Michu set for six weeks out after ankle op |
- Michu set for six weeks out after ankle op
- Candle-light vigils as India remembers gang-rape victim
- Hair-raiser Huddlestone gets pitch-side trim
- France prepares for wave of memorial tourists in 2014
- French footballer Anelka sparks row with ‘Nazi-style’ salute
- US official: Kerry heads to Middle East next week for peace talks
| Michu set for six weeks out after ankle op Posted: 28 Dec 2013 04:50 PM PST
The Spaniard last played in the 1-1 draw at Norwich City on December 15, with manager Michael Laudrup subsequently revealing that he was due to have an operation. "Swans striker Michu has today undergone a successful ankle operation which will keep him out for six weeks," read a statement on the club website. "Michu, who has scored six goals in 19 games this season, missed the festive fixtures with Everton, Chelsea and Aston Villa due to the injury. "But after the operation went ahead as planned in Portugal, the 27-year-old is set to be sidelined for the next six weeks before making his return to the first team." Michu joined Swansea from Rayo Vallecano last year and has since scored 28 goals for the club. He published a picture of himself on his Twitter feed, apparently taken after the operation, which shows the 27-year-old lying in a hospital bed and making a 'thumbs-up' gesture. "I will be back!!! Thanks so much for your support!" he wrote. — AFP  |
| Candle-light vigils as India remembers gang-rape victim Posted: 28 Dec 2013 04:44 PM PST
The 23-year-old physiotherapy student died on December 29 last year, nearly two weeks after being brutally attacked by a gang of six men on a moving bus as she returned home from the cinema with a male companion. The attack and her subsequent death shook the country shone a global spotlight on India's treatment of women and unleashed seething public anger about sexual violence and harassment of women. The victim's family will hold a religious ceremony in their ancestral village in northern Uttar Pradesh state, away from the constant media attention they have faced since the attack, her brother said. "We want to remember her in a quiet way, away from the entire glare. We want it to be a private, family moment," the brother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told AFP. The family will follow traditional Hindu rituals today, with a prayer ceremony and symbolic offerings made to their ancestors, which are believed to bring peace to those who have died. The student, who was repeatedly assaulted with an iron rod during her ordeal, has been praised for her determination to report her attackers to the police before she died of her injuries. Four of her attackers were convicted and given the death penalty in September after the case was fast-tracked, while a juvenile was sentenced to a detention centre. The sixth convict died in prison in March in an apparent suicide. The angry and sometimes violent protests against the attack jolted India's parliament, which this year passed tougher laws against rapists and other sex-crime offenders. Women's groups say some improvements have also been made in the last 12 months to India's notoriously slow, inefficient and sometimes corrupt police and judicial systems, which has encouraged some victims to report sexual crimes against them. In the capital today, scores of students, professionals and others were slated to gather at Jantar Mantar, a protest site in the city's centre, where a makeshift memorial has been set up for the victim. Small lamps, candles and flowers will be placed around the memorial before a peaceful vigil in the evening, one of several expected to take place across the city. One of the organisers said women who turn up at Jantar Mantar will be encouraged to share their own experiences of violence and discuss societal changes that have taken place since the student's death. "We need to remind the society that sex crimes won't be tolerated anymore," student Ishaan Ahmed told AFP. ― AFP |
| Hair-raiser Huddlestone gets pitch-side trim Posted: 28 Dec 2013 04:42 PM PST
The English midfielder made a bet during his time with previous club Tottenham Hotspur that he would not cut his hair until he next scored a goal. Having last found the net in Spurs' 3-3 draw with Arsenal in April 2011, his hair has swelled into a huge afro, but he finally ended his drought in Hull's 6-0 victory at home to Fulham. Huddlestone put Hull 4-0 up in the 67th minute, smashing home from the edge of the area, before running to the touchline, where a member of the Hull staff produced a pair of scissors and cut off a sizeable lock of his hair. "That (the celebration) has been sorted out since the beginning of last season at Tottenham," said Huddlestone, who was also celebrating his 27th birthday on Saturday. "I've had to wait until today for it to happen." Huddlestone also confirmed that he had been sponsored for letting his hair grow and would be donating the money to charity. "That was the main thing," he said. "It started as a bit of banter with some of my friends from Nottingham and I set it up for charity. It lasted longer than expected, but it's for a good cause. "Thankfully I can cut it now." — AFP |
| France prepares for wave of memorial tourists in 2014 Posted: 28 Dec 2013 04:37 PM PST
