール大統領が、初代大統領に就任。近く国連加盟も認定され、193番目の加盟国となる見通しである。


Южный Судан стал независимым государством

Южный Судан официально отделился от Республики Судан и стал независимым государством. Спикер парламента Южного Судана Джеймс Ванни Игга зачитал текст декларации независимости, выступая перед сотнями тысяч собравшихся в новой столице — городе Джубе.

Толпа ликовала во время церемонии поднятия флага нового государства. Президент Салва Киир принял присягу, поклявшись строго следовать принципам, изложенным в конституции, и трудиться на благо народа, способствуя скорейшему развитию страны и приумножению народного достояния.

Генеральный секретарь ООН Пан Ги Мун, выступивший в Джубе, отметил, что народ Южного Судана создал новое государство, которое базируется на принципах свободы и защиты человеческого достоинства.

Глава делегации США, посол Сюзан Райс заявила, что будущее Южного Судана зависит от сильных государственных институтов, свободных от коррупции.

Президент США Барак Обама приветствовал народ Южного Судана. В его заявлении, в частности, говорится: «Я горд объявить, что сегодня, 9 июля 2011 года, Соединенные Штаты формально признали Республику Южный Судан, как суверенное и независимое государство. После столь долгой борьбы народа Южного Судана Соединенные Штаты приветствуют рождение новой нации».

Обама также призвал народы Судана и Южного Судана признать, что их жизнь будет «более безопасной и состоятельной, если они переступят через тяжелое прошлое и будут разрешать споры мирным путем».

Южный Судан стал самым молодым государством мира. Граждане новой страны отметили это событие, устроив праздник на улицах Джубы.

Напомним, что на референдуме в январе этого года жители Южного Судана проголосовали за отделение от Северного Судана. Референдум стал результатом мирного договора 2005-го года, который положил конец гражданской войне, длившейся два десятилетия.

9 июля 2011 года


Sudani i Jugut fiton pavarësinë

Që nga 9 korriku Kosova nuk eshte me shteti me i ri ne bote. Pas shume viteve te pergjakshme Sudani i Jugut shpalli me 9 korrik pavaresine duke u bere keshtu shteti me i ri ne bote ndersa Juba, kryeqyteti me ri ne bote. Pikerisht, pardje hyri ne fuqi marreveshja e vitit 2005 dhe rezultati i referendumit te janarit qe shkeput sudanin e jugut nga pjesa tjeter e Sudanit. Pak para pavaresise se Sudanit te Jugut, shperthyen perleshje te ashpra midis trupave ne veri e jug.

Sudani ishte shteti i pare qe njohu pavaresine e Sudanit te Jugut, por por kjo njohje nuk e largon frikën nga tendosjet e ardhshme mes dy vendeve, përfshirë edhe ato për territor dhe për naftë. Nderkohe qe po me 9 korrik edhe Shtetet e Bashkuara te Amerikes e njohen pavaresine e Sudanit Jugor.

Festimet e banoreve te shtetit me te ri te botes ishin te shumta. Ne ceremonine e zhvilluar me kete rast ne kryeqytetun Juba, pervec personalitetve te ndryshme moren pjese edhe presidenti i Sudanit, Omar al-Bashir dhe Sekretari i Përgjithshëm i OKB-së, Ban Ki Mun. Festimet ne Juba nisen ne mesnate (2300 CEST). Nje ore qe numeronte mbrapsht ishte vendosur ne qender te qytetit dhe sapo ajo shenoi zero u luajt himni kombetar ne televizor.


Güney Sudan bağımsızlığına kavuştu

Dünyanın en yeni ülkesi olan Güney Sudan Cumhuriyeti bugün resmen bağımsızlığına kavuştu. Güney Sudan Meclisi Başkanı James Wani Igga, başkent Juba'da bugün bağımsızlık törenleri için toplanan yüzbinlerce kişiye hitaben bağımsızlık bildirisini okudu. Yeni ülkenin bayrağı askerler tarafından göndere çekilir ve Sudan bayrağı indirilirken halk sevinç çığlıkları attı. Daha sonra yeni ülkenin ilk Cumhurbaşkanı Salva Kiir yemin ederek göreve başladı. Kiir, anayasayı savunacağı ve Güney Sudan halkının refahı ve kalkınması için çalışacağı yolunda andiçti.

Güney Sudan Cumhuriyeti'nin Sudan'dan ayrılarak bağımsızlığını ilan etme kararı Ocak ayında yapılan referandumla kesinleşmiş ve bağımsızlık tarihi 9 Temmuz 2011 olarak belirlenmişti. Yeni ülkede kutlamalar, bağımsızlığın yürürlüğe girdiği geceyarısı başladı. Referandum, yaklaşık 20 yıl süren iç savaşı sona erdiren 2005 tarihli anlaşmaya uygun olarak düzenlenmişti.

Kutlamalar, başkent Juba'nın, adı John Garang olarak değiştirilen stadyumunda devam ediyor. John Garang, uzun süren Sudan iç savaşı sırasında bağımsızlık için savaşan güneyli gruplara liderlik etmişti.

Kutlamalar sırasında yeni ülkenin Cumhurbaşkanı Kiir'in yanısıra Birleşmiş Milletler Genel Sekreteri Ban Ki-Moon ve Sudan Devlet Başkanı Ömer El Beşir de konuşmalar yaptı.

Sudan, kendisinden ayrılan Güney Sudan Cumhuriyeti'ni resmen ilk tanıyan ülkelerden biri oldu.  Sudan'ın İşlerinden Sorumlu Bakanı Bekri Hasan Salih, bu kararı Sudan devlet televizyonunda açıkladı. Yeni devleti tanıyan diğer ülkeler arasında ABD, Mısır, Çin ve Türkiye de var.

Güney Sudan Parlamentosu'nun onayladığı bağımsızlık bildirisi, hukukun üstünlüğü, adalet, demokrasi ve insan haklarına dayalı, çeşitliliğe saygılı bir hükümet sistemi kurulmasını öngörüyor. ilkesine dayalı bir hükümet sistemi kurulmasını öngörüyor.

Güney Sudan şimdiden ciddi sorunlarla karşı karşıya. Yeni ülkede şiddet olayları yaşanıyor, ayrıca sınırın nasıl belirleneceği ve petrol gelirlerinin paylaşımı konularında kuzey Sudan'la uzlaşmaya varılması gerekiyor.

Birleşmiş Milletler Güvenlik Konseyi dün Güney Sudan'a 7,000 asker ve 900 polisten oluşan bir uluslararası barış gücü gönderilmesini onayladı.


南蘇丹獨立建國 各國紛表支持

自1955年起即與北蘇丹內戰不斷的南蘇丹在本月9日正式獨立建國，包括蘇丹共和國在內的歐美、非洲各國紛表支持與肯定。南蘇丹國會議長詹姆斯·伊加（James Wani Igga）9日在數十國領袖、外國政要和南蘇丹人民面前發表獨立宣言，宣告南蘇丹成為全球第193個國家，獲得臺下民眾熱烈喝采。

南蘇丹獨立前的蘇丹共和國是非洲最窮的國家之一，人均GDP不到2,500美元。但位處蘇丹共和國南部的南蘇丹卻盛產石油，總產量佔蘇丹共和國石油出口的85%。南北蘇丹自1955年脫離英國殖民以來就內戰不斷，雖然一度在1972年簽署和約，但11年後再度爆發戰爭，是為第二次蘇丹內戰。2005年南北蘇丹再度簽署和平協定，終止內戰、召開獨立公民投票。公投最後在2011年通過，同年7月9日正式獨立，成為世界最年輕的國家。

對於南蘇丹的獨立，蘇丹共和國總統巴希爾代表北蘇丹人民給予祝福，並親臨南蘇丹首都朱巴市表示支持：「我們已履行承諾，協助南蘇丹跨出新國家的第一步，我們希望它成功，因為它的成功也就是我們的成功。」他還釋放過去與蘇丹政府交戰的武裝份子，承諾將和南蘇丹共同維持兩國國境的和平。

親臨獨立儀式現場的還有聯合國秘書長潘基文，在獨立建國後，以總統薩爾瓦·基爾·馬亞爾迪特為首的南蘇丹政府將以加入聯合國、非洲聯盟等國際組織為首要外交要務。另外，包括美國、歐盟、俄羅斯、埃及、中國、日本與中華民國等57個國家或區域組織也相繼承認南蘇丹，並派駐大使或提供基礎建設援助。

「南蘇丹共和國今天成為獨立國家，也是世界最新的國家。對南蘇丹和整個非洲而言，這都是歷史性的一天。」英國首相卡麥隆表示，「我們歡迎南蘇丹成為國際社會的一員。」


Soviet statue returns to Moscow

On Saturday, Worker and Kolkhoznitsa, a giant statue of Soviet times, was returned to a pedestal in Moscow, Russia. It was done after a long five-year restoration process since the monument was dismantled in 2003. The statue was initially expected to return in 2005, but when the Expo 2010 was awarded to Shanghai instead of Moscow the restoration process was stalled due to a shortage of funds.

The 24.5-meter high Worker and the Kolkhoz Woman holding a hammer and a sickle, the symbols of the Soviet Union, steel monument by Vera Mukhina and Boris Iofan was first showed at an exhibition in Paris in 1937. It was later returned to Russia after the exhibition  and installed to a place just outside the Exhibition of Achievements of the People's Economy. The monument became a recognisable symbol of the Soviet Union after it was chosen as a Mosfilm studio logo in 1947 featuring in the opening credits of many Soviet films produced by the studio.

It's expected that the statue would now last for centuries.  Plans for the future of the monument included construction of an exhibition hall in the statue's pedestal.  One of the rejected projects was to introduce a parking lot beneath the statue's square.

Earlier this week, on Monday, an exhibition of Vera Mukhina works was opened in St. Petersburg's Russian Museum, presenting more than 200 of her sculptures, graphic works, and decorative and applied arts, including the several sketches and studies, as well as the Worker and Kolkhoz Woman monument’s model.

The official monument reopening ceremony is scheduled for December 3–5.


சோவியத் காலத்து புகழ் பெற்ற சிலை மீண்டும் மாஸ்கோ வந்தது

சோவியத் காலத்தைய "தொழிலாளியும் கல்கோஸ் பெண்ணும்" என்ற புகழ் பெற்ற பிரமாண்டமான சிலை ரஷ்யத் தலைநகர் மாஸ்கோவில் சென்ற சனியன்று மீளப் புனரமைக்கப்பட்டு மீண்டும் நிறுவப்பட்டது. இச்சிலை திருத்த வேலைகளுக்காக 2003 ஆம் ஆண்டில் ஐந்தாண்டுக் திட்டத்தில் எடுத்துச் செல்லப்பட்டிருந்தது. ஆரம்பத்தில் இச்சிலை 2005 ஆம் ஆண்டில் மீளக்கொணரத் திட்டமிடப்பட்டிருந்தது. ஆனாலும், எக்ஸ்போ 2010 கண்காட்சி சங்காய் நகருக்கு அறிவிக்கப்படட்தை அடுத்து போதிய நிதிவசதி இல்லாமையினால் இச்சிலையின் புனரமைப்பு வேலைகள் பாதிக்கப்பட்டிருந்தன.

