Top June Events

St Petersburg, Russia: White Nights Festival  15^TH May - 5^th July  

The White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia is an annual international cultural event. The White Nights Festival consists of a series of classical ballet, opera and music events and includes performances by Russian dancers, singers, musicians and actors, as well as famous international guest stars. The Scarlet Sails celebration is the culmination of the White Nights season, the largest public event anywhere in Russia with the annual estimated attendance about one million people, most of whom are students from hundreds of schools and colleges, both local and international.

The White Nights Festival is officially organized under the egis of the Saint Petersburg City Administration. The festival officially begins in May with the "Stars of the White Nights" at Mariinsky Theatre and ends in July of each year. However, many performances in connection with the White Nights Festival may often take place before and after the actual White Nights timeframe.

Further information: www.thisisthelife.com

Reykjavik, Iceland: Independence Day 17^th June  

Celebrated throughout the country, 17 June commemorates the day in 1944 when Iceland gained full independence from Denmark. The day is honored with all manner of events taking place around the country and particularly in Reykjavik ranging from parades and parties to street theatre and live music performances. The day itself is actually the birthday of Jon Sigurdsson, the peaceful campaigner who is largely credited for being the architect behind Iceland's move towards independence. The day is a national holiday throughout Iceland.

Further information: www.icelandtouristboard.com

Krakow, Poland: Lajkonik Festival 18^th June

The Lajkonik is a parade through the streets of the city's old town celebrating historic events that have surrounded the city since its founding 1400 years ago.

One part of the parade is to remember the defeat of the Tartars, also known as the Mongols, in 1241. In the procession a man dressed in Mongol attire with a wooden horse around his waist is followed by musicians, young children and revelers.

Starting from the 12th Century Convent of St Norbet, the march lasts for hours until it finishes at the historic market square, which incidentally is the largest medieval square in the world.

This festival has taken place every June for the past 700 years, indicating the mark the invading forces left on the city. The historic city, in which Pope John Paul II was born.

Further information: www.krakow.pl
 

Athens, Greece: European Music Day 18^th June - 23rd June  

Each summer solstice, members of the European Music Day network (aka Fête Européenne de la Musique) organize free concerts all around the city. The European Music Day is gladly entering its 10th year of existence in Greece. Only in Athens, more than 800 music acts or 6.000 artists have shared the experience with 500.000 attendants… so far!

Further information: www.istc.org

Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain: Grec Arts Festival from the 20^th June

The Grec 09 festival in Barcelona opens on 20 and 21 June, with the show 'El jardí dels estels' (Garden of Stars), by the great Italian masters, Marcello Chiarenza and Alessandro Serena

Festival de Barcelona Grec, originally simply known as Grec, is one of Europe’s top cultural festivals, offering a blend of national and international productions. It was born in 1976 when a group of theatre professionals began demanding more playhouses and a higher profile for their profession. Over the years, Grec expanded into dance and music, hosting top names.

The Grec Festival is a Barcelona's largest annual Dance, Theatre and Music Festival with a huge programme of wonderful events in many venues in the city. There is something for everyone!

Further information: www.barcelonafestival.com

London, England: Wimbledon Tennis Championships  22^nd June –  5^th July

Anyone for Tennis? The Championships, Wimbledon, commonly referred to as Wimbledon, is the oldest major championship in tennis .It is also regarded by many to be the most prestigious tennis championship in the world. Held at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in

London .The Lawn championships at Wimbledon have developed from a garden party atmosphere to a highly professional event attracting over 500,000 spectators.

Further information:  www.wimbledon.org

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada: Vancouver International Jazz Festival  26^th June – 5^th July

This year’s Festival features over 1800 musicians from Canada and around the world. Many free performances including large outdoor concerts, eight major indoor concert series, and a host of nightclub shows. Over 510,000 people attended last year’s Festival.

Further information: www.coastaljazz.ca

Malta Moby Concert 28^th June  

World-renowned DJ and songwriter Moby will be performing in Malta at a concert at the Gianpula fields on June 28.

The American musician shot to fame with his classic Play album in 1999, and since then has sold over 20 million records worldwide, winning scores of awards in the process.

Moby has been making music since he was nine years old, playing classical guitar before releasing his first single Go in 1991. His music has been used in hundreds of different films, including Tomorrow Never Dies and The Beach.

