Buckingham Palace says trip ‘postponed’ because of safety concerns rather than cancelled in light of revelations Prince Andrew has pulled out of a proposed trip to Saudi Arabia after almost three weeks of damaging revelations about his personal integrity and links with corrupt and repressive regimes. The Duke of York was due to travel next week to boost defence contracts in his role as Britain’s trade envoy. Buckingham Palace denied the trip was cancelled in light of the allegations, saying simply that the trip had been “postponed” because of safety concerns. “The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, UK Trade and Investment and the palace have agreed to postpone the visit given the current circumstances in the region,” the palace said. “Any suggestion that this had anything to do with recent UK media coverage is absolutely not the case.” The Queen is reported to have held private talks with Andrew on Tuesday over the mounting scandal. The Duke, who is fourth in line to the throne, has been plagued by revelations about his close friendship with convicted sex offender and billionaire Jeffrey Epstein. This week former ambassador Stephen Day called on the duke to step down from his role, condemning him as the “worst person” to deploy in the Middle East where his presence is seen as “crass”. A member of the Foreign Office’s advisory group on ethical foreign policy and UK director of Human Rights Watch, Tom Porteous, suggested that Andrew should take a “crash course in corporate responsibility” and human rights awareness. Last month David Cameron was criticised for taking eight arms dealers on a visit to the Middle East at the same time that corrupt autocratic regimes in the region were using force to put down democratic uprisings. The duke’s connections to Colonel Gaddafi and his family, the president of Azerbaijan and arms smuggler Tarek Kaituni have also drawn public criticism from human rights organisations and MPs. Prince Andrew Saudi Arabia Middle East Monarchy Rowenna Davis guardian.co.uk
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For the second week in a row, “comedian” Bill Maher derogatorily compared Sarah Palin to Charlie Sheen. On Friday's “Real Time,” the host said the former Alaska governor is an “unemployed ego lunatic” just like the Sheen (video follows with transcript and commentary): BILL MAHER: New rule: image isn't everything. It takes more than some clean clothes and a pair of nerd glasses to take an unemployed ego lunatic and turn them into – oh, never mind. As I mentioned last week, it appears to be in Maher's contract this year to bash Palin at least once a show.
Continue reading …Title: Kojo No Tsuki Artist: Rentaro Taki Tonight our thoughts are with the people of Japan and others affected by the earthquake and tsunami.
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On Thursday, Erik Piepenburg of the New York Times promoted Kathy Griffin's new Broadway show by noting her response to Sarah Palin's demand to lay off her kids: “Sarah Palin is a has-been candidate, a has-been governor and a has-been reality TV star, like Kate Gosselin,” Ms. Griffin said Monday over breakfast at the Cafe Edison, the theater district coffee shop. “Actually I’d prefer Kate Gosselin for president. I’ve met her. She’s nice.” As if Griffin valued Nice. Unsurprisingly, Griffin wallows in baiting and battling conservatives and Christians to keep her relevant and at least on her “D-List,” especially now that her Bravo show has ended: “I’m thrilled,” Ms. Griffin said of Ms. Palin’s remarks. “Can we call it a shout out? For her to know my name is as thrilling as when Spielberg also issued a statement against me, and all I could think of was, ‘He knows my name!’