Relaxnews: How do you define "memorial tourism?" Christian Mantei: Memorial tourism proposes an experience of heritage sites that enhance the visitor's knowledge of the history and culture of a city, a region or a nation. It has four main objectives: bear witness to the events of the past, which means preserving the markers, signs and vestiges of these events; explain these events and put them into perspective, allowing a more holistic understanding of the facts; encourage reflection on the part of future generations through appropriate, accessible and educational tools; and encourage the economic development of territories that often lack other major tourist attractions. R: Is it really a way to better understand history? CM: Yes, this type of tourism truly enables one to learn about and understand history in a very concrete way ... We can identify four types of sites: historical sites, which are places where significant events occurred (e.g., Omaha Beach, the village of Oradour-sur-Glane [site of a 1944 massacre], Chemin des Dames [site of several major WWI battles]); commemorative sites, which are places dedicated to paying respects and remembering (Notre-Dame-de-Lorette Necropolis in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, the Douaumont Ossuary (Verdun), Hartmannswillerkopf Memorial in Alsace, etc.); informative sites that approach history from a particular angle (Caen Memorial, the Museum Of The Great War outside of Meaux, etc.); educational sites which go beyond a purely informative approach and seek to place the history within a wider, more pedagogical approach, with an emphasis on identifying the consequences of the past on the present (International Peace Center in Verdun). In addition to experiencing the strong emotions some of these sites may elicit, visitors come away with an enhanced knowledge of history and other benefits on a more personal level. R: Who visits these sites and areas? CM: In 2011, in the six French departments surveyed (Somme, Calvados, Var, Meuse, Bas-Rhin and Haute-Vienne), French nationals accounted for 55 percent of visitors, while international visitors accounted for 45 percent, according to a study conducted by Atout France and the Ministry of Defence, published in December 2012. Overall, 3.5 million visits were made by French tourists, and 75 per cent of these were made to sites within four zones: Grand-Est (24 per cent), Grand-Ouest (24 per cent), Ile-de-France (18 per cent) and Nord (15 per cent). International tourists accounted for 2.7 million visits, and 70 per cent of these tourists came from one of five countries: Great Britain (17 per cent), Germany (16.5 per cent), Belgium (15.5 per cent), the Netherlands (13.2 per cent) and the United States (8.1 per cent). The objectives are not exactly the same: while international visitors come mainly to pay their respects, French clients desire to be informed above all else. R: A number of French territories (Champagne-Ardenne, Lorraine, Nord-Pas de Calais, Aisne, Meuse, Somme and Vosges) signed a destination agreement with Atout France with the aim of preparing for the influx of tourists during the First World War Centenary. What are the latest developments on this front? CM: The agreement aims to reinforce cooperation between the different regions, both to increase visibility overseas for French memorial sites and to better host visitors throughout the country. In concrete terms, nearly €48 million (RM157.8 million) will be invested by the involved parties to create new sites, expand or renovate existing ones, and make these sites more accessible. A few examples: in Nord Pas-de-Calais, these funds allowed for the renovation of the Museum of the Battle of Fromelles (reopening soon), the inauguration on November 11, 2014 of the new International Memorial for soldiers who fell in the region during the First World War. The funds also enabled the expansion of the Caverne du Dragon, the museum dedicated to the Chemin des Dames in the Aisne region and improved recognition for 12 World War I sites in the Vosges and Haut-Rhin regions, where hiking trails are being better promoted and "memory trails" and walks have been established. Finally, the agreement facilitated the application to UNESCO for recognition of the entire Western front as a World Heritage Site, seeking validation in 2016. To find the over 1,000 events organised in France and abroad to commemorate the First World War Centenary, visit the official website: http://centenaire.org/en — AFP/Relaxnews |
| French footballer Anelka sparks row with ‘Nazi-style’ salute Posted: 28 Dec 2013 04:32 PM PST
The 34-year-old striker thrust his straightened right arm downwards while tapping his bicep with the other hand after scoring a goal in a game in Britain between his West Bromwich Albion team and West Ham United. The gesture — an imitation of a salute frequently used by a French comedian friend of Anelka's who has been convicted several times for anti-Semitic public comments — was immediately and widely condemned. France's sports minister, Valerie Fourneyron, called it a "shocking, sickening provocation" and said there is "no place for anti-Semitism and inciting hatred on the football pitch". British media reported that the Football Association was investigating the incident, while the European Jewish Congress demanded English Premier League officials ban Anelka. "This salute is merely a lesser known Nazi salute and we expect the