 |
| A very interesting work! – Giustizia Veneta (Venetian Justice) is the title of a book (205 pp.), written by Eduardo Rubini (Venice 2010). The Author deals with the juridical and the legal system of the Republic of Venice. Even more interesting is, that he discovered the original roots of the state, which, almost until the 19th century AD, has determined the fate of the eastern Mediterranean. |
|
 |
| Once again, the Black Panther story! |
| *** |
| Carantha comments on ICJ to rule on legality of Kosovo's independence: |
| The ICJ's decision, that the declaration of independence of Kosovo from Serbia, in the sense of international law was not illegal, was a tremendous blow for Serbia. More precisely said, it was a blow for Belgrade and its great-Serbian policy, hegemony, expansionism and militarism. Furthermore, comments made by several mass medias, that this decision could have far-reaching implications for other separatist movements around the world, could be true. |
|
 |
| ICJ to rule on legality of Kosovo's independence |
| The International Court of Justice has begun ruling on the legality of Kosovo's 2008 secession from Serbia. |
 |
| Kosovo's government says its independence is irreversible |
| 22 July 2010 |
| Judges are issuing a non-binding ruling on Serbia's claim that Kosovo's declaration of independence was a violation of its territorial integrity. |
| If the ICJ sides with Serbia, Kosovo could be pushed into negotiating a settlement. The opposite could see more countries recognising its independence. |
| Earlier, the US reaffirmed its "full support" for an independent Kosovo. |
| The commander of the Nato-led peacekeeping force meanwhile said its 10,000 troops were ready for any violence sparked by the ruling. |
| "On the field we don't have indications about nervousness, about any upcoming threat," said German General Markus Bentler of the Kosovo Protection force, K-for. |
| Serbian forces were driven out of Kosovo in 1999 after a Nato bombing campaign aimed at halting the violent repression of the province's ethnic Albanians, who constituted 90% of its two million population. |
| Kosovo was then administered by the UN until February 2008, when its parliament voted to declare independence. |
| Most countries do not recognise Kosovo as independent, but it is thought others might do so if the ICJ decides in its favour. |
| So far 69 of the UN's 192 countries are in favour of recognition. They include the US, UK, neighbouring Albania and Croatia. |
| Those opposed include Russia, China and Bosnia. |
| The EU is not united on the issue - Spain and Greece are among five of its 27 members to be opposed. |
| Serbia still regards Kosovo as part of its territory and challenged its legality at the ICJ at The Hague. |
| At the start of the deliberations last December, Serbia's representatives argued that the move both challenged its sovereignty and undermined international law. |
| Kosovo's representatives meanwhile warned that any attempt to reverse its independence might spark further conflict. |
| STANCE ON RECOGNITION |
| 69 of the UN's 192 countries have recognised Kosovo's independence. |
| * Among those for: US, Japan, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Turkey, Albania, Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia |
| * Among those against: Serbia, Russia, China, India, Spain, Greece, Romania, Slovakia, Cyprus, Bosnia |
| 'Moment of truth' |
| Although non-binding, the court's ruling will provide a framework for diplomats to try to establish a working relationship between Serbia and Kosovo. |
| The dispute remains an obstacle to Serbia's hopes of joining the EU, and has hindered Kosovo's ability to attract foreign investment. Parts of northern Kosovo also remain tensely divided between ethnic Albanians and Serbs, and clashes occasionally erupt. |
 |
| The ruling will also be closely watched by several other countries facing secessionist challenges themselves, such as China and Spain. |
| "The first and foremost consideration for any democratic government in the world is the preservation of its own sovereignty and territorial integrity," Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic told the BBC. |
| "We do expect that the court is not going to endorse the legality of the unilateral act of secession, because if they do so then no border anywhere in the world where a secessionist ambition is harboured will ever be safe." |
| During a meeting with Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci in Washington on Wednesday, US Vice-President Joe Biden "reaffirmed the United States' full support for an independent, democratic, whole, and multi-ethnic Kosovo whose future lies firmly within European and Euro-Atlantic institutions", the White House said in a statement. |