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The stereotype of the submissive, repressed victim has been shattered by female protestors in Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen Saida Sadouni does not conform to the typical image of an Arab revolutionary. But this 77-year-old camped out in the bitter Tunisian cold for more than two weeks in front of the prime minister’s headquarters, leading the historic Kasbah picket that succeeded in forcing Mohamed Ghannouchi’s interim government out of office . “I have resisted French occupation. I have resisted the dictatorships of Bourguiba and Ben Ali. I will not rest until our revolution meets its goals,” she told the thousands of fellow protesters who joined her. She is today widely hailed as the mother of Tunisia’s revolution, a living record of her country’s modern history and its struggle for emancipation. Sadouni is one of many Arab women from older generations who have joined the revolutions in their countries after decades of political activism. But most women activists today tend to be in their 20s and 30s, highly politicised yet unaffiliated to any organised parties – young women such as Asma Mahfoudh, of Egypt’s April 6 movement. This 26-year-old’s interests had until recently been no different from those of any woman of her age. While surfing the net in 2008 she stumbled on
Continue reading …On a day (and week) when the news has been less than fun, we want to take some time out to wish our own wonderful VlogFather, John Amato, a very happy birthday!!! It’s a running joke among the staff that John’s main squeeze is Liz Cheney. Amato remarks: “Liz and I are going for some sushi and then I’ll be taking a tour of the new Haliburton factory…That really gets her going…” Happy Birthday, John! You’re all invited to leave well-wishing in comments below….
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enlarge Los Angeles January 17, 1994 – nothing subtle here. Click here to view this media With news of the 8.9 earthquake and Tsunami that hit Japan yesterday still unfolding, it’s difficult to imagine what an earthquake of that magnitude is really like. When those of us in Los Angeles got ours in 1994, known as The Northridge Earthquake because the epicenter was in the suburb of Northridge, it was variously reported as between 6.8 and 7.1 (finally settling on 6.7) on the Richter Scale – and that to us was pretty horrific. If you’ve ever had the experience of going through one, it’s unforgettable. The disorientation, the flashing lights (from exploding power lines), the non-stop sound of breaking glass and that unmistakable roar as the building you happen to be in shifts dramatically from side to side (or up and down) leave you shaking long after the earth has stopped. The upside is usually an exodus of people moving back to places in the Mid-West, South or East, swearing up and down whatever horrors associated with weather and natural disasters back home were a piece of cake compared to the all-engrossing hysteria associated with “a good shaker”. Maybe they’re right, but it seems like Mother Nature has a few tricks up her sleeve no matter where you go. The downside is you never know when the next one will happen and if the one you’re currently feeling is “the big one”, the “aftershock”, a “seismic correction” or “a pre-quake”. The guessing game can get little unnerving especially when you hear about other earthquakes such as last month in New Zealand and yesterday in Japan and that regular reminder “we’re long overdue for a big one in L.A.” – comforting thoughts all around. So as a reminder of just how vulnerable we all are, living in Earthquake Country, here are news reports from ABC Radio from January 17, 1994. And . . .how is your battery supply?
Continue reading …Tsunami warnings: If Republican budget cutters have their way, we won’t get them
March 11, 2011 No Comment
Click here to view this media [H/t Karoli] Digby has a great point about tsunami warnings: I’m sitting here now, six blocks from the beach in California, waiting for the wave to hit the west coast. Luckily it doesn’t appear to be dangerous to us at this point. The good news is that if the Republicans have their way, when one of these things does hit us in this earthquake zone, we won’t have warning: Thursday night’s massive earthquake in Japan and the resulting tsunami warnings that have alarmed U.S. coasts, seem likely to ignite a debate over a previously little-discussed subsection of the spending bills currently being debated in Congress. Tucked into the House Republican continuing resolution are provisions cutting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, including the National Weather Service, as well as humanitarian and foreign aid. Presented as part of a larger deficit reduction package, each cut could be pitched as tough-choice, belt-tightening on behalf of the GOP. But advocates for protecting those funds pointed to the crisis in Japan as evidence that without the money, disaster preparedness and relief would suffer. “These are very closely related,” National Weather Service Employees Organization President Dan Sobien told The Huffington Post with respect to the budget cuts and the tsunami. “The National Weather Service has the responsibility of warning about tsunami’s also. It is true that there is no plan to not fund the tsunami buoys. Everyone knows you just can’t do that. Still if those [House] cuts go through there will be furloughs at both of the tsunami warning centers that protect the whole country and, in fact, the whole world.” The House full-year continuing resolution, which has not passed the Senate, would indeed make steep cuts to several programs and functions that would serve in a response to natural disasters (not just tsunamis) home and abroad. According to Sobien, the bill cuts $126 million from the budget of the NWS. Since, however, the cuts are being enacted over a six-month period (the length of the continuing resolution) as opposed to over the course of a full year, the effect would be roughly double. Just remember: When it comes to disaster preparedness and relief, Republicans are the folks who brought you the Hurricane Katrina fiasco.