24.5-மீட்டர் உயரமான இச்சிலை தொழிலாளி ஒருவனும் கல்கோஸ் பெண்ணொருத்தியும் சோவியத்தின் சின்னங்களான அரிவாளையும் சுத்தியலையும் ஏந்தியபடி காட்சியளிக்கின்றனர். முற்றிலும் இரும்பினாலான இச்சிலை வேரா மூக்கினா, பொரிஸ் இயோஃபான் ஆகியோரினால் அமைக்கப்பட்டு முதன் முதலில் 1937 ஆம் ஆண்டில் பாரிசில் நடந்த பன்னாட்டுக் கண்காட்சி ஒன்றில் காட்சிப்படுத்தப்பட்டது. இது பின்னர் ரஷ்யாவுக்குக் கொண்டு வரப்பட்டு மாஸ்கோவில் நிரந்தரமாக வைக்கப்பட்டது.

இன்னும் பல நூற்றாண்டுகளுக்கு இச்சிலை மாஸ்கோவில் காட்சிப்படுத்தப்படும் என இப்போது எதிர்பார்க்கப்படுகிறது.

திங்கள், நவம்பர் 30, 2009


Spain in danger of Eurovision disqualification after scheduling snafu at RTVE

The Spanish national broadcaster, RTVE, is in danger of indirectly  disqualifying its own Eurovision entrant, former Operación Triunfo finalist Soraya Arnelas, 26, who is already in Moscow, Russia awaiting the final round on Saturday.

A last-minute reprieve from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) allowed Spain to vote in the second semi-final instead of the first, due to a televised political debate. RTVE ran a professional tennis match, the Madrid Open matchup between Fernando Verdasco and Juan Mónaco, an hour past schedule Thursday evening, delaying the Eurovision semi-final broadcast and disenfranchising the Spanish viewers ready to vote for their favorite songs.

Spain, as a top monetary contributor to the EBU, automatically qualifies for the final but Spanish viewers were allowed to cast votes for one of the two semi-final rounds, as were the other automatic qualifiers (the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and host nation Russia).

The scheduling delay is in violation of the rules set forth to the national broadcasters by the EBU, and punishment could range from a fine incurred by RTVE to complete disqualification for Spain, who was slated to have Soraya perform her song "La noche es para mí" 25th and last in the final Saturday evening.

The newspaper El Mundo speculated that the delay might have occurred on purpose, as RTVE may not want to take the task of hosting the event in 2010 in the event that Spain wins. El Mundo also remarked that the EBU could take a harsher stance toward RTVE if they deem it a case of "voter fraud," as the disenfranchisement of Spanish televoters, replaced with a backup jury, would have changed the result of qualifying nations. In any case, the EBU is the governing body which decides if the delay was intentional or not and what punishments should be given to RTVE for breaking Contest rules.

When asked for comment by the newspaper ABC, RTVE cited "technical difficulties" but did not elaborate further. According to ABC, RTVE's teletext service had announced that the live broadcast would start at 9:45 p.m., 45 minutes after the broadcast started in Moscow, but neither RTVE's website nor its continuity announcements had made note of any change. The Eurovision broadcast started transmission from the beginning on RTVE's "La 2" channel at 10:06 p.m., 66 minutes late.

No public statement has yet been made by the EBU; the EBU went ahead with the scheduled press conference for the ten semi-final winners Thursday evening.


España podría ser descalificada en Eurovisión

La cadena de televisión española, Radiotelevisión Española (RTVE), está en peligro de descalificar indirectamente a su propia participante en Eurovisión, la finalista de Operación Triunfo Soraya Arnelas, de 26 años, que ya se encuentra en Moscú, Rusia esperando la última ronda que se llevará a cabo el próximo sábado.

A última hora de indulto, la Unión Europea de Radiodifusión (UER) permitió a España votar en la segunda semifinal en lugar de la primera, debido a un debate político televisado. La RTVE llevó a cabo un partido de tenis profesional de una hora en la noche del jueves, lo que retrasó la semifinal de Eurovisión, por lo que los televidentes españoles no pudieron votar a tiempo por sus canciones favoritas.

España, como uno de los principales contribuidores monetarios a la UER, automáticamente clasifica para la final, pero a los espectadores españoles se les permitió votar en una de las dos semi-rondas finales, al igual que los otros países que calificaron automáticamente (el Reino Unido, Francia, Alemania, y la nación anfitriona Rusia).

La demora de la programación es una violación de las normas establecidas para los organismos nacionales de radiodifusión por la UER, y el castigo puede ir desde una multa impuesta para RTVE a la descalificación completa de España, en la que se espera que Soraya cante "La noche es para mí" en la final del 16 de mayo.

No se han hecho declaraciones públicas presentadas por la UER o RTVE; la UER prosiguió con la conferencia de prensa prevista para los diez ganadores de la semifinal de esta noche.


Espanha poderá ser desclassificada na Eurovisão


Spanish King's 'shut up' to Chávez becomes ringtone

The angry "Why don't you shut up?" that King Juan Carlos I of Spain uttered against Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez a week ago on Saturday has apparently reached a cult status in Spain and Venezuela.

A mobile phone ringtone remix of the quote text has been downloaded 500,000 times (generating some €1.5 million revenues). The ringtone features a voice actor (avoiding legal issues) with beats and a loop effect emphasising the 'shut up'. A student group from the Venezuelan capital of Caracas which opposes the President has downloaded the ringtone too. "It's a form of protest, it's something that a lot of people would like to tell the president. Now, whenever we call each other, that's what we hear," said Laura Solorzano, 21, in a telephone interview with the Miami Herald.

Today, the internet domain name of the quote was sold on eBay for €10,200 to a Spanish power seller called 'daikoku-design'. Juan Antonio Morales, 34, of Almería, Spain, had reserved the domain shortly after news of the dispute broke. The video on YouTube has been viewed over 1.3 million times, and there are numerous parodies using the quote. T-shirts and coffee mugs with the slogan are also selling well. The phrase has also become notable enough to merit an article on Wikipedia.

At the Ibero-American summit in Santiago, Chile on November 10, Chávez called the Spain's former prime minister, José María Aznar, a "fascist". Current Prime Minister of Spain José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero tried to reply, but Chávez, although his microphone was switched off, kept interrupting him. The Spanish King first pointed a finger at Mr. Chávez, with the words "Y tu" (and you). Then, while Zapatero still tried to reply, he said “¿Por qué no te callas?” while making a gesture with his hand. Note that the King used the informal 'te callas' instead of the formal and polite third-person form. Zapatero finally  replied that "...in a forum where there are democratic governments ... one of the essential principles is respect. You can disagree radically, without being disrespectful." '

The rare outburst of the King has led to some disturbance in political relations between the countries; Chávez demanded an apology from the King but said he did not want a political conflict with Spain, while Spanish diplomats hope the situation will soon normalise. The Spanish PM stressed the incident was magnified by of the media attention it received. In statements to the press, the president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, minimized the incident between Hugo Chávez and the King of Spain: "There is little difference in opinion between King Juan Carlos and Chavez. There are many other differences between heads of State. Divergence is part of a democratic meeting."

The situation brings attention to changes Chávez has proposed to the Venezuelan constitution, which would lift the restriction on the number of terms for the President of Venezuela.


"Bronca do Rei" vira toque de celular

A frase do Rei de Espanha, Juan Carlos I: Por qué no te callas? (por que não cala a boca?), proferida contra o Presidente venezuelano Hugo Chávez durante a 17 a Cúpula Ibero-americana virou cult na Espanha e Venezuela.

Um toque de telefone celular (ringtone) remixado do texto em questão foi baixado 500 mil vezes  (proporcionando lucro de cerca de €1,5 milhões). O toque caracteriza-se pela fala de uma pessoa que não é o Rei Juan Carlos (evitando questões legais) junto a batidas e um efeito sonoro que enfatiza o no te callas.


Spanish newspaper co-founder Carlos Mendo dies aged 77

Carlos Mendo, one of the founders of Spanish newspaper El Pais died on Monday at the age of 77. His death was announced on the newspaper's website. It said that Mendo had been hospitalised for several weeks with an undisclosed illness.

After graduating he joined news agency EFE in 1958. Mendo then joined the United Press International agency, first as their Rome correspondent and then as the Spanish bureau chief.

In 1965 Mendo returned to EFE, this time as managing director. He held the post during the time of the agency's expansion. After leaving EFE in 1969, Medno joined the Prisa publishing group where three years later he would be part of the team that founded the El Pais newspaper.

Mendo continued to work for the El Pais newspaper and in 1979 became the paper's London correspondent.


Carlos Mendo, cofundador del diario El País de España falleció a los 77 años

Carlos Mendo, uno de los fundadores del diario El País de España, falleció a los 77 años según anuncia el sitio web del periódico. Estaba hospitalizado a causa de una discapacidad no revelada.

Fue empleado de la agencia EFE en 1958 pasando posteriormente a United Press International como corresponsal en Roma y posteriormente jefe de la agencia en España.

En 1965 volvio a EFE como director gerente. Mantuvo la posta durante la expansión de la agencia. En 1969 se paso al grupo periódistico Prisa donde tres años más tarde fue parte del equipo que fundó el diario El País. Y en 1969 fue el corresponsal de ese diario en Londres.


È morto Carlos Mendo, cofondatore di El País

Carlos Mendo, uno dei fondatori del quotidiano spagnolo El País è morto lunedì all'età di 77 anni. La sua morte è stata annunciata dal sito del giornale, il quale informa sulla lunga degenza di Mendo prima della morte.

Dopo la laurea entrò a far parte dell'agenzia di stampa EFE nel 1958. Entrò poi nelle file dell'agenzia United Press International, prima come corrispondente da Roma e successivamente come capo dell'ufficio stampa della Spagna.

Nel 1965 Mendo tornò all'EFE con l'incarico di direttore, ruolo che mantenne nel periodo di crescita dell'agenzia. Dopo aver lasciato nuovamente l'EFE nel 1969 Mendo entrò a far parte del Prisa publishing group dal quale, tre anni dopo, sarebbe nato El País.

Mendo continuò a lavorare per la neonata testata spagnola e nel 1979 divenne corrispondente da Londra.


Stampede at German music festival kills nineteen

A stampede at the entrance of a German music festival, the Love Parade, today killed nineteen people and injured around a hundred more.

The incident apparently took place due to overcrowding at the entrance to the grounds of the event, located in Duisburg, Germany, which more than a million people were reported to have attended. Despite warnings by police of overcrowding, more people tried to enter the grounds. There is speculation that the panic may have begun when people fell after trying to cross a barrier, and subsequently spread.

Witness Udo Sandhoefer said that people "climbed up the walls and tried somehow to get into the grounds from the side, and the people in the crowd that moved up simply ran over those who were lying on the ground."

Emergency responders apparently encountered difficulties in reaching those in need of assistance due to the number of people in the area.  Officials also decided not to evacuate the grounds of the event, citing concerns that a larger panic would be sparked if more people knew of the deaths.