Further information: http://www.timesofmalta.com

By: Progress On 07:08

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FAA: Serious Runway Incursions Drop by 50% in FY 2010

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the number of "serious runway incursions" dropped by 50% to six in fiscal year (FY) 2010 when compared to FY 2009. Furthermore, from FY 2000 through FY 2010, Category A and B runway incursions have decreased by more than 90%.
The FAA categorizes runway incursions into A, B, C, D as follows:

• Category A - A serious incident in which a collision was narrowly avoided.
• Category B - An incident in which separation decreases and there is a significant potential for collision, which may result in a time critical corrective/evasive response to avoid a collision.
• Category C - An incident characterized by ample time and/or distance to avoid a collision.
• Category D - An incident that meets the definition of runway incursion such as incorrect presence of a single vehicle/person/aircraft on the protected area of a surface designated for the landing and take-off of aircraft but with no immediate safety consequences.

By: Progress On 00:30

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Chile's Volcanic Ash Cloud Closes Airports in Argentina

Argentina — It is being reported that the ash cloud spewing from Chile's Puyehue-Cordon-Caulle volcano range reached the Argentinean capital Buenos Aires on Tuesday (6/7) forcing airlines tocancel flights into and out of the city's airports.

By: Progress On 00:28

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Lasering an Aircraft to be a Federal Crime

United States — We have had many posts about incidents of people shining laser pointers from the ground at all types of aircraft - from commercial jets to private planes to police and news helicopters.
And up until now, when someone is arrested for "lasering" an aircraft they have been prosecuted under state and/or local laws. But this is about to change. The FAA announced today (6/1) that it will begin to impose civil penalties against anyone who purposely points a laser into the cockpit of an aircraft.
The legislation that would criminalize aiming a laser device at an aircraft is currently pending in Congress.

By: Progress On 08:39

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Easyjet Ash Detection System Flight Trials

Low-cost airline Easyjet is set to flight-trial advanced ash detection technology.

Last year, it unveiled its Airborne Volcanic Object Identifier and Detector (AVOID) system.

Now, it’s getting ready to put it through its paces, after the latest Icelandic volcanic eruption which occurred on 21 May 2011.

Easyjet’s AVOID system trials will potentially involve a flight through the current ash cloud generated by the new eruption. This eruption originated from Iceland’s Grimsvotn volcano and, while its impact on airspace hasn’t been as savage as expected, the high-level concentration of ash that’s been moving southwards has still been responsible for hundreds of flight cancellations.
AVOID Ash Detection System

The AVOID ash detection system takes the form of a structure intended to be fixed to the outside of an aircraft. The structure features an array of tubes incorporating infrared imaging technology capable of, firstly, identifying ash within a 100 mile range and, then, transmitting the results they collect both into the cockpit and to controllers at ground level.

Equipped with this information, these controllers can piece together a comprehensive 3-D representation of ash levels present in the atmosphere.

According to a representative of the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), which developed AVOID, it’s based, in part, on a system that’s already in use. “This uses technology that has been employed in satellites for 25 years, but whereas they look straight down, this works horizontally which makes it more effective”, Senior Scientist Fred Prata explained to CNN, adding: “at cruise altitude, there is really no limit to how far ahead you can detect ash.”

The AVOID system is “…an approach we are encouraging”, CAA representative, Richard Taylor, added. “We have said all along the airlines have to come up with a solution, in collaboration with aircraft manufacturers.”
Easyjet AVOID Flight Trials

Beyond the upcoming Easyjet AVOID flight trials, the ultimate aim is to put AVOID into full-scale commercial production and, to this end, Easyjet has pledged to make the system available to other carriers.

In related news, on 25 May, Irish low-cost airline Ryanair challenged the concerns expressed over the 2011 Icelandic ash cloud.

Describing how it had carried out a flight over Scotland - a part of the UK especially affected by the recent cancellations - it reported that “no visible volcanic ash cloud or evidence of ash on the airframe, wings or engines” had been recorded.

This flight was reportedly carried out at 41,000 feet but, according to the CAA, it didn’t go into what’s been dubbed the ‘red zone’, where the majority of ash has been concentrating.

By: Progress On 08:18

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Faster Low-Risk Airport Passenger Screening Considered

Expedited airport passenger screening measures for low-risk travellers are under development, according to new comments made by a TSA representative on 18 May 2011.

