Latest news with #Germanic
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Pretty European city most Brits won't have heard of gets new cheap flights from the UK
Plus, the unknown European city named world's cheapest holiday destination – with £1.60 beers & £16 flights FLY AWAY Pretty European city most Brits won't have heard of gets new cheap flights from the UK Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) WIZZ Air has unveiled a new route between Birmingham and a pretty European city lots of Bris will have never have heard of. Sibiu is located in central Romania, and is known for its Germanic architecture. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Sibiu is located in central Romania Credit: Alamy 3 The city is known for its history and architecture Credit: Alamy Now, Wizz Air will be connecting the city with Birmingham, from October this year. The flights will operate twice a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays from October 28, with fares starting from £17.99. The flight would take just over three hours. Sibiu has a wealth of different places to explore. History is evident throughout the city, with remains of medieval walls and towers present, including the 13th-century Council Tower. In the upper town, there is also the Brukenthal Palace - which now houses the Brukenthal National Museum and is full of European paintings. For those who find churches fascinating, then the nearby Evangelical Cathedral is a must with gravestones in its walls. Just outside of the city, is also the Dumbrava Sibiului Natural Park. The parkland area stretches over 960 hectares and it is an oak forest with a plethora of wildlife including deer, porcupines and foxes. A beer costs around 11 lei, which is about £1.83 - so relatively cheap. Watch incredible Romania town And the average coffee costs 12.20 lei, which is around £2.03. Food is also cheap, with a three-course meal for two people at a mid-range restaurant costing £29.12 on average. Olivia Harangozó of Wizz Air said: "We are excited to add this new route to our operations from Birmingham. "Sibiu is one of Europe's hidden gems, and we are delighted to give Brits more opportunities to visit this city and experience its – and Romania's – rich history and vibrant culture." All flights will be operated using the latest-generation Airbus A321neo aircraft. WizzAir also recently announced a new route between Birmingham and Rome, Italy, which is due to commence service on June 16. The flights will operate three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. One woman flew to Romania for a spa holiday with her mum – it was cheaper than the UK even with return flights. Plus, the unknown European city named world's cheapest holiday destination – with £1.60 beers & £16 flights.
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Pretty European city most Brits won't have heard of gets new cheap flights from the UK
WIZZ Air has unveiled a new route between Birmingham and a pretty European city lots of Bris will have never have heard of. Sibiu is located in central Romania, and is known for its Germanic architecture . 3 Sibiu is located in central Romania Credit: Alamy 3 The city is known for its history and architecture Credit: Alamy Now, Wizz Air will be connecting the city with Birmingham, from October this year. The flights will operate twice a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays from October 28, with fares starting from £17.99. The flight would take just over three hours. Sibiu has a wealth of different places to explore. Read more on Europe History is evident throughout the city, with remains of medieval walls and towers present, including the 13th-century Council Tower. In the upper town, there is also the Brukenthal Palace - which now houses the Brukenthal National Museum and is full of European paintings. For those who find churches fascinating, then the nearby Evangelical Cathedral is a must with gravestones in its walls. Just outside of the city, is also the Dumbrava Sibiului Natural Park. Most read in News Travel The parkland area stretches over 960 hectares and it is an oak forest with a plethora of wildlife including deer, porcupines and foxes. A beer costs around 11 lei, which is about £1.83 - so relatively cheap. Watch incredible Romania town And the average coffee costs 12.20 lei, which is around £2.03. Food is also cheap, with a three-course meal for two people at a mid-range restaurant costing £29.12 on average. Olivia Harangozó of Wizz Air said: "We are excited to add this new route to our operations from Birmingham. "Sibiu is one of Europe's hidden gems, and we are delighted to give Brits more opportunities to visit this city and experience its – and Romania's – rich history and vibrant culture." All flights will be operated using the latest-generation Airbus A321neo aircraft. WizzAir also recently announced a new route between Birmingham and Rome, Italy, which is due to commence service on June 16. The flights will operate three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. One woman Plus, the 3 The city is also relatively cheap Credit: Alamy
New Statesman
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Statesman
HBO and the cursed child
Photo by Murray Close/ Getty Images A new Harry Potter TV show is taking shape. It's going to air over ten years on HBO, starting in 2026; its three child leads were announced last week and by the time it's done they'll be in their early twenties, lives in tatters. So everyone says. 'Please protect these children from any evil adults that they encounter,' says one poster. Hermione's new actress resembles the book character but is of ambiguous ethnicity; there are more commenters predicting floods of racist abuse than actually giving it out. A high-profile Harry Potter news account laments that their parents have 'thrust them' into 'JK Rowling's toxic sphere of influence;' Emma Watson's father has issued a stern warning to the new cast's families about the difficulties of childhood fame; a TV reporter at Metro has taken the cue to write how she is 'truly concerned about what will happen to the new Harry, Ron, and Hermione.' Newly confirmed castmembers Arabella Stanton, Dominic McLaughlin, and Alastair Stout. Photograph by Courtesy of Aidan Monaghan/HBO You can't even blame the onlookers for pre-empting a trauma story: the depths of human depravity surface so regularly in our popular culture that you can barely refer to them as 'depths' anymore. We seem to live in a very early Germanic fairy tale, with predators around every corner. There's a thriving market for 'misery lit,' those books that come with Elena Ferrante-style pastel covers but actually feature detailed and disturbing descriptions of child abuse. I'm Glad My Mom Died, an abuse memoir by ex-Nickolodeon star Jeanette McCurdy, has sold over two million copies; Netflix's executives seem obsessed with running documentaries about the sordid depths of children's TV and the kidfluencer sphere. Audiences are no longer satisfied