Violent scuffles broke out in the Ukrainian Rada on Thursday as deputies debated the bill which would allow the official use of Russian language in certain parts of the country. The brawl erupted between deputies loyal to Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich and lawmakers from pro-Western opposition parties, who want to preserve Ukraine's cultural and political independence from its powerful neighbour Russia. The law being debated proposes to allow the use of Russian as an official language equal to Ukrainian in some civic institutions such as schools, hospitals and courts in regions where a Russian-speaking population is in the majority. Opposition deputies consider the law as an attempt by Yanukovich's party to divide Ukrainians ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections in October and a threat to the ... Continue reading →
Marking the 40th anniversary of her accession, the Queen reflected, with masterly understatement, that 1992 was not a year she would look back on "with undiluted pleasure".Her "annus horribilis" saw the Prince of Wales separate from Diana, his first wife, and her sensational portrayal in Andrew Morton's biography – a de facto autobiography, it later transpired – as a betrayed, self-mutilating bulimic. The Princess Royal divorced. The Duke of York's freshly estranged wife, Sarah, graced the tabloids topless and having her toes sucked by an enthusiastic "financial adviser". The popularity of the royal family, unsurprisingly, ebbed.Capping all that, Windsor Castle almost burned down, precipitating an uncommon public tear to well in the regal eye.So, how much better Her Majesty must feel 20 years later, celebrating ... Continue reading →
Hat tip to Reddit: this one minute ad for Getty Images is indeed, the best use of stock images we've ever seen. According to the description posted to YouTube by ad agency AlmapBBDO, copywriter Sophie Schoenburg and art director Marcus Kotlhar sifted through more than 5000 stock Getty images to end up with 873. The result, "From Love To Bingo In 873 Images," flashes 15 images per second, a pace fast enough to create the sensation of the story of a long marriage unfolding in a minute. Yes it's an ad (GettyImagesx873), but it seems like Schoenburg and Kotlhar had fun being perfectionists about it: [They] worked 6 months researching images, improving the script and building each scene so they would not only be understood, ... Continue reading →
Himanshu Verma curates art, design, cities and rituals. For years he has been my antidote to work induced Delhi stress – he does a good line in temple dinners, decadent Holi parties and looks a lot better than I do in a sari. Via his organisation Red Earth, Himanshu juggles A LOT– from the annual Monsoon festival, to design fairs, to the 1100 walks projects (yes people, that means night walks, dawn flower market walks, sherbet walks, food walks, lake walks, buddhist walks… ). He’s all about building bridges between traditional practices and contemporary creative expression, tiddley-pom. Himanshu also goes by the name Genda Phool (marigold flower), he’s a man obsessed! Hang out with him and you’ll never look at those little orange flowers in ... Continue reading →
Events search This event has been scheduled to take place ahead of the NATO summit in Chicago where world leaders will gather to discuss Afghanistan. ‘Kabul calling’ will bring together panels in London and Kabul to provide an alternative agenda to the one in Chicago by focusing on the humanitarian implications of the withdrawal of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) from Afghanistan. Panellists will explore the humanitarian consequences of the troop drawdown; discuss how a political settlement can best be facilitated and what form it should take to secure the most favourable humanitarian outcome for the Afghan people; discuss what ‘transition’ will mean for Afghans. Follow #Kabulcalling on Twitter for live coverage. IN KABUL - via video or teleconference (technology dependent)Speakers:Ashley Jackson - ... Continue reading →
