Entertainment
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New European Songbook aims to foster cultural exchange across the EUThe European Union Songbook Association will unveil the EU Songbook on November 5, featuring 164 songs from across the European Union. The collection includes three iconic tracks by01 November 2024Read More...
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Croatian city named among top European autumn destinationsWhile many travelers choose to take their holidays in the summer, others find autumn to be the ideal season for exploring Europe. With fewer crowds, more affordable22 September 2024Read More...
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Antwerp to build new public heritage depot to house 800,000 cultural artifactsAntwerp will soon have a new heritage depot in the Zuid district, designed to house the city’s entire heritage collection of 800,000 items and make them accessible to20 September 2024Read More...
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Belgian beaches covered in litter after busy tropical summer dayThe tropical summer weather on Monday drew large crowds to the Belgian coast, resulting in plenty of beach fun and a vibrant atmosphere—but also a significant13 August 2024Read More...
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29 suspected drug dealers arrested at Tomorrowland festival, court hearings scheduledDuring the two weekends of the Tomorrowland festival in Boom, Antwerp province, authorities apprehended a total of 29 suspected drug dealers on and around the30 July 2024Read More...
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Cider Festival returns to Prague with over 100 varietiesAre you a fan of cider? Experience over 100 different varieties at the Cider Festival taking place on September 16 and 17.29 July 2024Read More...
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Tens of thousands celebrate at Rotterdam Summer CarnivalThe Summer Carnival in Rotterdam was celebrated with a joyful atmosphere, drawing tens of thousands of attendees to the city's center. The vibrant street parade,28 July 2024Read More...
News
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Over 2,200 refugee children missing in BelgiumRefugee network Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen has raised alarm over the disappearance of 2,241 unaccompanied refugee children in Belgium between 2021 and 2023.Read More...
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EU deforestation law: companies granted an additional year for complianceThe implementation of the EU’s deforestation law, aimed at ensuring products sold in the EU are not sourced from deforested land, has been postponed by one year to allow businesses moreRead More...
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Swiss university graduates: a global favorite among employersGraduates from Swiss universities are highly sought after by international employers, as highlighted by the latest Global Employability University Rankings (GEURS). The rankings, released onRead More...
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Two Thai women arrested in Denmark amid brothel inspectionsIn Denmark, two Thai women were arrested during brothel inspections conducted by the East Jutland Police Immigration Section, part of a broader initiative targeting illegal activities inRead More...
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Portugal: home to the world's best sheep milk cheesePortugal has once again been recognized as a top destination for exceptional sheep milk cheese, according to TasteAtlas. In early November, the platform published an updated list of the bestRead More...
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Millions of Polish students sing national anthem in honor of Independence DayNearly 4.7 million Polish students, both within the country and abroad, joined voices to sing the national anthem on Friday as part of the preparations for Poland’sRead More...
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Court awards 18 million euros in damages to victims of 2016 Brussels attacksA total of 18,306,012.95 euros has been awarded to victims in the trial for the terrorist attacks that took place on March 22, 2016, according to Flemish public broadcaster VRT. Last week, theRead More...
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Israeli football fans targeted by "boys on scooters" in AmsterdamMultiple attacks targeting Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters occurred in Amsterdam on Thursday evening, orchestrated by groups described as “boys on scooters,” according to Amsterdam MayorRead More...
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Romanian PM anticipates full Schengen membership by spring 2025Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu expressed optimism on Thursday, November 7, stating that Romania could achieve full Schengen Area accession with its land borders by the spring ofRead More...
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News
A herd of elephants romped across a Bangkok pitch Thursday for the first match of a four-day polo tournament raising money for the animals, which are heralded as a national symbol but often subject to abuse.
Eighteen pachyderms are playing in the annual King's Cup Elephant Polo Tournament, held this year on a large field in the heart of the Thai capital.
During the lumbering and unsurprisingly slow-paced matches, a "mahout" handler controls the beasts while a polo player who is also riding on the elephant's back concentrates on scoring.
This year's tournament sees a motley mix of humans competing, including professional polo players, New Zealand rugby stars, Thai celebrities and members of a transgender cabaret troupe.
Some of the competing elephants are taking time out from their day jobs in the tourist industry, while others are domesticated but currently unemployed, according to the event's organisers, the luxury hotel group Anantara.
Menswear or womenswear -- who cares? Genderless fashion is the buzzword for many of today's top designers, highlighted at London Fashion Week by a string of androgynous touches on the catwalks.
From Christopher Kane's heavy, dark, asymmetric tailoring to Burberry's parade of male and female models in military overcoats and aviator jackets, masculine styling repeatedly stood out in the women's autumn/winter collections.