| Mr Biden also "reiterated the United States' firm support for Kosovo's sovereignty and territorial integrity," it added. |
| A senior US official told reporters that it was confident the ICJ would rule in favour of Kosovo's declaration of independence. |
| The BBC's Mark Lowen in Belgrade says Serbia has called this "the moment of truth", and whatever the outcome it will be historic - the first time the ICJ has ruled on a case of territorial secession. |
|
 |
| European Bureau for Lesser-Used Languages |
| Galicians demonstrate over draft bill to reduce Galician medium and replace with English |
| February 2010 |
| 60,000 people, according to the organizers Queremos Galego, 30,000 according to the police, marched through the Galician capital Santiago de Compostela on January 21st to protest against a proposed bill that will reduce the amount of Galician provision from 50% to 33 % - introducing English in its place. |
| The demo was supported by close to 90% of teachers and students. |
| The Galician Academy and the Culture Council, the two most important bodies that promote Galician language and culture, as well as political parties, language NGOs, trade unions, parents' associations and other groups, have already rejected the draft bill which aims to delegate to parents the responsibility of choosing by ballot the language of some subjects. |
| The bill was introduced by the conservative Galician Government on 30th of December and aims to reduce the percentage of subjects taught through the medium of Galician from at least 50% to 33% |
| Promoting English at the expense of Galician and calling it ‘plurilingualism’ |
| The leader of the Galician autonomous government, Alberto Núñez Feijoo (PP), defended the Decreto do Plurilingüismo (Plurilingualism Decree) because “it brings English into public education,” setting out that one third of subjects will be taught in English with the remaining third taught in Castilian. |
| However, philologists, linguists and teachers consider that it is “not possible” to establish this trilingual model because of a lack of teachers qualified to teach in English. Campaigners point out that in practice the English 33% will simply switch to Castilian medium. Experts claim that it is bad practice to bring English into the education process alongside the two co-official languages (Galician and Castilian), and that the move will severely undermine the success that the Galician language model has had to date. |
| The Partido Popular strongly disapproved of the law passed in 2007 by the previous coalition government (PSOE – BNG) because they considered that the Galician language was “imposed” on children, and that the right to choose which language Galician children are taught in was undermined. |
| According to the Galician Statistics Institute (IGE), more than 96% of Galician people understand Galician, with around the same for Castilian, but with the number of Galician speakers falling sharply over the last two decades. (Fernando Arrizado Abuin, EBLUL – Eurolang 2010) |
|
 |
| Slovenia keen to expand Qatar ties |
| By Samir Awad/Berlin |
| 20/7/2010 |
 |
| Foreign Minister Samuel Zbogar: calls Qatar relations “very positive |
| Slovenian Foreign Minister Samuel Zbogar has called for expanding political and economic ties between his country and Qatar ahead of HH the Emir’s visit to Slovenia starting today. |
| “There are many possibilities for political and economic partnership,” Zbogar said in an interview with Gulf Times. |
| “In addition to strengthening bilateral political and economic dialogue and co-operation, Slovenia is also interested in establishing partnership in the areas of health, education, science, development, and humanitarian aid,” Zbogar said. |
| Describing relations between the two countries “very positive”, he said that visible progress had been achieved after the official visit by President Danilo Turk to Qatar in January this year. |
| “The official visit by HH the Emir to Slovenia (today and tomorrow) is a clear sign of continued excellent relations between our two countries and leaders,” the minister said. |
| Excerpts from the interview: |
| QUESTION: How would you describe Qatari-Slovenian relations? It is breathtaking how relations between the two countries have developed since the president’s visit to Qatar in January this year. |