Addressing US airport officials, Transport Security Administration spokesperson John Pistole explained that the US government is looking at various options that would allow passengers that are not considered a threat to airport security to be screened more rapidly.

The research follows complaints, made by travellers, over how long it takes to progress through security checks at airports in the US. These complaints have been especially common since the advent of full body-scanning technologies and extensive pat-downs, both introduced after the Christmas Day 2009 mid-air explosion attempt.
Low-Risk Passenger Screening

In the future, it’s possible that non-suspicious, ‘safe’ passengers could have their own queuing line, according to Pistole, who explained that low-risk passenger screening is “something we’re working on in a number of ways.”

Two months ago, the US Travel Association - a pre-eminent travel industry organisation - recommended that the US government implement a trusted traveller programme and advocated that airlines should adopt a free-single-bag policy for passengers, too. Both would effectively speed up the whole passenger screening process and, furthermore, encourage more people to fly, too, it said.
Faster Airport Passenger Screening

“I will be the first to admit that our system is not without shortcomings”, Pistole told officials yesterday, adding: “clearly, the system is not without flaws.”One advantage of a change to faster airport passenger screening would be that screeners could refocus their efforts and their time more intensely on high-risk passengers, he explained, however.

Stressing that the present airport security methods used did have a vital role in today’s world, Pistole concluded that the US remains at threat from terrorists, or would-be terrorists. That’s especially true within the context of Osama Bin Laden’s death at the start of May, and the potential for follow-up militant retaliation.

Meanwhile, in related news, a number of scientists have written a letter to the TSA, questioning the safety element of the full-body scanners now in place at numerous US airports. In particular, they’re concerned about the potential for exposure to radiation.

“There’s no real data on these machines, and in fact, the best guess of the dose is much, much higher than certainly what the public thinks”, one scientist stated, in the letter.

By: Progress On 08:17

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Playboy club to reopen in London

After 30 years, Playboy Enterprises is relaunching in London, with the unveiling of a club/casino on Old Park Lane in Mayfair. It’s a stone’s throw from the previous incarnation, which was located on Park Lane, and was shut down in 1981 after its gaming license was revoked.

It may not be to everyone’s tastes but Business Traveller, who attended last night’s preview party, can confirm that the bunnies are back, complete with red or black satin bodices, bow ties, cuffs and trademark ears. It also noticed that more women were in attendance than men, suggesting that attitudes have perhaps shifted somewhat over the decades, and the nightspot will not be solely for male clientele.

The venue occupies the site of the old Rendezvous Mayfair Casino, and features a sultry cocktail bar (open daily from 4pm) called Salvatore’s, complete with bottles of Cristal champagne on ice, vintage brandy in glass cases, leather banquettes, and slick barmen in smart black shirts and gold braces.

There’s also the Dining Room, which dishes up Korean cuisine from executive chef Judy Joo for both lunch and dinner, the Cottontail Lounge (open Wednesday to Sunday from 10pm) that sports tables with ice buckets built in and colourful LED lighting, a Gentlemen’s Tonic barbershop, the Players bar (open from 4pm) and an outdoor smoking terrace on the first floor.

Also located upstairs is the casino – a Vegas-inspired gaming floor open 24/7 and complete with 18 tables including American roulette, blackjack, three-card poker and punto banco, as well as a slot salon, electronic roulette and, of course, bunny croupiers.

It should be noted that if you want to play, you will need ID, and minimum bets start from £5 for roulette, £10 for blackjack and three-card poker, and £25 for punto banco. A poker table will also be available for private cash games.

Those interested in experiencing the club first-hand will have to apply for membership in advance, which costs £1,200 a year (plus a £1,000 joining fee) or £15,000 for life. One of the privileges of joining will include being able to make use of its facilities for private events.

Adam Roberts, club director at Playboy London, says: “Successful applicants will be people from all walks of life with interesting stories to tell, people who go and grab life and enjoy the fruits of success – the kind of people you would love to share a drink with.”

The Playboy club London originally opened in 1966 and, since then, other venues have opened in the likes of Macao, Miami and Las Vegas. It is expected that the new club will “again cater to some of the biggest names in entertainment, sports and business”.

Visit playboyclublondon.com.

By: Progress On 08:14

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