A woman attending the event said that "[t]here were piles of injured on the ground, some being resuscitated, others dead and covered with sheets. It was way too full in the afternoon, everybody wanted to get in."

A statement from president Christian Wulff said that "[i]t is terrible that such a catastrophe brought death, suffering and pain to a peaceful festival full of happy young people from many countries."

The mayor of Duisburg, Adolf Sauerland, said that security measures at the event were sufficient, and that an investigation into the incident was already under way.


Tote bei Massenpanik während der Love Parade

Duisburg (Deutschland), 26.07.2010 – Bei der Loveparade am 24. Juli in Duisburg kam es nach Polizeiangaben zu einer Massenpanik in und bei einer Unterführung, die zu diesem Zeitpunkt als einziger Zu- und Abgang zum/vom Veranstaltungsort, dem alten Güterbahnhof, diente. 19 Personen kamen ums Leben. Dabei starben 16 Menschen in direkter Folge der Panik, drei weitere erlagen im Krankenhaus ihren Verletzungen. Die Kriminalpolizei schloss am Sonntag, den 25. Juli gegen 17:00 Uhr die Identifizierung der Opfer ab. Getötet wurden Besucher aus Australien, Bosnien-Herzegowina, China, Italien, den Niederlanden, Spanien und elf Besucher aus Deutschland. Unter den Opfern befinden sich 11 Frauen und 8 Männer zwischen 18 und 38 Jahren. Die Zahl der Verletzten wurde mit 342 angegeben. Etwa 15 der Verletzten wurden nach Angaben der Tagesschau lebensgefährlich verletzt. Mehrere Verletzte wurden vor Ort reanimiert (laut n-tv mindestens zehn Menschen).

Die Panik war möglicherweise dadurch entstanden, dass der Veranstaltungsort Güterbahnhofs-Gelände völlig überfüllt gewesen sei. Daraufhin hatte die Polizei die Zugänge auf das Veranstaltungsgelände abgesperrt und die Wartenden über Lautsprecherdurchsagen zur Umkehr aufgefordert. Sowohl vor als auch in der Unterführung der Karl-Lehr-Straße hat dies zu einer Anstauung von Menschen geführt, berichtete der WDR. Nachdrängende Menschen versperrten auch den Rückweg. Nach Polizeiangaben wurde die Massenpanik durch Stürze von einer gesperrten Nottreppe auf die Bundesautobahn 59 ausgelöst, über die eingeschlossene Menschen versucht hätten, aus dem Bereich der Unterführung zu gelangen. Andere seien über ein leiterartiges Lautsprechergerüst geklettert und dann auf die wartende Menge hinab gestürzt. Daraufhin kam es dort zu einer Panikreaktion.

Umgehend wurde Großalarm ausgelöst. Die bereits im Vorfeld als Evakuierungsweg vorgesehene Autobahn 59 war bereits für den Verkehr voll gesperrt worden. Unzählige Rettungswagen und neun Rettungshubschrauber waren im Einsatz. Nachfolgende Besucher wurden über Lautsprecherdurchsagen aufgefordert umzukehren. Die Veranstaltung auf dem abgesperrten Veranstaltungsgelände wurde zunächst jedoch fortgeführt, um eine weitere Panik zu vermeiden. Sie wurde in der Nacht um 23:04 Uhr, eine Stunde vor dem offiziellen Veranstaltungsende, beendet. Die Sperrung der BAB 59 wurde in den Morgenstunden am Sonntag wieder aufgehoben.

Polizei und Staatsanwaltschaft teilten mit, dass die Todesopfer ausschließlich außerhalb des Tunnels aufgefunden wurden. Demnach haben 14 Personen ihre tödlichen Verletzungen im Bereich der aus Metall konstruierten Diensttreppe erhalten und zwei an einer sich in der unmittelbaren Umgebung befindlichen Plakatwand. Allerdings widersprechen dieser Darstellung in einigen Medien veröffentlichte Bilder, nach denen Leichen sich innerhalb des Tunnels befanden.

An der Veranstaltung nahmen nach Schätzungen etwa 1,4 Millionen Menschen teil, es waren 1400 Polizisten im Einsatz. Im vorangegangenen Jahr war die Loveparade ausgefallen. Auf dem Gelände war aber nach Berichten der Zeitung „Die Welt“ nur ausreichend Platz für 500.000 Personen, einige Quellen sprechen von einem Fassungsvermögen von der Hälfte. Zudem wurden Vorwürfe laut, der Veranstalter habe nur einen einzigen Zugang durch den Tunnel als Nadelöhr für die Großveranstaltung dieses Ausmaßes vorgesehen, die Flucht- und Rettungswege seien seitens des Veranstalters verschlossen gewesen und wären erst durch Einsatzkräfte der Polizei geöffnet worden.

Trauer, Entsetzen und Bestürzung hat die Nachricht der Katastrophe in der Politik ausgelöst. Bundespräsident Christian Wulff zeigte sich bestürzt und forderte eine rückhaltlose Aufklärung der Katastrophe und sagte: „Eine solche Katastrophe, die während eines friedlichen Festes fröhlicher junger Menschen aus vielen Ländern Tod, Leid und Schmerz verursacht, ist furchtbar.“
Auch Kanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU), Vizekanzler Guido Westerwelle (FDP) sowie NRW-Innenminister Ralf Jäger (SPD) äußerten ihr Mitgefühl mit den Opfern, den Verletzten und ihren Angehörigen. Mehrere andere Politiker folgten diesen Bekundungen.

Unterdessen haben Polizei und Staatsanwaltschaft die Ermittlungen aufgenommen. Die Staatsanwaltschaft habe Unterlagen des Veranstalters beschlagnahmt. Die „Neue Ruhr/Neue Rhein Zeitung“ berichtete, ein Feuerwehrmann habe angezeigt, dass er bereits im Vorfeld der Veranstaltung vor dem Gefahrenpunkt gewarnt habe, der zur Todesfalle für die Opfer wurde. Duisburgs stellvertretender Polizeipräsident Detlef von Schmeling sagte: „Mein persönlicher Eindruck bestätigt eine Massenpanik nicht.“ Der stellvertretende Berliner Vorsitzende der Gewerkschaft der Polizei (GdP) kritisierte die Veranstalter dafür, dass das Veranstaltungsgelände fast vollständig eingezäunt wurde. Michael Reinke bezeichnete dieses Vorgehen als „sehr gefährlich“. Duisburgs Oberbürgermeister Adolf Sauerland sagte vor der Presse, man solle keine voreiligen Schuldzuweisungen äußern. Es sei die Aufgabe der Staatsanwaltschaft, die Ereignisse aufzuklären.


Estampida en el Love Parade deja 19 muertos

Dieciocho fallecidos, y más de trescientos heridos, fue el trágico saldo de una estampida humana en el Love Parade (Desfile del amor), tradicional festival de música electrónica que se realizaba en la ciudad alemana de Duisburgo el pasado 24 de julio.

Autoridades alemanas reportaron que la tragedia ocurrió cuando un rumor desató pánico colectivo entre los asistentes que estaban debajo del puente de la calle Karl-Lehr, único acceso al festival al que acudían más de un millón de personas. El incidente inició cuando personal de seguridad quiso cerrar la entrada a la fiesta, y asistentes presionaron para entrar. Otras víctimas habrían fallecido al intentar huir y caer de varios metros de altura en las inmediaciones del túnel.

Hacia las 18:00, hora local, se anuncio el fin de la fiesta e inició el desalojo de los asistentes, ya que la estampida había ocurrido y la gente más cercana al escenario seguía bailando.

"Eran jóvenes que venían a celebrar una fiesta, en lugar de eso hay muertos y heridos. Estoy conmocionada y triste, ante tanto dolor y sufrimiento", dijo la canciller Angela Merkel. También el papa Benedicto XVI expresó su conmoción y sus condolencias a las víctimas.


Allemagne : 19 morts lors d'un mouvement de foule à Duisburg

Hier, à Duisburg, 19 personnes sont mortes et plus de 340 autres ont été blessés dans un mouvement de foule lors de la Love Parade. La bousculade a eu lieu vers 17 h dans un tunnel routier long de 200 mètres conduisant au site principal de la manifestation consacrée à la musique techno, sur lequel étaient rassemblés des centaines de milliers de participants. Des policiers ont fermé l'accès au site principal de la Love Parade, en raison d'un trop grand nombre de participants. À l'aide de hauts-parleurs, ils ont demandé aux fêtards de faire demi-tour et lors de la bousculade, des participants ont été piétinés à l'intérieur du tunnel.

Les circonstances restent imprécises, mais le fait que le tunnel, passage obligé pour accéder au site, n'avait qu'une seule sortie semble constituer une des raisons du drame. « J'étais dans le tunnel vers 17 heures. Il y avait trop de barrières, et les passages étaient partout trop étroits » a déclaré un témoin, un autre explique quant à lui que  « l'organisation était mauvaise. Très vite il n'y avait plus rien à boire à part de l'alcool. Et bien que le terrain ait été déjà plein, les organisateurs laissaient encore rentrer les gens ». Des médias allemands ont affirmé qu'au moins 1,4 million de personnes étaient sur place, alors que le terrain ne pouvait accueillir que 300 000 à 350 000  personnes. De plus, selon le site en ligne du magazine Der Spiegel, la police, qui avait déployé 1 200 agents, n'attendait qu'un demi-million de spectateurs sur le terrain. Pourtant, la précédente édition de la Love Parade, en 2008 dans la ville voisine de Dortmund, avait rassemblé 1,6 million de fêtards.

Le maire de la ville, Adolf Sauerland, a également présenté ses condoléances aux familles des victimes, précisant qu'une enquête était en cours. « Les jeunes étaient venus pour faire la fête, et au lieu de cela, il y a des morts et des blessés », a quant à elle déploré la chancelière allemande Angela Merkel, qui s'est dite « horrifiée » par ce drame.  Malgré la catastrophe, les ravers, dont nombre ignoraient tout de la tragédie, ont continué à danser jusque tard dans la nuit. Les autorités de la ville ont expliqué avoir décidé de ne pas interrompre brutalement la fête, par peur de voir d'autres mouvements de panique au sein de cette foule immense.

La Love Parade se tient depuis 2007 à Duisbourg, après avoir longtemps eu lieu dans la capitale allemande, où elle était célébrée depuis chaque année depuis 1989. Elle a ensuite déménagé à Duisbourg en raison de problèmes financiers et de tensions entre les organisateurs et la municipalité de la ville.


Stan Lai: Volunteers will play the greatest key role at 2009 Summer Deaflympics

Today in a press conference at Taipei City Hall, the Organizing Committee of 2009 Summer Deaflympics recently recruited a famous Taiwanese theater director Stan Sheng-chuan Lai as the Art Director of 2009 Summer Deaflympics. According to the officials, the opening, closing, and several on-site programs will be arranged by Stan Lai after his participation.

"The ability of sign language is required for everyone at any Deaflympics or world-class games related to deaf athletes, that's everyone who knows. But on the other hand, it's a great opportunity for Taipei City Government to showcase creations and cultures and to promote deaf culture since the Government won the bidding to hold the 2009 [Summer] Deaflympics. Besides of professional ability, I think that volunteers from every industry will play a great role to determine the image and result of this game [2009 Summer Deaflympics]," said Stan Lai.