It's not just in London where designers are experimenting with preconceptions about gender and identity.
Gucci has sent men down the catwalks in pussybows and hot pink suits under new creative director Alessandro Michele while Jaden Smith, son of US actor Will Smith, was unveiled as the face of Louis Vuitton womenswear last month.
Transgender models such as Andreja Pejic and Lea T are among the most sought after in the industry.
One of its rising stars is US model Rain Dove, who, standing at six foot two inches with chiselled features, models in both male and female fashion shows.
Once it would have been career suicide, but Hollywood star Ellen Page is convinced that "the best decision I ever took" was to come out.
The elfin actress, who made her name as a pregnant high school teen in the off-beat Canadian comedy "Juno", has not looked back since she went public two years ago and only to be later named the world's "sexiest celebrity vegetarian" alongside Jared Leto.
In September she took another step into the light by walking the red carpet with her partner, artist and surfer Samantha Thomas, for the premiere of "Freeheld", which tells the true story of a lesbian couple in New Jersey fighting for equal pension rights as one of them dies of cancer.
But the 28-year-old star of blockbusting action films like "X-Men" and "Inception" told AFP that plucking up the courage wasn't easy. "I was very closeted. And obviously something about Hollywood and the film industry made me feel like I couldn't be out," she said in an interview while visiting Paris.
"Now that I am out, it's the best decision I've ever made. I think it sucks that anyone has to live that way. I wish no one had to."
The Canadian actress, who is also vegan, has since become a vocal advocate of equality for the LGBT community.
"Obviously there's been progress, because we now have marriage equality in America. But there's still so much to do. You can still be fired and denied housing in 35 US states if you're an LGBT person, and trans women of colour have a life expectancy of 35, which is appalling. We're far from true equality."
34th Conference on the Holocaust and Genocide
Millersville University of Pennsylvania
April 6–8, 2016
Aftermath of the Holocaust and Genocide
Director: Victoria Khiterer
Advisory Board: Lawrence Baron (San Diego State University), Holli Levitsky (Loyola Marymount University), Antony Polonsky (Brandeis University), David Shneer (University of Colorado Boulder), Maxim D. Shrayer (Boston College)
Committee Members: Onek Adyanga, Tanya Kevorkian
Administrative Assistant: Maggie Eichler
Graduate Assistant: Abigail Gruber
==============CONFERENCE PATRONS===============
Richard Welkowitz
Congregation Shaarai Shomayim
Jonathan Lichter
Please see the conference addendum insert for the full list of conference donors
The 34th Conference on the Holocaust and Genocide Committee is pleased to acknowledge the support of the Offices of the President and Provost.
Transportation:
Limited shuttle transportation from and to Heritage Hotel – Lancaster (500 Centerville Road, Lancaster, PA 17601) will be provided at night on April 6 (before and after the conference opening), and before and after conference sessions on April 7 and April 8.
All conference sessions will be at the Bolger Conference Center (Gordinier Hall), Millersville University, 2nd floor
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Wednesday, April 6, 2016, Opening Night, 6:30-10:00 pm
6:30-7:00 pm Opening Reception, Lehr Room
7:00-7:10 pm Welcoming Remarks by Victoria Khiterer, Millersville University
Plenary talk 7:10-7:50 pm, Lehr Room
Gabriel Finder, University of Virginia, Jewish Honor Courts: Revenge, Retribution, and Reconciliation in Europe and Israel after the Holocaust (The Jack Fischel Lecture)
8:05 - 10:00 pm Documentary Film “The Long Way Home” (1997, Writer/Director Mark Jonathan Harris, Running time 1 hour, 54 minutes), Lehr Room
Thursday, April 7, 2016
8:30 am-5 pm Registration of conference participants
9:00-10:30 am
Panel 1: Aftermath of the Holocaust and Modern Anti-Semitism in Russia, Ukraine and Poland, University Room
Chair: Victoria Khiterer, Millersville University
Alexander Prusin, New Mexico Tech, The Holocaust in the Polish War Crimes Trials
Anya Quilitzsch, Indiana University Bloomington, Returning Home? Jewish Life in Soviet Transcarpathia after the Catastrophe
Igor Kotler, Museum of Human Rights, Freedom and Tolerance, Holocaust Denial and anti-Semitic Propaganda in Russia: A Case of YouTube
Panel 2: Aftermath of the Holocaust and its Commemoration in Western Europe, Old Main Room
Chair: Michael C. Hickey, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
David H Weinberg, Wayne State University, Recovering a Voice: West European Jewish Communities after World War II
Annette Finley-Croswhite, Old Dominion University, Moveable Memory: Commemorating the Shoah in Paris
Annemarike Stremmelaar, Leiden University, The Netherlands, “Anne Frank speaks Turkish.” Retelling the Story of the Holocaust in the Netherlands
