Category: Europe,

Widespread ransomware outbreak strikes Ukraine, Russia 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Central Northern Asia and The Caucasus,, Europe,, Money, Class, and Poverty,Leave a comment

The ransomware, dubbed Bad Rabbit and DiskCoder by different sources, has been reported to have hit the Kiev Metro, Odessa airport, Ukrainian ministries of infrastructure and finance, as well as targets in Russia and as far off as Turkey.

The Russian news wire service, Interfax, among the victims, suspended service. The only available story on its website as of 10:30 a.m. Tuesday was a note reading “Interfax news service not available due to hacker attack.”

Widespread ransomware outbreak strikes Ukraine, Russia | TheHill

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Fake news helped shape the Catalonia independence vote 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Europe,, Media and Culture,Leave a comment

Among the more pernicious fake stories that circulated right around the Oct. 1 vote: a picture of the fingers of a woman, allegedly broken by police to stop her from voting; reports that a police officer sent to Catalonia to block the vote had died of a heart attack there, surrounded by activists; and a story of a 6-year-old boy paralyzed by police brutality.

Other fake news stories claimed that photos from a 2012 miners strike in Madrid actually depicted pro-independence Catalans injured during the vote. Some reports seemed intended simply to cause confusion. On social media, people circulated a photo of a man in a yellow shirt, claiming that he was an undercover police officer. As Maldito Bulo reported, he was in fact a pro-independence advocate.

…people sharing fake tweets from politicians and lots of videos of alleged tanks deployed in Catalonia. 

El Pais reported that Russians were to blame, suggesting that news outlets such as Russia Today and Sputnik were circulating the fake stories to deepen divisions in Europe. According to Politico, Russian state-backed news organizations and bots aggressively pushed misinformation about the politically charged vote.

How fake news helped shape the Catalonia independence vote – The Washington Post

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More than a mail-order bride: The Asian women choosing life in the Faroes 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Europe,, Media and Culture,, Southern Central Asia,Leave a comment

All of the women I spoke to had jobs. Granted, most of those jobs were lower qualified positions than what they had studied at home, but they paid much better wages and that made them happy. All of them mentioned safety as the number one attraction of life in the Faroe Islands. And all of them described themselves as strong, independent women because they had chosen to live here.

As one explained, women who marry a European and stay in the Philippines or Thailand often have household help and a high standard of living. Not so on the Faroes. Women have to go it alone to earn money, raise children, learn one of the world’s most difficult languages and survive the long dark winters.

They described the thrill of getting their driver’s license, succeeding at job interviews, having their own bank accounts.

What’s more, they described their husbands as less patriarchal than men in their home countries. This was the most surprising revelation to me. My encounters with Faroese men left me with the impression that they were highly traditional.

…I’ve come to the conclusion that both are probably right. Somehow, these women have found space for themselves to live the life they want, even within the confines of a conservative society.

More than a mail-order bride: The Asian women choosing life in the Faroes | | Al Jazeera

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Italian woman marries herself in ‘fairytale without prince’ 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Europe,, Media and Culture,Leave a comment

Proponents of such ceremonies say it is about self-love and acceptance, and claiming the social affirmation normally reserved for couples who wed.

…But not everyone welcomes the trend, with some calling it narcissistic, and others [criticizing] it as a pointless submission to a patriarchal institution.

Italy woman marries herself in ‘fairytale without prince’ – BBC News

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The True Story of Victoria and Abdul 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Europe,Leave a comment

Karim was paired with Mohamed Buxshe, an experienced servant who ran the household of a British general. Compared with Buxshe, Karim was woefully unprepared for his new duties. But before he departed for London, he received a crash course in palace etiquette and the English language, as well as a brand-new wardrobe.

Queen Victoria’s first impression of Karim was recorded in her diaries, where she deemed him “tall with a fine serious countenance.” After their jubilee duties concluded, Karim and Buxshe traveled with the queen to her summer home on the Isle of Wight. There, Karim distinguished himself by surprising the sovereign with one of his favorite recipes. Using spices he had brought from Agra, Karim cooked a chicken curry with dal and pilau.

…The queen was well aware of this animosity towards Karim, and did not tolerate it. Fritz Ponsonby, her assistant private secretary, articulated her unwavering stance in a letter. “The Queen insists on bringing the Munshi forward, and if it were not for our protest, I don’t know where she would stop,” he wrote. “But it is no use, for the Queen says it is ‘race prejudice’ and that we are jealous of the poor Munshi.” Victoria heaped gifts and titles upon Karim partially because she knew the court would not pay him the same respect once she was dead. But she made sure her friend would be comfortable and remembered.

While Karim already enjoyed homes at the royal residences of Windsor, Balmoral and Osborne, Victoria also secured a land grant for him back in Agra. She commissioned multiple portraits of him, and had him written up in the Court Circulars and local gazettes. In her final wishes, she was quite explicit: Karim would be one of the principal mourners at her funeral, an honor afforded only to the monarch’s closest friends and family. Victoria could not control what happened to the Munshi from beyond the grave, but she did everything in her power to mitigate the harsh treatment she presumed her family would inflict upon him.

The queen’s fears were justified. Upon her death on January 22, 1901, Victoria’s children worked swiftly to evict their mother’s favorite adviser. Edward VII sent guards into the cottage Karim shared with his wife, seizing all letters from the queen and burning them on the spot. They instructed Karim to return to India immediately, without fanfare or farewell.

The True Story of Victoria and Abdul | History | Smithsonian

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Experts find graveyard of 60 preserved ancient shipwrecks

On By peanutgallerynhIn Europe,, Science and Stuff,Leave a comment

Because the Black Sea contains almost no light or oxygen, little life can survive, meaning the wrecks are in excellent condition.

Researchers say their discovery is ‘truly unrivalled’. Many of the ships have features that are only known from drawings or written description but never seen until now. Carvings in the wood of some ships have remained intact for centuries, while well-preserved rope was found aboard one 2,000-year-old Roman vessel.

…Most of the vessels found are around 1,300 years old, but the oldest dates back to the 4th Century BC.

Many of the wrecks’ details and locations are being kept secret by the team to ensure they remain undisturbed.

…Among the wrecks are ships from the Roman, Ottoman and Byzantine Empires, which provide new information on the communities on the Black Sea coast.

…Many of the colonial and commercial activities of ancient Greece and Rome, and of the Byzantine Empire, centred on the Black Sea. 

After 1453, when the Ottoman Turks occupied Constantinople – and changed its name to Istanbul – the Black Sea was virtually closed to foreign commerce. 

Experts find graveyard of 60 preserved ancient shipwrecks | Daily Mail Online

amazing, can’t wait to see more findings from this project.