| ANSWER: Our bilateral relations are very positive and visible progress has been made after the official visit by President Danilo Turk to Qatar in January 2010. The official visit by HH the Emir to Slovenia (today and tomorrow) is a clear sign of continued excellent relations between our two countries and leaders. It allows us to strengthen dialogue and develop close partnership. |
| Q: What does Slovenia hope from its new and strong relations with Qatar? |
| A: Slovenia is strengthening its ties with like-minded countries. Qatar is certainly among its most important partners; in terms of age, size and moderate and prudent foreign policy, it is comparable to Slovenia. There are many possibilities for political and economic partnership. In addition to strengthening bilateral political and economic dialogue and co-operation, Slovenia is also interested in establishing partnership in the areas of health, education, science, development, and humanitarian aid. |
| Q: How do you judge the policies of the Emir? |
| A: Despite Qatar’s small size, it is an important political and economical player in the Middle East and also beyond. With his prudent, peaceful and pro-active foreign policy, especially through spreading peace, security and conflict-mediation, HH the Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, is greatly respected in the West. Slovenia is engaged in humanitarian aid, which coincides with the Emir’s policy of generous aid to poor countries. We should not forget to mention Emir’s prudent management of Qatar’s enormous oil and natural gas reserves and the progress achieved in science and education. Last but not least, Qatar hosts the headquarters of Al Jazeera, the most popular TV station in the Middle East. |
| Q: When is Slovenia going to open an embassy in Doha? |
| A: Slovenia is seriously considering opening an embassy in one of the Gulf states. Doha is one of the top options on the list. |
| Q: It is expected that many agreements will be signed during the visit of the Emir. Can you tell us how important they are for the relations between the two countries? |
| A: Agreements and memorandums are an important legal basis for expanding bilateral dialogue and co-operation in various fields. I believe that there is broader interest going beyond the texts of agreements. Our citizens, businessmen and politicians are already exploring all available potentials. I am convinced that we will be able to speak about our common achievements very soon. |
| Q: What are the most important sectors where you hope that Qatar can invest in your country? |
| A: Economic co-operation between Slovenia and Qatar is rather modest; however, we are pleased to note that the number of Slovenian companies exporting to and importing from Qatar is increasing. Slovenian companies are interested in establishing deeper and more structured dialogue, links and partnership with their Qatari counterparts, with particular emphasis on foreign investments. There are many unexplored opportunities such as tourism, health and rehabilitation, banking, IT and high technology, logistics and distribution, retail and investments in food and other industries. |
| Q: As part of the EU, what are Slovenia’s suggestions to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict? |
| A: The Palestinian-Israeli or broader Arab-Israeli conflict is a very complicated and sensitive issue going back more than 60 years. The EU continues devote a great deal of attention to resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict, which is of vital interest and provides the key to addressing other problems in the broader Middle East region. |
| I believe that the resolution of the conflict would open up many new opportunities for the integration of the entire region and enhance its connections to the world. With partnership and clear determination to reach a compromise and reconciliation on all sides, a comprehensive genuine peace could be achieved. Consequently, this will provide sustainable security and prosperity for everyone, and we will avoid the humanitarian crisis that we are facing today. |
| The EU speaks in favour of delivering freedom and dignity, security and justice to the Palestinians. It has also made a firm commitment to the security of the state of Israel. Our aim is to have a two-state solution with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security as soon as possible. |
| Q: Do you have a message to the Qatari people? |
| A: The visit by HH the Emir confirms that relations between the two countries are very good and also defines the possibilities to further enhance partnership. Both countries have opened up all possibilities for partnership at all levels, and I personally would be pleased if this visit could help strengthen relations between the citizens of Slovenia and Qatar. I will be very pleased to see our common vision of close inter-state relations take shape in the future. |