10:45 am- 12:30 pm
Panel 3: Holocaust and Anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union, University Room
Chair: Victoria Khiterer, Millersville University
Zvi Gitelman, University of Michigan, Antisemitism and its Consequences in the Soviet Military in World War Two (The Reynold Koppel Lecture)
Polly Zavadivker, University of Delaware, The Language of Genocide and Soviet Postwar Antisemitism
Maxim D. Shrayer, Boston College, A Footnote to the Shema in a Moscow Magazine: July 1946
Discussant: Brian Horowitz, Tulane University
Panel 4: The Holocaust in American Life, Matisse Room
Chair: Jeffrey Scott Demsky, San Bernardino Valley College
Bat-Ami Zucker, Bar-Ilan University, The Harrison Report and its Impact on the Creation of the State of Israel
Cynthia A. Crane, University of Cincinnati, Cultural Consequences/Legacy and Impact of the Holocaust on Immigrants to America
N. Ann Rider, Indiana State University, Cultural Mental Schemas of American Holocaust Reception: Ruth Klüger’s Still Alive
Panel 5: Resistance and its Representation in Film, Old Main Room
Chair: Lawrence Baron, San Diego State University
Paul R. Bartrop, Florida Gulf Coast University, St. Hedwig’s Cathedral, Berlin as a Focus of Anti-Nazi Opposition during the Holocaust
Michael Rubinoff, Arizona State University, Jewish Resistance Depicted on Film
12:30-1:30 pm Lunch for the Invited Conference Participants, Lehr Room
1:30-3:15 pm
Panel 6: Polish Jewish Refugees and Displaced Persons, University Room
Chair: Zvi Gitelman, University of Michigan
Eliyana R. Adler, Penn State University, Displaced Children: Polish Jewish Youth on the Margins of the War
Ellen G. Friedman, The College of New Jersey, Writing About Other People’s Memories
Gennady Estraikh, New York University, The Second Repatriation of Polish Jews from the Soviet Union (The Miriam Fischel Lecture)
Discussant: Michael C. Hickey, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Panel 7: The Armenian Genocide and its Commemoration, Matisse Room
Chair: Sylvia A. Alajaji, Franklin and Marshall College
Elke Heckner, University of Iowa, Tehlirian on Trial: The Public Production of Testimony to Genocide
Jeffrey Scott Demsky, San Bernardino Valley College, A Duty To Remember, A Duty To Forget: Examining Americans' Unequal Memories of the War on Armenians and the War on Jews
Cambodia's government has hit out at Valentine's Day, warning students against losing the "dignity of themselves and their families" in a note sent to schools across the country.
Valentine's Day has become something of a favourite among young people in many Southeast Asian countries in recent years, with bunches of red roses and heart-shaped chocolates cropping up in stores and on street stalls each February.
But that has left some officials rattled, particularly in Cambodia and neighboring Thailand -- both of which have become renowned in recent years for issuing warnings about the pitfalls of young love and premarital sex ahead of the 14 February holiday.
The Cambodian Ministry of Education directive, which was sent to private and public schools on on Tuesday, ordered teachers to "take measures to prevent inappropriate activities on Valentine's Day".
The ministry said the increasingly popular holiday was driving young people "to overjoy, to forget about studying and to lose the reputation and dignity of themselves and their families".
"It is not a traditional event of our Khmer people," the statement said according to a copy seen by AFP.
Social conservatives in both countries see the day as a foreign import which represents a moral threat to traditional Buddhist beliefs.
Cambodian women in particular are under intense pressure to retain their virginity until marriage.
Intricate adult coloring books are the latest lifestyle craze to grip the United States, generating millions of fans, booming sales and libraries falling over themselves to host workshops.
Walk into any New York bookstore, and you'll find them artfully laid out on tables or filling entire shelves. Buyers can choose from Sanskrit patterns, urban landscapes, butterflies and flowers all offering "stress relieving patterns." The latest fashion? The swear word version.
Amazon sells hundreds of them, including nine on the top 20 bestseller list. Fans post their finished designs and swap tips on Facebook or Pinterest.
Dover Publications, which prints dozens of coloring books, decreed August 2 as National Coloring Book Day, sponsoring parties and hosting an online group discussion board for tips on how to throw a successful bash at home.
"It calms us down to be coloring," Linda Turner, a licensed creative arts psychotherapist in Manhattan, explained of the trend born in Europe.
"If you are really with it, if you are really in the presence of coloring the colors and just being with the art, it is a wonderful way to support calming and presence and relaxation," she told AFP.