With his participation, the sports and culture industries in Taiwan will make a great combination at 2009 Summer Deaflympics even before its beginning at September 2009.


文化創意產業 力挺2009夏季聽障奧運 讓無聲更有聲

距離2009夏季聽障奧運尚有一年半的時間，地主台北市政府仍在積極籌建比賽場館的同時，文化創意產業的名人，也是知名導演賴聲川，在即日起，正式成為2009聽奧籌委會的創意總監。預計2009夏季聽奧的開閉幕與相關節目籌備及視覺設計，將由賴聲川主導。這項體育與文化創意產業的重要合作，將有可能讓單純的無聲文化，更具聲色。

賴聲川在今（25）日，於台北市政府的記者會中表示：

除了賴聲川的創意，台灣影藝界知名藝人王偉忠、張小燕、學學文化董事長徐莉玲、亞都麗緻集團總裁嚴長壽也藉由這次的記者會，響應聽障奧運，並異口同聲地表示，未來將在這項盛會，展現各自的專業。


Stand by me: Music legend Ben E King dies at 76

Ben E King, the soul singer recognised for memorable track "Stand by Me", died on Thursday at the age of 76.

According to publicist Phil Brown, King died in New Jersey of natural causes.

King was best known for being a part of The Drifters in the 1950s who had hits such as "Save the Last Dance for Me", and "There Goes my Baby". Later on when he left the band and embarked on a solo career, he took on the name "Ben E King" and brought out notable tracks "Spanish Harlem" and "Supernatural Thing — Part One".  In 1961 he released the song "Stand by Me".  It was later the title track for the 1986 film Stand by Me directed by Rob Reiner.

In an interview with Boston public television station WGBH, King recalled writing track "Stand by Me", saying, "when I wrote 'Stand by Me' as a song, and to know that the song will probably be here for hundreds and hundreds of years to come, it's great".

At the news of King's death, many sent their condolences and paid tribute online through social media. On Twitter, novelist Salman Rushdie linked King's "Stand by Me", tweeting "Thanks Ben E King", and musician Gary U.S. Bonds wrote about his friendship with King on Facebook, saying, "With an extremely heavy heart, I must say goodbye to one of the sweetest, gentlest and gifted souls that I have had the privilege of knowing and calling my friend for more than 50 years — Mr. Ben E. King [...] Our sincere condolences go out to Betty and the entire family."

Survived by his wife Betty, along with three children and six grandchildren, King, originally known as Benjamin Earl Nelson, started in a doo-wop band, The Five Crowns, who eventually became The Drifters.
According to BBC News, the tracks "Stand by Me", "Spanish Harlem", and "There Goes my Baby" are on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of 500 songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
Talking to The Guardian in 2013, King spoke about his voice in "Stand by Me". He said, "In my vocal I think you can hear something of my earlier times when I'd sing in subway halls for the echo, and perform doo-wop on street corners".


Ben E. King mor als 76 anys

Ben E. King, el famós cantant conegut a ambdós costats de l'Atlàntic pel títol Stand by Me, va morir dijous a l'edat de 76 anys. Segons el seu agent, Phil Brown, King va morir a Nova Jersey per causes naturals.

Després de la notícia de la mort de King, moltes persones han enviat el seu condol i li han rendit homenatge en línia a través de les xarxes socials. El cantant de R&B Gary U.S. Bonds, excompany de Ben E. King, va escriure a la seva pàgina de Facebook que era “una de les ànimes més suaus, amables i talentoses que he tingut el privilegi de conèixer i comptat entre els meus amics per més de 50 anys”.

King, que en realitat es deia Benjamin Earl Nelson, va començar en un grup de doo-wop anomenat The Five Crowns per convertir-se, finalment, ser la veu principal de The Drifters. Segons BBC, les cançons, Stand by Me, Spanish Harlem i There Goes My Baby són a la llista de les 500 cançons que van donar forma al Rock and roll.


États-Unis : Ben E. King meurt à 76 ans

Ben E. King, un chanteur connu des deux côtés de l'Atlantique pour le titre célèbre « Stand by Me », est décédé jeudi à l'âge de 76 ans. Selon son agent, Phil Brown, King est mort dans le New Jersey de causes naturelles.

À la suite de la nouvelle du décès de King, de nombreuses personnes ont envoyé leurs condoléances et lui ont rendu hommage en ligne via les médias sociaux. Le chanteur de R&B Gary U.S. Bonds, ancien acolyte de Ben E. King, a écrit sur sa page Facebook qu'il était « l’une des âmes plus douces, gentilles et talentueuses que j’ai eu le privilège de connaître et de compter parmi mes amis depuis plus de 50 ans. »

King, de son vrai nom Benjamin Earl Nelson a commencé sa carrière dans un groupe doo-wop appelé « The Five Crowns » pour finalement devenir la voix principale de « The Drifters ». Selon la BBC, les chansons, « Stand by Me », « Spanish Harlem » et « There Goes My Baby » sont sur la liste des 500 chansons qui ont façonné le Rock and Roll.


Stanisław Lem dies at 84

Stanisław Lem, one of the most popular modern science fiction writers who wrote in a language other than English, died March 27, aged 84.  He died of heart failure while staying at a cardio-surgery clinic in Kraków, Poland.

Lem, described as “one of the deep spirits of the age,”  was the author of dozens of books, which have been translated into 41 languages and sold over 27 million copies. He gained international fame  for The Cyberiad, a series of short stories from a mechanical world ruled by robots, first published in English in 1974.

Despite his international popularity, Lem is not a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. He turned down an invitation to join the non-profit association after his honorary membership was taken away because of anger at his critical commentary about the quality of much of the science fiction being published in the United States. Many of his books have been filmed, most notably the book Solaris, which has spawned two films - one by Andrei Tarkovsky in 1972 and the other by Steven Soderbergh and starring George Clooney in 2002.


Polnischer Science-Fiction-Autor Stanislaw Lem ist tot

Krakau (Polen), 27.03.2006 – Der polnische Science-Fiction-Autor Stanisław Lem ist nach Angaben der polnischen Nachrichtenagentur PAP heute im Alter von 84 Jahren in einer Klinik bei Krakau gestorben. Zu den bekanntesten Werken des am 12. September 1921 im heute ukrainischen Lviv (Lemberg) geborenen Stanisław Lem zählen die Romane „Solaris“ und „Sternentagebücher“. Sein erstes Werk „Der Mensch vom Mars“ erschien 1946.

Stanislaw Lem war auch Philosoph. Im Zweiten Weltkrieg musste Stanisław Lem sein Medizinstudium unterbrechen, weil die Nationalsozialisten nach dem Überfall auf Polen die Universitäten geschlossen hatten. Seit den 1950er Jahren war Lem als freier Schriftsteller tätig, nachdem er zuvor sein Medizinstudium abgeschlossen hatte und für kurze Zeit als Arzt gearbeitet hat. Stanisław Lem hat humorvolle und tragische Klassiker des Science-Fiction-Genres verfasst und gilt selbst als Kritiker dieser Gattung. Lem verfügte über tiefes Wissen in den Bereichen Kybernetik und Weltraumfahrt.


L'écrivain Stanislas Lem est décédé

Stanislas(Stanisław) Lem est mort à l'âge de 84 ans. Malade depuis longtemps, il est mort d'une crise cardiaque à la clinique cardiologique de Cracovie en Pologne. C'était un des rares écrivains de Science-fiction non-anglophone connu mondialement.

Lem, décrit comme l'“un des esprit les plus profond de cet âge,” était l'auteur de dizaines d'ouvrages, qui ont été traduit en 41 langues et vendus à 27 millions d'exemplaires. il gagna la renommée internationale avec The Cyberiad, une série d'histoires courtes sur un monde mécanique réglé par les robots, première publication en Anglais en 1974.
L'une de ses œuvres, Solaris a été filmé 2 fois dont une version de Steven Soderbergh avec George Clooney en 2002, la première en 1972 par Andrei Tarkovsky.


Umarł Stanisław Lem

W poniedziałek w wieku 85 lat w Krakowie zmarł Stanisław Lem, polski pisarz, filozof, futurolog i satyryk.

O śmierci poinformował asystent pisarza. Później informację tę potwierdziła Polska Agencja Prasowa w Klinice Kardiologii Collegium Medicum Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, gdzie Stanisław Lem spędził ostatnie chwile swojego życia.

Andrzej Kulig, dyrektor kliniki przy Uniwersytecie Jagiellońskim, powiedział agencji Reuters, że pisarz zmarł krótko po godzinie 15:00. Stanisław Lem, który miał problemy z układem krążenia, przebywał w klinice od kilku tygodni.

Stanisław Lem urodził się 12 września 1921 we Lwowie. Był synem lekarza-laryngologa. W roku 1940 rozpoczął studia medyczne we lwowskim Instytucie Medycznym. W 1946 roku przybył do Krakowa gdzie kształcił się na Wydziale Medycznym Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego.

Jego pierwszym literackim dziełem science-fiction była nowela Człowiek z Marsa drukowana w odcinkach w czasopiśmie "Nowy Świat Przygód" od roku 1946. Ponadto, był autorem wielu powieści - między innymi Dzienniki gwiazdowe, Solaris, Bajki robotów, Cyberiada, Opowieści o pilocie Pirxie.

Dzieła Stanisława Lema zostały przetłumaczone na 41 języków i wydane w nakładzie liczącym ponad 27 milionów egzemplarzy.


Сегодня умер Станислав Лем

Сегодня, 27 марта, в Кракове после продолжительной болезни сердца скончался выдающийся польский писатель-фантаст и философ Станислав Лем.

Станислав Лем (Stanisław Lem) родился 12 сентября 1921 года во Львове (ныне Украина, в то время Польша).

Станислав Лем — один из самых читаемых авторов фантастики в Советском Союзе и России.

Некоторые высказывания Станислава Лема: (Викицитатник)

На Интернет странице ИноСМИ.ru 17 января 2006 года было опубликовано последнее интервью Станислава Лема. Станислав Лем: «Сложно удивляться тому, что мы страдаем от своего рода российского комплекса».

27 марта 2006 года


Starr gets star; Ringo added to Hollywood Walk of Fame

Ringo Starr, who is a member of The Beatles, was given his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday.

The event, which was also celebrating fifty years since the pavement was founded, took place during the night for the first time. Starr was the 2401st individual to have a star awarded on the walk. The event also took place outside of the Capitol Records Building.

Starr said outside of the event: "This is the start of the next 50 years of stars. I'm proud to be the first one."

According to Reuters, fellow Beatles bandmate Sir Paul McCartney was unable to attend the ceremony due to the fact that he was in England at the time, Starr said. Less than twelve months before Ringo was given his star on the Walk of Fame, Paul McCartney assisted in revealing a star for another former Beatles member, the late George Harrison.

The late John Lennon was also given a star on the pavement, which means that Paul McCartney is now the only member of the Beatles who has not yet been awarded a star. McCartney "[w]as selected and approved [for a star] many years ago. We are just waiting for his people to give us a date on when he would like to do it," according to a Hollywood Chamber of Commerce source.