|
 |
| Traveller's Guide: Slovenia |
| This Central European country has a vast amount to offer: deep glacial lakes, limestone mountains, river valleys and ancient churches. |
| By Norm Longley |
| Saturday, 10 July 2010 |
 |
| The country's star turn is Lake Bled, with its iconic island church set fair in the centre of the lake |
| A new country? |
| In a sense. This small but startlingly picturesque country, at the top of the Adriatic, wedged between Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia, has been independent only since 1991. In the Ten Day War that year, it broke free from the imploding Yugoslavia. Before that, Slovenia was for centuries under Habsburg rule, until 1918, when it joined the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes – later recast as Yugoslavia. |
| Modern Slovenia joined the EU in 2004. With a population of little more than two million occupying an area the size of Wales, it has a vast amount to offer: white limestone mountains and deep glacial lakes, green river valleys and pristine forests, hilltop castles and ancient churches, subterranean curiosities and sweeping vineyards. |
| Where should I start? |
| Lovely Ljubljana. Slovenia's sophisticated capital city is a confection of baroque and Habsburg architecture, handsome churches, leafy squares and cool riverside cafés and restaurants. Architecturally, the city owes much to the work of Joze Plecnik (1872-1957), who invested the city with a remarkable number of structures, the most celebrated of which is the Triple Bridge linking the two sides of the languid Ljubljanica river. |
| Look out, too, for the Shoemaker's Bridge a little further along; the gently curving Market Colonnade; and, most conspicuously, the National and University Library, which stands across from Plecnik's striking Krizanke open-air theatre, venue for the city's brilliantly eclectic International Summer Festival (ljubljanafestival.si ). The tourist information centre (00 386 1 306 1215; visitljubljana.si ) can arrange "Plecnik city tours", costing 50 for a group of five. |
| Taking a stroll along the narrow, cobbled streets of the pretty Old Town |
| , with its handsome orange- and red-roofed townhouses, arty shops and pavement cafés, you'll chance upon several paths snaking up to the 16th-century castle (or take the funicular, 3, to the top). From here, there are superlative views of the city and the Kamniske Alps in the distance. |
| A ticket to the castle's Clock Tower costs 3; admission to the Virtual Museum – which cleverly documents the city's history – is 6; a combined ticket is 8. |
| With time to spare, take a walk down to the village-like suburb of Krakovo, all squat houses and neat rows of lovingly tended allotments. The results of which sustain the colourful outdoor market on Vodnik Square (8am-4pm daily except Sunday). |
| The most engaging of the city's hotels is the Allegro (00 386 5 911 9620; allegrohotel.si ), a finely restored townhouse featuring 12 individually styled rooms; doubles start at 130, including breakfast. |
| For something cheaper, head to the funky Hostel Celica (00 386 1 230 9700; souhostel.com ), occupying the remnants of a military prison; a two-person "cell" with shared bathroom costs 56, and a dorm bed is 21; rates include breakfast. |
 |
| Eating out: Diners at a café in Ljubljana |
| Most enjoyable of the city's restaurants is the beautifully understated Pri Skofu at 8 Recna, a little back-street hideaway with no menu as such but serving house specialities such as black risotto. Away from the clutch of sociable cafés and bars strung along the banks of the Ljubljanica, more vigorous nightlife is to be had at Metelkova mesto, a cosmopolitan gang of bars and clubs indulging in everything from dance and rock, to punk, metal and performance art. |
| A lake district... |
| The country's star turn is Lake Bled, with its iconic island church set fair in the centre of the lake. The island can be reached by stretch gondolas, called pletnas, which depart from various points around the lake (12), though much more fun is a do-it-yourself rowing boat (10 per hour). |
| The graceful Vila Preseren (00 386 4 575 2510; villa-preseren.com ) has sumptuous double rooms for 154 (falling to 136 off season), including breakfast; its wood-decked terrace restaurant offers classy Mediterranean cuisine and wonderful lake views. |
| Lake Bohinj is maestically situated within a bowl of thickly forested mountains about 25km west of Bled. A lakeshore walk should take about four hours, or you can just mess about in the warm, shallow waters. |
