Turkmen president bans recorded music in public

Wednesday, August 24, 2005 Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov has banned the playing of recorded music on television, at public events, and both public and private wedding ceremonies. Turkmenistan’s official daily newspaper, Neitralny Turkmenistan, quotes President Niyazov as stating that the ban is intended to “protect true culture, including the musical and singing traditions of the

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Slovenia adopts euro

Monday, January 1, 2007File:Bruselj euro slovenia.jpg On January 1 2007, Slovenia officially joined the Eurozone and adopted the euro as its new official currency. At the same time, Slovenian euro coins, which were available as a “starter kit” from December 15, became legal tender everywhere in the Eurozone. A period of dual circulation, when both

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New legal British tender revealed

Wednesday, April 2, 2008 For the first time in 40 years, the Royal Mint has chosen a new set of designs for the reverse of the coins, first introduced in the Coin Design Competition 2005. The designer, Matthew Dent of Bangor, North Wales, was paid £35,000 (GBP) for his designs, which depict the Shield of

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‘Afghanistan is a 20-year venture’ warns Canadian general

Monday, August 8, 2005 Maj.-Gen. Andrew Leslie, one of Canada’s top generals says Canadians should prepare for a long mission to Afghanistan in order to help it break out of “a cycle of warlords and tribalism.” Leslie told the audience attending the 74th Annual Couchiching Summer Conference in Orillia, Ontario, Canada on The Use of

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Kennedy Center names 2007 honors recipients

Friday, September 14, 2007 The Kennedy Center announced that its 30th presentation of the Kennedy Center Honors would go to pianist Leon Fleisher, comedian Steve Martin, singer Diana Ross, director Martin Scorsese and musician Brian Wilson. The Center was opened to the public in 1971 and was envisioned as part of the National Cultural Center

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Edmund White on writing, incest, life and Larry Kramer

Thursday, November 8, 2007 What you are about to read is an American life as lived by renowned author Edmund White. His life has been a crossroads, the fulcrum of high-brow Classicism and low-brow Brett Easton Ellisism. It is not for the faint. He has been the toast of the literary elite in New York,

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