by news reports; traumatic events must get verbal or thespian play-by-plays, as in HBO's Leaving Neverland and the BBC's Jimmy Savile drama The Reckoning. The trauma-seeking impulse seems even stronger the further you go back: you can make thousands on YouTube uploading videos with titles like 'Disturbing Horrors Behind Shirley Temple That'll RUIN Your Childhood.' This obsession did not always exist. It didn't have to because Hollywood used to be interesting. There were stars and their stock characters, a network of in-house 'fan magazines', the industry worked like a soap opera. This system mostly died out with the stars themselves. There is no grand narrative anymore: Hollywood is staffed by independent contractors and filled with bits of blind gossip that diverge from each other Rashomon-style. The best way to make meaning out of this fragmented industry is by searching for abuse and trauma. To howl about the 'evil adults' lurking on the banks of Hollywood's Styx. We're in a depression, but there can never be another Shirley Temple to dance us out of it; the culture industries that used to hold people in thrall are now under permanent suspicion. The online commenters have it twisted. Hollywood is obsessed with its Lindsay Lohans and Amanda Bynseses, but you never hear about the child stars who haven't been scarred; well-adjusted adults do nothing for the larger narrative. The original three actors made it to adulthood seemingly unscathed and accessed opportunities that would have likely been off-limits without their cultural cache; you can't automatically predict that the new cast will go off the rails, and you can't blame the parents for setting their talented children up for life. In the age of national pessimism it is cheering to see a British cultural property spawning multiple generations of celebrities. We should suspend our disbelief and be happy for them. [See more: The People's Republic of iPhone] Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Related
Local Germany
5 days ago
- General
- Local Germany
German word of the day: Freimütig
Why do I need to know freimütig ? Arguably, there isn't another word in German with the same ability to go straight to the heart of why German speakers and English speakers occasionally rub each other up the wrong way. So this is a good term to understand when you're discussing cultural differences, or even while navigating them yourself. What does it mean? The literal translation for freimütig – pronounced like this – is frank, candid, or unreserved. The word fr eimütig (from der Freimut ) is comprised of the German words for 'free' and 'courageous'. The Duden German language dictionary defines it as follows: Adjective: expressing one's opinion without fear or false consideration; open . Superficially, the meaning of freimütig and 'frank' may be identical, but the respective images they conjure could hardly be more different – and these differences are crucial to understanding why conversations between German speakers and English speakers can end with both participants lost in a maze of baffled frustration. In Germany, freimütig conjures an image of selfless, disinterested heroism. 'Frank', on the other hand, carries connotations of overstepping in English. The word is really only used when a person wants to invite someone to 'be frank' – with the implication that this is something which should never be attempted without prior encouragement. Anyone who has spent time in both Germany and Britain will know that most Germans are f reimütig as a matter of course, whereas most Brits are only ever reluctantly and cautiously frank. Which is why a conversation with a German can feel like being kicked in the balls to someone from Britain. And why a conversation with a Brit can feel like being stroked to death with an overpriced and soft toy to someone from Germany. It's also why I've been told – frankly und mit Freimut – that I'm a terrible person for failing to attend a party I said I would attend. Whereas, for my part, I was left confused and mortified, because I was certain I had declined the invitation. After all, any self-respecting Englishman would have understood the phrase: 'I hope to be there, but I'm not 100% sure I'll make it,' as a clear and unequivocal 'No!' Advertisement Interestingly, the English word 'frank' actually derives from the name of the Germanic tribe, the Franks, who lived around the lower Rhine from the 3rd century CE and later conquered much of what is now France and western Germany. While the origin of the tribal name is debated, one theory suggests it came from frankon , the Germanic name for their weapon of choice, a javelin or lance – which seems perfectly on point. Use it like this: Sie hat sich sehr freimütig geäußert. She expressed herself very frankly. Er antwortete freimütig auf meine Fragen, ohne etwas zu verheimlichen. He answered my questions frankly, without hiding anything. Advertisement Die freimütige Diskussion über die politischen Probleme führte zu einem besseren Verständnis. The frank discussion about the political problems led to a better understanding. Warum reden die Engländer immer um den heißen Brei herum? Warum können sie nicht freimütiger sein? Why do the English always beat around the bush? Why can't they be franker?
Local France
03-06-2025
- General
- Local France
French Word of the Day: Dérober
Why do I need to know dérober? Because this verb might confuse you if you are trying to understand a news story. What does it mean? Dérober - roughly pronounced day-row-bay - may look like it has to do with taking your clothes off, but in reality, it means 'to steal or take'. The more commonly used synonym is voler (to steal). You'd be forgiven for confusion around the story of the Greenpeace stealing the wax figure of French President Emmanuel Macron as part of a protest. The French press kept referring to the figure as having been dérobé , but not to worry - this meant it was stolen, not undressed. The verb dérober originated in the 12th century, and it comes from the Old French term rober , which is borrowed from the Low Latin raubare and the Germanic term raubon , meaning to steal, loot or pillage. As you might have guessed, the English verb 'to rob' also comes from the Old French rober . Advertisement Oddly enough, the noun robe (dress in French) also came from the same word root, referring to the 'spoils of war' and then a 'garment that has been stolen from someone'. Eventually, it went on to refer to tunics and women's dresses. However while English has kept 'disrobe' as a fancy way of saying to get undressed, this is not used in French where déshabiller is the word for taking your clothes off. Use it like this Des militants ont dérobé la figurine de cire du président français Emmanuel Macron. - Activists stole the wax figurine of French President Emmanuel Macron. Le voleur m'a dérobé dans le métro. J'ai marché jusqu'au poste de police pour porter plainte. - The thief robbed me on the Metro. I walked to the police station to lodge a complaint.