| Otherwise, there are numerous attractions close by: take a ride on the Vogel cable car (8am-6pm, departing every half-hour; 13 return) for glorious vistas of the serried peaks opposite; visit the photogenic Savica Waterfall (8am-7pm, April-October, 2.50); or take a leisurely walk among the huddle of sleepy villages that are a short distance from the lake. Here you'll see some superb examples of the double hayrack, a unique feature of the Slovenian landscape. |
| Camping Bled (00 386 4 575 2000; camping-bled.com ) and Danica Camping near Bohinj (00 386 4 572 1702; camp-danica.si ) have excellent amenities. |
| ... and mountains |
 |
| Great outdoors: a hiker tackles a mountain path in the Julian Alps |
| Wedged into the north-west corner of the country, the limestone Julian Alps contain the country's highest peaks, with Triglav ("Three Heads") topping the lot at 2,864m. There's superb hiking and climbing here, and if you don't fancy going it alone, Humanfish (00 386 51 321 383; humanfish.com ) can arrange any number of treks, including an assault on Triglav itself; a two-day trip costs 179 per person, including a mountain guide, dinner and breakfast – plus luggage storage. |
| In winter these mountains make way for thousands of skiers. The most testing slopes are those at Kobla (bohinj.si/kobla ) and Vogel (vogel.si ), two resorts near Lake Bohinj, while the lower altitude resort of Kranjksa Gora (kranjska-gora.si ) is ideal for families. |
| Snowboarders will appreciate Krvavec (rtc-krvavec.si ), near Ljubljana, which is also home to an igloo village (eskimska-vas.si ); for 89 per person you receive a night's accommodation inside a cosy little ice cavern, night snow-shoeing, dinner, drinks in the ice bar, and breakfast. |
| Further east the Karavanke and Kamniske-Savinje ranges are no less exhilarating. The latter showcases Logarska Dolina, an impossibly gorgeous Alpine valley carpeted with flower-speckled meadows and hemmed in by a crest of jagged peaks. |
| There are plenty of activities available here, such as archery, rock climbing and paragliding, all of which can be organised from the valley's information hut (00 386 3 838 9004; logarska-dolina.si ). |
| Skirting the Croatian border, the prolifically forested Sneznik plateau has more terrific walking, and also shelters Slovenia's greatest concentration of large mammals, including lynx, wolf and a sizeable brown bear population. Bears also roam the virgin forests of nearby Kocevski Rog, itself much flatter rambling territory. Mountain bikers can enjoy more than 1,000km of marked trails in the Koroska mountains near the Austrian border; a dedicated cyclists' hotel at the Koros tourist farm in Jamnica (00 386 2 870 3060; mtbpark.com ) has bed and breakfast accommodation for 25, as well as bike hire and guided tours. |
| High excitement |
| Pressed up hard against the Italian border, the magisterial Soca Valley attracts thrill-seekers of all persuasions to the foaming, milky blue-green waters of its eponymous river. |
| The valley's main adventure sports centre is Bovec, where Bovec Rafting Team (00 386 5 388 6128; bovec-rafting-team.com ) offers white-water rafting (37), hydrospeed (46), canyoning (45) and a kayak school (82 per day) among other activities. |
| Further down the valley, Kobarid's absorbing museum (00 386 5 589 0000; kobariski-muzej.si ; daily 9am-6pm; 5) documents the ferocious battles that took place hereabouts during the First World War. |
| Just outside town, Hisa Franko (00 386 5 389 4120; hisafranko.com ) has handsomely furnished double rooms from 110 including breakfast, while its sublime restaurant counts on a breathtakingly imaginative menu. |
| The picturesque dams and rapids of the lovely Kolpa River in the south of the country also meet the mark for water-bound activities. Kovac Sports in Osilnica (00 386 1 894 1508; kovac-kolpa.com ) organises rafting, kayaking and canoeing, each activity costing about 25. |
| Distant shores |
| The Slovenian coastline is just 46km long, yet it packs in an awful lot. Beaches tend to be of the rock, concrete or grass variety, though there is the odd stretch of sand. Those at Portoroz and Izola are the best, ideal for kids and with plenty of water sports available too. |
| Most beaches have decent facilities, with showers and changing areas, lifeguards on hand, and umbrellas and loungers available for hire. |
| The coast's main pull, however, is its historic towns. Piran (portoroz.si ), in particular, delights with its Venetian-inspired architecture; from Tartini Square, pick your way through the maze of time-worn streets, Italianate squares and exquisite little churches to the waterfront promenade. |