The event was also partly to promote "Y Not", the drummer's recently released album. During the ceremony for Ringo Starr's induction onto the walk, he commented: "It's cool to get [a star] at night. I don't know about you, but where I live, the stars come out at night." He referred to the other members of the Beatles as his "brothers". He also said about them: "They looked out for me, and I looked out for them. We all supported each other."


Ringo Starr obtiene una estrella en el Paseo de la Fama de Hollywood

Ringo Starr, ex miembro de The Beatles, obtuvo su propia estrella en el Paseo de la Fama de Hollywood este lunes, a cuatro décadas de la separación de la banda. En el evento también promocionó "Y Not", el recién lanzado disco del baterista.

El evento fue celebrado en las afueras del Capitol Records Building, 50 años después de la fundación del Paseo. Starr es la persona número 2401 en tener una estrella en el salón de la fama. El músico dijo en el evento: "Este es el inicio de los siguientes cincuenta años de estrellas. Estoy orgulloso de ser el primero."

De acuerdo a la agencia de noticias Reuters, su compañero en los Beatles Paul McCartney no pudo asistir a la ceremonia porque se encontraba en Inglaterra, dijo Starr. 20 meses antes de que otorgaran la estrella en el Paseo de la Fama a Starr, McCartney asistió a la ceremonia de presentación de la estrella del difunto miembro de The Beatles, George Harrison.

A John Lennon también se le otorgó una estrella, por lo que Paul McCartney es el único miembro de Beatles que aún no la ha obtenido. McCartney "fue seleccionado y aprobado [para una estrella] hace muchos años. Solo estamos esperando para que nos den una fecha o cuando él quisiera", de acuerdo a una fuente de la Cámara de Comercio de Hollywood.


Stores drop game "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" after given 'Adults Only' rating

The Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) changed its content rating of the controversial Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas video game from "Mature" to "Adults Only" on Wednesday. The ESRB change came after a investigation proved that sexual content in the game could be unlocked by anyone with the Windows version or with a modified console.

Graphic sex scenes in the game can be revealed if a user downloads a patch from the internet of the "Hot Coffee modification" or enters codes into a 3rd party modifier such as the game shark.     This opens up a locked mini-game that depicts characters as having sex. The secret code as well as the patch is widely available on the Internet such as gamer sites, MoFunZone.com and Gamespot.

In response to this, Rockstar Games and its parent company Take-Two Interactive stopped making the version of the game with the sexual content and plan to release a "Mature"-rated title in the fall with the "Hot Coffee" content removed.

Game maker Take-Two says the 'game mod' is third-party software that violates the end-user license agreement of the company's intellectual property rights. Citing what the company calls standard industry practice to create content that never makes it into the final version of a game, the sex scenes included in the software, "were never intended to be found."

After the rating change, stores such as Wal-Mart and Target pulled the game off their shelves under their policies not to sell "Adults Only"-rated games.

This controversy has lead to major debate between execs and politicians whether the video game industry should continue to judge itself or not. Many of the watchdog groups were unaware that content like this is usually "locked away" instead of being deleted.


Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas tylko dla dorosłych

ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) – organizacja zajmująca się oceną oraz wyznaczaniem granic wiekowych dla wydawanych w USA gier komputerowych i wideo, zmieniła kategorię wiekową popularnej gry Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas z M (Mature/Dojrzali) na AO (Adults Only/Tylko dla dorosłych). Jest ona 19. grą, która uzyskała najwyższe oznaczenie. Poprzednie wersje gry (GTA III i Vice City) otrzymywały oznaczenie M.

Jako powód, na stronie ESRB wymieniono między innymi mocne podteksty seksualne (strong sexual content) i nagość (nudity).

Zmiana jest spowodowana wystąpieniem senator Hillary Clinton, która postanowiła walczyć z producentem gry, Rockstar Games. Oskarżyła ich o celowe pozostawienie w kodzie gry scen erotycznych, które mogą być odblokowane za pomocą specjalnej modyfikacji o nazwie Hot Coffee Mod. Senator twierdzi, że pomimo nałożonego limitu (Mature oznacza osoby powyżej 17. roku życia) młodzi ludzie mogą w łatwy sposób nabyć grę, a potrzebną modyfikację pobrać z internetu.

Patricia Vance, prezydent ESRB powiedziała, że po przeprowadzeniu śledztwa są przekonani, iż seksualne sceny pojawiają się we wszystkich wersjach gry (na PC, PlayStation 2 oraz Xboksa). Przedstawiciele Rockstar Games odpowiadają, że co prawda niedozwolone sceny są, ale ich odblokowanie wymaga znacznych zmian w kodzie gry przez osoby trzecie. Nie jest to jednak do końca prawdą – modyfikację stanowi jeden plik o nazwie main.scm, który zastępuje oryginalny, występujący w katalogu gry zaraz po instalacji. Jedyną przeszkodą występującą po podmianie plików jest konieczność rozpoczęcia od nowa gry (zapisane stany gry z „czystej” wersji są niekompatybilne ze zmodyfikowanymi).

W wyniku zamieszania, plik odblokowujący seksualne sceny został wycofany z niektórych pobieralni. Wycofano także ze sklepów część egzemplarzy gry z nieaktualnym oznaczeniem. Ponadto, producent obiecuje do końca października wydanie nowej wersji gry, która zablokuje możliwość korzystania z modyfikacji. Nieco wcześniej, w sieci powinna ukazać się łatka naprawiająca lukę.

Pierwsza dama Stanów Zjednoczonych już nie pierwszy raz walczy przeciwko zjawiskom przemocy i seksu w mediach i kulturze.

Po stronie Hillary Clinton stanęli między innymi członkowie Narodowego Instytutu Rodziny i Mediów, Fundacji Nowa Ameryka oraz szefowie Fundacji Zapobiegania Przemocy w Rodzinie.

Luka w kodzie została odkryta przez Bartona Waterducka. Pierwsza wersja modyfikacji została stworzona 9 czerwca 2005 roku przez Patricka Wildenborga i była skierowana do posiadaczy San Andreas w wersji na komputery. Po pewnym czasie powstała odmiana dla Xboksa. W wersji na konsolę PlayStation 2 sceny mogą zostać odblokowane za pomocą narzędzia Action Replay Max. Przy tworzeniu pliku autorowi pomagało wielu fanów, między innymi poprzez zgłaszanie błędów i usterek.

Pikantne zabawy z dziewczynami Carla Johnsona nie są jedyną ukrytą rzeczą w San Andreas. W grze schowano również deskorolkę, która być może miała służyć do jazdy, jednak opcja ta nie pojawiła się w finalnej wersji gry. Zmiana jednej linijki w pliku gry pozwala wykorzystać deskorolkę jako broń białą.


Alterada classificação do San Andreas, jogo é retirado de centenas de lojas nos EUA

A entidade responsável pela classificação etária dos videojogos nos Estados Unidos da América - ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) alterou a classificação do Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas para adultos (AO – Adults Only), após concluídas as investigações da mesma. Entretanto centenas de lojas nos EUA, várias da Wal-Mart e da Best Buy, que se recusam a vender jogos para adultos.

A Take-Two Interactive em comunicado anunciou que a Rockstar, começou já o desenvolvimento de uma nova versão do San Andreas sem os mini-jogos de sexo e ainda uma actualização que impede que a modificação "Hot Coffee" seja instalada — o mod, "Hot Coffee", permitia o acesso a cenas de sexo —, e que já foi interrompida a distribuição do jogo.

A controvérsia desencadeou a um grande debate entre os executivos da indústria e políticos, que discutem agora. Muitos grupos desconheciam que o conteúdo deste tipo é muitas vezes "trancado" em vez de ser eliminado.


Students raise record amounts of money during Christmas fundraiser at Benet Academy, Illinois

Students at Benet Academy in Lisle, Illinois, United States raised record amounts of money this year during their Christmas Drive fundraiser.

The annual two-week event is aimed at promoting the Christmas spirit in helping the poor and needy.  Coordination of the fundraiser is a joint effort by the faculty and three students organizations—Student Government, National Honor Society (NHS), and Outreach.  Donations from previous years have allowed Outreach to provide food and Christmas gifts to dozens of families during the holiday season.  NHS in the past has provided blankets, winter gear, and toys to local families as well.

A semi-formal dance held on Dec. 5 kicked off the Christmas Drive this year. Two weeks of in-school fundraising efforts ensued, including several no-uniform days and Benet's traditional Penny Wars. In that four-day activity, the four grade levels competed against each other to see who can collect the most pennies. Nickels, dimes, and quarters were allowed but had negative value in the class total. The seniors won this contest, allowing them to have a no-uniform day on Dec. 11. Other activities such as bake sales and a beard-growing contest raised money as well.

During an all-school assembly on Friday, the last day of the drive, Student Government President Kyle Marinko announced that preliminary calculations put the amount of donations at US$53,392.82, a record for the school. Last year's drive collected approximately US$42,000. A final total has not been officially announced, since Student Government officials continue to count additional donations that have been received.


Studenten erhöhen Rekordsumme bei weihnachtlicher Benefizveranstaltung

Lisle (USA), 25.12.2009 – Studierende an der Benet Akademie in Lisle (US-Bundesstaat Illinois) haben in diesem Jahr mit der Weihnachts-Spendenaktion Drive einen neuen Rekord erreicht. Bei der jährlichen stattfindenden zweiwöchigen Veranstaltung soll die Weihnachtsstimmung bei der Unterstützung der Armen und Bedürftigen helfen.

Koordiniert wird die Spendenaktion in gemeinsamer Anstrengung der Fakultät und drei Studenten-Organisationen. In den Vorjahren wurden Lebensmittel, Weihnachtsgeschenke, Decken, warme Bekleidung und Spielzeug für Dutzende von Familien bereitgestellt.

Bei einer Versammlung am Freitag vor einer Woche wurde angekündigt, dass nach vorläufigen Berechnungen die Höhe der Spenden mit US $ 53.392,82 (etwa 37.000 €) einen Rekord erreichten. Im vergangenen Jahr waren es etwa US $ 42.000 (rund 29.000 €) gewesen. Ein endgültiger Betrag wurde noch nicht offiziell bekannt gegeben, da in der Zwischenzeit laufend weitere Spenden eingegangen sind.


Super Bowl XLIV: Saints defeat Colts, 31-17

In the National Football League, the New Orleans Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts, 31-17, to win Super Bowl XLIV.

Class of 2010 Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith did the coin toss. The Saints won toss and elected to receive. It was the thirteenth straight time that the NFC won the Super Bowl coin toss. The Saints got the ball first inside the 25, and went three and out. The Colts' first play was a first down pass to Dallas Clark. The first penalty comes with 8:36 left in first quarter, a false start on the Colts. Their third 3rd down of the drive failed, and kicker Matt Stover's 38 yard field goal was good, giving the Colts the first score of the game, 3-0.

Courtney Roby fumbled the kick return, but the Saints recovered it. Drew Brees threw a complete pass to Reggie Bush on third down for their first 1st down of the game. The Saints only got to midfield, and after nearly being picked off the Saints punted. The punt landed at the four yard line, where the Colts started their next drive. The Colts mixed run and pass plays, including several third down conversions, and made it all the way to the end zone, where Pierre Garcon caught a nineteen-yard pass on third down for the first touchdown of the game, making the score 10-0 Colts. The 96-yard drive tied the longest drive in Super Bowl history. Another kickoff return by the Saints ended inside the 25 as the first quarter ended.

