Boulogne-sur-Mer is a city in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department of Pas-de-Calais. The population of the city was 44,859 in the 1999 census, whereas that of the whole metropolitan area was 135,116. Boulogne-sur-Mer is the most important fishing port in France. 7,000 inhabitants derive part or all of their livelihoods from fishing. IFREMER (the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea) and the Pasteur Institute are located in Boulogne Port. read more…
Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, 300 kilometres (190 mi) southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history. It is a port of call for shipping and cruising lines running between Panama and San Francisco, California, United States. The city of Acapulco is the largest in the state, far larger than the state capital Chilpancingo. Acapulco is also Mexico’s largest beach and balneario resorted city. There are a number of beaches in the Acapulco Bay and the immediate coastline. read more…
Roskilde is the main city in Roskilde Municipality, Denmark on the island of Zealand. It is an ancient city, dating from the Viking Age and is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network. Roskilde train station is a major stop between Copenhagen and the regions of Denmark located to its west. With a population of 47,117, the city is an economic center for the region. read more…
MS Golden Iris is a cruise ship owned an operated by Mano Maritime. She was built 1975 by the Burmeister & Wain shipyard in Copenhagen, Denmark for Cunard Line as MS Cunard Conquest, but her interior fittings were subsequently installed at the Navali Mechaniche Affini in La Spezia, Italy. Following re-delivery from Navali Mechaniche Affini in 1977 the ship was renamed MS Cunard Princess. In 1995 the ship entered service with StarLauro Cruises (later rebranded MSC Cruises), briefly retaining her previous name before being renamed MS Rhapsody. Later during her career with MSC Cruises the ship came to be marketed as MS MSC Rhapsody, but her official registered name remained Rhapsody throughout her MSC career. In 2009 the ship was sold to her current owners. The Cunard Conquest was designed with a heavily raked bow and a tapering stern. She has a low superstructure that extends slightly outward from the sides of the hull. The open-winged bridge is located two decks above the top deck of the hull. An observation lounge is located above the bridge; a pool area is located aft of the bridge and forward of the heavily raked, round funnel that has a large deflector fin extending aft of the funneltop. The terraced rear superstructure houses additional sundeck areas. read more…
West Jerusalem or “New Jerusalem” refers to the section of Jerusalem that remained under Israeli control after the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, whose ceasefire lines delimited the boundary with the rest of the city, which was then under Jordanian control. A number of western countries acknowledge de facto Israeli authority, but withhold de jure recognition. Israel’s claim of sovereignty over West Jerusalem is more widely accepted than its claim over East Jerusalem. In 1980, the Israeli government annexed East Jerusalem and wanted to unify the city (Jerusalem Law) but the international community opposed this step vehemently (United Nations Security Council Resolution 478), which leads to move almost all foreign embassies to Tel Aviv. As a further result, the City Line, as part of the Green Line, is still valid today. The population of Jerusalem has largely remained segregated along the city’s historical east/west division. The city contains two populations that are “almost completely economically and politically segregated .. each interacting with its separate central business district”, supporting analysis that the city has retained a duocentric, as opposed to the traditional monocentric, structure. De jure, Tel Aviv continues to be Israel’s capital, especially since the international community tolerates, but does not acknowledge, West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital (with the ecxeption of Donald Trump, Russia (Times of Israel, 4 April 2017: In curious first, Russia recognizes West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital), Guatemala and Honduras (Washington Post, 28 December 2017: Guatemala and Honduras sided with Trump on Jerusalem. Here’s why.) and Australia (The Guardian, 15 December 2018: Australia recognises West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital but holds back on embassy move). read more…