Turner said that while children are willing to explore and experiment, adults are not necessarily so comfortable with their creativity.
"These coloring books, they look adult, they look sophisticated... and they are going to create, and they are going to be present in the moment and have fun... In ways that are safe for them," she added.
US pop star Mariah Carey and Australian casino tycoon James Packer are engaged to be married, according to friends who said Friday they were over the moon for the lovebirds.
The couple has been dating for several months and celebrated New Year's Eve at billionaire Packer's Crown Casino in Melbourne, where the singer took to the stage to perform before an intimate audience that included Packer's mother.
"I'm so excited to be in Melbourne with James for New Year's Eve," the husky-voiced songstress reportedly said at the fete.
A close friend of the couple confirmed the upcoming nuptials to AFP and saying she was "over the moon that James has found such happiness with Mariah".
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Packer proposed to his girlfriend in New York on Thursday.
Sources close to the Packer family said "the family is overjoyed that they have found each other", the newspaper reported.
"Mariah has made James a very happy man, she is a very special person and the family wholeheartedly approves," it added.
A real-life homicide, a woman who wakes up after being frozen for 30 years and a close encounter with a whale -- these are some of the virtual reality films creating a buzz at this year's Sundance Film Festival.
The lineup of no less than 30 immersive experiences -- showcased in the festival's New Frontier program -- reflects an increasing willingness by filmmakers to experiment with technology that offers a new form of story-telling.
"It’s pretty amazing," said John Cooper, director of the Sundance festival.
"We're still at a nascent stage -- five minutes long, that kind of stuff -- but you can really see how it's going to grow in people’s imaginations.
"I can see coming home and saying I just need 10 minutes of VR before anybody talks to me."
Among the standout shorts, which run about five minutes on average, is "Defrost," which follows a woman who suffered a massive stroke and wakes up after being frozen for nearly 30 years.
The viewer, equipped with a headset, experiences the film from the woman's perspective as she reunites with her much older family.
"Waves of Grace" follows Ebola survivor Decontee Davis as she helps others in Liberia affected by the disease, while "theBlu: Encounter" offers a close encounter with a whale.
"Virtual reality immerses you into a really different experience you’ve never really had before," said Jake Rowell, the director of "theBlu: Encounter," which was made in three months. "It takes you back to your eight-year-old self in a lot of ways.
"Usually people leave with it being a memory, they experience it like going on a hike, or skiing."
Leaping from the traditional to the radical, the men's edition of London fashion week opened on Friday with shows from country gentleman label Barbour and young urban designer Nasir Mazhar.
Fashion VIPS, buyers and journalists gathered under the elegant arch of the Swiss church in central London to catch a glimpse of Barbour's autumn/winter 2016 collection, the first of dozens of shows to be held before the event wraps up on Monday.
An intermittent spotlight, mimicking a lighthouse, illuminated the stage as the soothing sound of breaking waves filled the room.
"The collection is inspired by the Beacon that has stood watch at the mouth of the River Tyne in the North East of England since 1882," the label said in a statement.
Early highlights included loose-fitting jackets decorated with tartan lining, mottled grey sweaters and snoods.
The Barbour man will be wearing black and sienna trousers next winter -- tight to the ankle -- and leather boots.
A missing Hong Kong employee from a publisher of books critical of China was "assisting in an investigation", his wife said Saturday, as police also probe the disappearance of his colleagues.
Lee Bo went missing Wednesday night and is the fifth employee of Hong Kong-based publisher Mighty Current to disappear.
The incident adds to growing unease that freedoms in the semi-autonomous Chinese city are being eroded, with fears the five men may have been detained by Chinese authorities.
"He said he wouldn't be back so soon and he was assisting in an investigation," Lee's wife Sophie Choi told Hong Kong's Cable Television, describing a call she had with Lee the night he failed to return home.
It was not clear what investigation Lee was referring to.
"I asked him if it was related to the case before. He said 'yes', regarding that case where a few others had gone missing," Choi said.
Police said in a statement they were investigating the disappearance of Lee and three of the other missing men.
It made no comment on the fifth man.
Deputy leader Carrie Lam tried to reassure the public.
"The Hong Kong government cares about its people's wellbeing... police are working on this case," she told reporters.
Choi previously told AFP she started looking for Lee on Wednesday night after he failed to return home for dinner and she reported him missing to police on Friday.
He later called to say "everything was alright" from a number that did not belong to him and originated from the neighbouring mainland Chinese city of Shenzhen, Choi had said.
Another source told AFP that Lee, 65, was last seen in Hong Kong on Wednesday at the publisher's warehouse, which he is in charge of.
- 'Concern and anxiety' -