The Saints move the ball down inside the Colts’ 30 yard line when, on third down, Dwight Freeney sacked Brees. After the sack on third down, kicker Garrett Hartley kicks a 46 yard field goal making the score Colts 10, Saints 3. The Colts get the ball returned to around the 20 yard line, but went three and out. Bush fair catches the punt inside the 30 yard line. Using mainly passing plays, the Saints moved down the field all the way to the 22 until a reverse play ended up as a seven yard loss. The next play, a pass to Marques Colston, however, was a 27 yard gain down to the three yard line.

After the two minute warning, the Saints had 20 plays in the quarter to the Colts' three. They were stopped short on third down. On 4th and goal on the one yard line, the Saints went for it and Pierre Thomas was stopped short after being tackled by Gary Brackett. The Colts get the ball on the one, but are stopped short on 3rd down, and had to punt after going three and out with under a minute left. Bush returned the punt to around midfield. Another field goal by Hartley was good as the score became 10-6 at halftime.

After the halftime show featuring The Who, the Colts were to get the ball to start the second half. The Saints attempted an onside kick which, after both teams crowded around the pile, the refs ruled that the Saints got the ball. After moving down the field, a 15-yard touchdown run by Pierre Thomas, thanks to breaking several tackles, gave the Saints a 13-10 lead. The Colts got the ball back on the kickoff return on the 24 yard line. After driving down the field, the Colts finished the drive with a five yard touchdown run by Joseph Addai, giving the Colts the lead, 17-13. The Saints got the ball back and moved across midfield with five minutes left in the third quarter. Several plays later, the Saints kicked another 40+ yard field goal, this one at 47 yards, moving the Saints to within one at 17-16. Hartley became the first kicker to kick three field goals for 40 or more yards in a Super Bowl. The Colts got the ball back around the 11 yard line and began running the ball, bringing the ball to the 29 yard line as time expired, ending the third quarter.

As the fourth quarter began, the Colts moved to around midfield and were faced with a 4th and 2. They went for it, and converted on a completion to Reggie Wayne. A second third down conversion failed, and the field goal by Matt Stover was no good, keeping the score at 17-16. The Saints continued utilizing their passing game, moving down inside the 10. After a run by Thomas, Brees completed a two yard pass to Jeremy Shockey for the touchdown. The Saints went for the two point conversion and failed on an incomplete pass by Lance Moore, making the score 22-17 with 5:42 left. The Saints challenged the play, stating he had possession in the end zone, though he did lose control as he rolled in the end zone. The play was overturned and the challenge successful, making the score 24-17 in favor of the Saints.

Starting on the 30 yard line, the Colts moved to midfield through the air. A few plays later, Manning threw an interception to Tracy Porter, who returned the ball 74 yards for a touchdown, moving the Saints ahead by two touchdowns, 31-17. With less than three minutes left, the Colts had to reach the end zone twice to keep it tied. A long pass to bring it to the two minute warning was completed to Austin Collie, who nearly fumbled it. The Colts moved to inside the five yard line, but a pass interference penalty led to a ten yard loss. A pass to Addai moved them back to where they were. They were stopped on third down, and turned the ball over on downs after an incomplete pass on fourth down. Brees took a knee to run out the clock, ending the game.


Super Bowl XLIV : victoire des Saints de la Nouvelle-Orléans

Le 7 février dernier, s'est tenu au stade Sun Life, en Floride, le Super Bowl XLIV. Les Saints de la Nouvelle-Orléans se sont imposés 31 points à 17 face aux Colts d'Indianapolis. Les Saints remportent ainsi leur premier Super Bowl.

Cette édition du Super Bowl remporte le record d'audience télévisée aux États-Unis, avec 106,5 millions de téléspectateurs.


Suspect "Rembrandt" sold for £2.2 million in English auction house

On Friday afternoon in Moore Allen & Innocent's Cirencester, England auction house a suspect "Rembrandt" painting was sold for £2.2 million, after being estimated by many experts at just £1,000 to £1,500. This is the most expensive Rembrandt to ever be sold in a provincial auction house in all England's auction history.

Bidding started at £4,500 and quickly galloped upwards, by the time it had reached £1 million bidding was rising in £100,000's. However by the £1.8 million mark had slowed down to increasing by £50,000 a time, by this point the pace had slowed remarkably, all 8 phone bidders had stopped and it was left between two people still in the room.

When the hammer went down a round of applause rose up, staff looked stunned to silence and the room quickly emptied with people calling friends to tell of the news. Considering the original owner of the piece had kept it in their family house for generations thinking it nothing but a copy by one of Rembrandt's pupils it was an amazing result. The buyer of the piece has been left anonymous even to the auctions owners however the 9.5 by 6.5 inch painting labeled "The Young Rembrandt as Democrates the Laughing Philosopher" is sure to now be tested for authenticity. If it is a true Rembrandt then the buyer will have a relative bargain as it will likely be worth in the region of £8-10 million.


"תמונה שצייר רמברנדט" נמכרה ב-2.2 מיליון פאונד במכירה-פומבית באנגליה

בשעת אחר-צהריים מנומנמת בעיירה הציורית צ'ירצ'סטר במערב אנגליה ביום שישי האחרון, נמכרה בבית המכירות-הפומביות המקומי "Moore Allen & Innocent" תמונה, החשודה ככזו של הצייר ההולנדי רמברנדט, בסכום של 2.2 מיליון לירות שטרלינג. זאת לאחר שתחילה הוערך שווי התמונה בסכומים הנעים בין 1000 ל-1500 פאונד. זוהי התמורה הגבוהה ביותר ששולמה עד כה בעבור יצירותיו של רמברנדט בבתי מכירות פומביות כפריים בכל תולדות המכירות הפומביות בבריטניה.

ההצעות נפתחו בסכום של 4500 ליש"ט וזינקו קדימה עד-מהרה, עד שכשהגיעו למיליון ליש"ט ההצעות עלו בקפיצות של 100,000. ברם, לכשהאמיר המחיר ל-1.8 ליש"ט, ההעלאות פחתו ל-50,000 בכל פעם, ובנקודה זו קצב המכירה הואט משמעותית, כל 8 המציעים הטלפוניים נטשו את המכירה והמערכה הופקרה לידיהם של 2 משתתפים שנותרו באולם המכירה.

כאשר הפטיש הלם בפעם השלישית והאחרונה ליוו אותו תשואות הנוכחים באולם, צוות בית המכירות נראה המום למדי ונותר אילם, והאולם התרוקן עד-מהרה מאנשים שאצו רצו לבשר לחבריהם על החדשות החמות שפקדו את העיירה. בהתחשב בעובדה שהבעלים המקוריים של התמונה החזיקו אותה בחווילה המשפחתית במשך דורות, בחושבם כי היא אינה אלא העתק שנעשה בידי אחד מתלמידי רמברנדט, הרי שתוצאות המכירה מדהימות. רוכש התמונה נותר באלמוניותו אפילו בפני בעלי בית המכירות, ברם, מובטח כי בעל התמונה שמימדיה 9.5 על 6.5 אינטשים וזכתה לשם "רמברנדט הצעיר כדמוקרטס הפילוסוף הגועה בצחוק" ימהר לוודא את זהותו האמיתית של יוצרה. אם זהו אמנם רמברנדט, או-אז ירוויח הרוכש כסף רב משום שערכה יקפוץ לאיזור ה-8-10 מיליוני ליש"ט.

28 באוקטובר 2007


Syria's National Museum re-opens after six years of civil war

In a ceremony attended by archaeologists and restoration specialists, authorities re-opened Syria's National Museum of Damascus this Sunday, after six years of military conflict.  Representatives of the government represented this as a milestone in the return to normalcy after recent victories in Syria's civil war.

The museum displays include archaeological exhibits dating back to prehistoric times, cloth from the ancient city of Palmyra, and live demonstrations of restoration of pieces damaged during the war.

The Syrian Minister of Culture, Mohamed al-Ahmad, said in a speech, "The opening of the museum is a genuine message that Syria is still here and her heritage, would not be affected by terrorism [...] Today, Damascus has recovered."

The war in Syria, which has claimed reportedly over 350,000 lives, began in 2011, and the museum was closed in 2012, though the gardens remained open to the public.  Authorities managed to remove and store reportedly about 300,000 cultural artifacts.  Various sites were destroyed in the conflict.  Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was taken over by Islamic State and subjected to deliberate damage.  According to Mahmoud Hammoud, a Syrian official in charge of antiquities and museums, several hundred thousand artifacts were also smuggled out of the country, while, as of the opening, about 9,000 artifacts had been recovered or restored.

This comes as representatives from Russia, France, Germany and Turkey met in Istanbul to discuss the Syrian conflict, amid United Nations statement that the Syrian government is delaying the writing of a new constitution for the country.


Reabre el Museo Nacional de Siria tras seis años de guerra civil

Este domingo, en una ceremonia a la que asistieron arqueólogos y especialistas en restauración, las autoridades reabrieron el Museo Nacional de Damasco en Siria, luego de seis años de conflicto militar. Representantes gubernamentales consideraron esto un hito en el regreso a la normalidad tras las recientes victorias en la guerra civil de Siria.

En el museo se exhiben piezas arqueológicas que datan de tiempos prehistóricos, telas de la antigua ciudad de Palmira y demostraciones en vivo de la restauración de piezas dañadas durante la guerra.

Mohamed al-Ahmad, ministro de Cultura de Siria, indicó en un discurso: "La apertura del museo es un mensaje genuino de que Siria sigue aquí y su patrimonio no será afectado por el terrorismo [...] Hoy, Damasco se ha recuperado".

La guerra en Siria, que ha causado la muerte de al menos 350 mil personas, comenzó en 2011. Un año después se cerró el museo, aunque los jardines permanecieron abiertos al público. Según consta, las autoridades lograron retirar y almacenar cerca de 300 mil artefactos culturales. Durante el conflicto se han destruido varios sitios, entre ellos Palmira, nombrado Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la Unesco y que el Estado Islámico ocupó y dañó deliberadamente. De acuerdo con Mahmoud Hammoud, un funcionario sirio encargado de antigüedades y museos, se han sacado de contrabando del país cientos de miles de artefactos. Sin embargo, al momento de reabrir el museo se han recuperado o restaurado cerca de 9000.

Esto ocurre cuando representantes de Alemania, Francia, Rusia y Turquía se reúnen en Estambul para discutir sobre el conflicto en Siria, y en medio de una declaración en la que Naciones Unidas asegura que el gobierno sirio está retrasando la redacción de una nueva constitución para el país.


Taipei 101 shows "Love Taiwan" mark after 2008 New Year's Eve in Taipei, Taiwan

In the "2008 Taipei City New Year Countdown Party", several local and foreign media focused on the fireworks of the Taipei 101 due to the notability of the skyscraper world-wide.