| There's welcoming accommodation at both the six-room Max Hotel (00 386 5 673 3436; maxpiran.com ; doubles 70 including breakfast), and the elegant Hotel Tartini (00 386 5 671 1000; hotel-tartini-piran.com ), which has sea-facing doubles from 112 including breakfast. |
| Avoid the slew of restaurants on the promenade and head to homely Pri Mari, where you can take your pick from the day's freshly caught haul. |
| The port town of Koper (koper.si ) retains an exceptionally pretty medieval core. A dense lattice of arched alleys converge on the main square, Titov trg, framed on one side by the fine Praetorian Palace and on the other, the Gothic-style Loggia. |
| While here, kick back with a cappuccino at the smart Loggia terrace café. A worthwhile local excursion is to the saltpans in Secovlje (soline.si ), where an enlightening museum and visitor centre (8am-10pm daily, 5) document the practice of salt V C harvesting, which has been taking place here since the 14th century. |
| And with a pinch of salt? |
| Slovenian food is essentially a synthesis of Austrian, Mediterranean and Balkan culinary influences. Gastronomically, the easternmost region of Prekmurje bordering Hungary is one of the most rewarding; the Magyar influence is manifest in bograc, a steaming goulash pot of mixed meats, onions and potatoes; this dish is enthusiastically celebrated each August at the Bogracfest in Lendava. |
| Also from the region is gibanica, a delicious layered pastry stuffed with sweet cottage cheese, poppy seeds, walnuts, apple and cream. Another popular dessert is potica, a nutty loaf/cake infused with tarragon, cinnamon and honey. |
| A more curious delicacy is the humble little dormouse, which is typically eaten in soups with rice, noodles and dumplings, or as a goulash. Indeed, dormouse trapping is a long standing ethnic tradition in rural Slovenia, hunted not only for its meat but also for its fur (for caps) and oil (for machines and medication). |
| Something to quench my thirst? |
| Slovenian wine is superb, and with some 14 wine-growing districts to choose from, you'll be spoilt for choice. The lovely, sunny slopes of the Goriska Brda hills bordering Italy yield a wide variety of both red and white wines – not least the dry slamno vino (straw wine), cultivated from the indigenous Rebula grape. |
| Local vintners to look out for include Simcic (00 386 5 395 9200; simcic.si ), in Ceglo, and Klinec (00 386 5 304 5092; klinec.si ), in Medana; the latter has smart double rooms from 66 including breakfast, while its owners organise the Days of Poetry and Wine Festival in August. The tourist office in Goriska's main town, Dobrovo, can furnish you with more information on visiting the many different cellars (00 386 5 395 9594; brda.si ). |
| Over in the east of the country, the Ljutomer and Maribor wine regions are overwhelmingly white-wine territory. |
| At the highly regarded Protner winery in Malecnik (00 386 2 473 2101; joannes.si ), you can sample Renski Rizling, Chardonnay and Muscat as you chomp on grilled blood sausages. |
| In Maribor itself, the 400-year-old vine fronting the Old Vine House on the Lent waterfront is reputedly the world's oldest. An exhibition inside the house relays the history of the vine, while its ceremonial harvesting takes place in September – about 35 litres of Zametna Crnina (Black Velvet) are produced each year. |
| Finally, no visit to the Karst is complete without a glass of spiky, cherry-red Teran wine and a few slices of dry-cured prsut ham. |
| Tourist farms: Back to nature |
 |
| Tourist farms are scattered across the Slovenian countryside |
| Tourist farms are scattered across the Slovenian countryside. These idyllic rural retreats offer simple, clean and comfortable accommodation with home cooking. Many also have animals for children to tend. Expect to pay around 45 for a double room including breakfast, and a further 10 for dinner. The website farmtourism.si has a list of all the country's tourist farms. |
| Slovenia has a good spread of campsites, most of which are clean and well-appointed. Mountain huts (koca or dom) abound in the hills and mountains. Most offer a dorm bed for around 15 and at some huts a simple, filling meal is available for a few euros more. |
| Many huts are open all year round, though those at higher altitude are usually only open between June and September. |
| Travel essentials: Slovenia |
| Getting there |
 |
| Norm Longley is the author of the Rough Guide to Slovenia; the third edition has just been published, price £13.99 |
