Cbskesl



South Korea 'bans' Miniskirts

A new law has come into force in South Korea that effectively bans the wearing of miniskirts. The controversial piece of legislation is called the "overexposure law" and is an attempt by the government to curb what it views as public indecency. Anyone caught wearing a miniskirt could be fined around $45. It is one of the first laws to be passed by new president Park Geun-hye and has come under considerable criticism. Her father, Park Chung-hee, who led the country between 1963 and 1979, introduced a similar decree on the appropriateness of what Korean women could and couldn't wear. A spokesperson from South Korea's police said the law is more concerned with public nudity than provocative clothing.

Celebrities and politicians are up in arms over the new law. Democratic United Party member Ki Sik Kim wrote on Twitter: "Why does the state interfere with how citizens dress? Park Geun-hye's government gives cause for concern that we are returning to the era when hair length and skirt length were regulated." Many female celebrities have posted photos of themselves in skimpy clothing online to make their feelings against the law known. Short skirts and shorts are extremely popular in South Korea. They are the fashion items of choice for the majority of the country's pop stars. Singer and fashion icon Lee Hyori tweeted: "Is the overexposure fine for real? I'm so dead."

Mass Tourism Threatens Venice

Venice, one of the world’s most beautiful cities, isfacing environmental disaster . Italia Nostra, an environmental organization says that Venice can handle about 30,000 tourists every day, far less than the 60,000 that come to the lagoon  city now. It suggests that Venice attract fewer, but richer tourists instead aiming at all kinds of tourists.[pic]

Venice is threatened  by rising sea levels  andMediterranean  storms. In the next hundred years the sea level of Venice’s lagoon is expected to rise  by 20 inches (about 50 cm).  Old buildings, churches and cultural sites are in danger of collapsing .

Every year autumn and winter storms flood  much of the city, especially  places where tourists like to go, like Piazza San Marco, the central square of Venice. The situation has become worse because of the giantcruise ships  that sail into the city. Waves push up mud  and sand which erode wooden piles on which the buildings stand.

The Italian government has started building a flood barrier  that is supposed  to keep out the water from the Adriatic Sea. By 2014 three giant steel gates will control the flow of water to and from the lagoon. Environmentalists fear that such a barrier will  affect  the natural life of the lagoon which has a mixture of salt and freshwater . Venice’s lagoon is a home of plants that release additional  oxygen  into the sea. Without such plants, water coming from the Adriatic Sea would make the lagoon saltier.

New construction projects pose another threat to Venice. The government is planning an underwater  subway connecting Venice with a new town on the mainland . Environmentalists say this would be a  disaster from which Venice would never recover .

Brussels – Chocolate Capital of the World

Brussels is not only the capital of Belgium and the center of the European Union but, what most people don’t know, the chocolate capital of the world. Ever since the Belgian Jean Neuhaus created the first praline a hundred years ago Belgium has been home of the chocolate business. There are over 300 chocolate producers in the Belgian capital and many chocolate lovers claim that the best chocolate in the world comes from Belgium.

Europe’s history of chocolate goes back to the 16th century when Spanish explorers brought cocoa beans home from Mexico. At that time cocoa beans were traded and served as a form of money. When Belgian King Leopold II occupied Congo and made it a Belgian colony thousands of tons of cocoa were shipped home and spurred the growth of the chocolate industry.

Belgium produces 170 000 tons of chocolate a year, sold in over 2000 shops located throughout the country. Every Belgian consumes over 11 kg of chocolate a year.

Belgian pralines are so famous mostly because of the quality of the cocoa that is used. They are a mix of cocoa, butter and milk in different amounts. The hard chocolate shell and the creamy fillings make pralines adelicious treat.

Of the six million tourists who visit Brussels every year, only few of them leave the city without a box of pralines. The city offers them special chocolate tours, where they learn about the history of chocolate, see how pralines are made and taste them in the best shops of the city. Most tours start at the Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate, where you receive information on everything you need to know about chocolate.

More Rights for Women in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has very strict laws for women. They must cover their hair and faces and are not allowed to drive a car or travel without a man beside them. This is about to change as the King of Saudi Arabia has announced that women would be allowed to vote in the next elections. They will also be allowed to run as candidates.

One of the biggest problems facing women is the ban on driving. Although there is no real law that forbids this,driving licenses are not given to women. In addition religious leaders say that women are not allowed to drive according to Islamic law.

Even though Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy in which the king makes the last decisions, religious leaders have gained much power in the past years. Women’s rights are a topic that is much discussed in the Middle Eastern kingdom.

In general, women must follow traditional customs that come from conservative tribes in the country. They must wear a long black dress and cover their hair. Many must also cover their face when they go out with their husbands.

Most women must have a person who looks after them, a kind of guardian. They must obey these chaperones, who can also be a brother or other relative. A woman in Saudi Arabia can only work if the guardian allows it, which is why only a small percentage of the female population has a job.

In the past few years King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has become more liberal on the topic of women’s rights. He has taken steps to give women more respect in society. Giving women the right to vote in elections is one step in making the Arabian country more democratic.

Links:









................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download