After some criticism from government executives because some wordmarks by sponsors appeared on the Taipei 101, the Taipei Financial Center (owner of Taipei 101) decided to set up 12,000 sparklers 500 meters tall from the 34th floor to the top of the tower on the 101st floor.

Even though the ingredients of the sparklers were made in China, Vice President of Taipei 101 Michael Liu commented that the idea issues on quality of production and trends of industry.

According to TV channel TVBS, the light of "Love Taiwan" wordmarks accidentally appeared before the celebration while President of the Republic of China Shui-bian Chen addressed in the "2008 Dream More Kaohsiung" New Year Celebration in Kaohsiung City. After the Taipei City Government became aware of this accident and remonstrated against current Chairman of Taipei 101 Diana Chen, the Taipei 101 re-lighted the wordmark after successfully celebrating New Year's.

After this incident, Michael Liu said to media: "We [Taipei 101] earlier lighted (the wordmarks) in a rush after we received a call from the Executive Yuan. Originally, we didn't consider to do this."

Current Mayor of Taipei Lung-pin Hau regretted the incident and hoped the Executive Yuan could notify the government in the future of the incident. The Minister of the Government Information Office Jhy-wey Hsieh complained in the City's Government of the sponsorships. The 2008 Taipei City New Year Countdown Party was apparently "faded" with political factor.


2008台灣跨年活動 台北101「愛台灣」圖樣 爆出政治糾紛

2008年台灣的跨年活動，各重點縣市都相繼辦理，當中，以台北市政府的「2008台北最High新年城」最受矚目，因為台北101的煙火秀，每年都成為國際媒體注目的焦點。

繼去年台北101煙火秀只顯示贊助廠商字樣，引發民眾與政院高層非議後，今年，在幾經考量後，台北101砸下新台幣2100萬元的重金，從34樓至101的尖塔，架起500公尺高，12000發的煙火，雖然煙火的彈藥近八成來自中國大陸，稍微顯得諷刺，但根據台北101公關部的劉家豪表示，是考量到製造的品質，以及產業的發展局勢，才會選擇大陸製的煙火彈藥。

根據TVBS指出，台北101的「愛台灣」燈火，意外地在陳水扁總統參與高雄跨年活動，進行致詞的同時，於晚間十點提前亮燈，結果台北市政府發覺情況不對，向台北101的陳敏薰董事長抗議，因此，台北101在倒數前半小時立刻把燈火關掉，直到重新倒數完畢，燈火才重新恢復，順利完成跨年。

在爆發此事件後，劉家豪指出：「我們是很緊急地，接到政府的請求，才會提前點燈，其實我們沒打算這樣做的。」台北市長郝龍斌則對此爭議表示遺憾，並希望中央下次應當注意；而新聞局長謝志偉則痛批：「台北市政府不厚道，政院出錢贊助卻不領情。」因此，行政院與台北市政府的鬥爭，又再添一樁，也讓歡喜的跨年，蒙上一股非常難堪的政治內鬥。

【2008年1月1日讯】


Taipei chosen to host Wikimania 2007

At 2 am, September 25, UTC time, the jury of Wikimania 2007 City Contest announced that Taipei has been chosen as the host city of Wikimania 2007.

"Taipei had the winning combination of a dedicated and experienced bidding team, a great venue with centralized accommodation and community areas, and strong sponsorship opportunities. Taipei also provides the opportunity to focus attention on the growing Asian language projects and the international aspect of the Wikimedia Foundation, as well as learning about other free knowledge efforts and projects in the region," the jury said.

"This was a very difficult decision.  Every one of the shortlisted bids this year were outstanding," the jury continues. The other 3 bidding cities are Turin (Italy), Alexandria (Egypt) and London (United Kingdom).

Wikimania is a conference for users of the wiki projects operated by the Wikimedia Foundation. Researchers and speakers presented studies and experiments on Wikipedia and other projects operated by the Wikimedia Foundation, on wiki culture and technology, and on the world of free knowledge. The first conference was held in Frankfurt, Germany from August 4 to 8 in 2005; the second ran from August 4 to 6 in 2006 in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the United States. The third run will be held in Chien Tan Overseas Youth Activity Center, Taipei, Taiwan from August 3 to 5 in 2007.


Taipei choisie pour accueillir les Wikimania 2007

Cet article mentionne la Wikimedia Foundation ou un de ses projets. Notez que Wikinews est un projet de la Wikimedia Foundation.

Publié le 26 septembre 2006
Le 25 septembre, à 2:00 temps universel, parmi les différentes villes candidates, le jury à désigné Taipei comme ville d'accueil des Wikimania 2007.

« Taipei a eu la combinaison gagnante d'une équipe dynamique et expérimentée, des bonnes infrastructures, des services disponibles, ainsi que de nombreux sponsors intéressés. Taipei permet également de s'intéresser davantage aux  émergeants projets/wikipédias en langues asiatiques (chinois, vietnamien, coréen, thailandais, etc), […] et permettra aussi de se renseigner sur les projects libres de la région. » a déclaré le jury.

« Ceci fut une décision difficile par rapport aux autres équipes et villes candidates : Turin (Italie), Alexandrie (Egypte) et Londres (Angleterre). »

Les Wikimania sont des rencontres conférences pour les Wikipédiens et les projets wiki hébergés par la Wikimedia Foundation. Des chercheurs et exposants tiennent ces conférences sur Wikipedia différents projet de la Wikimedia Foundation, sur la culture wiki, la technologie wiki, et sur le monde du Libre.

Les précédantes Wikimania furent à Frankfort, Allemagne (4 au 8 Août 2005) ; le second à Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA (4 au 6 Août 2006). Les 3ème Wikimania se tiendront donc au Chien Tan Overseas Youth Activity Center, à Taipei, Taiwan du 3 au 5 août 2007.


台北市成功取得2007年維基媒體國際大會主辦權

維基媒體國際大會主辦城市評審團經過超過30小時的討論後，於今日UTC時間凌晨2時正式宣佈，2007年維基媒體國際大會（Wikimania）將於中華民國（臺灣）臺北市舉辦。

評審團表示，臺北市的勝出有多種原因，包括一支專注及有經驗的競選團隊、一個集合活動與住宿於一體的舉辦場地，以及強大的贊助機會。台北市也提供機會集中關注增長中的亞洲語種維基計劃、維基媒體基金會的國際觀點，以及了解更多該地區其他自由知識計劃。評審團亦坦言，本次評審要作出決定相當困難，因為全部4個入團的候選城市均各有所長。其餘入圍的城市包括意大利都靈、埃及亞歷山大港與英國倫敦。

維基媒體國際大會（Wikimania）為維基媒體基金會主辦的維基人會議，目的是探討維基媒體未來的發展策略以及促進世界各地的維基人交流。首屆在2005年8月於德國法蘭克福召開，2006年則於美國波士頓舉行。臺灣臺北則成為第三屆大會舉辦地，2007年8月3日至8月5日於劍潭海外青年活動中心舉行。


Taiwan breaks bicycle parade world record

In Taiwan, more than 2,000 people participated in the "Ten Thousand People for BIKE" bicycle parade challenge, organized by Volvic Taiwan and Body Marketing Co., Ltd. to break the previous "Largest Parade of Bicycles" record, which was set at 641 bicycles during a 2006 record attempt in Netherlands.

VIPs invited by the organizers included the current Chinese Nationalist Party legislator Chih-hsiung Huang, the Director of the Department of Public Sports of Sports Affairs Council, Executive Yuan (R.O.C., Taiwan) Tai-lin Peng, and Guinness World Records referee Stuart Claxton. They witnessed the new record, and Deputy Commissioner of Sports Affairs Council, Executive Yuan (R.O.C., Taiwan) Hwang-lang Tsai led out for the starting of this event.

The record-breaking parade crossed five riverside parks (Dajia Section, Yingfeng Section, Guanshan Section, Rainbow Section, and Meiti Section) over an estimated 13.7 kilometres (3.2 km to set the new record, and 10.5 km for free riding).

The previous record was broken when the 642nd rider passed the recording gate near 8:47 a.m.. A 36-year-old engineer from Taoyuan County named Fang-tien Lin was the 642nd lucky rider. In the end, this event created a new record with 1901 riders riding in a great bicycle parade within 1 hour and 8 minutes.


台灣萬人崇Bike 1901台自行車不間斷遊行 刷新世界紀錄

台北市大佳河濱公園，在今日（7月21日）上演一場自行車遊行的世界紀錄挑戰，這項名為「萬人崇Bike」的活動，是由行政院體育委員會指導、法國達能集團主辦、名衍行銷公司承辦，並邀請立法委員黃志雄、行政院體育委員會全民運動處彭臺臨處長、英國籍金氏世界紀錄裁判史都華‧克萊斯頓（Stuart Claxton）進行歷史性的見證。這項活動共吸引近兩千位愛好自行車的民眾，前來挑戰這項創舉。

克萊斯頓表示，台灣在很多地方，都是金氏世界紀錄的常客，像是最多拼圖、最高樓層高樓大廈、最多對雙胞胎、最大天燈等，都是在台灣留下的紀錄，而自行車遊行，是台灣有史以來首度挑戰，目標是荷蘭的641台自行車不間斷遊行的紀錄，要求參與者在3.2公里內，讓遊行隊伍沒有明顯的差距與間斷。

這項活動跨越大佳、迎風、觀山、彩虹、美堤等河濱公園，並行經麥帥一橋與大直橋自行車道，除了紀錄挑戰活動的3.2公里，另外也有自由騎乘的10.5公里，總計全程為13.7公里。

上午8時47分，第642位參與者跨越檢查點，正式宣布打破金氏世界紀錄中，原先於2006年在荷蘭的641台自行車紀錄，而來自桃園縣，現年36歲的林芳田，則成為破紀錄的幸運兒，並且在接受媒體採訪時，表達喜悅之情；最後，這項遊行的紀錄則是以1901台自行車，耗時1小時8分的時間，完成這項重大的創舉。

主辦單位表示，原先是以加州在今年3月的822台做為目標，但因為該紀錄中有明顯停頓現象，因此該紀錄在之後被撤銷，進而使得門檻減低，變成641台自行車的目標。另外，承辦單位指出，手按計數器與電子計數器顯示上的差距為2，即有可能是因為手按時的誤判所致，但人工手按的部分，僅能做為一項參考。

而在確定金氏世界紀錄由台灣獲得之後，克萊斯頓也在上千位民眾的見證下，將破紀錄證書頒發給主辦單位代表─富維克大中華區總監孫威強（Frankie Sun），並邀請第1901號的參與者，一同與貴賓合影留念，共享這項非常難能可貴的台灣驕傲；另外，主辦單位除了在休息時間安排了自行車特技與雜耍表演外，也同時進行摸彩活動。


Taiwan Textile Foundation markets "2008 Taipei In Style" in Cross-Straits

"2008 Taipei In Style", a fashion show in textile industry in Taiwan, was confirmed to be scheduled on July 10 to 13 at Taipei Show (TWTC Hall 2). Before the main show, the Taiwan Textile Foundation, show organizer, chose 2008 FUSE Textile Week (FUSE 2008) at Da Jia Jenn Lann Temple (in Chinese: 大甲鎮瀾宮) in Taichung County and 2008 China International Clothings and Accessories Fair (CHIC 2008) at International Exhibition Center of Beijing in China as its promotional stages.