| Adria Airways (020-7734 7360; adria.si ) flies twice a day from Gatwick to Ljubljana, and in the summer flies twice a week from Manchester; easyJet (0905 821 0905; easyjet.com ) flies daily from Stansted. An often-cheaper alternative is to fly with Ryanair (0871 246 0000; ryanair.com ) to Trieste in Italy or Graz in Austria, both of which are just a short hop across the border with Slovenia. |
| Getting around |
| Slovenia’s efficient and well co-ordinated bus (ap-ljubljana.si ) and rail (slo-zeleznice.si ) networks will get you to where you want with the minimum of fuss and expense; Ljubljana to Piran takes two hours by bus; the Inter-City Express from the capital to Maribor takes less than two hours and costs 14. Driving is a joy, thanks to the short distances, scenic surroundings and light traffic. The local Europcar rep is ABC (00 386 59 070 500; europcar.si ), which has economy-sized cars from around 45 per day. |
| More information |
| slovenia.info |
| Additional research by Emily Kent-Smith |
|
 |
| Russian fans' mixed views as Slovenian nemesis loses in South Africa |
| by Andy Potts at 24/06/2010 |
 |
| Russian football fans were torn between a thirst for vengeance and a sense of regret as Slovenia bowed out of the World Cup at the group stage on Wednesday night. |
| Vengeance, for it was Slovenia whose gritty 1-0 win over a ragged and ill-disciplined Russia squad ended the World Cup dream before anyone had even booked a flight to South Africa. |
| Yet also regret: if Russia had to lose it would have been less embarrassing to be beaten by a team which thrived on the ultimate stage rather than limping home having barely left a ripple on the big pond. |
| Unforgiven |
| Elvira, a Rubin Kazan fan watching the game in her office and frantically texting her friends, was among those backing England to punish Slovenia for that night in Maribor. |
| “I can’t forgive Maribor,” she told The Moscow News. “Every time I remember it I wonder how they managed to beat us.” |
| As the match progressed she was delighted with Jermaine Defoe’s 22nd-minute opener for England – but became increasingly anxious as the Three Lions failed to press home their advantage. |
| “One-nil is a dangerous score,” she texted midway through the second half. “Thank God this game can’t go to penalties!” |
| But her happiness was not shared by all. After the match Alexander was disconsolately sipping a beer in Chistiye Prudy. |
 |
| Changing sides |
| “I usually support England because I like their sense of fair play,” he said. “But it’s embarrassing for Russia that we didn’t qualify and even worse that we didn’t qualify because of a team which couldn’t reach the later stages. |
| “If we’d lost [a play-off] to Portugal or someone, OK, but Slovenia? |
| “I didn’t think they would do well in South Africa, but I still hoped they’d get through their group. It would have been less of a shame for Russia.” |
| Meanwhile for many of Moscow’s expats it was a tense evening as they waited and hoped for England and USA to make progress. |
| And while England provided a reassuringly early strike to settle their fans’ nerves against Slovenia, the Americans left it until two minutes into stoppage time before sneaking past Algeria and claiming top spot in Group C. |
 |
| Delight and trepidation |
| Not that many of their fans felt they should have been under such pressure in the first place after a refereeing error cost the US a win over Slovenia in an earlier round and prompting academics to go into meltdown while proposing rule changes and reffing reforms to prevent a repeat. |
| For England, though, joy was tinged with trepidation – the next round brings a clash with old foes Germany and raises the spectre of penalty shoot-out defeats past. |
| Russia, too, know how it feels to face a must-win game against the Germans: Joachim Low’s side inflicted Guus Hiddink’s only home defeat as head coach to force them into that fateful Slovenian play-off last year. |
| How do you feel about Slovenia's defeat - vote on our poll at www.mn.ru/vote |
|
 |
| Slovénie (Groupe C): le rideau de fer |
| 07/06/2010 |
| Dénuée de stars, la sélection slovène compte sur sa solide défense pour espérer sortir d'un groupe C (Angleterre, Etats-Unis, Algérie) relevé. |
 |
| Lors d'un match amical contre le Qatar, le 3 mars 2010. |
| (Reuters, Fadi Al-Assaad) |
| Qui a dit que la meilleure défense, c'est l'attaque? Dans le cas slovène, le principe ne se vérifie pas. Si la Slovénie a son billet pour l'Afrique du Sud, elle le doit avant tout à son arrière garde. Seuls cinq joueurs ont réussi en onze matchs à faire trembler ses filets. La Slovénie n'est pas la deuxième meilleure défense de la zone Europe pour rien. |