same kind of punishment to be handed down by the authorities as if Anelka had made the infamous outstretched arm salute," said European Jewish Congress president Moshe Kantor in a statement. Online, a storm brewed, with some Twitter users calling Anelka, a former member of France's national team, "loathsome" and "racist". Anelka himself took to Twitter to try to defuse the row, saying in messages in French and in English: "This gesture was just a special dedication to my comedian friend Dieudonne." West Bromwich Albion's coach, Keith Downing, echoed that in a post-match press conference in which he said the footballer was "totally surprised" by the backlash. Anelka's salute, Downing said, was "dedicated to a French comedian he knows very, very well... He is totally unaware of what the problems were or the speculation that has been thrown around." The French comedian in question is Dieudonne M'Bala M'Bala, who has outraged French authorities and Jewish organisations many times with his frequent anti-Semitic tirades. He has been fined seven times for defamation, insult and provocation to hate, and for racial discrimination. The comic, widely known by his first name, has popularised the straight-arm gesture, which he calls a "quenelle" — a balled food item made of fish or meat. The salute, said to look like a mix of a downward Nazi hail and an obscene French movement meaning "Up Yours", has been adopted by many of Dieudonne's fans, though interpretations vary as to whether it is anti-Semitic or anti-establishment. Comedian friend 'anti-Semitic and racist' Dieudonne himself is linked to some radical figures, notably to the former leader of France's xenophobic National Front party, Jean-Marie Le Pen, who is also godfather to one of his daughters. Although Dieudonne's stage shows no longer get play on mainstream French media, the comedian still has a solid following for his Internet videos and at his performances. French Interior Minister Manuel Valls is poised to ask local officials to shut down Dieudonne's stage shows if they show any sign of disturbing public order, aides in Valls's office told AFP. The minister wants to break Dieudonne's "mechanics of hate" and end the comedian's assertions of protection under freedom of expression, they said. Valls judged Dieudonne was "no longer a comedian" but was rather an "anti-Semite and racist" who fell afoul of France's laws against incitement to racial hatred. But Dieudonne's lawyer, Jacques Verdier, told AFP that there was no risk of the comedian disturbing public order. "In the years that Dieudonne has done his shows, there has never been the slightest incident," he said. — AFP |
| US official: Kerry heads to Middle East next week for peace talks Posted: 28 Dec 2013 04:26 PM PST
Kerry will travel to Jerusalem and Ramallah on Wednesday for more talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, resuming his intensive shuttle diplomacy after a Christmas break. "In these meetings, he will discuss the ongoing final status negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians, among other issues," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement. The United States is seeking to broker an agreement on a "two-state solution" in which Israel would exist peacefully alongside a new Palestinian state. Kerry wants the sides to agree to a framework for an interim accord ahead of a deal in April, which would launch another year of talks aimed at a full-blown peace treaty. A framework would demonstrate that progress is being made in talks that began in July, according to US officials. A framework would touch on all the main issues, including security, the future of Jerusalem and the fate of refugees. A step in that process is the release of Palestinian prisoners late tomorrow or early Tuesday, the third group to be freed since talks resumed in July. The release is seen by the United States as a vital confidence-building measure. Netanyahu's office said in a statement that 26 prisoners would be released at least 48 hours after their names are made public later yesterday. That would allow Israelis to contest the amnesty at the Supreme Court, which traditionally rejects such appeals. The prisoners had been jailed for deadly violence committed before a 1993 Israeli-Palestinian interim peace accord, the statement said. A total of 104 inmates are included in the four-stage release. The plan for the release was overshadowed by an announcement by Israel on Friday that it intends to build 1,400 homes in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, a move Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said would "destroy the peace process" and could be met with retaliation. The Palestinians see the Jewish settlements as an obstacle to achieving a viable state in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, territories Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war. Most countries consider Israel's settlements there illegal. During his last visit to the region on December 13, Kerry said both sides remained committed to peace talks and were on course to wrap up an interim deal in April. A previous round of negotiations in 2010 broke down in a dispute over settlement construction, and peace talks have shown little sign of progress since their revival this year. ― Reuters |
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