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Fancy a vast loft in a prime spot, at a knockdown rent? One couple got just that by becoming property guardians – but they had to give up a few home comforts When Sam Adams and Valerie Blair moved into a semi-derelict warehouse on the top floor of a former clothing factory, the windows were boarded up, pigeon poo caked the floor and it was bitterly cold. Instead of a number, it said “Stalbow Fashions” on the door. “It was in pretty raw state,” says Adams, 33, an artist. The couple scrubbed and painted the floor and walls, and vacuumed up a
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Easter and the royal wedding bank holiday mean an 11-day holiday is possible with just three days off work. From Cornwall to the Caribbean, we pick great ways to make the most of it Thanks to a late Easter, the extra royal wedding bank holiday on 29 April and May Day all falling in neat succession, many Brits can take an 11-day break – from Good Friday (22 April) to Monday 2 May – by only taking three days off work. So how best to use them? We’ve shopped around for cheap flights and late deals so you can make the most of the bank holiday bonanza. And we’ve thrown in some shorter breaks and trips in the school holidays too. INDEPENDENT TRIPS Food and fun, Marseille Marseille is perhaps the least French of French cities, with its North African culture and cuisine mixing with the traditional. By day you can explore art galleries, the food markets and the old port, then take a boat trip out to the beaches of the Iles du Frioul. Le Souk (98 quai du Port) does tajines well, or to experience modern Marseille’s foodie scene, try Le Moment on place Sadi Carnot (+33 4 9152 4749, lemoment-marseille.com ), and don’t miss the 1950s-style Le Crystal bar on the Vieux Port. The New Hotel of Marseille (+33 4 9131 5315, new-hotel.com ) is a funky design hotel with rooms available over Easter from €135 a night. Fly from Gatwick on Sunday 24 April for £72, returning Saturday 30 April for £68 (£140 total) with Easyjet ( easyjet.com ). Family beach boutique, Algarve Sagres in the Algarve is a lively town with excellent fish restaurants, near several pretty beaches, some of which (Praia do Tonel) are good for surfing. Lovely hotel Memmo Baleeira (+351 282 624212, memmohotels.com ) still has availability. Here minimalism meets pop art, and there are fantastic sea views. There’s a pool too, and a spa. A seven-night stay in its duplex suite from 19-26 April costs £1,120 B&B (£280 per person) based on four sharing through i-escape.com . Fly to Faro with Ryanair ( ryanair.com ) or Easyjet ( easyjet.com ) from Stansted from about £124pp, or from Glasgow, Bournemouth, East Midlands or Gatwick for the same or less. Clubbing and kayaking, Estonia If you’re looking for an unusual adventure that won’t cost the earth, try Estonia. Fly to Tallinn for a day or two exploring the pretty turreted Old Town, interesting nightlife and perhaps stay in Olevi Residence (+372 6 277650, olevi.ee ), in a 14th-century building in the Old Town, which offers three nights for around €165 for two people. Then drive out to Soomaa national park, known as the “Land of Bogs” (it’s a far more magical place than the name would suggest). There you can hire a traditional dugout canoe to explore, or go horse-riding, cycling or hiking. Eight nights’ half-board at Põnka Puhketalu (+372 52 26 909, ponkaland.com ), an Estonian farmhouse close to the park, costs from £204pp. Ryanair ( ryanair.com ) flights to Tallinn from Luton, departing on 22 April and returning on 1 May, currently cost about £160. Beachside bliss, Brazil Now that the carnival is over, Brazil is all about blissed-out relaxation, and nowhere offers it like Bahia, on the north-eastern coast, land of beaches and bars. Hotel Anima is a simple but stylish retreat on the island of