| Comme quoi, même sans stars, on peut aller loin Dans la sélection slovène, aucune tête ne dépasse. Le meilleur joueur, c'est l'équipe. Ça ne fait pas rêver, mais c'est efficace. Les géants verts (seulement cinq Slovène à moins de 1,80 m) compensent leur manque de talents individuels par un jeu collectif bien rôdé. Deuxième de sa poule derrière la Slovaquie, la Slovénie s'est qualifiée en barrages au nez et à la barbe de la Russie. "Personne n'aurait parié un sou sur nous. Aujourd'hui, tout le pays est fier de nous," triomphe l'attaquant star de Cologne Milivoje Novakovic. |
| Seul objectif désormais pour les Slovènes dans cette seconde Coupe du monde (3 défaites en 3 matchs en 2002): s'éclater. Une équipe libérée, solidaire et solide en défense est un cauchemar pour n'importe qui. L'Angleterre, les Etats-Unis et l'Algérie devront donc sérieusement se méfier d'un pays d'à peine plus de deux millions d'habitants pour 31000 licenciés. |
|
 |
| Massive Catalan protest in Barcelona |
 |
| CALLING FOR CHANGE: People take to the streets with a banner reading "independence" during a protest for greater autonomy for Catalonia within Spain in central Barcelona. |
| 11/07/2010 |
| More than a million people gathered in northeastern Barcelona to demand greater regional autonomy for Catalonia and protest a recent court ruling forbidding this prosperous region from calling itself a nation. |
| City government spokesman Manuel Campillo said police had counted 1.1 million people at a vast rally that filled Barcelona's major Gran Via, Diagonal and Paseo de Gracia boulevards. Rally organizers, Omnium Cultural, calculated attendance at 1.5 million, spokesman Daniel Jove said. |
| Spain's courts recently granted sweeping new powers of self-rule to the region, but on Friday its highest court ruled that the country's Constitution recognized Spain as the country's only nation, dealing a blow to efforts by Catalonia to assume that status. |
| The verdict came after four years of debate in which conservative and liberal judges locked horns over whether the charter went beyond the limits of Spain's system of granting varying degrees of self-rule to its 17 regions. |
| Catalans have their own language and are proud of a history which, until 1714, linked them to the independent Kingdom of Aragon. |
| During the dictatorship of Gen. Francisco Franco (1939-1975) Catalans were forbidden from speaking their language and it was illegal to publish books in Catalan. |
| Jove said about 1,400 Catalan organisations, including political parties, trade unions as well as cultural and business associations, had called on members to gather. |
| Sunny, hot weather enticed many people to attend the rally. Television news reports showed a multitudinous crowd waving Catalan nationalist flags, chanting and carrying banners saying "We are a Nation." |
|
|
| Rich Flanders seeks more autonomy |
| Belgian politicians are struggling to end a crisis that has paralysed the government for 15 months. At the heart of the stalemate are the rival aspirations of Dutch and French-speakers. In the first of a series of articles on divided Belgium, Henri Astier profiles Flanders. |
 |
| Beautiful Antwerp exudes the prosperity and confidence of Flanders |
 |
Federal government: foreign affairs, defence, justice, health, welfare |
|
Language-based communities: education, culture |
|
Regional governments: economic policy, labour, housing, environment, energy, transport |
| Such reform is precisely what the Belgian government, dominated by Flemish conservatives, has in mind. |
| Remi Vermeiren, a former chairman of the banking giant KBC, contends that Flemish people "believe more in a market economy" than Walloons, and argues for outright independence for Flanders. |
| But for all its economic dominance and political assertiveness, the Flemish still feels culturally on the back foot - and this contributes to their prickliness. |
| Liederkerke, a traditionally working-class town 15 miles (25km) west of Brussels, is one of many suburbs that have seen an influx of both rich expatriates and African immigrants. |
 |
| In Liederkerke, the Flemish are at home, and respectful guests are welcome |
|
 |
| World Cup 2010 |
| 20 June 2010 |
 |
| Blaz Kavcic, who has so far been enjoying the football, says his appearance at Wimbledon is a dream come true. |
| Photograph: Regis Duvignau/Reuters |
| As for Wednesday's football, Kavcic is quietly confident. "England really need a win, so I think they have much more pressure. We've been so strong so far, I hope we can do it." |
 |
| Historical and authentic insignias of Carantania - Slovenia |
 |
|
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