At the CHIC 2008, the Taiwan Textile Foundation chose March 30 as the "'Taipei In Style' Day" and invited several fashion designers in Taiwan to showcase their new designs on trend clothings and purses.

By the way of 2008 FUSE Textile Week, some fashion designers showcased their designs with the other styles in conjunction with traditional culture, energy saving, and modern technology echoed with main theme of "2008 Taichung County Mazu International Festival" (in Chinese: 2008年臺中縣大甲媽祖國際觀光文化節). By the way, Taiwan Textile Foundation also elected 17 fashion designer in the qualification of fashion showcase final stage at "2008 Taipei In Style".


台中紡織時尚週、北京中國服飾展 為2008台北魅力展打通關

紡織產業界的夏季盛會─2008台北魅力國際時尚展，預定於7月10日─13日在台北展演二館亮相，除了有眾多結合新技術的福是，將在這項展覽問世外，主辦的中華民國紡織業外銷拓展會（紡拓會）為了要幫這項展覽暖身，在近期，特別選擇目前在北京中國國際展覽中心W2館舉辦的「2008年中國國際服裝服飾博覽會」，以及配合大甲鎮瀾宮文化節舉行的「2008 FUSE 台中紡織時尚週」，做為台灣設計師展現紡織技術成果的兩大舞台。

在2008年中國國際服裝服飾博覽會中，紡拓會則是選在30日，透過參與台灣館展示的25家廠商，舉行「台北魅力日」，參展單位將結合未來賽會、時尚流行等主題進行展示，當中，依瑤、蔡若涵、李卉羚、潘怡良等設計師，以及精品皮包製造商皇冠，都將進行時尚走秀。

另外，在台中大甲鎮瀾宮舉行的「2008 FUSE 台中紡織時尚週」，則是將科技、創意、文化進行結合。配合「2008年台中縣大甲媽祖國際觀光文化節」，將傳統文化結合現代科技，展現另一種紡織藝術，在台北的記者會與正式的大會活動中，大甲媽祖觀光節的週邊商品，與未來新推出的吸濕排汗衣，都在這次的系列活動中進行展示。

此外，在紡織時尚週的最後一天（30日）所舉辦的「2008時裝設計競賽」中，主辦單位也透過設計界與時尚工作者組成的專業評審群，選出了吳愷容、鄭佳弘、徐佩君、范宇廷、戴昂、劉文文、汪俐伶、紀怡君、謝佩涵、李芸茜、蕭昭鈺、汪之媺、李孟遠、李長益、曾薇儒、張惠芳、孫敏薔等參賽的設計師，將於夏季的「台北魅力展」中，以時尚創意作品，角逐最後的冠軍榮銜。


Taylor Swift's 1989 wins Grammy's Record of the year; Bad Blood wins the Best Music Video

On Monday, US singer Taylor Swift won the 58th Grammy Awards Album of the Year for her album 1989, and her video song Bad Blood won the Grammy Award for the Best Music Video.

This was the second time Swift has won the award for the Album of the Year. She previously won for her album Fearless in 2010. Swift collected three Grammys at this year's awards ceremony: Best Music Video, Best Pop Vocal Album and Album of the Year.

With this Album of the Year win, she became the first woman to win two Grammy Awards in the category. At the beginning of the award ceremony, Swift performed her song Out of the Woods live.

The other nominees for the Album of The Year were Alabama Shakes' Sound & Color, Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly, Chris Stapleton's Traveller, and The Weeknd's Beauty Behind the Madness. Canadian singer The Weeknd won two awards for Best Urban Contemporary Album and Best R&B Performance.

While receiving her award, Swift left a message for younger women saying "there will be people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments [...] don’t let those people sidetrack you, someday when you get where you're going you'll look around and you'll know that it was you and the people who love you who put you there, and that will be the greatest feeling in the world."

Kendrick Lamar, who featured in the Bad Blood video, won five awards including for Bad Blood. Swift's friend Ed Sheeran won the Song of the Year for Thinking Out Loud ahead of her song Blank Space from the album 1989.


В Лос-Анджелесе вручены премии «Грэмми»

Церемония вручения премий «Грэмми» в Лос-Анджелесе стала триумфом для рэпера Кендрика Ламара (To Pimp a Butterfly). Он победил в номинации «Лучший рэп-альбом», «зажёг» публику страстным выступлением и удостоился похвалы из Белого дома.

Ламар получил три других «Грэмми» за песни из его альбома To Pimp a Butterfly.

В январе Ламар встречался с президентом Бараком Обамой, когда он подключился к программе президента, направленной на поддержку молодых людей из числа небелого населения.

В понедельник вечером Белый дом приветствовал Ламара «и всех участников церемонии „Грэмми“, которые работают над строительством более светлого будущего».

Рэпер и поп-звезда Тейлор Свифт получили «Грэмми» за их совместный видеоклип с песней Свифт Bad Blood. Альбомом года стал её пластинка w:1989 (альбом Тейлор Свифт)1989. Свифт победила и в нескольких других номинациях.

Она также открыла трансляцию церемонии, исполнив песню Out of the Woods перед крупнейшими звездами музыкальной индустрии.

«Песней года» признана композиция Thinking Out Loud Эда Ширана и Эми Уэйдж. Ширан также получил «Грэмми» за лучшее соло-выступление в жанре «поп».

16 февраля 2016 года


TECA celebrates 60-year anniversary with Taipei Audio Video Fair

The 28th Taipei Audio Video Fair (TAVF), organized by the Taipei Electrical Commercial Association (TECA), featured not only some innovative domestic market exhibition ideas, but also offered a pavilion entitled the "Global Audio and Video History Corridor", to showcase the audio and video industry's world-wide history. Wikinews reporter Rico Shen attended the fair, which, this year, highlighted TECA's 60th anniversary.

At the Taipei Grand Hotel (Yuanshan Hall), some participants (exhibitors) rented soundproof guest rooms, which offered the best quality and performance for audio experiences. With high-definition television becoming a popular topic, some pre-market or marketed wide-screen HDTVs featuring 1080p were exhibited at the Taipei World Trade Center (TWTC Hall).

The TAVF show runs from November 8 to 12, closing at 8:00 p.m. (Taipei Time) each night except November 12, which has a closing time of 6 p.m. To assist visitors from The Grand Hotel, TWTC and TECA hired the Metropolitan Transport Corporation for an inter-hall shuttle service. The peak number of visitors are expected to be on the weekend after permitting minors under 120 cm to enter the showground.


台北市電器公會 用影音展見證公會60年歲月與全球影音發展史

台北市電器公會主辦的「台北音響影視大展」，今年進入第28年，除了打破以往單純的內銷展售模式外，在世貿展區（台北世貿中心）也設置了「影音時光走廊區」，並展示了從以往到現在的各項影音設備，包含台灣媒體矚目的留聲機、傳統電視等，也為主辦的電器公會，見證一甲子的歲月。

除了時光走廊外，部分影音設備廠商，也在圓山館（台北圓山大飯店）租下具有隔音效果的客房，讓參觀者可以體驗高優質的影音效果，加上近期，台灣正吹起家庭娛樂與高優質數位生活的風潮，眾多支援HDMI介面與1080p解析度的寬螢幕液晶電視，都紛紛在會場中亮相，眾多台灣本土影音設備業者匯聚世貿與圓山，可謂全員到齊。

為了服務來往圓山與世貿兩展區的參觀者，主辦單位也邀請大都會客運，加強展館間接駁車的業務，讓參觀者可以一次體驗兩個不同展區的視聽享受，這項展覽也將從即日起，展至12日，並在前四日，延長至晚上八點閉館，除了在開展前，讓參觀者排隊購票，並贈送早到禮外，隨後也會進行抽獎，進而帶動影音設備的買氣，主辦單位也預估，週末在開放家長陪同孩童入場參觀後，將達到參觀人潮的最高峰。


The Simpsons episode to premiere on Sky1

"In the Name of the Grandfather", the fourteenth episode of the twentieth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons will today become the first episode of the show to premiere in Europe. It will air at 7:30 PM on Sky1 in the United Kingdom and Ireland and be paired with "Sex, Pies and Idiot Scrapes". The special broadcast is part of FOX's year-long "Best. 20 Years. Ever." celebration which commemorates the 20th anniversary of the show. To promote the broadcast, executive producers Al Jean and James L. Brooks, as well as Nancy Cartwright visited Ireland and are scheduled to participate in the Saint Patrick's Day parade in Dublin. The episode was screened at the Lighthouse Cinema in Dublin on March 16. The American debut of the episode will be March 22, 2009.

In the episode, the Simpson family travels to Ireland so Grampa can visit a pub where he once had the best night of his life. Guest stars scheduled for the episode include Colm Meaney as Tom O’Flanagan, Kathy Ireland as herself, Glen Hansard as a street musician and Markéta Irglová as an Eastern European woman.

Executive producer Al Jean stated the episode is intended to be "an affectionate love letter to Ireland" because many of the writers have Irish roots. The episode will feature Irish landmarks including Giant's Causeway, the Blarney Castle and the Guinness Brewery.

Previous episodes of the show where the Simpson family visits other countries have been controversial. For example, the Simpsons visited Australia in "Bart vs. Australia" and Brazil in "Blame it on Lisa", and both episodes generated controversy and negative reaction in the visited countries.

The Rio de Janeiro tourist board claimed that the city was portrayed as having rampant street crime, kidnappings, slums, and monkey and rat infestations; and threatened FOX with legal action. When asked whether he thought this episode would generate similar controversies, Al Jean replied "I'm Irish American and I know Irish people have an excellent sense of humor so we weren’t very worried."


„Die Simpsons“ werden hochauflösend und bekommen passenden neuen Vorspann

Vereinigte Staaten, 15.02.2009 – Die am längsten laufende Zeichentrickserie „Die Simpsons“ wird nun hochauflösend ausgestrahlt und bekommt passenden neuen Vorspann.

Mit der am heutigen Sonntag ausgestrahlt werdenen Episode „Take My Life, Please“ (20x10) wird nicht nur die Sendung in HDTV ausgestrahlt, sondern bekommt auch einen überarbeiteten Vorspann. Der neue Vorspann beinhaltet auch gleich einen Seitenhieb auf HDTV, der bei Barts Strafdienst an der Tafel sichtbar wird. Ebenfalls ist nun auch ein leichter 3D-Einsatz bei der Kamerafahrt durch Springfield zu sehen.Der Vorspann wurde, mit Ausnahme der regelmäßigen Änderung des Tafel- und Couch-Gags, leichter Zeitvariation und Ersatz bei den Halloweenfolgen seit seiner Premiere 1989 fast unverändert gezeigt.

Dass die Macher der Serie sich mit HD-Zeichnungen auskennen, wurde mit dem „The Simpsons Movie“ bereits bewiesen und auch die 3D-Animationen wurden dort schon eingesetzt. Eine ähnliche Ästhetik ist nun auch von der Serie zu erwarten. Fox wird „Die Simpsons“ auf seinem Sender in 720p zeigen.