Tinharé, right by a palm-fringed beach, with pool and sundeck. A nine-night stay with breakfast from 22 April–2 May costs £426pp, based on two sharing through i-escape.com . Fly with TAP ( flytap.com ) from Heathrow to Salvador, currently around £900 return. Then from Salvador port it’s a two-hour boat trip to Morro de Sao Paulo on Tinharé. Orthodox Easter, Rhodes This year Greek Orthodox Easter coincides with Christian Easter, on 24 April. At this time there will be many ceremonies and events: the locals will eat tsoureki – sweet braided bread, and spit-roasted lamb, and there will be parties and boiled egg-fight games. There are lots of characterful hotels in Rhodes Town, or head slightly out of town to the K Boutique Hotel (+30 22 410 96980, kboutiquehotel.com ), which has a candlelit pool, outdoor pool and spa, and still has availability, with doubles from €810 for eight nights. Fly on Ryanair’s ( ryanair.com ) new route from London to Rhodes, currently £77pp one way departing Thursday 21 or Saturday 23 April, returning for £67pp on Thursday 28 or Saturday 30 April, (£144 total). Flights from Liverpool (on Mondays and Thursdays only) cost about £112 return. Culture and adventure, Bulgaria There’s a lot more to Bulgaria than low prices. The capital city, Sofia, has a fascinating history as an arts and crafts centre. Invading Ottomans filled it with stunning mosques, fountains and hammams, and there is plenty to entertain a city-breaker on a budget. After seeing the churches and museums, take a day trip to the Iskar Gorge for a picnic before clambering over rocks and into caves; another day hike Vitosha mountain, then look around Bankya, a small city below Lyulin mountain, famous for its natural spa. The luxurious Kempinski Hotel Zografski ( kempinski.com ) has four restaurants and a spa, and rooms from €55 a night during the Easter period. Fly from London with Easyjet ( easyjet.com ) on Saturday 23 April for £87 one way (or Sunday 24 for £64) and return on 1 May for £148 (or £116 on Thursday 28 April) so £235pp return. Or from Manchester on Saturday 23 April for £61, returning on Saturday 30 April for £146, so £207 return. Costa del Sol, Spain The south of Spain may be a popular choice, but there are still flights available for Easter. From Malaga you can play it by ear and set off by bus or car to explore the coastal towns such as playboy central Puerto Banus and windsurfers’ favourite Tarifa, then perhaps get the ferry over to Tangier, Morocco, from there. Easyjet ( easyjet.com ) flies from Glasgow to Malaga, departing Friday 22 April for £104pp and returning on Sunday 1 May for £100 (total £204pp return). Or fly from Luton on Friday 22 April for £98 and return on Monday 2 May for £121 (total £218pp return). PACKAGES Simple life, Zakynthos, Greece Limni Keri on the Ionian island of Zakynthos is a small seaside village surrounded by olive groves and vineyards (fact: not all Greek wine is rough!), near a beach and a harbour, where you can arrange boat trips to sea caves and other islands. Here Sunvil Holidays (020-8568 4499, sunvil.co.uk ) has a special deal to the Markella Apartments, set in gardens with a swimming pool, so a 10-night stay departing 21 April costs from £733pp (based on four sharing), including self-catering accommodation, return flights (from Gatwick with Easyjet) and transfers. Bargain beaches, Mallorca A 10-night self-catering trip to Alcudia in Mallorca, with Jet2 Holidays (0800 408 5599, jet2holidays.com ), costs £367pp departing from Leeds Bradford on 22 April, and staying in an apartment at the three-star BelleVue Club, with eight pools to choose from. The BelleVue Club is 10 minutes from the historic town centre, with its ruins and markets. The long sandy beach is 800m away. Boat trips can be arranged to Formentor for snorkelling and great
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